If you eat him now because of the harmony of karma, then he can also eat you in the future when the karma and fate are harmonious.
I am a vegetarian Buddhist and your statement is very common. Many people say this, and some say that wine and meat pass through the intestines and remain in the heart of the Buddha. Haha, most people in the world don't know that there is also the second half of the sentence "If people in the world imitate me, it will be like entering the devil's way."
There are many answers to this question in the classics. I guess you wouldn’t believe it if I excerpted them. Let’s excerpt it. Haha, it’s all about forming a good relationship.
Origin: Recently, I often see many people thinking that plants are alive, and being vegetarian is killing, so Buddhists are also killing, so Buddhism is hypocritical and untrustworthy, and based on this, ordinary people kill animals and eat meat. It's a matter of course, and then they started to laugh and joke, and at the same time unscrupulously opened their cheeks and began to eat the hearts, livers, lungs, intestines, skins, brains, meat, necks, and claws of all living beings. It is said that baby soup was also born in such a hotbed of thinking.
Facing such people, I feel extremely strong and unbearable compassion. (Not to mention that they will suffer in the lower realms in the future, they will also suffer from eating too much meat of living beings in this life. Feel the torment of various diseases. Not only that, a large amount of meat has put human living space in danger, and natural and man-made disasters continue). After that, I searched the Internet for responses from Buddhists and vegetarians. I felt that there were indeed many good things to say, but some of the answers were not satisfactory. Many of the answers used the teachings and holy teachings recognized by the Buddhist community. This is It is completely feasible within the Buddhist community, but it is difficult to be effective for many friends who do not know the basic knowledge of Buddhism. Therefore, Mo Xue has compiled some information and tried to use simple and clear words to explain the principles contained in it to convince people. This is called rationale in Buddhism and is more suitable for ordinary people. Since these materials are not original to me, what I have done is just a very simple sorting and analysis process, so you are welcome to reprint them, but please don’t take them out of context, and try to maintain the structure and integrity of the article. This is all my expectations.
Homage to our master, Sakyamuni Buddha!
Pay tribute to Manjushri, the wise warrior!
Homage to the great benevolent master!
Let’s not discuss whether plants are alive. First of all, I want to say that the people who raised these questions and arguments are smart in the world, but the smart people with leaks in the world are very smart before they turn into the great wisdom without leaks. It is easy to be clever but be misled by cleverness. It can be said with certainty that most people who hold this view have never studied, thought or practiced Buddhism properly. They even do not understand some basic names and phases in Buddhism, about sentient beings, life and sentient beings. Even beginners who have studied "Kusashastra" for a year will not have these problems again, but there is no way, this is a fickle world, what people need is a specious point of view to sensationalize, and whether the truth is Very few people care about this. If you are also such a person, then I advise you not to read the following content. The following content is only for friends who are willing to seek the truth.
1. Analyze other sects
1. Establish the concept of order
Everything we do will have a process. It is impossible to do something before it is done. It has been successfully done. To give a simple analogy, if we want to learn the quark theory in quantum mechanics, first we need to rely on a teacher to learn the language, then we need to learn classical physics, then we need to learn the theory of relativity, and finally we can Go learn about quantum mechanics. This is not the case when learning Chinese, mathematics, etc. There are also gifted college students (but gifted college students are not just born and can get a college diploma through thesis defense. They also need a process and sequence), but most people have to do it step by step. Everyone will admit this. We have all gone through nurseries, kindergartens, elementary schools, middle schools, and universities (graduate students, doctoral students, postdoctoral students, etc.) in this way. The situations mentioned above that do not require going through steps and processes will never be found no matter how hard we look.
In the same way, the Buddha’s teachings on the path of practice for ordinary sentient beings also have a sequence and a process. Some people walk fast and some people walk slowly because they have different qualifications and roots. The tools are different and the causes and conditions are different, just like a group of people want to go to Lhasa. Some people walk, some rely on bicycles, some rely on cars, some rely on high-speed trains, and some rely on airplanes. Of course, airplanes are the fastest here. , but we cannot ask everyone to make airplanes, because some of them have no money, some have money but are afraid to make airplanes, and some people have money and are not afraid to make airplanes, but their physical conditions do not allow it, etc. These can be summarized in When the causes and conditions are immature, we cannot ask people who can make airplanes to walk, because they hope to arrive quickly, and they also have all the causes and conditions needed to make airplanes.
