[Buddha-l] Re: on eating meat

[Richard P. Hayes]

On Thu, 2005-10-20 at 00:05 +0100, Mike Austin wrote:

> Neither am I. But are there not sutras that you think did not originate 
> from the Buddha? And, if so, would you be able to explain why?

I don't think we have ANY sutras that originated with the Buddha. But I
also don't think it matters. I would never accept or dismiss any
teaching on the grounds that it was or was not the Buddha's opinion.
He's dead. 

> Hehe! No attachment, but I had an aversion to discussing this subject! I 
> have the impression that more people are attached to not eating meat. 

Some are, some are not. One can hardly make a judgement about which is
more without doing a systematic study.

>  I am equally content eating meat or vegetables but eat more of the latter. 
> Sometimes, I feel as if my body needs a bit of meat.  I sometimes I have 
> the same feeling about fruit juice. I need to look after myself.  I have 
> a fortunate human rebirth, you know.

No one who spends as much time on buddha-l as you and I do can claim to
be using our fortunate human births very productively.

> I am not asking for opinions, but references.

I'd be more than happy to write a letter of reference for you. For what
are you applying?

> This is precisely the point. Friends of mine are vegetarians because it 
> appears to them, intellectually and emotionally,  to be the only way to 
> eat that is compatible with bodhicitta. I appreciate that. All I say is 
> that this is not universally true, and others do not accumulate any bad 
> karma because they behave differently.

Jesus, Mike, forget about karma. You've got an obsession with karma.
You'll never get anywhere if all you can think about is karma. You're
thinking like a bloody chartered accountant. Just set the karmic issue
aside and explain (quietly to yourself) why you think that eating meat
enhances the quality of your bodhicitta. And then ask yourself to what
extent you are making a rationalization, as opposed to being rational
and true to your convictions.

-- 
Richard