Radishes, Turkeys and Pigs -- Oh My!
Once, the Mahasiddha Saraha Arrow-maker [Eng.:
Fletcher] a.k.a. Rahulabhadra -- "Scourge of
Rahula," meditating while his consort cooked for him, went into profound
samadhi while waiting for a bowl of radish curry. He did not return to
normal consciousness for twelve whole years, but when he did, the first
thing he asked about was the food. His wife skillfully wondered aloud at
the value of such a samadhi. (Saraha went on to became abbot of Nalanda
University and was the one who ordained Nagarjuna.)
We know the Buddha was not exclusively vegetarian. Any person
living the life of a monk or a renunciate in ancient India generally begged for
food. That is the first purpose of the bowl that is seen in many images of
Buddha Shakyamuni.
The rule for those who live in communities where begging is
practiced is that you must accept whatever is offered/put into the bowl whether
it is meat or vegetable, fresh or not, appealing or not. This
practice helps reinforce and lend support to an attitude that will eliminate
attachment or craving, as in the Third Noble Truth.
We all have to eat, but Buddhism advocates a mindful awareness
of craving or hunger which is expressed in some groups as restraint in, and the
regulation of eating. The more austere communities eat only twice a day,
the second time around noon. In some groups, especially when/where it is
cold and since medicine is permitted in the evening, tea, broth or other
light food may constitute an evening "treatment."
According to the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, it was
devoted follower, Chunda the Silversmith, who presented the Buddha with his last
meal. Legend has it that the Buddha died
as a result of eating some meat -- many think it was pork -- that did not
agree with his digestion. However, pork is not a forbidden
food. There are some kinds that are, though. Monks and nuns in the
Theravada are forbidden to eat the flesh of human beings, or of special animals
such as elephants, horses, dogs, snakes, lions, tigers, leopards, bears, hyenas,
and panthers. And in those regions where certain animals aid in disposing
of the dead, their meat is also forbidden, eg. Tibetans do not generally eat the flesh
of large birds.
Also, the Pratimoksha
Rules or Monastic Code stipulates that a monk is forbidden to eat raw fish
or meat, or the flesh of any animal that he sees, hears, or even suspects was
killed specifically for his or her use.
If this rule is broken, then an offense has been committed that
requires confession to the sangha (fellow monastics.) Some schools of
Mahayana Buddhism are vegetarian following the strictest observance of the
"suspects was killed specifically" clause.
Mindfulness
The Fourth Truth concerns
the best way to live in order to diminish suffering. That entails being
mindful, determined and energetic, among other qualities. We should pay
attention to what and how we eat to keep healthy to keep to a minimum any harm
we may do to other beings, and also to our environment.
Tibetans eat meat, but they also have a saying to the effect
that eating meat is like eating one's relatives.
Karma and Killing
. . . . "As Traleg Kyabgon
states in "The Practice of Lojong" (Shambhala 2007, pp.111-115):
"Buddhism doesn't entertain the notion of any kind of moral law. The reference
to a "karmic law" is a Western concept that has been introduced into Buddhist
thinking."
The idea that if you do something good or bad then something equally good or
bad will happen is just an idea that people have made up. Or, if you kill a
mouse you will be reborn as a mouse. If that were true, then if you wanted to
be a lama in your next life, all you would have to do is kill a lama in this
life. But do you think that is the case?
Your cat's response to small moving things is to catch them and if possible,
eat them. This is an instinctive trait. It is not the same as premeditated
killing. And the desire and ability to overcome this instinct (a completely
stupid idea to a cat) would be very difficult. So really, it is a very
different kind of thing. Transposing some sort of karmic value system from one
realm to another is very tricky business. That is what makes one realm
different from another.
Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche used to remind people that killing only one cow can
feed a lot of people, but when you grow vegetables, you are killing millions
of beings through watering, digging and so forth. So being a vegetarian or
vegan doesn't automatically let you off the hook. That's why it is also good
to do things like buy worms and crickets from a bait store and let them go, so
you are giving some beings a life. You could do that and dedicate the merit to
your cat.
--TG
HH the 17th Karmapa's Request
Full moon day 3rd January 2007 was the last day of the 24th
Kagyu
Monlam.
