Video message from Supreme Master Ching Hai, Vegan Earth Day for a Vegan World, Woodland Hills, California, USA, June 21, 2009 (Originally in English)
Throughout hundreds of thousands of years of history, humankind has evolved. We have come a long way. How far may surprise us. And it may surprise us that even war is not the worst thing that happens. There are far worse killers. If you allow, I will name them for your sake, perhaps for my sake as well. We live together on the same planet; we have the same concerns. So what concerns you, concerns me.
There was a time when humans killed other humans – even just to eat. Now, doing so is a crime. We call it murder – people killing people, the most heinous crime of all crimes. Whether old or young, light skinned or dark, Christian or Muslim, Buddhist or Sikh – to take the life of a human is in some places still punishable with one’s own life being taken in return. Today, people kill animals to eat. But now humanity is being called to an even more elevated and compassionate moral level of conduct: A future day is dawning where killing animals, too, shall be called a crime. It has happened in some places already. In America, a teen has just been recently judged as to have committed a crime by killing serially 19 cats.
In the civilized society that should be; we protest war; we hold rallies to stop the senseless killing of human against human; we plead with governments to enact policies of peace; we judge the murderer as one whose standards are less than human, as one guilty of an act so unimaginable that the person is shunned by society for the rest of his or her life. An entire elaborate legal system is established; an enormous squad of personnel and forces are employed to impose punishment for the reprehensible act of causing death to another human, for robbing others of their beloved or their kin. Evidence is gathered, juries are summoned, the most learned judges preside, armed guards stand watch, impenetrable prisons are built, police risk their safety in defense of human life, and schools and families teach moral conduct - all to prevent such crimes from occurring. We take much time, energy, and our collective resources to protect life thus.
One day, we will also protest against the murder of our animal co-inhabitants. And by extension, we will denounce anything in the future that kills, because killing is a crime that must be stopped. These silent killers, they are unnoticed by most of us. They are in our home every day. I will try to point them out. It may surprise you, it may not. To some of you, it is obvious; to some of you it will be the first time that you realize who our enemy truly is.
 | The Top Killers KILLER#1:MEAT |
MEAT or animal products, animal so-called food. Surprised? There will be more. MEAT kills literally billions. A staggering 55 billion animals, 8 times the entire global human population, are killed for human consumption each and every year, with a total loss that translates to more than 150 million beings killed every day. This is not even counting the several billion fish that perish. Humans, too, die each year because of meat and fish, and anything related to animal consumption. Nearly 33 million people succumb to meat-related diseases annually through heart disease, cancer and other conditions that claim the lives of more than 90,000 persons each day. 90,000 persons die each day because of animal consumption! And then there are those who cannot obtain food because the grains they need are used to feed animals that will be killed for meat. Approximately 25,000 people die of hunger every day, on top of the 90,000 people who die because of meat. There are 25,000 people who die of hunger indirectly, also because of meat. And now on top of this, we have hundreds of thousands of people dying each year, as the victims of meat-caused global warming. We have tens of millions of others who are made homeless due to climate change. We call them climate refugees, if there is such a term; in fact, they have no status. And this does not include the innocent wildlife and domestic animals who suffer because of meat-related problems. Meat causes global warming, and kills and kills and kills. Therefore, MEAT is murder, a crime that must be stopped. Although some of you already know the horrifying effects of meat-related diseases, I’ll make a rundown here for the sake of those who are not aware.
Mad cow disease (90% of the population at risk). Swine flu, you know already, presently the world pandemic. Ebola-Reston virus. Cured meats and fish increase leukemia risk in children. Antibiotic-resistant “superbug” infections from a strain of Staphylococcus aureus. Blue tongue disease. E coli. Salmonella. Bird flu. Pig's disease (PMWS). Listeriosis. Shellfish poisoning. Pre-eclampsia. Campylobacter. Clostridium difficile. Diseases, hidden even in healthy-appearing livestock.
INFERTILITY: Eating just one serving of meat per day increases the risk of women’s infertility by 32 percent; the more meat consumption, the more risk.
HEART DISEASE: Over 17 million lives lost globally each year. Cost of cardiovascular disease is at least US$1 trillion per year.
CANCER: Colorectal cancer: Over 1 million new colon cancer patients diagnosed each year as well; more than half a million die of it. In the United States alone, colon cancer treatment costs about US$6.5 billion. Millions of people are newly diagnosed with other meat-related cancers every year.
DIABETES: 246 million people are affected worldwide. An estimated US$174 billion spent each year on treatment in just the United States.
