Path: shell.portal.com!svc.portal.com!sdd.hp.com!swrinde!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in1.uu.net!news.usa.net!earth!tbm From: tbm@earth.usa.net (Stephen Evans) 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? Followup-To: alt.zen,alt.zen,alt.magick.tyagi,alt.consciousness,sci.philosophy.meta,talk.religion.buddhism,comp.ai.philosophy,alt.meditation Date: 20 Jun 1996 01:09:31 GMT Organization: Internet Express (800-592-1240 customer service) Lines: 42 Distribution: inet Message-ID: <4qa8cb$d36@shiva.usa.net> References: <4nqlgh$m3d@jobe.shell.portal.com> <4q6qjb$5qt@acad1.tp.ac.sg> <31C855DB.41C6@rsl.ukans.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: earth.usa.net X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Xref: shell.portal.com alt.zen:35332 alt.magick.tyagi:8849 alt.consciousness:27971 sci.philosophy.meta:28376 talk.religion.buddhism:22307 comp.ai.philosophy:41899 alt.meditation:26521 Pannirselvam Kanagaratnam (pkanagar@rsl.ukans.edu) wrote: : Stephen Evans (tbm@earth.usa.net) wrote: : : Most Buddhists are not vegetarian. : Anybody can call themselves Buddhists. But a real Buddhist is Generally to call oneself "a buddhist" you've taken refuge in the triple gem and accepted the five precepts. Where there is opportunity, you've probably done this formally and publically. The first precept is "don't kill" but this has never been interpreted as "never eat meat" The Buddha himself was very clear on this: if some want to take an extra vow of veg'ism -- that's a good thing -- but it is not required. And for monks (but this may vary from sect to sect) the rule is "eat what they put in your bowl! Don't be so finniky!" Except in the case where the animal was killed specifically for them. So you see an encouragement toward veg'ism but no requirement. You lay out a very high ideal for what a buddhist is -- very well. I suppose most of us don't measure up to true buddhism (possibly not the buddha himself since he too ate whatever was put in his bowl). Rather, we're just people struggling through who find "buddhism" a great support, guide and community. I'm sorry, but if you think that the Buddha only gave dharma to those capable to pursue enlightenment with full discipline and vigour -- then you haven't been reading the suttas & sutras. There is a GREAT deal there for us common folk -- and, really no moral judgement against the ordinary life in society. I.e. there is as much in the Dharma about //how to live// in sa.msara as there is //how to escape it//. And the Buddha counted many who just wanted to live a good live among his lay followers. You may not want to call us "Buddhists" yet the Buddha counts us among his followers. sorry. mettaa, muditaa, mangala Stephen