In the shade of the Bodhi Tree, seat of Enlightenment of One
Thousand Buddhas, Ogyen Trinley Dorje the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa gave
this teaching on the benefits of not eating meat. Over 6,000 people were present. The teaching was heard by Lineage Holders, Rinpoches, Lamas,
Ordained Sangha and lay practitioners who had traveled from many
countries including Tibet, Nepal, India, Taiwan, Korea, Burma, USA,
Canada, Russia and all parts of Europe.
The teaching was translated into various languages simultaneously and
transmitted by FM radio. In this way it was possible to hear the meaning
and at the same time to connect with the clarity and passion of the Karmapa's roaring voice. The English translation was made available by
Ringu Tulku.
I made no notes at the time and perhaps at a later date the full
transcription will be made available. However, on a few occasions during
the Monlam teachings, His Holiness said that as the Kagyu family we should not be over concerned with precise details at the expense of the
meaning of His message. For all practical purposes I am confident that
this is a true account of what was said and offer it now with a sense of
urgency.
Towards the end of the teaching His Holiness specifically asked those
present to make it available to others since he considers the subject to
be of such importance. He joked that the Tibetans should translate it
for those from Amdo in case they claimed not to have understood His
dialect.
Throughout the Kagyu Monlam, His Holiness spoke often of his childhood
as a poor nomad in Tibet. It was the practice of nomads at a particular
time of year to gather together the animals that were to be slaughtered.
At these times He was completely distraught with concern for the
suffering of the animals. Whatever his family tried they could not
contain his sorrow. Since then He said that He has studied so much of
the Dharma and practiced so diligently and yet in all of the study and
practice He has never found anything that could be created that was more
precious than this naturally arising kindness towards other beings.
He urged us all to connect with that innate goodness in ourselves.
On one occasion whilst living in Tibet someone had interpreted the lines
on the hands of His Holiness and indicated that there are potential
obstacles to his life in his 23rd and 24th years. Since leaving Tibet
His Holiness himself had a dream regarding the same issue. He said that
whilst he is not normally afraid of death, He woke from the dream deeply
concerned. It was in response to this that He has concluded that the
best remedy to the obstacles to both His life and the life of the Dalai
Lama will be for his followers to preserve life and specifically to have
less involvement with the killing of animals and the suffering that results from eating meat.
It was very clear that the Karmapa was not making a polite request.
As head of the Lineage, He was investigating faults, making a diagnosis
of obstacles and prescribing a remedy that must be followed.
With immediate effect:
· No meat is to be prepared in the kitchen of any Kagyu Monastery or
Centre
· No one is to be involved in the business of buying and selling
meat -- for all of His followers this practice must stop.
· There is to be no killing of animals on Kagyu premises -- the
slaughterhouse at Turphu must be closed.
· He is aware of monks in robes going to buy meat and does not want
to see this ever again.
His Holiness said that he knows that lamas and practitioners have always
justified eating meat by saying that they make prayers for the beings
that they are eating.
This is not good enough.
He asked how many of them can truly liberate beings in this way?
Now we really do have a Karmapa and He is starting to make Himself
heard.
The use of alcohol and meat for Tsok offerings is also not acceptable.
His Holiness quoted spiritual masters from the past who had condemned
the practice of using Tsok as an excuse for eating meat and drinking
alcohol.
Leaving absolutely no room for interpretation, He said that anyone who
uses meat and alcohol as Tsok is not part of Karmapa's lineage.
If the practice is at the level where Mahakala really comes and actually
drinks the alcohol and eats the meat then it may be justified but
otherwise we should use fruit!
Throughout the Kagyu Monlam, many people took the Sojong vows at 6am
each day. This took place beneath the Bodhi tree, presided over by
either His Holiness or other masters. Early in the Monlam, His Holiness
had explained the meaning and purpose of the Sojong precepts and at that
point indicated that eating meat was a big subject and would be dealt
with later.
Apparently He had originally intended giving people a week to consider
before making their commitment. As events worked out He gave us the time
during tea break to decide what we felt able to promise. He said that
sometimes it is better to be spontaneous.
Several options were made available and we were asked to raise our hands
to indicate our choice of commitment and to witness each others' decisions.
