Jangchub Shing- Buddhism and Vegetarianism

I have type the speech about Buddhism and Vegetarianism by Tshukla Lopen of Zhung Dratshang from the subtitle display in the speech. Speech is in Dzongkha.  Here His Eminence Tshukla lopen talk why we should not eat meat and how we should refrain from consuming meat. If you read speech till the end, I vow you that you will get answer about why you should not eat meat and how you should refrain from eating meat. Happy reading.
Here is the Link to watch video in YouTube. Tshukla lopen's speech start at 33.40 minutes of this video. Buddhism and Vegetarianism

His Eminence Tshukla Lopen of Zhung Dratshang

                                      

               Jangchub Shing- Buddhism and Vegetarianism

Kuzuzangpo, I would like to thank the trainess and the faculty of the RIM and the Honourable guests. I am very happy to be a part of this talk show called “Buddhism and Vegetarianism” which has so much relevance with Buddhism. Generally in Buddhism, there are vast and profound teachings regarding the consumption of meat: yet, I cannot claim to have the authority or the knowledge to teach. However, I will share with you the little that I know from my experience with you within the short duration of this talk. The primary reason behind not eating meat as taught by Lord Buddha is that being a Buddhist, our belief is rooted in the “Law of KARMA (action and fruition)”, the ‘action’ is as taught by Lord Buddha “All Dharma arises out of action”. Thus, we as Buddhist should believe in action as taught by the Buddha, which consists of two –virtuous and non-virtuous; and Buddha also clearly taught in detail about the results of both virtuous and non-virtuous action. From limited understanding, generally all sentient beings once born with a body need food to sustain that body, as the Lord Buddha said “all sentient beings are sustained by food”. This is shared and accepted by science as well. Now, food itself, in ancient times is divided into 4 different types according to the Buddha Dharma. Which can be condensed into two- solid and soft. Aeons ago, human beings did not have to rely on solid food for sustenance, but rather they relied on the food/nourishment of Samadhi which in turn gave their bodies a natural glow and lightness; they lived a long life as well. All these qualities were the result of the different kind of pure nourishment.

Later on, as time passed, and as people’s mental afflictions such as attachment, anger, ignorance grew, the ability to sustain their bodies with pure Nourishment diminished; hence they were compelled to consume solid food to sustain and nourish themselves. As they continued to consume solid food, their natural glow started disappearing, they started getting heavier, and their life span as well became shorter. Now, meat falls within the classification of solid nourishment. Solid nourishment itself is also sub-divided into two, which are pure and impure. Meat falls within the impure subdivision as taught by Buddha. The reason for meat being impure is due to the fact that meat is a product of having killed a living being. It is obvious to all of us that all animals also cherish their lives as much as we do, the fact that they hide, run away and cry in pain are obvious signs that their lives are dear and precious to them. As life is precious and clear to all beings, the act of taking life is thus taught to be the most non-virtuous deed by the Buddha, in the teaching of Karma, “there is no other higher non-virtuous deed than, the act of taking life from the ten non-virtuous actions, the act of killing is the most non-virtuous action”. As a result of the act of killing, in this lifetime not only the space of where the act is committed, but even the acquaintances of the person who commits the act are effected. In future lives, all who have commits and are associated with the act are born in the lower realms, and have to bear the suffering there for aeons. Even if one is freed and reborn as human, as a direct consequence of having taken another’s life, one will encounter many life-threatening obstacles. The Buddha taught in detail, that the act of killing gives rise to 4 distinct fruitions/results in the Buddha Dharma. Abstaining from eating meat is one of the many skillful means that the Buddha taught; as the act of killing is considered to be one of the gravest of all non-virtuous deeds and the source of suffering in this life and all future lives.

From another point of view, depending on the mind and time factor of the followers the Buddha taught many different faults on eating meat, so that one will abstain from the act of killing. Again, from another perspective, as we are also habituated to consuming meat that took over a period of time, it is difficult to abstain from that habit at once. To break this habit, in the teachings of Buddha, he taught how to free oneself from the desire of eating meat by looking at 3 point; 1. By looking at the source, 2. By looking at the nature and 3. By looking at the result. First, to elaborate on what we mean by contemplating on the source, is that for example if we look at the source of being human, and also if we take example of a cow, how are its flesh and bones formed? When we deeply contemplate on this, the teachings of the Buddha teaches that our body is divided into two, flesh and bones. And the main source of the flesh and bones are the father’s semen and the mother’s eggs. From the father’s semen the bones is formed and the mother’s eggs the flesh is formed, therefore it is considered impure. Thus, one should deeply contemplate whether the impure product coming from an impure source is fit for consumption? What I just shared with you is the method of abstaining from meat consumption through the contemplation of the source of the meat.