2. Main contradictions and secondary contradictions
The same is true for food intake. First of all, as beings in the desire world, we must take in food to maintain this body. There is no If we don't eat enough food, we will die. After we die, we won't be able to do many of the things we can do now, such as listening, thinking, practicing Buddhism, and benefiting sentient beings.
Therefore, we must maintain our own life roots by ingesting food with leakage (don’t think that all living beings must rely on food with leakage to survive. The sentient beings in the form and formless realms of reincarnation are also part of the world that everyone knows. Immortals don’t need these, but they also need other foods, such as thinking about food, knowing food, etc., which are all in the Kaksha Samantabhadra. These people are just like the people who made the trains mentioned earlier. They are better than us. It’s much easier and they don’t have to run around for survival, but as for Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Hinayana saints who are temporarily freed from reincarnation, they don’t need any of the food mentioned before, just like those who have money to buy airplanes, they have a lot of us. There are different realms and capabilities, but airplanes also have first class and economy class, right, so there are some differences between them).
Back to our question, for us, there are two types of food, the first is plants and the second is animals.
Now I want to ask you a question, if you had to choose to kill to survive, would you choose to kill someone or kill a cow? Many people already have the answer. Why? The simplest reason is that humans are superior to cows, and murderers will be sentenced to jail. Maybe my own life will be lost.
Okay, let’s continue. If you had to choose to kill, would you choose to kill a cow or a mosquito? If any of you have been to a slaughterhouse, you will definitely choose the former. Ask them why? They would say that killing cows is cruel. The cows will cry and kneel. When they are killed, I dare not look at their fear and pain. Moreover, cows are more advanced than mosquitoes, their feelings are so strong and their emotions are so rich.
Okay, first of all, let me not say whether plants have feelings and consciousness. Let me assume that they do (in fact, scientists and biologists have not yet demonstrated and proved that plants have the same perception and thinking abilities as animals), but This must be very, very weak, so weak that we can ignore it. For example, if 1 million people gather together, and one of them twirls his hair to look cool, and two hairs fall out, then all the leaders are here. Already? The minister will definitely say, Comrade Chief! All these 1 million people have arrived! At your beck and call!
The same is true for the weak perception and thinking abilities of plants compared with animals. Just like human hair, nails will grow and be alive, but there is no pain when they are cut, which is exactly the same as cutting off fingers. Two different things!
So when we have a choice and must choose, we will definitely choose someone we think is slower, more numb, and more low-level to talk to. Compared with animals, plants are like this. When animals are killed, they will scream, cry, jump, struggle, escape, resist, fear, suffer, and feel resentment. We can all experience these with our own eyes and ears, but we have no idea about plants. The actual amount of Dharma can be experienced with your own eyes, ears, and eyes, so the Buddha said, if you must eat, just eat plants. Of course, it is best not to eat them! Don't eat meat, because the pain meat brings to all living beings is so intense, and you only eat plants to maintain your own basic needs for survival. Don't be greedy or wasteful. You will survive with the help of food. , so you should be grateful, and you should do your best to benefit all sentient beings in the six realms, give them temporary happiness through charity and other convenient methods, and free them from the painful reincarnation by explaining the ultimate truth to them.
3. Which one is more noble?
On the one hand, they wantonly kill animals with strong emotions to satisfy their own appetites, and then continue to create various evil deeds to harm themselves and others in this life and the next; on the other hand, they just want to satisfy their own survival. It is necessary to ingest an appropriate amount of plants without strong sensory abilities, and then only benefit all sentient beings in the six realms. Between these two people, who is more noble? Who lives more meaningfully? Who is more worthy of our imitation?
2. Establishing one's own sect
1. What does it say in Buddhist scriptures?
Now we can take a look at what the concept of sentient beings is in Buddhism, and what are plants? Which category does it belong to?
"Za Agama Sutra" says
I heard this for a while. When the Buddha lived on Mount Mokuluo. There was an attendant monk named Radha. White Buddha said. World Honored One. The so-called sentient beings. Why are they called sentient beings? Buddha told Radha. Colorful and lingering. They are called sentient beings. Yu Shou. think. OK. Consciousness is dyed with lingering. They are called sentient beings
[The body is ignorant, just like grass, trees, gravel, and walls, without awareness. The harmony of the four elements, born from parents. ]------"The Buddha Speaks of the Elephant Head Jingshe Sutra"
It can be seen from the above that all plants and trees will not be lingering in color or feeling. think. OK. Consciousness is dyed with lingering. ], so they are not sentient beings in the Buddhist definition.