His wish for each of us to make an individual vow was clear and
decisive. It applied just as much to the Tibetans who historically had
little else available to eat. His Holiness said that now "thanks to the
kindness of the Chinese" (this is an exact quote) the Tibetans have
vegetables and other food available. The choices offered were:
· Eating no meat one day per week
· Eating no meat one day per month
· Eating no meat on special days such as moon days, Guru Rinpoche
and Tara days
· Eating meat for only one meal per day
· Give up eating meat forever
· Give up eating meat for a specified period of time such as one,
two or three years.
· Reduce eating meat with a view to giving it up completely.
Throughout the speech it was obvious that His Holiness wanted everyone
connected with His Lineage to make some commitment for two main reasons:
The teachings of Lord Buddha require that we act with kindness and
preserve all life.
Because of our connection to His Holiness, by improving our conduct we
can reduce obstacles to His life.
When we consider the unshakable Bodhisattva activity of the Karmapas,
how can we not be pleased that for once we have been given a simple and
practical opportunity to help?
~ Submitted to
the Kagyu email list at Yahoo! by Vin Harris, Scotland.
Dedication Before Eating a
Meal [in Tibetan]
|
Tun pa lamay sanjay rinpochay
Cheu pa lamay tamchu rinpochay
Dren pa lamay gendun rinpochay
Chap ni kun chok sum la chu pa bul. |
Nagarjuna said that we should care for, and
offer food to, all beings.
Killing to Eat
In the past, most societies ate very little flesh. Poverty
and limited resources contributed to a diet in which meat played a minor
role. If you read Shogun, or saw that television series about Japan
of the fifteenth century or so, you remember the incident in which the European
left some game to hang from the eaves of his house so it could
"ripen." The revulsion felt by the villagers was not due
entirely to the smell of rotten pheasant, though.
The first Buddhist precept is not to take lives and
deprive other beings of opportunities for enlightenment. However, without
any intention of doing so, we take thousands of lives every day, with every step
and with every breath. But Buddhism does not see species of animals as
arranged in a hierarchy where the life of a larger animal is of greater value
than that of a smaller one.
The mantra said for overcoming the fault of meat-eating and also
helping the beings whose flesh it was be reborn in a happy realm is:
Om, ahbirakay tsara, hung! (To be said over the
meat seven times. )
Compassion
Buddhism emphasizes the inter-relatedness of all
beings. Even a lowly shrimp is another shrimp's child. Because of
the belief in reincarnation, the shrimp may even have been your mother in
a former existence.
According to Buddhist doctrine, no eternal element such as a
soul transmigrates from one body to the next. Still tendencies and aspects
of beings tend to coalesce or intertwine a result of the laws of karma, and so
maintain relatively constant arrangements.
Karma, that is activity and the
way in which it operates in conformity with the universe {a push here causes
movement there] determines one's future, both in the short term [this life] and
in the long term [in the series of lives to come].
In order to adapt to certain environments, physical, economic
and cultural, we may have to consume the flesh of fish, and four-legged
animals. The general principle of the Buddhist community is to try and
diminish the harm we do as much as is possible. In the urban milieu we do
not kill for food, and we should not encourage the killing of animals for their
meat. In other words, do not let someone kill a chicken or a goat in order
to throw a party for you. Do not ask a butcher to obtain a cut of meat
especially for your consumption, either.
This does not go very far in diminishing the general demand for
meat in western society, though. Perhaps the Dalai Lama's public comment
that we should try to lessen the number of meat meals eaten during the week,
will encourage people to be mindful about their diet
They will then buy less meat at their grocery stores. The
number of animals killed will certainly diminish. The price of meat will
certainly go up, and so more people will learn how to prepare meatless meals.
The trend will continue to improve.
The story is told of a boy who found fish stranded
on the shore, as the tide receded. He started to pick
them up one by one, and threw them back into the sea.
A passer-by said, "There are millions of fish stranded
on the shore as far as the eye can see. What does it
matter if you save a few?"
The boy replied, "It matters to the ones I threw back."
