{"product_id":"9781590560693","title":"The Great Compassion: Buddhism and Animal Rights","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoBodyText\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 6pt\"\u003e\u003cfont size=\"2\"\u003e\u003cfont face=\"Arial\"\u003eBuddhism ought   to be an animal rights religion par excellence. It has long held that all life   forms are sacred and considers kindness and compassion the highest virtues.   Moreover, Buddhism explicitly includes animals in its moral universe. Buddhist   rules of conduct—including the first precept, “Do not kill”—apply to our   treatment of animals as well as to our treatment of other human beings.\u003co:p\u003e\u003c\/o:p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp class=\"MsoBodyText\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 6pt\"\u003e\u003cfont size=\"2\"\u003e\u003cfont face=\"Arial\"\u003eConsequently, we would expect Buddhism to oppose all forms of animal   exploitation, and there is, in fact, wide agreement that most forms of animal   exploitation are contrary to Buddhist teaching. Yet many Buddhists eat   meat—although many do not—and monks, priests, and scholars sometimes defend   meat-eating as consistent with Buddhist teaching.\u003co:p\u003e\u003c\/o:p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp class=\"MsoBodyText\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 6pt\"\u003e\u003cfont size=\"2\"\u003e\u003cfont face=\"Arial\"\u003eThe Great Compassion studies the various strains of Buddhism and the   sutras that command respect for all life. Norm Phelps, a longtime student of   Buddhism and an acquaintance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, answers the central   questions of whether Buddhism demands vegetarianism and whether the Buddha ate   meat. He is not afraid to examine anti-animal statements in Buddhist   lore—particularly the issues of whether Buddhists in non-historically Buddhist   countries need to keep or to jettison the practices of their historical   homelands.\u003co:p\u003e\u003c\/o:p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e   \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cdiv\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e  \u003cp class=\"MsoBodyText\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 6pt\"\u003e\u003cfont size=\"2\"\u003e\u003cfont face=\"Arial\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout   the Author:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp class=\"MsoBodyText\" style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 6pt\"\u003e\u003cfont size=\"2\"\u003e\u003cfont face=\"Arial\"\u003eNorm Phelps is spiritual outreach director of The Fund for Animals,   where he works to encourage faith communities of all traditions to include   animals within the scope of their compassionate ministries. He lives in   Funkstown, Maryland.\u003co:p\u003e\u003c\/o:p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e    ","brand":"Steiner Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47055085142256,"sku":"9781590560693","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781590560693_p0.jpg?v=1763802525","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781590560693","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}