Why I don't take beef and the miracle

My vegetarian diet starts today, for the next 100 days at least! Just to share with you why I stopped eating beef about 4-5 years ago. At that time, I had already stopped eating beef for about a year, and I had a dream.

I had the dream on the night after Paltrul Rinpoche gave the Ganapati initiation and he did mentioned to us to take note of what dreams we might have that night. And I did! In the dream, I was walking in a big enclosed place which looked like a wet market or a cold room which was very chilly. There was nobody around and I was alone. I felt as if I was inside a freezer. Then I saw a gigantic chopping board on a long table. On it laid a cow carcass which has just been slaughtered. Its entire body was white and I saw the head of the cow, with its mouth slightly apart and eyes still wide opened. The eyes looked of fear and terror. And it was bloody all over the white carcass. Blood was everywhere. And I saw more of such carcass in the room. I saw myself cringing and brimming with tears in the dream.

I thought it was quite obvious what the message of the dream was trying to convey to me. Till today the memory of the look of that white cow is still vivid in my mind. That's why I have not touched beef since.

Paltrul Rinpoche was highly revered when he was here in 2006 for teachings, pujas and empowerments of Amitabha Buddha. He is the highly realised and handsome recognized incarnation of the author of the greatest classic of Tibetan Buddhism - "Words of My Perfect Teacher".

During the 4 days he was here, precious relics manifested out of thin air; on his throne seat, on the altar table, on the floor where Rinpoche prostrated, on his body, on the stage etc... I was extremely fortunate to witness all these miracles. I was even more blessed to be able to receive one of the relics that manifested right in front of me during the puja, on the altar table. Many have asked me to show the photos of the event, Rinpoche and the relics. I did not take that many photos at that time as I was very much awe-struck and my old camera then could not take sharper pictures. Anyway here are the few shots I took.

Rinpoche was a stoic-looking Master who hardly smiled. However, he was compassionate and kept telling the audience to be sincere in their prayers as well as not to be selfish. He was asking those people who had sighted and taken many relics to give some to those who did not managed to receive. 

Here is my one and only white Buddha's relic which is currently housed inside a small stupa on my altar at home. 

Here was an account of my own encounter of that miracle which I posted in this blog in 2006. And there was another even more detailed account by a fellow follower, BB, which I had posted here too.  May all be greatly blessed!