what is the traditional zen stance on agriculture and animal care? its a pretty straight forward question. facts only please, no opinions, and i request that only an experienced and well practiced zen buddhist answer this question (to avoid speculation).

thanks.
I am not a well practiced zen buddhist but just a practitioner of zen buddhism. I do not know the answer but I do know where I would look for this answer. If I were tasked with finding the above I would look in the Diamond Sutra.

&quot;The Diamond Sutra advises us to throw away is the notion “man,” human being. This is not too difficult. When we look into the human being, we see human ancestors, we see animal ancestors, we see vegetable ancestors, we see mineral ancestors. We see that the human is made of non-human elements. We see that we are at the same time a rock, a river, a cloud, a squirrel, a rose. And if we take away all the non-human elements, the human being is no longer there.
This is the deepest teaching on deep ecology. In order to protect the human being, you have to protect elements that are not human, because these elements are our ancestors, and if you destroy them there is no way we can be here. That is why discrimination between man and nature is a wrong view. You have to see you as nature, one with nature.
That is why harmony, respect of life, is possible. So throw away the idea that the human being is the boss, man is the boss, man can do anything to nature. The key is contemplation on impermanence of non-self.&quot;
-Thich Nhat Hanh, Dharma Talk: Free from Notions, Ocean of Peace Meditation Hall
Deer Park Monastery
Sunday, September 25, 2001