Vegetarianism

                                   Vegetarianism

One should not judge the purity or impurity of man simply by observing what eats.

In the Amagandha sutta, the Buddha said:

                     “   Neither meat, nor fasting, nor nakedness,

                      Nor shaven heads, nor matted hair, nor dirt,

                      Nor rough skins, nor fire-worshipping,

                      Nor all the penances here in this world,

                      Nor hymns, nor oblation, nor sacrifice,

                      Nor feasts of the season, Will purify a man overcome with doubt. ”

Taking fish and meat by itself does not make a man become impure. A man makes himself impure by bigotry, deceit, envy, self-exaltation, disparagement and other evil intentions. Through his own evil thoughts and actions, man makes himself impure. There is no strict rule in Buddhism that the followers of the Buddha should not take fish and meat. The only advice given by the Buddha is that they should not be involved in killing intentionally or they should not ask others to kill any living being for them. However, those who take vegetable food and abstain from animal flesh are praiseworthy.

Though the Buddha did not advocate vegetarianism for the monks, He did not advise the monks to avoid taking ten kinds of meat for their self respect and protection. They are:

*humans

*elephants

*horses

*dogs

*snakes

*lions

*tigers

*leopards

*bears

*hyenas. Some animals attack people when they are smell the flesh of their own kind.(vinaya pitaka)

When the Buddha was asked to introduce vegetarianism amongst His disciples (monks) by Devadatta, one of His disciples, the Buddha refused to do so. As Buddhism is a free religion, His advice was to leave the decision regarding vegetarianism to the individual disciple. It clearly shows that the Buddha had not considered this as a very important religious observance. The Buddha did not mention anything about vegetarianism for the lay Buddhists in His Teaching.

Jivaka komarabhacca, the doctor, discussed this controversial issue with the Buddha:  ‘ Lord , I have heard that animals are slaughtered on purpose for the recluse Gotama, and that the recluse Gotama knowingly eats  the meat killed on purpose for him. Lord, do those who say animals are slaughtered on purpose for the recluse Gotama, and the recluse Gotama knowingly eats the meat killed on purpose for him. Do they falsely accuse the Buddha? Or do they speak the truth? Are your declarations and supplementary declarations not thus subject to be ridiculed by other in any manner?’

‘ jivaka, those who say: ‘ Animals are slaughtered on purpose for the recluse Gotama, and the recluse Gotama knowingly eats the meat killed on purpose for him’, do not say according to what I have declared, and they falsely accuse me. Jivaka, I have declared that one should not make use of meat if it is seen, heard or suspected to have been killed on purpose for a monk. I allow the monks meat that is quite pure in three respects: if it is not seen, heard of suspected to have been killed on purpose for a monk.’(jivaka sutta)

In certain countries, the followers of the Mahayana school of Buddhism are strict vegetarians. While appreciating their observance in the name of religion, we would like to point out that they should not condemn those who are not vegetarians. They must remember that there is no precept in the original Teachings of the Buddha that requires all Buddhists to be vegetarians. We must realize that Buddhism is known as the Middle path. It is a liberal religion and the Buddha’s advice was that it is not necessary to go to extremes to practice  His Teachings.

Vegetarianism alone does not help a man to cultivate his humane qualities. There are kind, humble, polite and religious people amongst non-vegetarians. One should not condone the statement that a pure, religious man must practice vegetarianism.

On the other hand, if anybody think that people cannot have a healthy life  without taking fish and meat, it does not necessarily follow that they are correct since there are millions of pure vegetarians all over the world who are stronger and healthier than the meat-eaters.

People who are criticize Buddhists who eat meat do not understand the Buddhist attitude towards food. A living beings need nourishment. We eat to live. As such a human beings should supply his body with the food it needs to keep him healthy and to give him energy to work. However, as a result of increasing wealth, more and more people, especially in developed countries, eat simply to satisfy his greed for meat, this is wrong. But if one eats without greed and without directly being involved in the act of killing but merely to sustain  the physical  body, he is practicing self restraint.

                                                                                                                                  (what Buddhists believe, ven, k. sri dhammananda,1987)