Let’s Extend The Starfish Story! The Daily Enlightenment Buddhist Inspirations (since 1997)

Just as we appreciate every little bit of help, why not offer it to others who will appreciate it too?
– Stonepeace | Books

In the famous starfish story, a child was seen picking up and hurling beached starfishes back into the sea. An adult asks why, since there seemed to be countless starfishes left, while the few saved seemed not to make much difference. The child replied, while saving another starfish, that it makes a difference to that one! I would like to extend the story with the adult being inspired to help the child, whom together inspire even more beach-goers to emulate and amplify their efforts!

A ‘rebuttal’ vegans often get is that their efforts will not make much of a difference, as the vast majority of the world eats animals and (use) their products. Well, the starfish story should suffice for reply! Naysayers should ask themselves why are they not making greater differences that they can by embracing a kinder way of life too. There are 375 million vegetarians worldwide according to a report, many of whom are vegan. Surely, they make billions of differences to billions of animals by not demanding for their flesh and produce!

Every bite and buy is a vote for a world with more or less compassion. In the scheme of things, we should not imagine ourselves to be with limited and arbitrary efforts in making the world a better place. The consequences of what we choose to do or not DO indeed interconnect and synergise with the big picture. Every little bit of help we offer helps. Just as we do not ignore a helpless child in need just because we cannot help all needy children, we ought to do what we should now.