1. Karma
There are different ways of presenting karma; there are the four aspects and the 10 non-virtues, but another way of teaching karma is from the point of view of helping others by protecting their lives. In the case of killing, emphasize the opposite—that saving the lives of animals causes us to have a longer life.
Emphasize the benefits of saving lives and present karma by explaining what happens to us—that the result of saving lives is that we have a long and healthy life now and in the future.
Emphasize the opposite of killing and talk about saving the lives of others, for example, birds. Elaborate on practicing charity for others— helping sick, dying and homeless people.
2. Reincarnation
Explain that our future lives depend on how much we create positive karma. Present the idea that our life isn’t just this lifetime. If you don’t talk about reincarnation, people won’t be inspired to abandon negative karma and it won’t be an important issue for them, so the thought to change doesn’t come.
There is a fixed idea that farmers have to kill, but this isn’t necessarily so. Farmers have to feed animals, but they don’t have to kill them. If there is concern that the animals’ numbers will increase too much, they can use birth control for the animals. If the animals are sold then other people will kill them, so it’s better to control the increase in numbers. Also, being a farmer is by choice and that lifestyle can be changed for the good and happiness of others. There is no rule saying they have to be farmers—they have free will.
In the case of people who can’t stop killing but still want to meditate, they can develop compassion for others, for example, by practicing patience and the basic things that are the only ways to bring happiness, such as keeping virtue in the mind, visualizing the Buddha, and doing purification with Shakyamuni Buddha yoga meditation. Gradually, these people will become inspired to stop killing.
Buddha gave us many different practices, because sentient beings have different kinds of minds. We can always practice Dharma and meditate—there is always something we can do and something we can practice. It is better that we practice something that is the opposite to creating non-virtue, so our life isn’t just full of negative karma and completely dark. We should especially perform purification practices. If we purify ourselves, then we have less negative karma and suffering, so it makes a big difference.
