The Bull Who Cried - A Story About Compassion

We could sit around all day and complain and whine about who does what to whom and why; about what things in life others need to work on and how our world is being rocket blasted into chaos, ruin and the like....but I don't see the point. I have only so much time on this big ball of dirt, and I plan on making the very best of it - but I do have interests aside from that.....

Let me tell you an incredible story that I heard about. Just reading the words, the story was a lesson in understanding, communication, compassion and human kindness - all of which we could always use more of.

In Hong Kong, there was a bull in a slaughterhouse being led through the doors to his death. A cheery start, I know.

The Weekly World News reports that this bull was destined to be turned into beef stew and steaks, but something unbelievable happened.

One of the packaging factory workers saw something amazing happen in front of his eyes. The bull stopped at the doors and would not enter. He then knelt down on his two front legs and was seen shedding tears.

Did this animal know where he was headed? The factory worker is certain that he did.

Mr. Shiu, a butcher recalled: “When I saw this kind of so-called “stupid” animal sobbing and with his eyes in fear and sorrow, I started trembling. I called the rest over to see. They were just as surprised. We kept pushing the bull forward, but he just didn’t want to move and sat there crying.”

Billy Fong, owner of the packaging factory said: “People thought animals didn’t cry like human beings. However that bull really sobbed like a baby.”



The Bull Who Cried

At that time, more than ten strong men witnessed the scene and they were all touched. Those who were responsible for slaughtering even felt more touched and many people in the area found themselves in tears seeing this animal sobbing.
Everyone who worked in or near the factory came to see the crying bull. The factory was jammed full to capacity with people. They were all shocked by this scene - bewildered.

Three of them said they would never forget this crying bull when they slaughter other animals and this is a good thing.




The room was filled with both men and animal crying, and everyone knew that nobody could kill the bull. The problem was, what should they do with him?

Well, they did what any self respecting, compassionate humans would do - in the end, they raised funds to buy the crying bull for themselves and save him. They sent him to a temple, where kind monks would take care of him for the rest of his life.

A worker said: “When we promised this bull that we will not kill him, he started moving and followed us.”

Mr. Shiu said: “Believe it or not - this is real although it sounds unbelievable.”

Many, many lives were changed forever that day. The world keeps spinning as it always does, but one small change can become a huge change.

See the good - help where we can and value life.

Of course, we can absorb the message about cruelty to animals too (that's a given), but I really want a message to hit home with this post. You can be vegan, vegetarian, meat eater or fruitarian - it matters not in the grand scheme of this post. If you can feel empathy for another life, even though it isn't that of your own species.....then you've found the lesson.

Work from there and see where it takes you.

We could debate the slaughterhouse issue tomorrow, today and every day, but nothing changes. The factory workers changed things by changing the way they looked at what they did. Who knows where that will lead them all.....

....as for the bull. He won't have to cry ever again, and that makes me happy.