Under the influence of Tolstoy's books become staunch vegetarians

It's amazing: at the beginning of the last century, even the priests under the influence of Tolstoy's books become staunch vegetarians

In the journal "Something about vegetarianism" for 1904
is a letter from one of the Orthodox rural vegetarian priest.
He tells the magazine that it prompted him to vegetarianism.
Here is what he wrote:

"Before his life on the 27th, I lived as lived and live in the world the majority of people like me. I ate, drank, slept, strongly advocated over other interests of the person and his family, even to the detriment of other people like me.

Occasionally I am amused by reading books, but an evening of card game (silly for me now, and then it seemed interesting entertainment) preferred reading books.

Five or so years ago, I happened to read the way "first stage" of Count Leo Tolstoy. Of course, before this article I had read good books, but they somehow did not stop to imagine my attention.

After reading the "first stage" I have so much possession of the idea, held by the author in her that I immediately left to eat meat, although this time vegetarianism seemed empty and harmful to the health of fun.

I was convinced that he could not do without meat, we are convinced in the people who use it, or how confident lover tabakokur spirits and that he can not do without the strong drinks and tobacco (but then I left to smoke).

However, we must be fair and accept the fact that artificially imparted to us from childhood habits have over us great strength
(Why and say that habit is second nature), especially when the person does not give themselves anything reasonable report, or has not yet presented a strong enough momentum to get rid of them, and that happened to me 5 years ago.

So enough momentum for me was the "first stage" of Count Leo Tolstoy, which not only freed me from false grafted my childhood habit of eating meat, but also made me consciously treat other life issues that previously slipped past my attention.

And if I'm a little bit spiritually grown over its 27 years of age, then it is obliged to the author of "First steps", for which I am deeply grateful to bring the author.

While I was not a vegetarian, days that was preparing in my house meatless dinner were my gloomy mood days: all are accustomed to eat meat, for me it is the greatest trouble to give it at least on lean days.

From indignation to practice on some days I do not eat meat, I prefer the lean hunger and food for dinner because he was not.

The consequence of this situation was the fact that I, being hungry, easily annoyed, and even happened to quarrel with the people close to me.

But then I read the "first step."

With amazing clarity I realized something that exposed animals in slaughterhouses and the conditions under which we produce meat food.

Of course, before I knew that in order to have meat, it is necessary to kill an animal, it seemed so natural to me that this is not even a thought.

If I spent 27 years eating meat, it is not because consciously chosen this kind of food, but because it did everything that this taught me since childhood,
and I did not think about it - before reading the "First steps".

But I would still be on the most carnage, and I visited it - our provincial slaughterhouse and saw with their own eyes what they do there with the animals for the sake of consuming meat in order to get us a hearty meal that does not irritate us to lean table, as did I long - and was horrified to see.

I was horrified, I could not think and see it all before, but it is so possible and so close.

But that, apparently, the force of habit: so people accustomed from an early age, that he does not think, until a sufficient impetus.

And if I could entice someone to reading the "first stage", I would have felt an inner satisfaction in the consciousness that I have brought at least a small favor. And great things we do not on the shoulder ...

I have met quite a lot of intelligent readers and admirers of our pride - Count Leo Tolstoy, who, however, did not know about the existence of a "first step."

By the way, there is still in the "Ethics of Everyday Life," "Independent" in the "food ethics", very interesting for its artistic presentation and sincerity of feeling.

After reading the "First stage" and after I visited a slaughterhouse, I just stopped eating, I eat meat, but also for about two years was in some exalted state.

For these words Max Nordau - a great lover of catching abnormal degenerate subjects - would carry me to the last number.

The idea of ​​the author's "first stage", as something was pressing me, a sense of compassion for animals, doomed, it came to pain.

While in this state, I, as the saying goes "Who it hurts, and the one that says" spoke to many about the disuse of meat.

