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do i have to become a vegetarian
HollyRose1
Explorer
all my family members eat meat and i try not too .... when we go out to eat or when its time for me to make dinner i try not to cook meat ...every time when i do eat meat i say thanks for the sacrifice of the animals life ...i dont know what to do ...i try to avoid when i can but i is a struggle .
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@HollyRose1. I'm not sure what you are asking. But if you are asking if you must become a vegetarian to walk the path of Dhamma/Dharma then the answer is no.
Some will say you do, but there are millions of Buddhists in the world -- including many, many monks -- who do eat meat.
ok thanks
I'd say no. Some traditions stress a vegetarian diet, others don't. While it's certainly a compassionate option in line with the Buddha's teachings on harmlessness, the Buddha himself rejected Devadatta's demand to institute vegetarianism as a requirement in the teachings recorded in the Pali Canon.
If it's too difficult to be a strict vegetarian, my advice is to just do what you can to limit the amount of meat you eat and be happy knowing that you're making an effort to abstain when possible.
thanks that really helps
@HollyRose1. Because I took the precepts many years ago it was always very important to be sure the health practices I follow would maintain my fitness to practice. So with that in mind the best health practice is one that protects and maintains your stamina.
Sorry to respond to an old thread, but I have made the decision to only eat meat if another offers it to me. To do otherwise would be to impede their generosity in my opinion.
Do what is comfortable for you to do. When I was a vegetarian, I'd eat whatever others were eating when I was a guest in someone's home. If you're interested in eating vegetarian, get some international vegetarian cookbooks to explore. It's a lot of fun! Otherwise, just ease into it gradually, if that feels better.
You don't have to be a vegetarian to be a Buddhist. Asia's full of Buddhists who eat meat.
It would not be hard if there are several kinds of veg food is available where you lives to be a vegetarian.
I've struggled with this question for a while. I've read about what happens in factory farms and felt it necessary to at least try the vegetarian path. I tried to go vegetarian for four months, but in the end my GI tract couldn't take it. I think that's one reason why it's not mandatory to be a vegetarian in Buddhism - not everyone can do it. I believe it's seen as a positive expression of compassion if you're determined enough and you can tolerate a vegetarian diet, but it is not a requirement to be a Buddhist.
Exactly. Being from a very high mountainous region where little will grow, Tibetans have evolved to be healthy on a meat diet. The Dalai Lama had trouble when he tried to go completely vegetarian. If you're concerned about factory farms, shop at local food co-ops and Whole Foods; stores that carry animal products from free-range animals, grass-fed cows, and so on. The greater the public demand for that type of product, the more the market will adapt to accommodate the compassionate demand.
The Dalai Lama needs animal/meat protein due to illness, not due to a vegetarian diet not suiting him.
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From here.
Some dispute this reasoning however, maintaining that with better medication now available, and with improved treatment of hepatitis, there is no reason why HH the DL shouldn't return to a vegetarian diet.
But that's a different issue, and no criticism is implied, on my part.
I'm just relaying what I have learnt.
I'm vegan at home, and if I'm buying dinner somewhere. If I'm at someone else's home, I eat whatever they're eating (though its really awesome when someone actually tries to make vegan or even vegetarian food).
reasoning for me is that I know there is that whole thing about not eating an animal that has been killed for you to eat, but to me that's exactly what I'm buying at the store or the restaurant. I don't see how it hasn't been killed specifically for me to eat if I'm the one picking it out.
As far as eating animals and animal by-products at other people's houses, I believe that they deserve the right to be generous and I don't know if it makes up for the animal or not but its a good start so I'm not going to take that from them.
I'm also a beginner Buddhist so my word probably doesn't mean as much lol. Also I'm really leaning towards Theravada but this is one of the few points I don't agree on.
When I cook just for my son and me, I stick to vegetarian.
But when we eat out or are invited, I also eat what everyone else eats.
I find variety in diet is healthy and besides, who wants to be the fussy vegetarian guest?
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Theravada states that a person my eat meat, provided they have not killed the animal themselves, or compelled or requested that someone else kill that animal specifically for them, or on their behalf.
See this link under 'food and drink' and remember that these regulations were primarily intended for the guidance of the conduct of Monks.
I hope this advice from nana is helpful
I understand your view, but I disagree with it, that's all..... But everyone must make their own minds up, and I respect you for that.