More about vegetarianism vs. meat-eating from the
kagyu list:
Barry: "Tibetans eat meat, if they actually grew up in
Tibet, because there are not enough (especially, fresh) vegetables for that to
be the basis of their diet. That is also why they eat tubers such as
potatoes, beets, and onions, because [in that harsh environment they are foods
that are grown] beneath ground level. They have always eaten meat. [Strict
Hindu vegetarians do not eat onions or garlic.]
... my (Gelugpa) Teacher ... . adds that there is no
direct Karmic repercussion from eating meat per se. It is obviously the
killing of the animal that is at issue. Geshela says that if the animal was not
killed by you, or expressly killed for you, that you can freely eat the meat,
prefaced by a prayer of gratitude for the life of the animal. He adds that,
especially in the West, ... animals were killed previously for whomever and the
meat is there waiting, already prepared. The same holds true for restaurants.
In most Tibetan cities of any size, there is a special part of
town which is the butcher area. This is also the Muslim area of the city, and
the Muslims are engaged in the activity of preparing meat. This is accepted
practice.
I have been to Dharma centers where, at group meals, the meat
dishes were deliberately badly prepared and terribly presented, while vegetable
dishes directly adjacent were made to be very appealing. This is usually
accompanied by thinly veiled disdain for those who opt for the meat anyway. This
type of activity should be beneath the dignity of a good Dharma center,
especially when the Lama is present. All offerings should and can be made
beautiful. I am the vice-president and public relations person for a Tibetan
Buddhist center which is blessed by the presence of our resident Lama. I would
never even consider preparing a dish which he would not himself eat. He does not
care what others around him eat, unless it is obviously bad for them.
There is also good reason why meat is among the ritual offerings
at Tsog [a ritual feast.] And, as those who have received initiation well know,
meats are also a part of the "Inner Offering". There is a well
known anecdote in the Life of Milarepa, where, after living for a long
time on only nettles, to the point where he had taken on a greenish pallor, The
Guru was offered fresh meat by a visitor. Upon eating the meat, Milarepa
had spontaneous visionary experiences which revealed to him the reasons for
previous blockages in his practice."
Lhamo: "Even in Tibet, where vegetables are scarce, and
people have to eat meat to survive, they told me that they consider it bad to
eat a fish because a fish can only feed one person, or two at the most, so it's
considered to be worse karma."
Ani Trinlay: " ... there is a strong vein of vegetarianism in the Drikung
Kagyu. Unlike virtually all other well-known Tibetans, the founder of the
lineage was vegetarian. Many of the prominent lamas (such as Drupwang Rinpoche,
Garchen Rinpoche, and Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche) eat no, or very
little, meat.
At a retreat with Drupwang Rinpoche here last year, more than 70
people took a pledge never to eat meat again; whole villages in Ladakh promised
to shut down their meat markets for one day a week after he visited there.
We do not use meat or alcohol at tsok/ganachakra
-- "not necessary" is what our text says. Our center (Tibetan
Meditation Center in Frederick, MD) is meat-free. Even when there are
meat-eating residents at the center, they go elsewhere to cook and eat meat out
of respect for this practice.
Vegetarianism is not required of anyone, but it is strongly
advised by our spiritual leaders. (Besides, it causes disease and makes us
fat!)
I guess this is why there are all those different schools and
sub-schools and branches and sects and lineages -- something to fit everyone's
disposition and mental capacity!
Skip: "There are varying opinions about this. HH Dalai Lama
has said that it is karmically much preferable to be a vegetarian, though he
himself was unable to tolerate such a diet (he became jaundiced, and his Tibetan
physician advised him to discontinue).
And Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, for one, has said that eating meat does carry some
negative karma. I don't see how it could otherwise, really. Karma
(as I poorly understand it) is about cause and effect. Eating meat does in fact
cause people to kill animals -- it's a simple supply-and-demand question. If
there is causation, there is effect, which then applies specifically to the
being(s) responsible for the cause -- Buddhist scriptures are pretty clear on
that point. It is also said that negative karma performed by a group is not
"distributed" over its members proportionately; rather, if a group
does something negative, the full weight of the karma rests on each individual
of that group. I would interpret the above that to mean that eating meat carries
a significant karmic burden, even if one isn't responsible for the killing per
se.
