Sunday Times - opinion]
The Buddha's advice on killing and consumption of meat
Some are, some aren't. From the Theravada perspective, the choice of
whether or not to eat meat is purely a matter of personal preference.
Many Buddhists (and, of course, non-Buddhists) do eventually lose
their appetite for meat out of compassion for the welfare of other
living creatures.
Although the first of the five precepts, the basic code of ethical
conduct for all practising Buddhists, calls upon followers to refrain
from intentional acts of killing, it does not address the consumption
of flesh from animals that are already dead. Theravada monks, however,
are clearly forbidden to eat meat from a few specific kinds of animals
(flesh of humans, elephants, horses, dogs, snakes, lions, tigers,
leopards, bears, hyenas and panthers), but for reasons not directly
related to the ethics of killing. Monks are to pursue vegetarianism by
leaving uneaten any meat that may have been placed in the alms bowl,
but because they depend on the open-handed generosity of lay
supporters (who may or may not themselves be vegetarian) it is
considered unseemly for them to make special food requests. In those
parts of the world (including wide areas of South Asia) where
vegetarianism is uncommon and many dishes are prepared in a meat or
fish broth, vegetarian monks would soon face a simple choice: eat meat
or starve. Taking part in killing for food is definitely incompatible
with the first precept, and should be avoided. This includes hunting,
fishing, trapping, butchering, steaming live clams, eating live raw
oysters, etc.
But what if I eat or just purchase meat: aren't I simply encouraging
someone else to do the killing for me? How can letting someone else do
the "dirty work" possibly be consistent with the Buddhist principles
of compassion and non-harming, a cornerstone of right resolve?
...
We are all guilty of complicity, in one way or another and to varying
degrees, in the harming and death of other creatures. Whether we are
carnivore, vegan or something in between, no matter how carefully we
choose our food, somewhere back along the chain of food production and
preparation, killing took place. No matter how carefully we trod, with
every step countless insects, mites, and other creatures inadvertently
perish under our feet. This is just the nature of our world. It is
only when we escape altogether from the round of birth and death, when
we enter into the final liberation of Nibbana the Deathless, can we
wash our hearts clean, once and for all, of killing and death.
To steer us towards that lofty goal, the Buddha gave us very realistic
advice: he didn't ask us to become vegetarian; He asked us to observe
the precepts. For many of us, this is challenge enough. This is where
we begin.
– Courtesy: Noble Living, (A collection of Dhamma Essays) (Reproduced
from Vesak Lipi)
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full story:
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/070429/Plus/014_pls.html
