Path: shell.portal.com!svc.portal.com!sdd.hp.com!swrinde!howland.reston.ans.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!newsxfer2.itd.umich.edu!caen!kuhub.cc.ukans.edu!kuhub.cc.ukans.edu!nntp Newsgroups: alt.zen,alt.zen,alt.magick.tyagi,alt.consciousness,sci.philosophy.meta,talk.religion.buddhism,comp.ai.philosophy,alt.meditation Subject: Re: What do Buddhists eat? Message-ID: <31C855DB.41C6@rsl.ukans.edu> From: Pannirselvam Kanagaratnam Date: Wed, 19 Jun 1996 14:32:43 -0500 References: <4nqlgh$m3d@jobe.shell.portal.com> <4q6qjb$5qt@acad1.tp.ac.sg> Nntp-Posting-Host: blizzard.rsl.ukans.edu X-Mailer: Mozilla 2.0 (X11; I; OSF1 V3.2 alpha) MIME-Version: 1.0 CC: tbm@earth.usa.net, LeeLove@millcomm.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Lines: 114 Xref: shell.portal.com alt.zen:35299 alt.magick.tyagi:8835 alt.consciousness:27949 sci.philosophy.meta:28364 talk.religion.buddhism:22288 comp.ai.philosophy:41890 alt.meditation:26496 Stephen Evans (tbm@earth.usa.net) wrote: : Most Buddhists are not vegetarian. Anybody can call themselves Buddhists. But a real Buddhist is one who puts his body, mind and soul into the practice of the Eightfold Path and works hard to give up desires and get established in Ahimsa (non-violence in thought, word and deed). Or at least he should admit to himself of his weaknesses and try to get help from a Buddhist master. Instead, what do we find ? People trying to find all kinds of excuses to escape the discipline required in the path. The first step to enlightenment is to admit to ones' own self of ones weaknesses. If your ego does not let you do this, be assured that the path to enlightenment will be seriously impeded. There are many people in this world who preach religion but there are very few people who really practice their religion. Many preach Buddhism, but no one gives up desires and Himsa (as opposed to Ahimsa). Many preach Christianity, but no one practices love and forgiveness. Many preach Islam, but no one recognizes the brotherhood of man. Many preach Hinduism, but no one realizes the Divinity in all. Preaching has become the livelihood of men, while practice has become their object of scorn. Hence the world is wicked, not for want of truth, nor on account of religions; but, alas, it is wicked for the lack of true followers of these ideals and religions. Akita-jin \"Lee Love\ (LeeLove@millcomm.com) wrote: : Hi Seetoh, : Don't forget sentient being called Brocolli. It doesn't have : any little feet to run with nor a little mouth to scream. (;^) Not : very sportsman like to hunt brocolli! So don't think it is okay for a Buddhist to eat meat. If you can't control your palate say you can't control your palate, don't give weak excuses like plants feel pain to. Plants feel as much pain as we do when we cut our hair or finger nails (this is the unanimous voice of the Hindu saints). There is a simple experiment which you can do to find out the reaction of your conscience which will tell you how much pain a vegetable endures and how much pain an animal endures. Go to a slaughter house and a vegetable farm. Bring along your kids if you feel that your conscience is clouded by impurities. And sincerely ask yourself (or look at your kids' face if he or she dared to look) how you felt when the brains of a cow was blown by a shotgun and when a brinjal was plucked or a carrot uprooted. I reproduce here a little episode here from the life of Buddha which will confirm his stand on the issue of harming animals. You will also learn that it is more important to relief the suffering of humanity (in Buddha's term, humanity also includes animals) than to sit in meditation. Get yourself established in the ethical teachings of the Buddha first, if you want any real success in your meditation. Control of your palate will greatly help in the control of your mind. In his wanderings, Gautama one day saw a herd of goats and sheep winding their way through a narrow valley. Now and then the herdsman cried and ran forward and backward to keep the members of the fold from going astray. Among the vast flock Gautama saw a little lamb, toiling behind, wounded in one part of the body and made lame by a blow of the herdsman. Gautama's heart was touched and he took it up in his arms and carried it saying, "It is better to relieve the suffering of an innocent being than to sit on the rocks of Olympus or in solitary caves and watch unconcerned the sorrows and sufferings of humanity". Then, turning to the herdsman he said, "Whither are you going, my friend, with this huge flock so great a hurry ?". "To the king's palace" said the herdsman, "We are sent to fetch goats and sheep for sacrifice which our master - the king - will start tonight in propitiation of the gods". Hearing this, Gautama followed the herdsman, carrying the lamb in his arms. When they entered the city, word was circulated that a holy hermit had brought the sacrifices ordered by the king. As Gautama passed through the streets, people came out to see the gracious and saintly figure of the youth clad in the yellow robes of a Sadhu (monk) and all were struck with wonder and awe at his noble mien and his sweet expression. The king was also informed of the coming of the holy man to the sacrifice. When the ceremonies commenced in the presence of the king, there was brought a goat ready to be killed and offered to the gods. There it stood with its legs tied up and the high priest ready with a big bloodthirsty knife in his hand to cut the dumb animal's throat. In that cruel and tragic moment, when the life of the poor creature hung by a thread, Gautama stepped forward and cried, "Stop the cruel deed, O king!". And as he said this, he leaned forward and unfastened the bonds of the victim. "Every creature" he said, "loves to live, even as every human being loves to preserve his or her life". The priest then threw the knife away like a repentant sinner and the king issued a royal decree throughout the land the next day, to the effect that no further sacrifice should be made in future and that all people should show mercy to birds and beasts alike. All glories to the compassionate Buddha, the conqueror of desires and the embodiment of Ahimsa. Pannir http://www.rsl.ukans.edu/~pkanagar/divine