[Buddha-l] on eating meat

[Timothy Bovee/DayPoems]

Hi,

Interesting post from the BUDDHA-L academic Buddhism list. A second one
follows. These guys are so good sometimes.

Papa

On 10/17/05, curt <curt at cola.iges.org> wrote:
>
> Tibetan monks do not practice vegetarianism as a general rule and I am
> pretty sure that the Dalai Lama eats meat more than once a week. I heard
> him speak once and he was asked this question (it was funny hearing
> several thousand Buddhists groan all at once when he was asked "the
> vegetarian question") and he said he was a vegetarian "50% of the time".
> You should remember that the Dalai Lama is the avatar of Avalokitesvara,
> the freaking Bodhisattva of Compassion - so if he (she?) doesn't have to
> be a vegetarian, why should the rest of us get all worked up about it??
>
> The great Tibetan saint/sage Milarepa did in fact practice and encourage
> vegetarianism - but as far as I know it never caught on in his lineage -
> Kagyu. Eating meat is pretty much a matter of survival in a cold place
> like Tibet. But Milarepa was able to generate his own heat magically, so
> I think that's why he was able to be a vegetarian. Personally I consider
> that cheating.
>
> - Curt
>
> Laura Castell wrote:
>
> >
> > I've been following this thread with attention because I think we
> > (people) tend to live with many contradictions between what we do and
> > what we 'pray' or think is correct, often not being aware of these
> > contradictions, and the case of eating meat is usually one. I think
> > it is basically the same attitude that drives us to use air
> > conditioning, waste water, produce lots of waste, etc etc. But the
> > point I want to make in this message is that I read in one of the many
> > books by The Dalai Lama that he eats meat once a week for health
> > reasons. At least in the interview there was no mention of killing
> > the animal in a special way or anything like that. It made me wonder
> > though. Should I assume that someone like The Dalai Lama would
> > (obviously) take that into consideration or am I being idealistic?
> > Sometimes I think I expect perfection from people who practice
> > Buddhism, but they are people like us (in other words, full of
> > imperfections!) and are in the road of learning, aren't they?
> > Best wishes, Laura
> >
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> >
> >
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