Which is the most humane? LETS VOTE!
Below is an article sent by one of my students. It shows a pig being killed in Moldavia. It’s not the typical way that Moldavian’s kill their pigs, but killing is killing… or is it?
When on the subject of vegetarianism, there are many times when people respond, “Well, I think it’s okay to eat meat – but I feel that the animals shouldn’t have to suffer. It’s okay if they’re killed humanely.”
If you feel that way, fair enough. I ask that everyone, vegetarians and non-vegetarians, to watch the 8 videos below and VOTE for the most ‘humane’ way of killing. They only last an average of 3 minutes each.
Please cast your vote in the comments section… and if you don’t think any of them are humane, then write “NONE”.
In 1 month’s time, the blog team will collect the votes and the results will be updated on this post … and let’s see which is the best way of humanely killing a pig.
Tsem Rinpoche
(Extracted from : http://fxcuisine.com/default.asp?language=2&Display=119&resolution=high&page=1)
Moldavian Pig Slaughter
A friend brought me back pictures of a Moldavian family slaughtering a pig at home much like it was done all over Europe 100 years ago. Not for the faint-hearted.
My friend Zed is good friends with a young Moldavian chap who works for a large multinational here in Switzerland. The Moldavian – let’s call him that – goes back to visit his family twice a year and last time, he invited Zed along. Moldavia is not the most advanced country in Europe. Stuck between the back of Romania and the Ukraine, it is a bit forgotten by both Europe and the former Eastern bloc.
Moldavians live much like we did a hundred years ago. The Moldavian’s parents have electricity but no running water and no heating system in most of their house. As a gift to his parents, the Moldavian bought them a pig that they could slaughter and feast on for weeks. Whatever you think of pig-eating, please do not judge these people. They live like we did 100 years ago, including your grandmother.
Slaughtering animals at home was very common all across Europe only two generations ago. Both my parents saw their parents do it when they were little. My grandfather would fatten a pig for a whole year, then slaughter him himself in the barn and bring the meat home. This was called faire la boucherie ‘to do the butchery’. In my Italian cookbooks, many traditional recipes use pig blood and guts, ingredients one didn’t want to see lost during the maialata – the pig slaughter.
I have never seen this for real and wouldn’t have the stomach to select a live pig, drive him home and cut his throat. That’s too much for me and you’ll see what it looks like hereafter. But I eat bacon and ham and who would I be to refuse to look at where this food is coming from?
WARNING! This article contains extremely graphic pictures of a pig being slaughtered. This is what happens every time you buy bacon, but it may shock you. If you have a predisposition towards vegetables, this article might turn you into a vegetarian for good. Not for the faint-hearted or those whose heart is prone to bleeding. You’ve been warned.
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The pigs are raised in the Moldavian countryside and can run around all day.
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Inside the pig stall – the pigs are very clean indeed. |
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Left, the fateful moment where the pig is chosen. Middle the Moldavian’s mother inspects the bound pig being weighed. Right, the pig is taken for one last ride while a little girl looks at him up close. |
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And now for our more dreadful sacrifice. A Moldavian with a knife quickly pushes the blade in the place nearest to the pig’s heart. Blood flows. |
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The pig dies by blood loss in less than a minute. If this is as much as you can bear, please stop now. |
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Pigs are furry animals. Three Moldavians with blowtorches burn every hair on the dead pig’s body. |
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The pig’s skin has turned black because of the flames, but the like-in-the-good-old-days taste is still missing. |
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The pig is covered with straw and set on fire to infuse him with that elusive smokey taste. |
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Buckets of water extinguish the fire. |
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The pig is covered with a sheet. It is considered good fortune to sit on the carcass, eg family style like above. |
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Four Moldavians now scrape the skin, revealing a clean, appetizing, yellowish underskin. |
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LAST WARNING! This article contains extremely graphic pictures – stop here if you feel uncomfortable. |
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The man of the house cuts the pig’s head… |
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…then ties it with a string and hangs it for the lads to play with. You might notice that the ears’ tips have been cut off. Somebody ate them – a treat really. |
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Store the blood in a jar for later use. |
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Now let’s do the dirty – carve the pig open (left) and grab his heart … (right) |
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Start removing the intestines. |
