Dhamma Greetings everyone,
 
There has been some discussion in the past about being Buddhist and only being a vegetarian. Here is what the Buddha said about it! I thought it would be interesting to show the Buddha's stance on this. This is not condemning nor is it supporting the eating of animal flesh but it is showing a reasonable approach to the subject. Please enjoy this sutta from MN#55 and the Amaganda Sutta, Angutara Nikaya.


Being Vegetarian And Karma

The Buddha dispensed the Jivaka Sutta (MN #55) when Jivaka questioned him on the controversial questions of the Kammic effects of eating meat. The Buddha explained that the eating of meat was not in itself an unwholesome act if the following conditions were met:

ADITTHA - One has not seen the slaughtering of that animal.

ASUTA - One has not heard that it is killed for his or her consumption or heard the being crying as it is being killed.

APARISAMKITA – There should be no doubt at all in one’s mind of the person consuming the meat that the animal was not killed with you in mind.



THE BUDDHA SAID:

“Taking life, beating, cutting, binding, stealing, lying, fraud, deceit, pretense of knowledge, adultery. This is uncleanliness and not the eating of animal flesh.

“When one is rough, harsh speaking, backbiting, treacherous, without compassion, haughty, ungenerous, and do not give anything to anybody. This is uncleanliness and not the eating of animal flesh.

“Anger, pride, obstinacy, antagonism, hypocrisy, envy, ostentation, pride of opinion, interacting with the unrighteous. This is uncleanliness not the eating of animal flesh.

“When one is of bad morals, refuses to pay their debts, are slanderers, deceitful in their dealings, pretenders, when the vilest of people commit foul deeds. This is uncleanliness not the eating of animal flesh.

“When a person attacks living beings either because of greed or hostility and are always bent upon evil, they go to darkness after death and fall head long into a hell realm. This is uncleanliness not the eating of animal flesh.

“Jivaka I have declared that one should not make use of meat if it has been seen, heard or suspected to have been killed on purpose for a monk. I allow the monks that is "quite pure" in these three respects: if it has not been seen, heard or suspected to have been killed on purpose with you in mind.”

– Taken from the “Amagandha Sutta” Anguttara Nikaya.