The Mahaparinirvana Sutra says:
"Grain, rice, grass and trees have no life and no self. They are not the number of sentient beings. If there is anyone who can say this, he is my disciple. If not, he is my disciple." You should know that you are a disciple of the heretic."
"If you listen to Mahalanga, all the seeds will have a life span, and you will enter nirvana. If there is a sutra that says this, you should know that it is what the devil says. If there is a sutra that says this, you should know that it is what the Buddha said. My true disciples. If there are those who do not follow what the Buddha says, they are the descendants of the devil.”
Volume 58 of the Zhongagama Sutra says:
The sage asked again. Holy. There are times when the body is abandoned in the grave.
Rumu is ruthless.
Bhikshuni Dharma replied. There are three ways of birth and death. Abandoned in the grave. Rumu is ruthless. Why is the cloud three?
One is longevity. Both are warm. Knowledge of the three. This means that the three dharma are born and the body is dead. Abandoned in the grave. Rumu is ruthless. "
The Seventh Volume of the "Benshi Jing" says:
Xuan Zang, the master of Tripitaka of the Tang Dynasty, issued an imperial edict and translated it
"I follow the World Honored One. Hear such words. Bi Cu should know. All sentient beings. They are often harmed by the three types of brave, healthy and resentful thieves.
What are the three clouds? One is aging, bravery and health, and resentment against thieves. Both, disease is brave and healthy, and resentment is thief. The third one is impermanence, bravery, health, and resentment against thieves. Such are the three types of bravery, health and resentment against thieves. Always harming all sentient beings.
There is a feeling in the body. There are three methods. One, lifespan. Both, heating. The third is the mind. In this way, when the three dharmas are far away from the body. It's called Death. Smelly corpses. Abandoned among the graves. Nothing is reused. "
"The Mahayana Sutra of the Same Nature" says:
"World Honored One. Why are they called sentient beings? Buddha said. King Lanka. All living beings. The sum of all the conditions is called sentient beings. The so-called earth, water, fire, wind, space, consciousness, name and form, and the six elements arise from causes and conditions.
Also sentient beings. Just like a bunch of bamboos, because of the karma, there will be rewards, and because of the karma, the results will be achieved. I, people, sentient beings, lifespan, and livestock are numerous. Knower, seer, author, toucher, receiver. It is the name of all living beings.
The words of King Vibhisanalanka. World Honored One. Those living beings. What is the basis, what is the basis for living, and what is the cause.
Buddha’s words. King Lanka. These living beings. Ignorance is based on love and lives on karma. "
"The Third Volume of the Sutras Said by the Great Sage Chanzi Ganzi" says:
The translation of the Bodhiliu branch of the Tianzhu Tripitaka in the Yuan and Wei Dynasties
" Qian Ziyan. The king should know. The living beings mentioned. Called all sentient beings. The abbot. It’s called the world of tools. Those who speak to all living beings. It’s called the five gatherings of Yin. Named sentient beings. What kind of Dharma name is used to take the Yin five ways? It is said that color gathers Yin. Receive Yin gathering. Want to get Yin gathering. The action takes Yin gathering. Recognize Yin gathering. The king should know. According to these five methods. Name all sentient beings. Talk about the world. Those who speak of sentient beings. It is said to take pictures of the four lives. Oviparous and viviparous, wet and metamorphic. Those who talk about the world. It is said to capture the void, earth, water, fire and wind. "
"The Buddha Speaks of Ramaka Sutra" says:
" Grass and trees are not life-spans. Think about life span. All living things are not vegetation. Think of grass and trees. Because of non-causality. Think about cause and effect. Not a good path. Think of good deeds. Killing to commemorate heaven. Please always be happy. Even the ten evils and wrong views. Wishing all living beings. Stay away from these thoughts. ”
Although there are many more, many people are already bored, so I won’t list them. From the Buddhist scriptures quoted above, we can know that in terms of Buddhism, the so-called living beings are determined by life span, warmth, The three elements of consciousness are produced by the unity and combination, including joy, anger, sorrow, and joy, and the knowledge of cold, heat, pain, and itching. The most important thing is the consciousness that can choose the feelings of external pain and joy and think differently.