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Let’s not shy away from the difficult bit – tying the pig’s anus so that the intestines don’t spill all over the courtyard. If you feel this sounds a bit horrific, I agree but people executed by poison in American prisons are also fit with an anal cork for the exact same reason, so if you are for the death penalty and do eat pig, you cannot afford to be shocked. |
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A Moldavian with an axe starts splitting the carcass in two … |
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… until two usables slabs of meat are obtained. |
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Slabs of fat are cut up in squares, salted and stored in jars. Out of parsimony and respect for the pig and the work entailed, the idea of these pig slaughtering rituals is not to lose one bit. In my Swiss canton of Valais, people used to say Dans le cochon, tout est bon, ‘in a pig you can eat everything’. |
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The pig’s head can be used for sausages, pâtés or soups. I remember helping my uncle out preparing soup for 80 people at his house and he asked me to peel a pig’s head. I couldn’t! |
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This pig didn’t drink. The healty liver is removed from the bile bladder with great care. If you pierce this organ, it would ruin the rest of the meat with a vile green bitter liquid – bile. |
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All in a days’s work – the end product ready to be salted and dried. |
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Here are three dishes made right after the slaughter to use up the guts. A blood sausage (left), Moldavian haggis (center) and a stew of other organs (right). |
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One final word – I did not enjoy writing this article nor looking at the pictures. But I do eat pig regularly and all over the world, people slaughter animals in their homes, pigs, lambs or cows. This is part of the meat-eating diet and to understand traditional recipes, who often call on offal, you need to understand slaughtering. For those who would want to write abusive comments about this please first check that you never have eaten any meat, because meat comes from the exact same process shown on this page, and most of the world’s butchery animals are not free to roam outside before ending up on your table.
Published 23/10/2007
1. Tong Nan, China
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/PigSlaughterInTongNanChina.mp4
2. Cape Verde
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/HowToKillAPig.mp4
3. New Mexico
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/CleverAndProfessionelWomenPigKilling.mp4
4. Tonga, Polynesian Islands
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/RoastingAndKillingAPigInTonga.mp4
5. Europe
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/PrivatePigSLAUGHTERING.mp4
6. Egypt
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/OutrageEgyptsPigKilling.mp4
7. The Celtic Way
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/Celtic-Pig-Slaughter.mp4
8. An Average Slaughterhouse
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/Slaughterhouse.mp4
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Instead of answering which is the most humane, I would like to ask which of those is the most humane if we replace them with human? Which one we can accept? If in general, we disagree with any of the methods because all of the methods are still hurting human then is goes the same to the animals. None from the action in the pictures and video is acceptable to animals or human.
Just imagine if we are the one being torched, slaughtered, cut, stab, kick and all sort of tortured just to satisfy the tastebud, can we accept it? If the answer is ‘NO’ then how can we ‘YES’ for the animals? Just because we think we are superior to them? We should not think of who is superior to anyone but think of compassion, think of all these animals have their family, think of them already in the realm that created much suffering for themselves and why we add on more suffering to them. If we can’t really help them we should not add on the burden to them.
They have the right to live like us. They live in this world is not to feed us but to live just like us in their own way. Give them care, love, space and respect because we ask for the same thing in our life.
It’s horrible. Any types of killing is wrong. None of the above is humane! Eating meat and seeing others suffer is not right. It is merely for our own pleasure. We have to understand that animals have feelings and suffer in pain too. I hope this article will create awareness of the cruel act and that it will encourage more people to stop eating meat.
First of all, I don’t think any method you use to kill an animal can ever be humane. To be really humane, you would be considering the feelings of the animal you are going to slaughter. Studies show that every animal has feelings of joy and sorrow, like us. They feel pain, like us.They want to live, like us. They want to be free and to be loved, like us.
Looking at the Moldavian Pig Slaughter story, when they are first brought home by the slaughterer, they are raised for one year to be fattened up for the killing. The poor pig doesn’t know his eventual fate. So he happily enjoys the freedom of running around in the open all day and being fed well. Much like a young person being cared for by doting parents.
