Buddhism and Veganism: Essays Connecting Spiritual Awakening and Animal Liberation by Tuttle Will

Author:Tuttle, Will [Tuttle, Will]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Vegan Publishers
Published: 2019-01-23T16:00:00+00:00

Eat Your Way to Wisdom

MASTER XIANQING

The common purpose of all different religions and philosophies is to explore the truth of the world and the universe. The sages, with their own thinking and understanding, reveal the truth about the relationship between humans, the animal kingdom and the environment, as well as how to live in accordance with wisdom so as to experience authentic happiness and peace.

Abstaining from killing and being vegetarian are not principles that were initiated by Buddhism, nor are they unique to Buddhism. At around 1000 BC, the idea of advocating a vegetarian diet appeared in both India and the eastern Mediterranean. According to the historical records, Pythagoras, a Greek philosopher in the sixth century BC, was the earliest vegetarian in the Mediterranean area, who advocated replacing meat with vegetarian food, and asked his disciples to do the same. From the time of Plato onwards, many philosophers such as Plotinus, Epicurus and Plutarch, also advocated vegetarianism. They did this because they believed that the soul could be reincarnated.

The essential difference between Buddhism and other religions is that the Buddha perceived the truth of Egolessness (anatta). The advocacy of a vegetarian diet in Buddhism is a concrete manifestation of the spirit of no ego. In addition, it is also a form of practice through which Buddhists can cultivate compassion. In that it complies with the laws of nature, the vegetarian way of life advocated by Buddhism is not only instructive to Buddhists, but can also bring comfort and greater awareness to non-Buddhists.

Eating meat can temporarily satisfy a desire, but it breaches and damages the equal relationship between humankind and other sentient beings. Therefore, a long-term adherence to this unhealthy lifestyle can only bring harm to ourselves and others. The scientific community reveals the harm of being a meat-eater and the benefits of being vegetarian from a perspective that is focused on this life. (We use the word vegetarian to include abstention from dairy and eggs, which are products of the meat industry.) However, Buddhism explains from the perspective of infinite life that a vegetarian diet can not only benefit one in the next life, but can improve physical and mental health and increase wisdom in this life, even in the present moment. Furthermore, because of the proliferation of meat culture, our planet has been overwhelmed. Given this situation, vegetarianism plays an important role in alleviating the Earth’s burden, preventing environmental degradation, and benefiting all sentient beings on the Earth.

Buddhism is broad and profound, not only providing us with the reasons and benefits of being vegetarian in the teachings, but also establishing related precepts to help practitioners slowly change from being omnivorous to practicing vegetarianism. What’s more, in the history of Chinese Buddhism, many eminent monks’ vegetarian habits and outstanding actions have set a good example for the public to persist in following vegetarianism, and build their confidence. Moreover, the vegetarian culture and traditions in Chinese Buddhist monasteries have a history of over two thousand years, which mandates that the Buddha’s teachings on diet be fully practiced by monks and practitioners.

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