I heard from a Buddhist friend, who professes to be vegetarian every day except for a single weekday, when he ‘has to’ lunch with four Muslim colleagues the halal way – with meat included. He believes this is the Dharma practice of ‘恒顺众生’, which is to ‘constantly comply with sentient beings’, so as to benefit them. My question was – ‘Which sentient beings does he wishes to comply with?’ The humans or the animals? Obviously, the humans seem to take priority here. These questions next come to mind –
(1) Is it a worthy practice to eat animals when there is no need to?
(2) Would it offend animal-eaters to not eat animals in their presence?
(3) How does it help any sentient beings by eating some sentient beings?
The answers are as follows –
(1) Not at all.
(2) Not at all.
(3) Not at all.
As such, to claim he was practising compliance with sentient beings to help them is totally unjustified. He was never pressured to eat animals by anyone. And his failure to make a firm stand to not eat animals also means he continually, on a weekly basis, fails to make his otherwise fully vegetarian diet a natural talking point of interest – which is a crucial way to share the rationale of vegetarianism, be it for secular and/or spiritual reasons. Following the crowd to eat whatever they eat is sheer lack of resolution or laziness of one’s stance. It only furthers the delusion that eating animals is totally alright, even if you’re a ‘dedicated’ Buddhist, which I believe he sees himself to be.
With the power of choice, why not choose not to eat animals? Why not choose only non-animal dishes? Why not ask for some plain noodles or such? If not possible, why not pack a vegetarian meal in advance, since that meal is always anticipated? If we always follow the crowd, where is the line to be drawn, as to when not to comply? The guideline is simple. As to ‘constantly comply with sentient beings’ is a Bodhisattva practice, such compliance should not break the Bodhisattva precepts unnecessarily – one of which is the upholding of vegetarianism, as stated in the Brahma Net Sutra – especially when breaking the precept serves no significant useful purpose. If those of other religions practise according to their dietary guidelines, why shouldn’t Buddhists do the same?
Personally, I would even skip an entire meal if there is no non-vegan food available, while sharing the table with a drink. This is not an extreme practice, as it is just fasting for one single meal. Think monastics who eat only one meal a day! This would be firm practice of compassion, of not adding in any way to the demand for supply of animals killed. He gave the ‘standard’ bad faith excuse that as the animals he eats are not asked to be killed by him, it is okay. If so, why even be vegetarian on other days? Obviously, we all know that every animal-consumer feeds the demand and supply loop – which is why vegetarians and vegans opt out of direct and indirect demand for killing. The animals humans buy to eat are not blameless random alms food, that is free of suspicion of being killed for the general consumer.
I saw him repeatedly patronising a non-vegetarian food-stall at a hawker centre too – when there is a vegetarian stall nearby. He claims that the food there is cheaper, that he picked the vegetarian dishes there, to go with rice. First, it isn’t true that it is cheaper in comparison. I don’t think he even really checked. Second, even if it is, isn’t it worthier to spend a little more to support an authentic vegetarian stall? What is the price of compassion? The non-vegetarian stall will always have many more non-vegetarian supporters, while the vegetarian one is likely to only have relatively fewer supporters – the vegetarian ones. Skilful support is crucial if we really wish to increase supply and demand for kinder food.
When invited to wedding dinners, I always politely request for vegan food in advance, which is a choice always anticipated and respected by the inviting friends. The exclusively prepared vegetarian dishes would always arrive first, before the animal dishes for the rest at the table do. With ease, more than once, I chatted up perfect animal-eating strangers around me about my served food when they seem curious. If I can do this, I don’t see how one can’t do something similar with familiar colleagues who are regular lunch partners. If we seriously believe in the value of having a kinder diet, we ought to make more appropriate statements by our actions and words. If not, how else can we share our dietary sentiments for a kinder world?
If it is true, as he says, which I do hope, that he is vegetarian most of the time, save that one meal a week, I think it is wonderful – much more so than eating more animals for more meals a week. It is just that he can do better, if he reflects on the above. As I could sense his uneasy rationalising, I decided to write this to share with him, in good faith. I hope he can see understand my intentions, for the sake of the animals. Hopefully, this article will also encourage more to be strong unwavering vegetarians, or even better, vegans. May all beings spare one another from the demand and supply of killing. May all beings be well and happy. Amituofo.
Related Articles:
The Invisible Conveyor Belt of Meat & Murder (Why Consumer Meat is Not Pure)
http://www.4ui.com/eart/214eart1.htm
Fin, Maw of Flesh, It’s Death (Making a Statement as a Vegan at Wedding Dinners)
https://moonpointer.com/new/2010/09/fin-maw-or-flesh-its-death
Why I Skipped the Safest Supper (A ‘Meal’ with Folks from Many Religions)
https://moonpointer.com/new/2009/03/why-i-skipped-the-safest-supper
Irrefutable Good & Secular Reasons to Go Vegan
http://viva.org.uk/goingvegan/index.php
As long as there is compassion and wisdom in the mind, Buddhist should try to refrain from eating meat while socializing with non-vegetarian friends.
I had to admit that I am not a vegan yet due to some reasons but am not being complacent in not keeping to the vegetarian diet. Many a times, I still eat 肉邊菜 but I will still choose vegetarian stall over other stores.
To comply with sentient beings is when you are overseas to a fishing village ect and they don’t really know what else to cook for you, so I just eat whatever they cook for me, without any meat of course, only vegetables, eggs and tofu.
Feel that loving kindness meditation and chanting the metta sutra really helps to increase our compassion towards all sentient beings.
May everyone be well and happy always.
When having a meal no matter vegan or meat the most important things to keep in mind is:
Why do we eat?
For what purposes do we eat?
What are we going to do after we eat?
The meal has given us energy, what are going to do in return for other being?
If one has no consideration in mind when we eat, we would be like sheep and cow eating grass all day long, and enlightenment is no where in sight.
When we have the power of choice of food, beyond considering the questions raised, we should also consider these questions –
Why do we eat food derived from cruelty?
For what purpose do we eat cruelly?
Does it further demand for cruelty?
How does what we eat benefit sentient beings, including the ones eaten? If one has no consideration in mind when we eat, we would be like lions and sharks devouring other animals all day long, and enlightenment, by furthering compassion and wisdom is nowhere in sight.