I'm veggie, BTW....
A wise option @Amthorn.
A number of years ago I chose to only eat seafood and pass on any land animals. One time I was invited to eat at the sister's house of a close friend who's mother had just died. She served up a quiche that was her mother's favourite recipe and she had cooked it in honour of her. It had bacon in it.
I just ate it and said nothing. It was delicious too! My wife told me later how much she was praying I wouldn't make a fuss!!
One of my favourite quotes regarding this (not sure where it's from) is "what comes out of your mouth is more important than what goes into it!"
The first thing that comes to mind is the passage where Jesus explains to his disciples: "Do you not realize that everything that enters the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled into the latrine? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, unchastity, theft, false witness, blasphemy. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile" (Mt 15: 17-20). And this is similar to the point of Sn 2.2, I think.
Thank you for that, Jason.
I'm always good for references if nothing else.
Oh, I wouldn't say that.....
Yes, I am uncomfortable with buying meat because I feel that it's a small contribution to the demand for meat and therefore to the suffering of animals.
Though after a long period of not eating meat, the idea of eating flesh makes me a little nauseous anyway. I know some people like their meat rare, but to me it's not far removed from cannibalism. Yuk!
The Dalai Lama had trouble when he tried to go completely vegetarian. But according to some accounts of the people around him, he had problems because he had no idea whatsoever how to eat a vegetarian diet. Not surprising being that he is from Tibet. According to some accounts he:
Although, his illness was a Hepatitis B infection, which is not something caused by a poor diet. His jaundice was caused by hepatitis B virus, not by becoming vegetarian. Some people think he got sick simply because he became a vegetarian. That does not seem to be the case. Although, one could probably say his extremely poor vegetarian diet made him more susceptible to a viral infection. And, being that he relied on Tibetan doctors, not surprising that they didn't know what proper vegetarian diet meant either. Treatment for acute hepatitis B infection is generally adequate nutrition and fluids while the body fights the infection. He wasn't getting that on his poor veg diet. It's entirely possible that if he switched to a proper veg diet, he would have been fine. The Dalai Lama's experience really doesn't say anything about the healthiness or unhealthiness of a proper vegetarian diet, or the need for some people to eat meat, etc.
When I lived in France, the French really could not, in any way, shape or form, get their heads round someone being vegetarian.
I went to a restaurant, and of course, I looked for something on their menu without any meat... after an incredulous waitress tried to go through the menu finding anything meat free, and failing, she went to the kitchen, and returned shortly afterwards, saying the Chef would be happy to provide me with cheese quiche.
Wonderful, I said. perfect. Lovely. Thank you.
About a half-hour later, the chef presented me with his freshly-made-specially-for-me, cheese quiche - with lardons.
I politely remonstrated with him.
"But - it's got meat in it!"
"No", he replied, "that's smoked pork..."
"Yes - it's meat!"
He looked genuinely flummoxed..."Oh... does that count...?"
They don't really get "vegetarian" in Ireland either. It's normally easier to just have the same as everyone else and then give away the meat. Alternatively filling up on Guinness works well...[hic]
Rural pubs in Ireland are nice because there generally they don't bother about official closing time. The Garda don't seem to mind providing everyone eventually finds their way home.
which is brewed using sides of beef.....(I know, I know, urban myth...)
Years ago in Nice, two very nice French ladies took my companion and me into their home and offered wonderful treats: champagne, baguettes, brandy and foie gras. They didn't speak English, and my friend and I spoke only rudimentary French, so it was very, very hard to explain that I could not eat the liver. (Had it been some other meat, I probably would have been able to eat some so as not to offense, but...foie gras is the poster child of animal cruelty, no?) My friend wasn't much of a meat eater either, but he manfully took up the slack and consumed the livers with (forced) gusto. All together, a merry evening that I'll always remember.
I was veg before becoming interested in Buddhism, so to me they're not especially linked. But I'll offer this: by avoiding meat, one is also being compassionate to the planet, which is certainly in the spirit of Buddhism. The resources used to grow animal flesh are dwindling - eventually, we will HAVE to use them more efficiently. It's not gonna be pretty.
This may be the solution to animal cruelty - lab grown meat. No sentient being to torment, so no violation of the first precept. This is not available now, but in 10 or 20 years may be the best way to produce meat industrially.
