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**bugagasikaga** · 01-06-2011, 02:29 AM

As for the aspect on vegetarianism... Does everyone agree here agree you do not have to be vegetarian to fully follow the noble eightfold path? I think this topic may have differing opinions throughout the Buddhist community from what ive seen so far.

I think it is a personal decision to eat or not to eat meat. I do not eat meat as much as I can. Sometimes, as Craig has told, you are invited to an event where meat is offered and then I ate it. I was a big fan of eating meat. It happend that I needed to go to a slaughter house. What I saw there make me understand what happens if we ate meat. I stop eating meat.

Furthermore, Buddha mentions staying away from unwholesome work, and includes being a butcher in that description. Is that an outdated view, or still commonly accepted today?

Maybe if a butcher gets the understanding of the teachings of the Buddha deeply he will stop doing that and if he can look for other options for living. From my perspective I think is an unwholesome work, in a very subtle degree, but it is.

From the perspective of Human Biology we do not need meat to keep ourselves healthy. The needs of our body can be met perfectly with vegetables.

How is ripping a potato out of the ground any different than killing a cow?

I don't know if [ripping] a potato suffers but I am sure that the cow does in a very high degree. I choose the potato.

01-06-2011, 02:29 AM	#25
bugagasikaga Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 454 Senior Member	As for the aspect on vegetarianism... Does everyone agree here agree you do not have to be vegetarian to fully follow the noble eightfold path? I think this topic may have differing opinions throughout the Buddhist community from what ive seen so far. I think it is a personal decision to eat or not to eat meat. I do not eat meat as much as I can. Sometimes, as Craig has told, you are invited to an event where meat is offered and then I ate it. I was a big fan of eating meat. It happend that I needed to go to a slaughter house. What I saw there make me understand what happens if we ate meat. I stop eating meat. Furthermore, Buddha mentions staying away from unwholesome work, and includes being a butcher in that description. Is that an outdated view, or still commonly accepted today? Maybe if a butcher gets the understanding of the teachings of the Buddha deeply he will stop doing that and if he can look for other options for living. From my perspective I think is an unwholesome work, in a very subtle degree, but it is. From the perspective of Human Biology we do not need meat to keep ourselves healthy. The needs of our body can be met perfectly with vegetables. How is ripping a potato out of the ground any different than killing a cow? I don't know if [ripping] a potato suffers but I am sure that the cow does in a very high degree. I choose the potato.
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