Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

As he watched a cow walking with her two little calves freely on the grass, Phil Huang (黃旭睦) could not but turn back and look at his two children in the back seat of the car. He wondered, “Are they different from the calves?” “Am I different from the cow?”   At that time, they were stuck in a traffic jam, but he felt happy to be with his beloved children. And a thought struck him.

“This is the moment. It is today. I’d begin to practice vegetarianism right away,” he called his wife immediately and told her his decision jubilantly. “Seeing those calves from time to time drawing near their mother and caressing her, and she would also turn back to see if they were following closely. It touched my heart. I think of our children, too. How can I bear to see a cow and her calves being separated?”

This wave of compassion made him quit the well-paid job. He worked as a salesperson in the world’s largest meat supplier. He used to sell a lot of meat. That was how he made a living in the U.S. He greatly enjoyed eating meat. Because of this compassion, he gave up his desire to eat meat decisively.

He realized that all lives are sentient beings. Animals have feelings, too. Not only can’t human beings bear to be separated from their loved ones, but also animals can’t, either.

This happened three and a half years ago. Thanks to the cow that inspired Phil’s compassion, he has taken a vow to promote vegetarianism to save the lives of more animals.

With compassion, we treat all lives equally. Therefore, with Great Love, let us give of ourselves to all lives impartially.