Farm Fresh Eggs?
When we look at our own lives, we see lots of problems that we have. We don’t have enough money, we can’t go on holiday this year, our spouses are being difficult and our jobs are taking up too much of our precious time. These are things we really feel are problematic in our lives – the huge issues that cause many of us to experience great mental suffering.
Please watch the video posted here. It shows footage of the average life of a battery hen. The shed in the video contains 800,000 hens, held captive in small cages designed to cram ten hens into each cage. Each hen has to struggle and fight its way just to get some food and water and often, because of the cramped conditions, the hens contract infections and suffer the most intense pain, fear, terror and trauma.
In America alone, there are approximately 300 MILLION battery hens that have never seen the light of day, have never walked on the fresh ground outside and experience very little human interaction and zero veterinary attention. One of the few times they come into contact with humans is when they have completed their production period and are then taken to slaughter. Their sole purpose prior to death is to produce eggs constantly.
When we think of the suffering of animals and birds, we often think of them being killed for meat. However, suffering isn’t always closely followed by death. Battery hens are worked for many months producing farm eggs for our consumption. They produce these eggs in squalid conditions and are never free from extreme suffering from the moment of birth to the moment of death. Even those lucky to escape the cages suffer immensely. Often, they starve to death due to no food or water being on the shed floors. Other times, they will suffocate to death, falling out of the cages with their heads having been buried in the mounds of excrement that pile up over time.
To think of any being living under such horrific conditions is unimaginable – to actually watch it as it happens genuinely brings tears to your eyes. It’s especially heart-breaking to know that all this suffering happens in order that human beings can enjoy their eggs in the morning. When you think about it, it’s actually crazy and yet a lot of us still remain ignorant to the suffering of animals that occurs continuously simply to satisfy our own taste buds.
The cruelty from which battery hens suffer is mind-blowing. It’s an incredible shame that farm eggs continue to be purchased for our breakfast plates at the expense of the continuous torture of these birds. The sources from where our food comes should always be checked out as best as possible. As practitioners – or simply as good people – we should always avoid buying farm eggs and do all we can to highlight this immeasurable cruelty and suffering whenever possible.
Please watch the video. It will definitely provide you with food for your heart. It’s impossible to watch the process of a battery hen’s life and not feel that even the smallest of beings deserve the peace, happiness and freedoms that we as humans enjoy. Battery hens, like us, are sentient beings and they should never have to suffer like they do. No single being ever should.
Tsem Rinpoche
http://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/LifeInANightmareEggFarmFinal.flv
Or view the video on the server at:
http://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/LifeInANightmareEggFarmFinal.flv
Rinpoche thank you, I learned about this earlier today, my friend’s vegan girlfriend posted a link. I always bought “Cage Free” eggs thinking the chickens were treated better, then I read this: http://learnshareact.com/mygreenblog/2009/04/06/the-truth-about-cage-free-eggs/
Even “Cage Free” hens are stuck in the dark all day, their beaks cut off, with low quality food. Apparently it’s best to buy “Free Range” or “Pastured” eggs. In Massachusetts in the US we have them but not sure about other places. Thanks.
Thank you Rinpoche for this post.
It makes me more determined to eat only eggs from hens that are reared in the kampongs here. I believe they are the equivalent of ‘free range’ eggs in the US and European countries.
The following words from the show “Earthlings” keep coming back to me. “The systematic torture of animals show the lowest level of debasement that Man can reach”.What I see in this video is yet another instance of Man’s systematic and mindless torture of animals.
Dear Mdm Lim Han Nee, Your comment here fulfills the purpose of why I post all these videos. Thank you for taking instant action without justifications and unnecessary ramifications. TR
I was also advised however, that kampung eggs may be “worse” as those eggs may stand a higher chance of being fertilised and therefore contain a life within them.
I’m trying to figure out how to rear my own hens!
(or just not eat eggs)
what you said is true.we should be vegetarian or at least cut down meat step by step.but i wonder if all the animal in the world not slaughter by human.it would outgrow its population on earth and the earth full of animal and this would definitely give big problems to human on the other hand.where do you want to place the animal to live since there will not be any empty place on earth for them.
Rinpoche, I do appreciate Rinpoche sending me the link to this video and horrible as it is, I took it as practice to watch it the whole way through and not close the window or close my eyes. It doesn’t make sense to close our eyes from these things as if they would go away or not happen when we don’t see it. I’m trying to work on a vegan diet now.
These videos have also made me so much more aware of just how much emphasis we place on just our tastebuds – one sense out of so many. How much effort, time, money we invest and how much suffering we inflict on others just to please our tastebuds!
I remember Rinpoche gave us a very powerful practice to do once which was to willingly eat food we dislike or bland food, in dedication of all those beings who have to suffer for our food or to beings in the world who will never have that “luxury” of all these sense pleasures.
I remember too, Rinpoche telling us a startling (but amazing, to me) truth which is that there is actually nothing in samsara we have not tried, no food we have not eaten. Whatever it is, basically it is still meat/vegetables/eggs or whatever just cooked in different ways. We are kidding ourselves to think that we’re trying something new – it’s actually all the same. Sure puts things into perspective. Thank you.
Since becoming a “vegetarian”, all the previous attachment to meat has been misdirected to eating eggs instead. It was like, at least I still can have eggs. It’s so easy to be “vegetarian” now, because I have correct views. It ‘ll be easy cutting off eggs as well when my view is corrected.
Hens don’t lay eggs for us to eat them. Hens lay eggs to have chicks.
Dear Ysng, When I gave up meat, I misdirected myself to eating eggs too. Funny. I thought I was the only one..thanks for sharing..LOL. TR
Thank you Rinpoche for showing us the videos.
Previously, when I ate meat I viewed it merely as FOOD. Now,I can’t help cringing at the sight of pig, fish & chicken carcasses when I do my weekly shopping for the family at the market. The videos really hit home that behind the “FOOD” we consume are the sufferings and pains of all the animals who
look for the same things as us, human.
I hereby declare no more eggs on my plate
Hmm… well… I am conflicted… Is eating eggs ok or not? I am a huge fan of eggs and if it’s wrong to eat eggs… I can give them up. I believe that no animal should be mistreated to satisfy a human’s palate which is why I get my eggs from my stepdad, he has like 10 to 15 chickens which all produce eggs but are treated like pets… with respect. On occasion we go outside to play with them and pet them. So I don’t see anything wrong with eating fresh eggs. The eggs aren’t fertilized so it’s not like it’s murder of an unborn chick. Thanks for the clarification!!!
PS I am currently celebrating my 1st day without meat hopefully I can keep it going!
Thank you for posting this link Rinpoche. I’m very fortunate to live in the Pacific Northwestern part of the United States where it’s pretty easy to find local “free range” eggs (not to be confused with cage free). They’re more expensive but if I can help to support the good care and pleasant lives of these animals while feeding my family at the same time then it’s money well spent. I’m going to share this on FB now.
What a beautiful place to be, the Pacific Northwest. I would love to visit and do retreats there in the mountains…..TR
Oh you really should visit sometime! The international headquarters for the FPMT is in Portland, Oregon at Maitripa College. Of course the beauty of the area alone is enough of a reason to visit. Here in Vancouver I can see Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, and the Cascade Mountain Range. It rains from about November through to about May, so summer is the best season to visit.