Second, to contemplate on the nature of meat if one were to set a piece of meat, vegetable and fruit together. The fruit and vegetable is pleasant to look at, smells fresh and when consumed delicious; unlike the piece of meat, which is a lump of flesh covered in blood and unpleasant to look at, foul smelling and should one eat it unusual and distasteful. So, one should deeply contemplate how the nature of meat is different from other products, and thus, this is the way of abstaining from meat consumption by contemplating the nature/reality of the meat.

The third method of contemplating the result, after the consumption of the meat the result is that it obscures our mind, organs and awareness. For example if an intelligent person consumes meat for a long period of time, this person will naturally lose his intelligence and other abilities. On the contrary, a person who does not consume meat will be active and fresh; for example a Dharma practitioner who was otherwise eager to practice, will after the consumption of meat naturally become sleepy, drowsy and will also lose interest in virtuous deeds; as well as, other activities as a whole. The other ill-effects of eating meat is that it makes one susceptible to more disease. Thus, by contemplating the pros and cons of what I have shared, one should be able to see the benefits of not consuming meat and the ill-effects of consuming meat. So, these are the ways that the Buddha shared as skillful means to abstain from meat consumption by looking at the cause, nature and the results of consuming meat.

Further, in some other teachings of the Buddha, he has taught us that all sentient beings including oneself are all born as parents. Now, the reason is because we are born in samsara not just in this lifetime, but we have been born many times before in this samsara. During those lives, we must have been born as either a human or an animal, and similar to this life we must have been born to parents, and if one were to contemplate all past lives with their parents, then the number of lives and number of parents is innumerable, thus by using this logic we can come to the understanding that all sentient beings have been our parents at one point with no exceptions. If one were put in a situation where you had to consume the flesh of your present parents; would you be able to? Similarly, all animals have been our parents who have given us birth, love and support. Thus, they all are our benevolent parents, the reason we are not able to recognize them is due to the length of time and the obscuration that has grown over innumerable lifetimes. Hence, the Buddha says that one should ask oneself, is the flesh of one’s past parents’ consumable or not? Can one eat it or not? This is yet another skillful means taught by the Buddha to abstain from consuming meat. As all of you must already be familiar with this story, during the time of the Buddha there were 8 exceptional disciples, one of them was the Arahat Katayana, who was the Buddha’s representative for the rural areas. He used to teach and tame the inhabitants there, one day while on his alms round, he saw a women holding a baby in her arms, and eating a fish curry, with a dog beside her. He saw the dog trying to eat the fish bones discarded by the women, but the women was beating the dog when it attempted to eat the fishbone. Katayana saw through his power of clairvoyance, that the dog was the women’s mother reborn, the fish that she was eating was her father reborn and her baby was her arch-enemy in her past life. Thus she was holding her enemy in her arms, and eating father’s meat while beating her mother. In the case of the dog and fish, the wife was eating her husband. Similar to the example just shared, we have no means of knowing what form our loved ones who have passed away have been reborn as, and it is highly likely that should they be born as a fish that it would be an unimaginable non-virtuous act to consume their flesh. Thus, by contemplating on these examples and logic one should refrain from consuming meat.

Likewise, the bodies of all sentient being consist of the 5 aggregates, the Buddha said that the bodies of animals such as fish, pig e.t.c also consist of 5 aggregates. The true nature of the 5 aggregates are the 5 Dhayani Buddhas. Thus, the act of killing animals or the act of harming an animal is like killing or harming the body of Buddha Vairocana, and one also accumulates the negative karma of such a heinous act. In the process of taking life, one has to destroy all the 5 aggregates of which the form aggregate is Buddha Vairocana, the perception aggregate is Buddha Ratnasambhava, etc. in short the 5 Dhayani Buddhas, astaught in the Vajrayana teachings. Taking these truths into consideration, when one performs the act of killing, one accumulates the negative karma of killing the 5 Dhayani Buddhas; thus, one should refrain from the act of killing and consuming meat. Likewise the Buddha said that all sentient beings without exception have the Buddha essence, Thathagata Garba. Since we all have the potential of being a Buddha, killing a sentient being is destroying the seed of liberation; thus, one should refrain from the act of killing. What I have just shared with you is from an advanced belief within the Buddha’s teaching; and what I shared with you earlier about the source, the nature and the result is from mundane perspective. Though the teachings are varied in its profound exposition, the core essence of these teachings is to refrain oneself from the act of killing and the faults that lie with the act of killing and consuming meat.

