Vegan Talk Forums

BigBecka · Animal defender Joined: 02 Dec 2006 Posts: 412

Hmm, it's a bit quiet on here - everyone must be out enjoying the summer

Had an interesting discussion with someone the other day. They supposed that people who do martial arts or boxing (like me!) cannot be nice people, because they are "hitting people for a hobby"

The person who said this is regularly told off by his friends: they think he is a bad person, because he is not Christian, and is a socialist

And his friends in turn might be considered bad people: they indulge in passive-aggressive behaviour, waste petrol, have little social conscience... None of them are vegan

It got me wondering, are there any universal truths that make someone a "good" or "bad" person?

Tasty Toadstool · Vegan Talk Visitor Joined: 02 Apr 2008 Posts: 8

The sage does not distinguish between himself and the world;
The needs of other people are as his own.

He is good to those who are good;
He is also good to those who are not good,
Thereby he is good.
He trusts those who are trustworthy;
He also trusts those who are not trustworthy,
Thereby he is trustworthy.

The sage lives in harmony with the world,
And his mind is the world's mind.
So he nurtures the worlds of others
As a mother does her children.

Tao Te Ching.