Although plants have the phenomenon of life, they can grow and carry out photosynthesis. This is a vital phenomenon. However, plants do not have emotions, and they do not have the awareness of seeing, hearing, feeling, joy, anger, sorrow, and joy. They do not have this awareness. . Buddhism talks about the six paths of reincarnation, and there is no such thing as plants. Looking at the twelve scriptures of the Tripitaka, the Buddha once prophesied Buddhahood for all living beings in the six paths, but he did not prophesy the Buddhahood for plants. It is enough to prove that plants have no emotion.
Response to whether plants are alive and whether vegetarianism kills animals (2)
2. The fundamental reason why Buddhism prohibits killing animals and eating meat
< p>Buddhist scriptures declare that there are many faults in killing and eating meat, because no matter what kind of meat it is, it will lead to indirect or direct killing behavior, increase greed and anger, and eating meat will destroy the foundation of Mahayana Bodhisattva. ——Compassion"The Lankavatara Sutra" says:
The translation of Bodhiliuzhi of the Tianzhu Tripitaka of the Yuan Dynasty
"At that time, the sage Mahamati Bodhisattva Momo. Hesa said to the Buddha: 'World Honored One! I observe that the flow of life and death in the world, the continuous grievances, and the descent into evil paths are all caused by eating meat, killing each other, increasing greed and anger, and being unable to escape, which is a great suffering. World Honored One! Those who eat meat will cut off the seeds of great kindness, and those who cultivate the holy path should not be able to eat it. World Honored One! The heretics and others talk about wrong views of the Dharma and the fall of Lukayatra into the world. They fall into the views of discontinuity, eternity, existence and non-existence, and they all cover up eating meat. If you don’t eat, you won’t listen to others. How come the Tathagata who cultivates the holy life in the pure Dharma does not restrain himself or others from eating anything? The Tathagata and the World-Honored One show compassion to all sentient beings, so why do they want to eat meat? Well done, World Honored One! In sympathy with the world, I would like to tell you the fault of eating meat and the merits of not eating meat. I and all the Bodhisattvas, etc., have heard that I have been able to practice it truthfully and preach it widely. Let all sentient beings now and in the future know everything! ’
The Buddha told the sage Mahamati Bodhisattva: ‘How good, how good! Excellent, Mahamati: Because you are so compassionate and sympathetic to all living beings, you are able to circumvent this meaning. If you listen carefully now, I will speak to you. ’ Mahamati Bodhisattva said to the Buddha: ‘Excellent, World Honored One! Just be taught. ’
The Buddha told Mahamati: ‘Those who eat meat are guilty of immeasurable faults. All Bodhisattvas and Mahasattvas who practice great compassion must not eat meat. I will tell you a few of the merits and sins of eating or not eating. You should listen carefully now.
Great wisdom! We believe that all human beings have been in the habit of eating meat since time immemorial. They are greedy for the taste of meat, and even kill each other. They stay away from sages and suffer the pain of life and death. Those who give up the taste of meat, hear the taste of the true Dharma, practice truthfully in the bodhisattva realm, and even achieve anuttara-samyak-sambodhi; and let all living beings enter the place where the voice-hearers and pratyekabuddhas rest, the place where the rest has made people the Tathagata. Mahamati! Such benefits are based on compassion. How can a person who eats meat deserve such great benefits if he cuts off the seeds of great kindness?
This is why Mahamati: I see the six paths of reincarnation, coexist in birth and death, and reproduce each other, becoming parents, brothers, and sisters.
If a man or a woman is born, he or she will have six relatives, both external and internal. Therefore, due to the fate, we are living together and eating meat together, we are nothing more than relatives. Because they are greedy for meat, they eat each other one after another. They often have harmful intentions, increase their karma, and go through life and death without being able to leave. ’
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Great wisdom again! A Bodhisattva should observe that all meat is dependent on the combination of pus, blood, and impure redness and whiteness of the parents, resulting in an impure body. Therefore, a Bodhisattva should observe that the flesh is impure and should not eat meat. Mahamati again! When people who eat meat and sentient beings smell the gas, they will all be frightened and run away. Therefore, when a Bodhisattva practices this practice, he should not eat meat in order to transform sentient beings. ... You should know that there is great resentment among living beings who eat meat. Therefore, Bodhisattva practices compassion and cares for all sentient beings and should not eat it. It is not the taste of food eaten by saints and wise people. It will spread bad reputation and be scolded by saints. That’s why Mahamati! In order to protect all sentient beings, a Bodhisattva should not eat meat.