Mitigating this, there is the concept of the 3 components of cause -- that to
get full karmic effect, you have to (1) plan/premeditate the act, (2) do the
act, and (3) be glad you did it afterwards. I remember hearing a teacher say
that if you go to a restaurant, it's worse if you plan to have meat beforehand.
And it's better if you express some regret thereafter, rather than
"rejoicing" in having eaten meat. ... .
As for lamas eating meat -- well, no one's perfect. And for some who are
actually realized beings, it may actually be neutral or even productive of good
karma. Kind of like Tilopa liberating the fish by eating them. As I learned
recently in a teaching by HE Garchen R., the reason it's so hard to get out of
the lower realms is because it's hard there to create a cause (accumulate merit)
for higher rebirth. But an animal can create such a cause by giving itself to
the Three Jewels -- in this case, by feeding a teacher of dharma, or better yet,
a bodhisattva or buddha."
Tamra: " ... some are uncomfortable with my being a vegetarian. I
don't know why, just that it's so.
My response to [the argument that the animal is]... already dead, has been to
say that [someone who hires] a hitman is responsible for those he pays to have
killed. That's just how i see it with economic considerations. And i see
their attempt to have me eat it as aggressive, so [I tend to ] answer in more
blunt terms than i would if just sharing points of view. Once or twice, someone
has said that deer are starving, so it is compassionate to kill them. My
response was that children are starving too.
The monks in Buddha's time were permitted meat only if it wasn't
slaughtered
for them. In other words, if it was being prepared for the family whose
home
they begged at that morning. We now have grocery stores and a
demand-driven
market. All meat is killed for the one paying for it, so we might
translate
that to 'as long as the meat wasn't bought for you.'
In the early 90s, wisdom showed me that there are no separate selves and in
essence, no death. So all of my dos and don'ts [went] out the window. In fact,
all of 'reality' as I knew it was out the window. ... . [That] state of
awareness was [one in which there was neither] good vs bad [n]or harmful vs
helpful. It's all essence changing forms. At some point, I ate a shrimp and
drank some kind of alcohol (wine i think) since it didn't matter either
way. And since it didn't matter, that was the end of that. [However,] I returned
to not drinking or eating critters with eyes.
... .
All survival has [at its foundation ] life consuming life. In the case [where
there is] no food, some have eaten human flesh. In religious ritual, some have
eaten flesh as taking the other's spirit and goodness into themselves. How we
interpret life consuming life varies, but we all do it. And i guess that's why
one shrimp was enough for me to see where i naturally draw the line. ... .
Although i know that ultimately it doesn't matter (or that there is no harming
another), it conventionally does matter that we follow 'do no harm' as we
understand it at the deepest or most sublime level. For some, that may be eating
everything without preference and i'd say that's right action. For others, it
may be accepting meat only when it's offered and i'd say that [too is] right
action. In a plane crash into snow covered mountains, what would i eat? I don't
know. But i would choose then and there, and leave it then and there.
I'm reminded of that story about the [celibate] monk [who did not hesitate to
embrace a woman in order to carry her] across the river and his fellow monk
being upset for hours, finally saying something about him having touched a
female.
The monk said, "i left her there. You're still carrying
her."
Eating is like that for me and i suspect it is like that for
many, whether the plate has meat or veggies."
... . Follow "do no harm" in the truest way you know it. ... and
remember that it can harm others to try to make them see or do the same.
A lama never would ask you to eat meat just because he does, but some
people do exert pressure ... as if agreement determines the right or wrongness of
an action ... .
For me, right action springs from right intention and right intention springs
from (and leads to) right view. For me, exerting pressure on another not to eat
meat would be just as aggressive as eating a piece. Why?
Well, because it seems to me that the heart-eye of each of us sees what it does,
and action comes from that vision (to a greater or lesser distortion). Some live
far removed from their own inner truth, but I would still be taking something
vital if succeeding in molding their action contrary to their heart-mind's
knowing. It would be taking something of the vital connection with the lifeforce
within.
[That is ] much like how i see taking the flesh of an animal to satisfy hunger.
We crave consensus like a hunger. It [conjoins] us into societies and religious
views. But it's not necessary. In my opinion, living 'do no harm' to the deepest
possible level is all one can do amid various [lifestyles] where a common
denominator is that life consumes life for survival of beings/aggregates.
