Once, while Uppalavanna was meditating alone in the afternoon in the 'Blind-Men's Grove', a secluded forest outside of the city of Savatthi, some thieves passed by.
The thieves had just stolen a cow, butchered it and were escaping with the meat. Seeing the composed and serene nun, the chief of the thieves quickly put some of the meat in a leaf-bag and left it for her. Uppalavanna picked up the meat and resolved to give it to the Buddha.
Early next morning, having had the meat prepared, she rose into the air and flew to where the Buddha was staying, in the Bamboo Grove outside of Rajagaha, over kilometres as the crow or nun? Though there is no specific mention of the Buddha actually consuming this meat, obviously a nun of such high attainments would certainly have known what the Buddha ate. However there are some meats which are specifically prohibited for monks to eat: human meat, for obvious reasons; meat from elephants and horses as these were then considered royal animals; dog meat - as this was considered by ordinary people to be disgusting; and meat from snakes, lions, tigers, panthers, bears and hyenas - because one who had just eaten the flesh of such dangerous jungle animals was thought to give forth such a smell as to draw forth revenge from the same species!
Towards the end of the Buddha's life, his cousin Devadatta attempted to usurp the leadership of the Order of monks. In order to win support from other monks, Devadatta tried to be more strict than the Buddha and show Him up as indulgent. Devadatta proposed to the Buddha that all the monks should henceforth be vegetarians.
The Buddha refused and repeated once again the regulation that he had established years before, that monks and nuns may eat fish or meat as long as it is not from an animal whose meat is specifically forbidden, and as long as they had no reason to believe that the animal was slaughtered specifically for them.
The Vinaya, then, is quite clear on this matter. Just to be clear, if you're a vegetarian, that doesn't mean you should quit after reading this article. The purpose of this article is solely to explain the reasons as to why some Buddhists don't consider vegetarianism necessary. Some sects of Buddhism do encourage vegetarianism for various reasons and some don't, but just because a sect doesn't actively encourage it doesn't mean it's discouraged.
Just because there are no "spiritual" benefits to vegetarianism doesn't mean the lifestyle has no benefits. While the Buddha made it clear that being a scavenger isn't direct enough to be considered killing, vegetarianism is essentially a personal choice that has a host of health and environmental benefits even for Buddhists of non-vegetarian traditions.
News U. Politics Joe Biden Congress Extremism. Special Projects Highline. HuffPost Personal Video Horoscopes. Follow Us. Terms Privacy Policy. Part of HuffPost Religion. All rights reserved. The purpose of this requirement has to do with both convenience and compassion. Suggest a correction. Aside from alcohol, some Buddhists avoid consuming strong-smelling plants, specifically garlic, onion, chives, leeks, and shallots, as these vegetables are thought to increase sexual desire when eaten cooked and anger when eaten raw 3.
Buddhists are expected to abstain from food from noon until the dawn of the following day as a way to practice self-control 4 , 5. However, as with the exclusion of meat and alcohol, not all Buddhists or lay followers of the religion fast. Like other religions, Buddhism has specific dietary practices that followers may or may not practice.
Some Buddhists may fast or refrain from consuming animals, alcohol, and certain vegetables. A plant-based diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, and beans, but it may also include some animal products.
This diet provides important compounds, such as antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which have been associated with a decreased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer 6 , 7 , 8 , 9.
Aside from these health benefits, following a plant-based or vegetarian diet may also benefit your waistline. Studies have found that Buddhist lacto-vegetarians had calorie intakes similar to those of non-vegetarian Catholics. However, they had higher intakes of folate, fiber, and vitamin A and consumed less protein and iron 3 , Consequently, they had lower levels of iron and vitamin B Low levels of these nutrients can cause anemia, a condition characterized by a lack of oxygen-carrying red blood cells 3 , 10 , Aside from iron and vitamin B12, other nutrients that vegetarians may be lacking include vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and zinc Fasting is an important practice in Buddhism.
Buddhists generally fast from noon to dawn of the following day. Depending on your preferences and schedule, you may find fasting for approximately 18 hours every day to either be a pro or con of the Buddhist diet. Other Buddhists do eat meat and the texts of the Pali canon do not specifically forbid eating meat. Instead, the Buddha is depicted there ruling that monks and nuns can only eat meat if the animal was not slaughtered specifically to feed them.
In some modern Buddhist countries Buddhists who want to eat meat are happy if the animal is slaughtered by a non-Buddhist abattoir worker. Some Buddhists believe that meat should be eaten only for medicinal purposes and then only when the animal has died of natural causes.
Animal experimentation did not exist at the time of the Buddha and Buddhism does not have specific rules about this.
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