ABSTRACT: The director Bernardo Bertolucci tells us an old Buddhist tale to support abolitionism.

("HANDS OFF CAIN", 1 February 1994)

Once upon a time, in a village of the ancient India, a priest was about to sacrifice a goat to the gods.

He raised the knife when the goat suddenly started laughing. Surprised, the priest asked, "Why are you laughing? Don't you know I'm about to slit your throat?" "Oh yes", said the goat, "but after dying 499 times and being reborn a goat, this time I'll be reincarnated into a human being!" Then the goat started to cry.

"Why are you crying?" asked the priest.

"I'm crying for you, poor priest. I remembered that 500 lives ago I was also a priest, and I too sacrificed goats to the Gods".

The priest fell on his knees and said, "Forgive me, goat. From now on I will be the protector of all the goats of the village, and I will never again sacrifice a living being!"

This very old Buddhist tale is interesting because it talks about an abolitionist of 2500 years ago.

I wish you a profitable work in Brussels.