Great wisdom again! In order to prove the faith of all sentient beings, a Bodhisattva should not eat meat. Why? Mahamati! Speaking of Bodhisattva, all living beings know that this is the seed of the Buddha and the Tathagata's loving-kindness, and it can be a place of refuge for all living beings. Those who hear it will naturally not have doubts and fears, and will have thoughts of relatives and friends, good teachers, and no fear. A safe place and a good mentor. Mahamati! Such confidence can be given to all sentient beings by not eating meat. If you eat meat, all sentient beings will lose all faith, and they will say that there is no trustworthy person in the world, and the root of faith will be cut off. That’s why Mahamati! In order to prove the faith of all sentient beings, Bodhisattvas should not eat any meat.
Great wisdom again! In order to realize the Three Jewels in the world, my disciples should not eat meat. Why? There are people in the world who slander the Three Jewels because they eat meat and say: "Where in the Buddha's Dharma are there real ascetics and brahmans who practice Brahma? They should eat the flesh of living beings instead of the saints' original place... That's why Mahamati! My disciples, In order to protect evil people from slandering the Three Jewels, they should not even think about flesh, let alone eat meat!
Again, Mahamati! In order to educate and transform sentient beings in a pure Buddha land, Bodhisattvas should not eat meat. If you don't want to see it, you don't need to smell it, let alone smell it and put it in your mouth. The same is true for all kinds of meat. Mahamati! The smell of a burned corpse is no different from that of burned meat. Why should you not eat it? ! Therefore, Mahamati! In order to educate and transform sentient beings in the pure Buddha land, Bodhisattva should not eat meat.
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Again, Mahamati! If the technique is not successful and the evil technique is not achieved, how can I, my disciple, seek the Tathagata's supreme holy path and achieve transcendental liberation? If he practices great compassion and diligently practices asceticism, he may not be able to achieve it. How can such a liberation be obtained by eating meat for that idiot? Mahamati! My disciples should not eat meat for the sake of transcendental liberation.
Again, Mahamati! People who eat meat are greedy and should consider the treasures of all beings in the world. , Fearing the suffering of death, there is no difference between humans and animals. I would rather live in the wild and suffer the joys of heaven. Why? Great wisdom, I regard death as a great suffering. Dharma. If you are afraid of death, why should you eat other people’s flesh? That’s why, Mahamati! Those who want to eat meat should think about their own bodies first, and should not eat meat.
Oh, Mahamati! All gods are far away, let alone saints! Therefore, in order to see saints, Bodhisattvas should not eat meat. Mahamati! People who eat meat will also suffer when they see all kinds of evil in their dreams, and their hair will stand up in fear. Uneasy. If it is left alone in a free place because of its lack of kindness, tigers and wolves will come and seek food from it, and its heart will always be frightened and unable to rest. .
Again, Mahamati! Those who eat meat are greedy and unable to digest it. They gain the four elements and have a foul smell in their mouth. They also suffer from numerous sores and leprosy. All kinds of impurities are not what ordinary people like to hear and see in the future, let alone the disease-free fragrance and clean body. Again, Mahamati! I say that ordinary people should eat pure food in order to seek pure life, let alone listen to the food. Sages eat. If a sage is separated, he will make countless mistakes with his flesh and lose all his worldly merits. How can I say that my disciples are slandering me if they eat flesh and blood that tastes unclean? Eating the food that saints should eat is not the food that saints should avoid. Holy food can produce immeasurable merit and avoid all faults. Mahamati! The things that saints eat in the past and present are so-called japonica rice, barley, beans, various kinds of oil and honey, sugar cane, sugar cane juice, and sugar. Tuo, Moganti, etc., those who get it at any time are pure.
...
Great wisdom! I see that there is no one in the world who is flesh and not life. I will not kill or teach. People kill for no reason. There is no point in eating meat that does not come from life. If there is meat that does not come from life, but it is delicious food, why should I not listen to people eating it? It is said that eating meat is a sin, and it is forbidden to eat meat.
......