Some argue that killing is ok because one is only killing aggregates.
Compassion brings transcendent wisdom into the conventional though, so i find
fault with that logic just as i did with the hunters telling me deer are
starving and they [by shooting them, are] compassionately prevent[ing] that
suffering."
So Now Hear This, Compassionate People
Not Eating or Fasting
In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition there is a short fast called Ningne
(pron. nyin-nay) and a longer
Nyungne
(nyungnay)
type of fast. The first is a general Mahayana practice with the objective of
avoiding future existence in any lower realm. The second, longer one, is a
Vajrayana practice with the objective of healing the body.
No special permission is required to undertake the first one,
which is actually a half-day fast. On the designated or chosen day, the practitioner takes
8 vows with the intention of keeping them for a 24-hour period. No
breakfast is taken, and the meal
for the day, usually vegetarian, must be finished by 1 o'clock. In the
afternoon, liquids are permitted, but with absolutely no solids such as sugar in
them. This follows the daily practice of monks and nuns in the south
Asian tradition.
This is a shorter form of the virtually three-day fast associated with the
thousand-armed
form of Chenresi [bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara] called Nyungne. There most be
permission to do either of these practices,
and usually a lama leads them.
In the West, a Nyungne is often held from Friday evening to Monday
morning. It begins in the manner of the Nyingne, but no drink or
other food is permitted from the evening of the day the vows are taken until 24
hours have passed. During the second day, except for the chanting of the
mantra there is no talking, either.
To accommodate the demands of the Western work week, on the
morning of the third day, the chant leader [Tib.: Umze ] or the lama may
take the responsibility of breaking the vows to enable the others to drink or
eat before going to work.
Not eating after noon
Sojong is a
practice observed by some Buddhists that was instituted among the general
population by Vasubanda, sometimes referred to as a Second
Buddha. A quotation from Supreme Master Padmasambhava
goes:
To fully restore all positivity,
To clear away all negativity;
To replenish (so) virtue and
purify (jong) harmful deeds;
The Tathagata has taught the practice
of Sojong.
From Erin Riddle who used to prepare the
Snow Lion calendar:
"On sojong days the observance of the
Eight Vows of the Mahayana, the Sojong of the practice of Narak
Kong Shak, is recommended. These are: to refrain from killing,
stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and intoxication; not to take a high or
luxurious seat, not to sing, dance or wear ornaments, and not to eat after
midday."
More about the place of meat as
part of Vajrayana practice:
From BB: " ... we will all
attain Enlightenment one day, as long as we practice the whole of the Dharma
with diligence and faith.
"... there are generally 4 levels of Tantras
in the Vajrayana: Kriya, Charya, Yoga and Anuttarayoga. ... some
general examples of them. Annutarayoga Tantras
include Cakrasamvara, Kalacakra, Hevajra,
Guhyasamaja, Mahamaya, Yamantaka, as well
as the Nyingma practices of the Eight Herukas, Dakinis and so on. The examples
for the other three [known as Outer Tantras] include Green Tara, White Tara,
Chenrezig, Manjushri, Amitayus and many ... peaceful deities.
For practitioners of the Outer Tantras, especially of the
Kriya and Charya classes, a vegetarian diet is generally necessary, especially
in retreat situations, e.g., in the 2-day retreat of Nungnye, even for the first
day when one may eat, it must be vegetarian. Even when one does these
practices on a daily basis, it is necessary to abstain from meat (as
well as onion and garlic) UNTIL one has completed the daily practice.
This is because these two classes of Tantras emphasize purification -- Tibetans
of yore [and many still] would actually limit their diets
to the "three sweet and three whites." White being the color for
pacification and purification.
In many of the Yoga Tantra practices, and definitely all of the Anuttarayoga,
meat is not proscribed. In fact, as part of Anuttarayoga, eating meat -- as a
result of having been [shown] the essential non-differentiation of Nirvana and
Samsara, as well as the primordial purity of all -- is essential [to the]
practice, as emphasized in the Tsok Khor [Skt. gunachakra]. ...
."
 About smoking.
A
story about the fifth precept concerning intoxication.
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