It IS normal to kill living creatures. You kill every day unless you're starving yourself. And to starve yourself is to slowly kill you. Most fresh vegetables are alive and respirating when you cut them and cook them. Thats what it means for plant matter to be fresh. Even if you never kill animals and eat a vegan diet, you are killing every day. Death is life and life is death, we are constantly being born and dying on a cellular level. Taking life to further your own life is natural, the key is to do so with respect for life, and not to cause undue suffering. Thats my two cents. My goal is not to avoid killing, but to have respect for the sacred act I am committing every time I prepare and consume life. To welcome it back to the cycle and honor its sacrifice.
But then again, I've already decided monastic life wasn't right for me. So here's a bit more advice.
"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always inneffectiveness, concerning all acts of initiative (and creation). There is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
But then again, I've already decided monastic life wasn't right for me. So here's a bit more advice.
"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always inneffectiveness, concerning all acts of initiative (and creation). There is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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