Great wisdom! "Dayun" and other Shutras do not hear about eating meat, nor do they talk about the taste of meat. "
"Manjusri's Questioning Sutra" says:
Liang Funan's Translation of Tripitaka Sangha Bala
"At that time Manjushri spoke to the Buddha again: 'World Honored One ! If it is possible to eat meat, why should all the Sutras such as the Elephant Turtle Sutra, Dayun Sutra, Finger Garland Sutra, and Lankavatara Sutra be judged? ’ The Buddha told Ma?ju?rī: ‘Like a deep and wide river with no end in sight, if there is no cause and condition, you cannot cross it. If there is a cause and condition, should you cross it? ’ Manjushri said to the Buddha: ‘World Honored One! I shall cross, I shall cross! Either by boat, raft, or leftovers. ’ The Buddha told Ma?ju?rī again: ‘Because living beings have no compassion and have the intention to kill, for this reason, we should stop eating meat. Manjushri! There are sentient beings who enjoy sweeping clothes with excrement. I say sweeping clothes with dung. In this way, begging for food, sitting under a tree, sitting in the open ground, alanruo, in a tomb, eating only one meal, not eating when the time comes, finding a place to stay, wearing three clothes, etc., in order to teach and transform him, I say Toutuo.
Such is Manjushri! If sentient beings have the intention to kill, they will commit countless sins because of their thoughts, so I cut off my flesh. If I can avoid having harmful intentions and have great compassion to educate all sentient beings, I will not commit any sins. "
"The Sutra of Ten Evil Characteristics of Dafang Guanghua Yan" says:
"The Buddha told Kasyapa: "If all sentient beings cultivate good roots: first, they will not harm sentient beings; second, Don't be careless; thirdly, don't drink alcohol; fourthly, don't eat meat; fifthly, always practice great kindness. "...Good man! All sentient beings who don't eat alcohol and meat will develop anuttara samya." "Three Bodhicitta"
...
Kasyapa Bodhisattva said to the Buddha: 'World Honored One! How sinful are meat eaters? ’ The Buddha told Kassapa: ‘How good, how good! All living beings who do not eat meat are my posthumous sons, and they are not ordinary husbands. Good man! If all sentient beings receive the Mahayana and attain Nirvana. Good man! If all sentient beings live for an eon without eating meat. ’
‘World Honored One! Where do meat eaters fall into hell? ’ The Buddha told Kassapa: ‘Those who eat meat will fall into the Abi Hell, which is eighty thousand ten days wide in length and breadth. There are doors on all four sides, and there are fierce fires outside each door. There are traffic from east to west, north and south, and it is surrounded by iron walls and iron nets. The ground is made of red iron, and the fire from above is piercing the bottom, and the fire is piercing the top. Iron shackles, iron buttons, iron bits, and iron rods are used to burn them. Those who eat meat are driven into this hell to suffer great suffering, and feel regret and shame. , and don’t change your food. Just like a pearl placed in turbid water, the water becomes clear with the power of the pearl; like a mist and cloud removing the moon, it becomes clear, and the same is true if one can regret one's evil deeds. ’ The Buddha told Kassapa: ‘All sentient beings who eat meat will lose the seeds of great kindness. Those who do not eat meat will have great merits and virtues. ’
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Kasyapa Bodhisattva said to the Buddha: ‘World Honored One! Those who eat meat are not disciples of the Tathagata; they are also followers of heretics.” The Buddha told Kasyapa: "Those who eat meat do not know, do not know, do not hear, and do not see that they should eat meat. Maybe the king eats the meat of his ministers, or the ministers eat the meat of the king, or the son eats the flesh of his father, or the father eats the flesh of his son, or the brother eats the flesh of his brother." A brother may eat his brother's flesh, a sister may eat his sister's flesh, a sister may eat his sister's flesh, a wife may eat her husband's flesh, or a husband may eat his wife's flesh. ’ The Buddha told Kassapa: ‘Those who eat meat eat the flesh of their parents and family members. ’
Kasyapa Bodhisattva said to the Buddha: ‘World Honored One! Where do meat eaters fall into hell? ’ The Buddha told Kassapa: ‘Those who eat meat will fall into the hell of excrement, which is eighty thousand leagues wide in width, and the excrement in it is ten thousand feet deep. People who eat meat will be driven into this hell and suffer great suffering, and will not be able to escape for five million lifetimes. Good man! Meat eaters are like a pack of dogs competing for bones, each greedy for more, and the same goes for meat eaters. Good man! Those who cut off the flesh cut off their father's flesh, and those who cut off their flesh cut off their father's flesh and harm their mothers. For example, if the father dies, he will become an ox or a sheep, and if he kills someone with a knife, he will become his father. The minds of all sentient beings are upside down. Those who eat meat eat the flesh of their father, those who gnaw on the bones eat the bones of their father, and those who drink meat juice drink the blood of their father. Good man! If all sentient beings feel ashamed, they should not eat meat. Even if they eat meat first, they will be able to reveal their deep regrets and arouse the mind of Ayutara-Samyak-Sambodhi. ’”
The Brahma Net Sutra says:
Translated by Yao Qin Sanzang Master Kumarajiva
“If you are a disciple of the Buddha, you eat meat. All meat must not be eaten. Anyone who eats meat will cut off the seeds of the great compassionate Buddha nature, and all sentient beings will see it and abandon it. Therefore, all Bodhisattvas are not allowed to eat the flesh of all living beings. Eating meat will result in immeasurable sins. Anyone who eats it will be guilty of a minor offense.