But all this idyllic freedom and happiness comes to an abrupt halt, the day he is taken to be slaughtered. He is bound up and weighed. The next minute, a knife is plunged into a place nearest his heart. He is left to bleed to death. He dies in less than a minute from blood loss. I just can’t help but feel his horror and pain in those moments of dying.
Although, he dies in less than a minute, if his consciousness were still hovering around for a while, how would he feel to see his body burned by blow-torch to remove the fur? Then another burning of the body to get the smokey taste! Human craving for the taste of the meat and organs and intestines take over, as the pig is sliced and cut up.
I can’t for the life of me see how food, obtained at the expense of another life being sacrificed and cut up so much, can bring me the momentary happiness of tastebuds satisfied. But that’s how I feel. May these pictures go viral and be seen by all. May the sight of the reality behind the scenes cause people everywhere to give up eating meat, with kindness and compassion aroused in them for these poor helpless animals.
None. None of these killings is humane. Period. The argument of eating meat is ok as long as the killing is humane try to justify the concept of “build your pleasure on someone’s pain.” Most meat sold in the consumer markets come from animal farming and slaughterhouses that breed and kill for a profit. Hence there is no welfare or humanity for the animals. Space is a luxury leave alone hygiene and humane killing, which all come at a cost. While everyone has their preference to what they want to eat, please spare a thought for the animals, and also understand deeply the power of our choice.
YUCK! How about NONE? Killing is killing. When we kill an animal for us to consume, there is no two way about it.. humane or inhumane, the animal had to die for us humans to consume. No better way to kill it. So I am sorry Rinpoche, I don’t find any of the videos that potray ‘human’ killing.. The killing made me sick in the stomach!
Thank you for sharing, Rinpoche. Evryone needs to watch and learn about the origins of the meat on their dinner plates..
Dear Rinpoche,
At this point of time i am not able to vote which one is the worst one and which one is more Humane as to me all these way of slaughtering a pig are just as gross as the previous one but if i really had to choose it would be the first video which is how they slaughter a pig in Moldavia, it is so gross to know the fact that they literary keep and eat nearly the whole pig. I really just don’t get it at all!
Here are my other thoughts on Pig Slaughtering all around the world.
1. Hopefully these videos would go viral and those that are currently
eating meat such as pork, chickens or cow meat would learn how this animals suffer just to be that delicious meat that we eat.
2. Don’t the people that slaughter pigs like the one in China do they ever think that if this was done to them how would they feel?
3. Addressing to the first one, doesn’t that little girl know that
the pig head that she was playing with had to dye just to be her toy?
Thank You Rinpoche for sharing to me and the rest of the people that would come to this blog post on How Pigs are Slaughtered all around the world.
Love
Jutika
What is want is: stop all animal sufferings.
I couldn’t bare seeing all of these photos and videos. They looked so painful. I can’t imagine how much pain the pig gets. Especially when its being burnt by a blowtorch. Just terrible. I hope that this article reached many people and that it put a message in their head that killing is bad and that it has to come to an end.
All the pigs know what is about to happen to them, all of them in all the videos. imagine if any of us were to die like that. Lets not create the causes to become and animal.
Let’s make it simple, they all killing, either this way or that way, I think what matter most was how much pain that they caused to the pig when they kill it. According to karma, here’s a story in Lamrim said that, there was a fisherman who killed the enemy who had an affair with his wife. Years later, the enemy was reborn as his son who he lovingly carry on the laps. The mother was reborn as the fish that he caught from the sea and the father reborn as the house cat was eating the fish. I have a couple of friends who are butchers. I must show them this video.
YUCK! NONE!!! None of this can be called humane.
If us human is allowed to die naturally… then who give us the power to kill another just like that?
Killing is not sanctioned across all religions – it is a matter of interpretation what is the extent of the killing. Some people think that it’s fine to kill animals. I know someone who can’t eat any meat if it is served with the head on (e.g. fish or chicken/duck in some Chinese restaurants). It’s so hypocritical to say that once the head is taken off, she can eat it. If only she would watch these videos – i wonder if she’d be able to continue eating meat.