OBESITY: Worldwide 1.6 billion adults are overweight with 400 million more who are obese. Costs US$93 billion each year for medical expenses in the United States alone. At least 2.6 million people die annually from problems related to being overweight or obese.
ENVIRONMENTAL COST: Meat and related productions: Uses up to 70% of clean water. Pollutes most of the water bodies. Deforests the lungs of the Earth. Uses up to 43% of the world's cereal. Uses up to 85% of the world's soy. Causes world hunger and wars. Causes 80% of global warming.
PLUS MORE… The list goes on!
Now, even MILK, which we have been told officially is good for us, is on the contrary poison and causing diseases (and of course financial loss). Here are some:
Bacterial microbes, pesticides and enzymes found in cheese, derived from the inner stomach linings of other animals. Up to 80 percent of the calories in cheese are from pure fat. Breast, prostate and testicular cancer from hormones present in milk. Listeria and Crohn’s disease. Hormones and saturated fat leading to osteoporosis, obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Linked to higher incidence of multiple sclerosis. Classified as a major allergen. Lactose intolerance. And of course global warming!
PLUS MORE… The list goes on.
Luckily for us, we can avoid all these by a simple cure: the VEGAN DIET.
HERE ARE SOME BENEFITS OF A VEGAN DIET
Lowers blood pressure. Lowers cholesterol levels. Reduces Type 2 diabetes. Prevents stroke conditions. Reverses atherosclerosis. Reduces heart disease risk 50%. Reduces heart surgery risk 80%. Prevents many forms of cancer. Stronger immune system. Increases life expectancy up to 15 years. Higher IQ. Saves 80% of a total cost of US$40 trillion for reducing global warming. Uses 4.5 times less land to grow food. Conserves up to 70% clean water. Saves 80% of the cleared Amazonian rainforest from animal grazing. A solution for world hunger: Frees up to 3.4 billion hectares of land. Frees up to 760 million tons of grain every year; that is half the world’s grain supply. Consumes 1/3 the fossil fuels of those used for meat production. Reduces pollution from untreated animal waste. Maintains cleaner air. Saves 4.5 tons of emissions per US household per year. Stop 80% of global warming or more. The list goes on.
But that’s not all. I wish that’s all there was, but it’s not. To clean up our society and to protect world citizens from other deadly diseases, we also have to eliminate other root causes, such as alcohol, drugs and tobacco. Permit me to list them all here for the benefit of those unaware, and for the sake of our children, because these are killers also.
| KILLER #2: ALCOHOL |
ALCOHOL kills millions, slowly or quickly. There are 2.3 million alcohol-related deaths per year worldwide. It is a crime that we must stop.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE TRAGIC TOLLS of ALCOHOL
2.3 million alcohol-related deaths per year worldwide. Each year alcohol-related illnesses cost: US$186.4 billion in the United States alone, from US$210 to US$665 billion globally. Diseases caused by alcohol: All kinds of fatal illnesses such as liver, breast, colon cancer, etc… and cardiovascular disease as well. Please refer to our website because I can not list all of the details here. First, it will be too long, so we have a website: www.SupremeMasterTV.com/KILLERS. In this you will find more information about what kills us, what kills our planet, what kills our children, because the list goes on. Okay, I’ll continue to list them for you here.
Higher amounts of alcohol increase cancer risk. Even half a glass of wine daily increases the risk of mouth or throat cancer by 168 percent; and metal toxicity. It causes also brain damage such as amnesia and dementia, and brain shrinkage. It causes vital organ failure including: heart failure, liver, kidney,stomach, pancreas, eyes. It causes birth defects like mental retardation, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, stunted growth, facial deformity, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and miscarriages.
Also it causes violence. Alcohol-related violence includes child abuse in 50% of the cases; violence toward loved ones in 30% of the cases; violent acts in 40–80% of the cases; Suicides in 20-50% of the cases. And the list goes on.
SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF AVOIDING ALCOHOL
Luckily for us, we can escape all that suffering and prevent it for our loved ones by avoiding alcohol. Here are some visible benefits.
A) RESTORES THE HEART: Stroke risk reduced 50% by quitting smoking and restricting alcohol consumption, along with more exercise and higher fruit and vegetable intake. Researchers in Spain find that alcohol-free beer reduces cholesterol levels along with other potential heart benefits, without any of the risks associated with alcohol consumption.
B) FINANCIAL SAVINGS: A Canadian study estimates alcohol intervention programs could save 880 lives and US$1 billion every year.
