Vegetarianism In Tibetan Buddhism

The Tibetan Plateau is a vast area of elevated land situated in Central/East Asia, covering most of Tibet. Known as the Roof of the World, the average elevation exceeds 4,500 metres. The main scenery on the Tibetan Plateau is grassland and tundra, with some parts covered in forest and shrubland. Summer is relatively cool there, but in winter temperatures can plummet to -16°C. In order to survive in such a harsh environment, the inhabitants, mainly Tibetan farmers and nomad travellers, must adapt. Tibetan people have survived, and thrived, there for thousands of years, and have adapted to the extreme cold, lack of oxygen, limited food sources and exposure to UV light. Tibet was invaded in the late 1950’s by China, and the people and the environment have suffered since.

Different religions have beliefs that certain foods are sacred and then some are considered “tainted”. People that are Hindu believe that the cow is considered to be sacred. The reason being, they consider the cow to be a symbol of life; so cows may not be killed in the Hindu religion. They also believe in the harmony of living peacefully with nature, so they only eat food they believe help or hurt their physical or spiritual development. Closely related to Hindu’s is the religion of Buddhism. Many Buddhist don’t eat meat and don’t partake in the drinking of alcoholic beverages. Like the Hindus, Buddhist believe that a person returns as something or someone else, so a person could come back and live again as an animal. That is why the Buddhist don’t kill animals because they believe that it could have been someone they have known reincarnated. Interestingly enough, they also ask themselves questions before eating their meal. The questions they ask are: what food is this, where did it come from, why I am eating this food, when am I going to benefit from this food, and how

In China, Buddhism is an ancient religion with numerous followers. Vegetarians are generally regarded as Buddhists because people know that Buddhism is a religion that prohibits eating meat. Buddhism originated in ancient India, which found by a prince of realm called Gautama Buddha in three thousand years ago. (Henry, 2012) It spread to China in the Western Han Dynasty. It not only brought a new religion for China, but also had a profound impact on the vegetarian culture at that time. We will describe the relationship between the Buddhism and its vegetarian culture through food varieties of vegetarian diet, dishes, and the benefits to the human body.

For some, the choice of Vegetarianism is decided based on religious beliefs or practices. Vegetarianism is compatible with the major world religions—the Eastern Religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism) and the Abrahamic Religions (Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and Bahá'í Faith). Among these, it is most commonly practiced by those of the Buddhist, Christian and Islamic faith. Vegetarianism within the Buddhist culture is taught along with the “Four Noble Truths,” which focus on the acts of suffering. Since the Buddhist faith accepts the idea of karma, it is believed that in order to maintain a life of peace and happiness and remain free of suffering, one must refrain from the harming, injuring or killing of any living being. As part of the Christian faith, animal cruelty is forbidden. The teachings of Jesus Christ focus on the ideas of love, compassion, mercy and acceptance. Although the question of eating meat is not directly addressed in Christian doctrine it can be implied that since animals are a creation of God and the idea of love for all of God’s creations is heavily stressed in the Christian faith, then out of Christian love on should lead a life

There are two main lifestyles that we as human beings practice that impact our eating habits. One being a Vegetarian, a person who chooses not to eat meat. The other being a Meat Eater (also known as an Omnivore), a person who chooses to eat both meat and vegetables. A controversial debate continues to go on, evaluating the pros and cons of each group, along with the reasons behind their choice. In the end it all depends on the individual’s outlook on life that makes the decision.

Your friend’s dying screams rip through your ears as you shuffle down the cramped trench, abruptly another scream rings out and you know your own demise is imminent. This demonstrates only one horror that livestock encounters in slaughterhouses. However, you can liberate these ill-fated animals; by becoming a vegetarian you not only rescue animals from a ghastly life, but you also boost your own body’s and mind’s health.

Buddhists refrain from any wrong thoughts or actions like killing, because it causes suffering and bad karma. This means that they also do not eat any meat or fruit from trees. They must refrain

Veganism is a food lifestyle based on diet of vegetables, grains, seeds, nuts and fruits. People are being vegetarian because they think it is healthier to only eat vegetables without eating meet or chicken, and they think that they will get a perfect body shape, free of diseases. As in vegetarian, where they feed on foods that do not fit into animal flesh, whether from wild or marine animals. They also don’t eat food that comes directly from the animal, such as: egg that’s comes from the hen, milk that comes from cows, goats and honey that comes from bees. In India, Ethiopia and Jamaica there are a lot of vegetarian people, because they don’t have enough food to feed themselves, so they decided to eat vegetable. This paper argues that veganism is a harmful lifestyle for three major reasons.

