Lotuseters

De Lotuseters

Na de Kykladen komt Odysseus op het eiland van de Lotuseters aan. De Lotuseters eten, zoals de naam zegt, alleen maar lotus. Odysseus stuurt drie mannen op verkenning uit. Als deze na een bepaalde tijd niet terug zijn, besluit Odysseus met de anderen te gaan kijken. De verkenners willen niet meer terug naar huis, nadat ze van de lotus hebben gegeten. Odysseus sleurt de mannen van het eiland af en beveelt de anderen vooral niet van de toverbloemen te eten. De verkenners moeten worden vastgebonden op de boot als Odysseus met zijn mannen wegvaart.

"I was driven thence by foul winds for a space of 9 days upon the sea, but on the tenth day we reached the land of the Lotus-eaters, who live on a food that comes from a kind of flower. Here we landed to take in fresh water, and our crews got their mid-day meal on the shore near the ships. When they had eaten and drunk I sent two of my company to see what manner of men the people of the place might be, and they had a third man under them. They started at once, and went about among the Lotus-eaters, who did them no hurt, but gave them to eat of the lotus, which was so delicious that those who ate of it left off caring about home, and did not even want to go back and say what had happened to them, but were for staying and munching lotus with the Lotus-eaters without thinking further of their return; nevertheless, though they wept bitterly I forced them back to the ships and made them fast under the benches. Then I told the rest to go on board at once, lest any of them should taste of the lotus and leave off wanting to get home, so they took their places and smote the grey sea with their oars." 

lijst landen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism_by_country

KING ASHOKA

Keizer Asoka 

Deze man voelde zich schuldig voor oorlogen voeren en bekeerde zich tot het boeddhisme. 

Hij nam verschillende dieren onder zijn bescherming; 

Twenty-six years after my coronation various animals were declared to be protected – parrots, mainas, //aruna//, ruddy geese, wild ducks, //nandimukhas, gelatas//, bats, queen ants, terrapins, boneless fish, vedareyaka, gangapuputaka, fish, tortoises, porcupines, squirrels, deer, bulls, //okapinda//, wild asses, wild pigeons, domestic pigeons and all four-footed creatures that are neither useful nor edible. Those nanny goats, ewes and sows which are with young or giving milk to their young are protected, and so are young ones less than six months old. Cocks are not to be caponized, husks hiding living beings are not to be burnt and forests are not to be burnt either without reason or to kill creatures. One animal is not to be fed to another.

—Edict on Fifth Pillar

"Dit is een bevelschrift"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism_by_country