C) REDUCES MORTALITY: A 10% decline in vodka sales resulted in a significant decrease in alcohol-related deaths in Russia in one year. Exercising, drinking less alcohol, eating fruits and vegetables, and not smoking extends life expectancy by 14 years.
D) REDUCES CANCER: A World Cancer Research Fund study finds that reducing meat and alcohol consumption decreases cancer risk.
E) AIDS RECOVERY: The brain’s regeneration and performance are increased once alcohol consumption ceases. Alcoholic hepatitis patients can gain complete recovery if the patient gives up alcohol and has a good diet, like the vegan diet. Bodybuilding.com states that bodybuilders who refrain from alcohol consumption experience benefits in terms of muscle gain, hydration, recovery, metabolism and mental focus.
F) BOOSTS SOCIETY WELLNESS: A New Zealand liquor ban resulted in 98% less liquor offences as well as a reduction in other crimes. Research in New Mexico, USA shows that Sunday bans on alcohol sales resulted in fewer collisions and traffic casualties. Alcohol-related crimes dropped by 15% following an alcohol ban in Aberystwyth, UK. An alcohol ban became permanent in the jetty area of Coffs Harbour City, Australia, due to its success in reducing crime. In the US state of Florida, raising the legal drinking age from18 to 21 significantly reduced auto accident-related fatalities. A voluntary ban of alcohol sales to youth under 21 in the UK’s Marske village was made permanent as crime and anti-social behavior were reduced by the ban. An alcohol ban in US colleges helps overall alcohol abstention and reduces bouts of drunkenness and secondhand effects of drinking.
| KILLER #3: DRUGS |
Now we come to killer number three, namely, DRUGS. Drugs destroy lives, intelligence and function of countless of our kind, wreaking grief and havoc on families, darkening or terminating people’s future, youths’ future especially, as youths are impressionable and easily fall into this kind of temptation. Drugs can do all that. Drugs kill, often at a tragically young age. Is this not an intolerable crime begging to be stopped? Allow me to tell those who are still not informed.
SOME OF THE TRAGIC TOLLS OF ADDICTIVE
DRUG ABUSE
It causes over 200,000 deaths per year, not including crime related fatalities. It costs US$181 billion in the United States alone, and US$33 billion in the UK annually. A lifetime cost of current drug addiction amounts to US$575 billion in the UK.
HARMFUL EFFECTS OF DRUGS INCLUDE: Brain damage. Stroke. Heart disease. Liver disease. Tuberculosis. Emphysema. Cancer. Depression. Suicide. Permanent memory loss. Mental illness. Higher infant mortality. Increased crime and violence. Impotence.
DRUGS CAUSE CRIME AND VIOLENCE: Illegal drugs are a factor in 50% of burglaries in the United Kingdom each year. In the US, 60% of people arrested each year have been taking illegal drugs. 650 heroin addicts in the US committed 70,000 crimes in a three-month period.
SOCIAL COSTS OF DRUGS: US businesses lose US$100 billion per year due to employees’ drug and alcohol abuse. Australians pay US$53 billion per year for health care, law enforcement and lost productivity of drugs users.
SOME ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS as well. Every GRAM of cocaine produced DESTROYS 4.4 SQUARE METERS OF RAINFOREST, WITH 300,000 HECTARES OF RAINFOREST LOST EACH YEAR TO COCAINE PRODUCTION.
DEATH DUE TO DRUGS: 52 people die each day due to drugs in the US. In Canada, substance abuse is attributed to 21 percent of total deaths and 23 percent of potential life years lost due to early mortalities. PLUS MORE… And more. And more. How to regain our healthy, normal and worthwhile life? There is a solution. You have a solution.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF ADDICTIVE DRUG ABSTINENCE TREATMENT
In the US, treatment for drug addiction has been shown to save lives, as observed over a 1 year period, reduce crime and rebuild families, along with: 69% of those treated being drug-free at least one year after treatment and 64% reduction in arrests one year after treatment. Again, this is just a one year observation, and the trend should continue… and would continue as people regain their normal health and clarity of mind due to the drug-free lifestyle. A California, USA study found that for every US$1 invested in drug treatment, US$7 was saved through reduced crime, health and welfare costs, and increased income stability. 60% of cocaine and heroin in the US is consumed by people who get arrested in the same year; thus, treatment that helps them to overcome drug addiction reduces crime and market demand for drugs. A doctor in Arizona, USA, identified a new outpatient treatment for methamphetamine addicts, showing an over 60% success rate in rehabilitation. Twenty years of research in the US has demonstrated that drug treatment programs are effective in reducing crime, as well as improving the health and social function of the participants.