I was seriously concerned about the exception of its articles are not only eating meat, but all those things, which is committed to obtaining the killing of animals
(Such as, for example, a hat, shoes, etc.).

I remember that I had hair on my head stand on end were going up, when one railway watchman told me that he feels when an animal cuts.

Once it happened to me on the railway station for a long time waiting for the train.

Time was wintertime, evening, the station is not busy, the maid The station was free from the daily bustle, and we struck up a railway guard nothing interrupted the conversation.

We talked about what, gone, finally, on the vegetarian diet. I did not mean to preach vegetarianism rail guards, and was interested to learn how to look at a simple meat-eating people.

"That's what I tell you, gentlemen, - began one of the guards. - When I was a boy, I served one master - carver, who had a home-grown cow, feed his family for a long time, and finally he had grown old; Then they decided to kill her.

In his massacre he cut so: first stun blow butt on the forehead, and then cut. And brought him his cow, he raised his butt to hit her,
and she stared, staring into his eyes, recognized his master,
and so it fell to his knees, and tears flowed and ...

So what do you think? All of us, even frightened, at the hands of the engraver, and fell, and so did not slaughtered a cow and feeding it to the death, even his left to do. "

Another, still it first, says:

"And I! With what rage I cut the pig and I do not regret it, because it resists and shouts, but it is a pity when you cut a calf or a lamb, he is quietly, looking at you as a child, you believe, is not zarezhesh it. "

And it is telling people not even aware of the existence of the whole of literature for and against meat eating.

And how insignificant all the book's arguments in favor of eating meat, ostensibly based on the shape of the teeth, stomach, etc. device. Before this peasant, uneducated true.

And what do I care about my stomach device when My heart aches!

I approached the train, and I parted company with my time, but the image of a calf and a young ram, which is "like a child looking at you, believe you," a long time after me ...

It is easy to breed in the theory that eating meat is natural, it is easy to say sorry for the animals - it's a silly superstition.

But take the speaker and prove in practice: Cut the calf, which is "like a child looking at you, believe you," and if not tremble your hand, then you are right, and if you falter, then hide the same with their academic, bookish arguments in favor of meat-eating.

After all, if eating meat is natural, then cut the animal, too, of course,
because without it we can not eat meat. If you cut the animal naturally,
then where does pity to kill them - this unbidden, "unnatural" guest?

My exalted state lasted two years; Now it has passed, or at least greatly weakened: the hair on my head is now no longer rise up at the memory of the story railway guard.

But the value of vegetarianism not detract for me, free of exalted status, and was thoroughly and wiser.

I experienced firsthand the consequences of, in the end, Christian ethics: it leads to benefits, both spiritual and physical.

Proposti year more than two, in the third year I felt a natural aversion to meat, and return to it would be impossible for me.

In addition, I found that my health is bad meat; If someone had told me this at a time when I ate it, I would have believed it.

Throwing eating meat, not for the purpose recuperate his health,
but because he obeyed the voice of pure ethics, while I straightened and their health, quite unexpectedly for himself.

When eating meat, I often suffer from migraine; referring to rationally deal with it, I led a sort of journal, which recorded the days of its occurrence and effect of pain digits on a five-point system.

Now I do not suffer from migraine. While eating meat, I was sluggish after lunch felt the need to lie down. Now I'm up to, and after lunch the same, the severity of any dinner not feel too left the habit to lie down.

Before vegetarian I was very sore throat, doctors have identified an incurable catarrh.
With the change of power gradually zdorovelo my throat and now completely healthy.

In short, my health was a change, what I feel first of all himself, and see others who knew me before and after the abandonment of animal food.
I have two children and two of vegetarianism in vegetarianism, and last much healthier first.

From what reasons there was all this change, let judge people more informed me I was the case, but since I did not use the doctors, it is entitled to conclude that all this change I have only vegetarian, and I consider it my duty to express my deep gratitude to the Count Leo Tolstoy for his "first step."