As everyone has said previously, there is no humane way to kill.
The sadness of this article and the videos lie within the lack of understanding your own nature, human nature, but judging another being as lesser instead. If you wouldn’t consider that kind of ‘murder’ acceptable to yourself, why do so to others, regardless of human or not?
None.
The variety of ways that people come up with to kill animals in a more humane way is just a joke… they just want to cushion their guilt for killing the animal by believing that the animal did not suffer.
To me, i believe we should think at the point of view from the one receiving the treatment in this case the animals… I don’t think any animal will find this very humane
So, my answer would be NONE of these is humane. Killing is not human nature…
KILLING is a human activity.
SAVING LIVES is a human activity.
We are one of these rare “species” that can apply a conscient choice as to which one of these two activities we engage in.
HUMAN NATURE is characterized by our potential of every moment to create the causes for a world free from sufferings.
But because this is based on personal choice, human nature can also become destructive and create causes for more sufferings.
When we say “HUMANE”, we draw from the best possible choice humans have to engage in activities, the virtuous one, the choice that creates causes for a world free from sufferings.
Thus:
killing as going against the human nature.
Saving lives as going forward to an even better nature than human.
In this specific case of killing an animal for a pleasurable meal, the most humane choice is not to kill.
Therefore, none of the killing shown here above can be humane, because they all create causes for a world with increased sufferings.
it sure is a human activity to kill or to let live. And the choice is ours… We DO HAVE the choice. It is not that humans do not have choice of food for sustenance.
I vote for NONE.
Your mind will be filled with so much peace, knowing that each non-meat meal you consume is a choice that you have made to let a being/s live.
There is no humane way to kill. Killing is inhumane from every angle. We cannot vote for the most humane at all. Killing is still killing. A life is still lost.
NONE. Every act or method of killing is inhumane. It can never be humane!!!!
No matter how “humane” is the process of taking the life of another being, it is never humane at all. Never.
The only humane act would be to free these poor animals and allow them to live out their lives as they should. Would we want our lives to be shortened and we have no control over what is being decided for us? I do not believe that there is anything humane about taking someone’s life. An animal is still a someone.
Vote: NONE
None is humane.
Watching these videos reaffirm my committment of going vegetarian which I have started almost 2 years back. Some may find it hard to view all the videos, but do take a look at any one, you will change your mind of ” shall we have pork or chicken?” next time you go and eat in a restaurant.
I am glad that my two sons are also vegetarian now after watching another great video “Earthlings” which Rinpoche recommended.
We tend to live in our own ignorance and avoid the reality and truth. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing these videos and pictures as the brutal killing resonate with all of us, I hope this will encourage more and more people stop eating meat everytime they think about the horrible slaughter scenes.
Voting for the WORST:
They’re all terrible! These images have been forever burned into my psyche. I’m so happy I convinced my daughter to at least cut back on her meat consumption. By coincidence she gave up bacon at breakfast, choosing cereal and almond milk instead. Thank you Rinpoche from the bottom of my heart for writing the vegetarian vows and publishing them in your blog. It may sound strange, but taking the vows has actually made it much easier to be a vegetarian. Being able to say that I “can’t” eat meat instead of I “shouldn’t” eat meat takes away the urge completely. Even if that hadn’t been enough watching these videos has made the thought of consuming ANY animal just as horrific as cannibalism so thanks for that too! 🙂
None. Especially when you consider that the pig is the fourth most intelligent animal in the world and have the same emotional cognition of 3 year old human child. If you have very seen a young human child cry and cpwer in fear, you may get an idea of what the pig is going through.
None.
NONE!! They are all bad killing, but the worst ones are: 5, 6 & 8.
Absolutely NONE. There is no way anyone can justify killing let alone deem it “humane”…. Gosh! These images are burnt into my phyche… May I NEVER knowingly have to kill to sustain my existence EVER! This reaffirms my commitment and belief to be vegetarian for the rest of my life and in doing so may I generate the merits to be able to avoid having to consume meat in my future lives!
None
None, can we vote for the WORST
I think that’s a fantastic idea, please do vote for the worst instead!