Oh, on the contrary - it IS available now. It's just not being marketed.... can you imagine the impact it would have on meat producers though?
They dare not launch it. It would spark such a series of riots....
Got a link, @Federica? I'm very interested to know more. Yeah, this would shut down a lot of factory farms. I thought it was years away from being commercially viable.
In truth, the only link I could find was this one, but I'm sure I read somewhere that the product itself, while ready to launch, could not yet be made in equitable quantities... but the product is honed and refined.... Damn me if I can find it.... I'm sorry...
No apologies necessary. I appreciate the info. If this could move into production, it was save a lot of suffering.
I don't know how well it'll go over in the US at this point. Maybe in 10 years, perspective can shift quickly. I'd give up meat all together before I ate meat "grown" in a lab. Right now, they are looking to release GM mosquitoes in Florida to combat dengue fever and people are all up in arms because they don't want to risk being bit by a mosquito and getting it's GM DNA shot into them. Which makes no sense whatsoever, but that is how people think and public opinion in the US holds a lot of weight. Despite the good points, it probably won't happen. Lab grown meat is probably very similar at this point in time. I won't even eat the "pre-cooked bacon" you can buy. Ish.
In a similar vein to @federica 's story, a friend of mine (vegetarian) was on an organised tour of Europe many years ago and they spent some time in Italy.
The tour group were at a restaurant one night and were all served the same meat dish (as was standard) but he had to ask them to replace it with a vegetarian dish.
He reckons the waiter took the meal away and returned a little later with a plate full of cheese. Just cheese!!!
He was dumbfounded.
I thought they only ate pizza in Italy.
I'd eat lab grown meat. Our bodies evolved needing the protein, else our brains would still be the size of Nerf balls and our molars and jaws massive. At least my body craves protein -- specifically meat, eggs and cheese won't cut it -- about twice a month, maybe? I get HUNGRY for meat and when I do eat it, my body is having stomachgasms. The rest of the time I get my protein vegetarian style, but when that damn meat-craving comes up . . . I look at it this way. I have a lot of choices, thanks to modern food manufacturing, but I don't have a choice when it comes to being in an omnivore's body. Some folks are lucky, IMO, to have bodies that are satisfied with non-meat sources of protein. I do wish mine was
That honestly surprises me, because (as an Italian myself) I know Italians are exceptionally good at vegetarian dishes. Whereas French cuisine is so regionalised that you can't buy one 'local' dish in the next 'canton' or 'département' because they are so insular, and therefore vegetarianism is an anathema to them (particularly north of Lyon) the Italians specialise in being able to prduce some brilliant dishes...
I suspect, if I may hazard a guess, that as the tour was organised, it's likely the stops for meals were also pre-organised - and someone forgot to advise the restaurant of dietary requirements, therefore the chef had pre-prepared a set meal (as was standard, in your words) and had no contingency in place to make changes at such a late stage. hence the cheese platter. And forgive me for saying so, but I don't blame them.
I could go without meat for a fair amount of time, but my husband does the meal planning and most of the cooking and he's from a "you have meat with dinner, every day!" farming family, lol. I insist on where the meat comes from, so overall we eat fairly small portions of grass fed (and local when we can get it) meat. I just give myself extra helping of veggies and less meat. I do quite well on eggs and fish, but when I crave red meat there is not much stopping it. I tend to have low iron, so I am sure that is where those cravings come from. I could get away with having meat just once or twice a week, but planning (and paying for) 2 separate meals isn't going to happen. As the kids continue to get older, that might change some as the requirement to eat as a family won't be as strong.
You're right - it was a set meal for a tour group.
The person in question is Italian too (Italian parents anyway).
Che cafone - dovrebbe averne pensato prima!!
(What a berk - he should have realised that sooner!)
So you're italian @federica? That explains a lot
My sister-in-law is Italian. The most generous person you'd ever meet but a tongue as sharp as a razor!
Well...in my case... one out of two ain't bad....!
Edit to add: How come someone with a sharp tongue is always blunt to the point?
Anyway there's nothing like a nice quorn fillet. Almost like eating chicken really.
It's a double-edged comment!!
Sorry, had to get that one in!
Would iron supplements help? Might cut down on those meat cravings...