Drug-free workplace programs are found to result in: Lower absenteeism. Fewer accidents. Higher productivity. Improved morale. Better employee health. Decreased use of and expenses for health benefits. Lower corporate insurance premium costs. And the list goes on, of course. We have all that on suprememastertv.com/KILLERS. Please refer to it for more details. Also we have them here and there on almost all our SupremeMasterTV.com blogs. So please check them at random. Also on suprememastertv.com/SOS.
| KILLER #4: TOBACCO |
Nearly five and a half million people every year are robbed of their life-breath by TOBACCO. Smoking changes one’s genetic structure, permanently, causing a higher risk of cancer. Sadly, this is the single most preventable cause of death in the world, making tobacco also a crime.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE TRAGIC TOLLS of TOBACCO
5.4 million smoking related deaths per year worldwide.
COSTS OF SMOKE RELATED ILLNESSES: US$96 billion in the United States alone. “Light” and “mild” cigarettes just as harmful. Causes cancer and diseases in animal companions. Speeds the aging process. Toxic residues of third-hand smoke also kill. We have not included the harms that tobacco do to the children as well. Now, tobacco causes:
HEART DISEASE: Coronary thrombosis, Cerebral thrombosis, Kidney failure.
CANCER: Lung Cancer, Esophagus Cancer, Kidney Cancer, Bladder Cancer.
CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE: like Emphysema, Bronchitis.
STROKE
IMPOTENCE
ADDITIONAL HARMS FOR SECONDHAND SMOKING INCLUDE
Sudden infant death syndrome. Infertility. Miscarriages and premature deliveries. Childhood asthma, bronchitis, ear infection. Cleft lip or palate. Hyperactivity and aggression in asthmatic boys. Circulatory problems in women. And more, and more, and more. The list goes on.
SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF AVOIDING TOBACCO
Of course, again, lucky for us there is a solution for all this tragedy: AVOID TOBACCO. Say NO to tobacco. Here are beneficial, life-saving choices for you.
A) SMOKING BANS SAVE LIVES. Quitting smoking and restricting alcohol consumption, along with more exercise and a higher fruit and vegetable intake, reduces the risk of strokes by more than half. United Kingdom’s ban on smoking in public places reduces passive smoke effects, which are linked to loss of life for more than 11,000 people every year. In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said that sales of tobacco to underage youth have reached all-time lows in all 50 states. The number of young smokers aged 18 to 29 has fallen by 30% in Victoria, Australia, thanks to the smoking bans in pubs and clubs. Smoking rates in Japan have been declining, reaching an all time low this year.
B) SMOKING BANS mean reduced Acute Coronary Syndrome: Rome, Italy experienced an 11.2% decrease in acute coronary events in the first year after a smoking ban in public places went into effect. Israeli researchers reported that people who stop smoking, the increased risk of sudden cardiac death seems to disappear immediately. The National Sanitary Institute in France announced a significant decrease in heart attack rates following the country’s smoking ban, with a decrease in secondhand smoke effects as well. New York, USA experienced an 8% decline in hospital admissions for severe heart attacks, after a comprehensive smoking ban, which translates into healthcare savings of US$56 million in one year.
C) SMOKING BANS mean Better Health: Data from the National Population Health Survey shows those who smoke have higher rates of chronic conditions such as bronchitis, asthma and high blood pressure. Smokers and those exposed to secondhand smoke develop colon cancer about 7 years earlier than nonsmokers.
D) SMOKING BANS mean Healthier Children: Research from Michigan State University in the USA and The David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre in the UK show that the smoking habits of mothers during pregnancy increase asthma risks in some children. Children regularly exposed to secondhand smoke have more than triple the risk of lung cancer as well as higher risks of other respiratory problems later in life.
E) SMOKING BANS are Good for Business: In his annual report, UK Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson said a public smoking ban would save an estimated £2.7 billion per year: Namely, £680 million saved by having a healthier and more efficient workforce. £140 million saved through fewer sick days. £430 million saved from productivity loss from smoking on the job. £100 million saved from clean up costs related to cigarette smoking. PLUS MORE… And more, and more.
Now you can see, we have to prioritize our choices. Either the abundant, beautiful, peaceful planet, or sorrow, suffering, or worse: loss of all lives. And ALL these crimes of killing – from MEAT, ALCOHOL, DRUGS, TOBACCO – MUST AND WILL stop. In their place, what will we have? Happiness, longevity for animals and humans alike. Limitless health and wellness. Intelligence and creativity. A shared love and joy as never before remembered. In short, we will have a new, wondrously elevated humanity in all aspects.
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