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If a Buddha, out of compassion, performs the act of releasing lives, he should think like this: All men are my father, all women are my mother, and there is nothing I cannot do in my life. Because of my birth, all living beings in the six realms are my parents. Those who kill and eat are killing my parents and my old body. All earth and water were changed by me first, and all fire and wind are my original body. Therefore, I always perform the karma of releasing lives and receive rebirths from birth to birth. If you see people killing animals in the world, you should rescue them and relieve their sufferings. You should always teach and preach the Bodhisattva precepts to save all living beings. "
"Shengzhu Shidharani Sutra" says:
Translation of Song Sanzang's protective edict
"The Buddha told the world: 'If there is someone again, , live a vegetarian and holy life, abstain from food and wine, recite it day and night, and gain great wealth. '
Reply to whether plants are alive and whether vegetarianism is killing (3)
3. The debate between other sects and one’s own sect
1. Quoting eminent monks and great virtues Use metaphors to break this evil view
Master Yin Guang said:
"The commandment is not to harm a single grass, so you are not allowed to eat vegetables. Eating vegetables is killing. Such words are all This is a pretentious statement to discourage people from becoming vegetarians and to persuade people to eat meat. Why not say, "I am also meat, please eat me first." Even if you are not willing to kill the other person, then eating vegetables is the same as eating meat. This heresy will be destroyed by itself if you don’t attack it.
Who can live in this world without breathing to harm microorganisms and kill them for eating meat? This kind of heresy is just for fools. When people use manure on the ground, the grains will be plump and the vegetables will be tender, fat and fragrant. It is said that manure is a most beautiful thing, and it is even more beautiful if it is eaten exclusively. This is an unreasonable fallacy that many people in the world use to break it. People who eat vegetarian food are rewarded for killing animals.
Some people asked this question in the past. I will explain it as a metaphor. Who can live in the world without harming microorganisms and insects by breathing? It is unreasonable and a villain has a bad intention to prevent others from doing good. For example, if someone grows up in a toilet, he always thinks that the food in the toilet is the best and most beautiful, but there is a rich and elderly person there who has never enjoyed it. Because of this delicious food, I was invited into the toilet for a banquet. The elder scolded me, "You are a shameless person. You live in a cesspit and live on excrement. How dare you invite me into your residence?" When the stranger heard this, he became very angry and scolded me, "You are a cesspool. How dare you scold me for eating excrement?" You are excreting and urinating on your head and body. You are a complete cesspit. How dare you curse others? Moreover, the rice and water you eat are filled with worms excreting and urinating.
You are not a person who eats shit and urine. How dare you accuse me of eating shit and urine? Although this elder is clean. However, those who are blamed by the people in the cesspool are all unavoidable, and those who can do it should be clean, and go there to have a banquet just as the people in the cesspool say. Since this can only be done by those who can do it, why should we blame others who can't do it? I want people to eat my flesh, so why not please eat my flesh? This statement can also serve as a mirror for his wrong views.
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There was a young man who was quite smart. And those who asked questions were not appropriate greetings, which were ridiculous and pitiful... It is said that there are countless microorganisms in the water and air. When a person breathes in, countless people are inhaled, and the karmic retribution in the future will be, Why is there a period? He also said that since we know the cycle of humans and animals, and there are many ancient and modern Confucian scholars who are familiar with Buddhism, why not establish it as a law and stop killing. It is also said that all sentient beings are parents in the past and Buddhas in the future. They must not be killed, and they must not commit adultery, but are formally married, or may also be relatives in previous lives.