Food and eating are at the centre of Christianity and Hinduism for centuries. The Fall of Adam and Eve, after eating the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden, is one of the central tropes in the Western discourses. A special kind of food becomes a cause for the first man and woman’s damnation, and ironically, I argue, a new opportunity to control the new “dominion”. God commands, specifically, what requirements man should fulfill, including what he needs to eat in order to secure his union with the god. Food, therefore, can work to uplift man to heaven if chosen accordingly, or could be a cause for his damnation to hell. Hinduism, in a similar fashion, observes food as an important aspect of life and afterlife. It depends upon man’s choice

This position sits squarely within a straightforward application of the law of kamma. Kamma simply understood as intention. Eating meat involves no intention to do harm, because the harm has already been done. As there is no intention, there is no kamma. As there is no kamma, there is no ethical problem. However, not all see it this way. The situation in Mahayana is more complicated. Mahayanists, especially in East Asia, embrace vegetarianism, often as a temporary measure for religious events (Silk, 2016). Although the monastics are typically vegetarian all the time, special occasions are cause for celebration. The motivation is, at least in part, an expression of the greater emphasis on compassion in Mahayana. In practice, however, Mahayanists often adopt vegetarianism (as do Hindus) as a rite of purification. This is done because of the toxins and purity of mind and body talked about earlier in the essay. This is despite such texts as the Amagandha Sutta of the Sutta Nipata, where the Buddha insists that eating meat is not a source of spiritual impurity (Silk, 2016). However Tibetan monastics usually eat meat. Vegetarianism and Buddhism seems to vary depending on both how one interprets an ancient text, as well as where one is located and the type of Buddhist they

not to eat meat. A similar idea can be seen in Buddhism where one of

According to a recent poll 6 to 8 million American’s do not eat meat, fish, or poultry. From these studies, they have been researching about the effects of a vegetarian diet on the body. Compared to most meat based diets, vegetarians consume less saturated fat and cholesterol from not eating meat. Choosing this route will have a person what would be considered a better quality of life and overall good health. Research so far has shown that a vegetarian diet reduces the risk of heart disease. In recent years a study was done using different participants and the results showed that vegetarians were 25% less likely to die from heart related problem. “This is because vegetarians tend to consume more high-fiber, whole grains, and legumes which have a low glycemic index and the body digests slowly. This keeps blood sugar levels steady. Another food item that helps reduce the risk of heart disease is walnuts” (Sixwise). This is because the omega-3s in walnuts help reduce total cholesterol. There is some controversy over this specific topic, thus, are they really that healthy? What does it mean to be a vegetarian, and what do professionals have to say about being a vegetarian?

Whether it be because of religion, culture, or personal choice, millions of people worldwide do not eat meat, and the majority of the population, the omnivores, often ridicule these people, the vegetarians, for their choices. This has sadly created a divide between thousands of people, however the cause of this separation is simple. One side, whether it be the omnivores or the vegetarians, feels the need to impose its choices onto the other side. Both sides are at fault here, as the omnivores tell the vegetarians that they cannot get proper nutrients from a plant-based diet, and the vegetarians try to tell the omnivores that they are torturing animals by killing them for food. The omnivores are wrong because, while it does require careful planning, vegetarians can easily get the nutrients they need, and the vegetarians are hypocritical because, as the article will show, farming kills thousands of creatures.

The views present in both the Buddhist and Christian views are not consistent with all of its adherents. In Buddhism, there is a slight discrepancy in whether consuming meat opposed what dictated in the First Precept. According to Buddhist scriptures, Buddha was not a vegetarian, nor did he instruct his followers to adhere to that diet. The main rule, however, was to eat whatever they were offered. While the Monastic rules, which relate to monks, of the Theravada tradition outlined that if meat was placed in their begging bowls, they were obliged to eat it; therefore, the consumption of meat was permitted. Meanwhile, in the Mahayana tradition, Buddhists argue that animals suffer in the production of meat, which contradicts the notion of them not harming or killing living beings. Buddhists from

In midland mountainous regions from 2,500 to 3,200 meters above sea level, sub-Tibetan groups (or groups of Tibetan ethnicity and culture) grow one crop of wheat or barley per winter and one crop of buckwheat during the summer. The climate in this region is cool and dry, and the dry-field agriculture used requires less labor than rice cultivation. This allows them to raise cattle, water buffalo and goats to supplement their diet.[4]At even higher altitudes, where low levels of moisture permit only a single crop of wheat or barley, yak, which are well suited for high altitudes, become a major component of the lifestyle.[5] In the northern areas of Nepal, Tibetan pastoralists travel to altitudes reaching up to 5,200 meters as they seek out pasture for their animals during the summer monsoon season, although few permanent habitations can be found above 4,000 meters. Where possible, these groups make up for shortages in grain and other goods by trading wool, butter, meat, and draught animals. They may also hunt, fish, and forage for wild plants, although habitat destruction from deforestation has caused a decline in the availability of game and fish resources in much of Nepal, making it increasingly difficult to rely on these assets for food.[6]