By Brunhild Hekate

Buddhism has three main schools of thought – Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana – and a superficial examination of these three schools (or vehicles) reveals what appears to be conflicting views on the practice of vegetarianism. However, before one jumps to any conclusion, remember that Lord Buddha, the omniscient and most skillful Teacher, taught in accordance to the capacity and mental dispositions of different individuals, thus creating the illusion of different and conflicting views – that is, if one has not conducted full investigations and research into the Buddhist view on vegetarianism.

The Buddha and his followers did consume meat that was offered to them by their hosts or alms-givers if they had no reason to suspect that the animal had been slaughtered specifically for their consumption. In fact, they accepted and ate anything that was offered, as they practiced non-attachment to food.

The Buddha did not institute vegetarianism in the Sangha for He knew that many who had a craving for meat would not be able to embrace Buddhism. However, once they entered the path, their minds could be transformed to accept becoming vegetarians. Certainly, many Shravakas who had taken Pratimoksha vows became Bodhisattvas, along the way developing compassion and generating Bodhicitta. They then abstained from meat eating. Hence it is not right to categorize Shravakas as non-vegetarians.

In the Mahayana context, meat-eating is strictly prohibited. The Lankavatara Sutra, written in the fourth or fifth century AD, strongly advocates this. In several other Mahayana scriptures, e.g. the Mahayana Jatakas, the Buddha is seen clearly to indicate that meat-eating is undesirable and karmically unwholesome.

The development of Bodhicitta is the very essence of Mahayana practice. Upon becoming Buddhist, one takes refuge in the Buddha and the very first precept is to abstain from killing. Aspiring Bodhisattvas train to develop the determination not to eat meat from the very conviction that the flesh of these animals were once our mothers who had loved us unconditionally, being as kind as our own mothers have been in this present life.

The Buddha himself has emphasized this point time and again. Animals, insects, and even shellfish are sentient beings and every single one of them, at one point of time, have been our mothers; all of them cherish life and have feelings; thus they deserve to be respected just as human beings do. Would we eat the flesh of our own mothers?

The consumption of meat, regarded as an ordinary food and eaten un-reflectively on a regular basis, implies an unawareness and an indifference to the suffering of beings that are incompatible with the mind training for an aspiring Bodhisattva.

Developing heartfelt compassion and a genuine sensitivity to the suffering of other beings is our aim and in such realization, the desire to exploit and feed on them will automatically melt away. Training in the way of the Bodhisattvas, one must expect to be transformed; and given the depth and extent of that transformation, adapting to a plant-based diet is just a minor adjustment for good morality to arise.

The animal realm, one of the six realms of existence into which we are all reborn

Moreover, eating meat encourages an industry that causes extreme cruelty towards and suffering of millions of animals and a truly compassionate person would wish to end all this suffering. In refusing to eat meat, one can do just that. The Kalachakra tantra and its supreme commentary explains that:

If there is no meat eater, there will be no animal slayer.

In Tibet, where the high altitude and climate does not permit cultivation of crops, Tibetan Buddhists who practise the Vajrayana path commonly partake of meat for sustenance. However, this does not necessarily mean that meat-eating is encouraged in Vajrayana.

Lama Tsongkapa, the founder of the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism, has repeatedly mentioned in his collected writings and provided logical reasoning and quotations from the scriptures that, if one understands the line of demarcation between what is permitted and what is proscribed, one will understand that the Sutras and Tantras all speak with a single voice. Hence what is outlined in scriptures like the famous Lankavatara Sutra also applies to Tantric practitioners in the Vajrayana tradition. However, Lama Tsongkapa made an exception to what is proscribed for those who are feeble, elderly and when there is scarcity of food, so they could survive and in turn benefit others.

Dorje Shugden, the protector of Lama Tsongkapa’s teachings would certainly be very pleased if Dorje Shugden practitioners abide by the teachings of non-violence and non-killing such as abstaining from meat, becoming vegetarian and living in harmony with Mother Earth.

World Peace Protector Dorje Shugden’s function is to assist and create conducive situations for aspiring Bodhisattvas to be trained in pure ethics and develop the supreme mind of enlightenment, so that Lord Tsongkapa’s doctrine will flourish and be upheld. By practicing such virtuous actions such as the precept of non-killing, tremendous merit will be accumulated, thus enabling Dorje Shugden to keep you in his fold, under his care and protection, life after life until enlightenment.