These three kinds of questions are all just trying to show off one's cleverness, trying to make analogies between things that are similar to the most righteous and perfect. Not only is it useless, but it is also harmful. Why, because it can't use the subtle ones, and wants to completely abolish the gross ones. For example, if a person who loves cleanliness wants to avoid being stained with dirt, he should carefully examine the feces, urine, pus, and blood inside his body, the dirt, sweat, and hair outside his body, and the mosquitoes, gnats, fleas, and lice that are in his body. Because he thinks that the filth inside and outside his body is no different from that of a toilet, he no longer becomes clean and spends all day enjoying himself in a toilet. As for famous ministers in ancient and modern times, why not take killing as a rule? But they don’t know that the laws of this world have authority and reality. Even if he knows the truth, his human heart cannot be completely converted to Buddhism, so it is difficult to control the law with truth. Respect and cherish words and say paper every time. Use paper as the thing to write words. Although words have uses in various places, they are not as much as paper, so every word respects and cherishes paper. If it is not on paper, it is not worthy of pity. If it is not on paper, it is not worthy of pity. Moreover, the characters should be cherished, and the meanings of the characters should be cherished especially. If a person does not act in accordance with humane principles, he will abandon his filial brother, loyalty, propriety, justice, integrity and shame and die. If a person dies, he can still be called a human being. If you devote yourself to this, the foundation will be established. Even if it is impossible to cut off the dirt on everything, the dirt on it will still be fresh. A gentleman should act according to his position, and should not attract and destroy anything that is beyond his reach. It is a great good to pay special attention to what is within one's power when one is aware of what is beyond one's power. It is a great evil to rebuke those who are within one's power and stop them from doing it. Many smart people have this wrong view. I don’t know how many times Guang has received such comments. I am afraid that people will not use their intentions well and will be guilty. Because I think you may have such wrong views, or some of your peers may have such wrong views. If you don't eradicate it in advance, you may cause yourself to mislead others in the future, so I will give you a brief explanation. As for the remarks about the evil view of the light's subduing, it is definitely not the work of a few days, and it cannot be prepared in a book. Be upright and conscientious, do your part to the best of your ability, refrain from doing any evil, and practice all good deeds. These sixteen words are the basis for living in a holy land and dying in a happy country. I wish my disciples to abide by it carefully and practice it diligently, and I will be very fortunate.
2. Clear doubts by listening, thinking and practicing Buddhism
2.1 Why does the Buddhist scriptures prohibit the wanton cutting down and destruction of vegetation?
"Photography of the Gensabhata Vinaya" says:
"Another six monks (monks) cut down grass and trees with their own hands. The outsiders laughed at them. They had no sympathy or sympathy. The heart is damaged because of the seeds and ghosts and village affairs. It is a source of sorrow and trouble."
The fourth volume of "The Sutra of Great Sage Ni Ganzi" says:
Translation of the Tripitaka Bodhisattva in the Yuan and Wei Dynasties
"The king said. Master, practice the Dharma and practice the king. How can you protect the world.
Answer. Great King. Practice the Dharma and practice the king. King. Not burning, not destroying, not watering.
Why?
This is why you should not burn the dharma. Destroy and water cities, settlements, mountains, forests and rivers, gardens and palaces, solemn pavilions, all roads and bridges, natural caves and houses, all grains, beans, flowers and fruits, vegetation and jungles. They should not be burned, destroyed or irrigated. , should not be cut down.
Those things are all living creatures, and there is no need to use them. However, those living beings have no sins, and they should not harm the things they use. , causing people to suffer. In addition, all the good and pure heavens and all the ghosts and gods are there, and they are used in the houses, palaces and majestic towers. In addition, the gardens, houses, palaces and majestic towers are used by all living insects on land and water: the so-called sparrows, rats, chickens, dogs, doves, parrots, elephants, horses, cattle, sheep, cats, civets, snakes, scorpions, geese, ducks, fish, and turtles, and even all the subtle insects. ** Use it.
Walking with all sentient beings in this world should not be destroyed. >
From this we can know that the main reason why the Buddha established the precept that monks are not allowed to cut down vegetation is because of the compassion and bodhicitta that treat all living beings in the six realms without distinction, in order to avoid destroying the residences of ghosts and gods, and Avoid the ridicule and slander of lay people.