As we are all aware, being vegetarian from scientific point of view not only extends one’s life, but you enjoy a healthier life as well. Even from a Dharmice point of view, sustaining oneself on a vegetarian diet which is considered as a pure diet further increases one’s life span, due to the power and benefit of virtue; moreover being vegetarian improves one’s personal, and environmental hygiene. If one consumes the impure diet, than as a result of this one will be susceptible to diseases, and a short life. If possible one, should try to refrain from eating meat for the full duration of one’s life, if not try for a few months. Bhutan being a Buddhist country and living up to its name, the Government and the people unanimously adopted a law that bans the sale of meat products for 2 months out of a year in the kingdom. During that time, not consuming meat for 2 months has immense benefits. If one is not able to stop for months, than one should try to be vegetarian during the auspicious days (8, 10, 15, 25, and 30) of the month. Even being a vegetarian for a day during those auspicious days has immense benefits. Not only refraining oneself but also advising and supporting others to not consume meat has equal and immense benefit. What I have shared with you is abridges version of what I have learned. The reason for sharing with you just an abridged version, is firstly I do not claim to have the knowledge and secondly nor does time permit to go in depth. The Buddha said that, it is not compulsory to refrain from eating meat for a lifetime nor for a whole year for beginners, but to start by refraining for a day. In a day we usually have 3 meals, and out of those 3 meals try eating one meal without meat, and even 1 meatless meal has lot of benefits. Otherwise, out of 3 meals, abstain from meat consumption for 2 meals. These are all skillful methods of making the act of not consuming meat a habit. So, as beginners one should follow a gradual path to being a vegetarian and avoid extremes. We being born as Buddhist, accept the law of Karma, and eating meat goes against this law of action and fruition. Thus, I request everyone to abstain from consuming meat, by being mindful of what I have shared with you.

I would like to specifically clarify that while the Buddha Dharma teaches that one should not consume meat, yet some lamas, accomplished master and in the teaching of Vajrayana the use of meat is mandatory. When the Vajrayana teachings say that meat is mandatory, it does not imply that an animal needs to be slaughtered; in fact, the meat used should be of an animal that has died a natural death, and that too, the meat requirement is very less and used for Ganachakra and other offerings. Even the person who is performing or handling the ceremonies that requires meat, should be an accomplished master and not somebody ordinary like us. I would further like to request and offer some heartfelt advice to you all that one should not feel and think that just by abstaining from eating meat, you can indulge in other non-virtuous and harmful deeds. Just as meat consumption is a non-virtuous act, similarly one should avoid other impure products such as drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Even if one abstains from meat consumption, if one indulges in alcohol, tobacco and drugs than as a local saying goes, it would be like mixing medicine with poison. By refraining oneself from impure products like drugs, alcohol and tobacco one can accumulate vast merit. Buddha said sue to the power of the merit that one has accumulated from the abstinence of impure products one will be able to fulfill all their wishes. The use of impure products bring forth obstacles in life and obstructs the successful completion of one’s efforts. Merit and virtuous action are synonymous. Thus, contemplating on this life and future lives it is practical that one should refrain from non-virtuous action and adopt virtuous action. And, without the 10 non-virtuous action the act of killing is considered as the primary non-virtuous act, the Buddha Dharma teaches that when one refrains from the primary non-virtuous act, it is easier to refrain and abandon the other 9 non-virtuous actions. When one refrains from act of killing, one naturally becomes a vegetarian.

In conclusion, I hope and pray that as a result of this talk show that all the people assembled here, will at least practice refraining from impure products for at least a day if not a lifetime; and find sustenance with pure products. Moreover, I sincerely hope that you can practice all that I have shared with you, and will provide advice and support to others as well. Today, as much as I would have liked to explain the teachings in detail, as I do not possess the knowledge and exposure I was not able to do so; and, should my words be incorrect and incomplete, more importantly, if I have offended any of your sensibilities then I offer my sincere apology. I hope that you will accept my apology, thank you, Kadinchey.