NUMEROUS BOOKS have been written on what to eat and how to have a balanced diet. Of the many ways to do this, each person, family, or group of people will choose a way that suits them when they are ready to do this.
It seems that more people worldwide are becoming vegetarian for a variety of reasons. As Buddhists, we avoid eating meat to reduce the killing of animals, which brings direct suffering to the animals and plants the seeds of the nonvirtuous action of killing on the mindstreams of those who killed them. Raising cattle harms the environment by leading to soil pollution and the generation of methane gas from their manure. In addition, cattle consume disproportionate quantities of grain to produce comparatively little meat. Meat animals are also fed many hormones, antibiotics, and other chemicals, and fish absorb harmful chemicals from polluted rivers, lakes, and streams. Human beings imbibe all these pollutants by consuming the animals’ flesh.
It has been said that by eating meat, some of the animal’s energy of ignorance, fear, anxiety, or anger that is stored in their body is transmitted to the human being who eats the flesh. We now know that different hormones and other substances are produced when various emotions are felt. Consuming these hormones when eating meat could adversely affect people.
His Holiness the Dalia Lama often says that if you can manage, being vegetarian is best. If you can’t be fully vegetarian, then try to eat less meat. His Holiness calls himself a “part-time vegetarian” and explains that some years ago he was fully vegetarian, but at one point became ill. At that time, his doctor advised him to eat a little meat for health reasons. Before eating meat, His Holiness recites mantras to benefit the animal who gave up its life, and he dedicates merit so that the animal will take a good rebirth, meet with the Dharma, and actualize the path in future lives. Likewise, it’s beneficial if people who eat meat pray to repay the kindness of those whose bodies they eat. After all, we wouldn’t give up our lives for someone else’s lunch, so it’s imperative to appreciate their sacrifice and dedicate merit to benefit these beings in future lives in whatever forms we and they may appear. In particular, we should practice well so we will be capable of teaching them the Dharma and leading them on the path to awakening in future lives.
His Holiness also recommends that those who eat meat consume the meat from larger animals rather than smaller ones. In that way the loss of one life will lead to many meals, whereas if you consume smaller animals, such as fish, clams, shrimp, or scallops, many living beings die for one human meal.
Some people worry that being vegetarian is not good for their health. I have been vegetarian for about forty-five years, since I was twenty-two or twenty-three, and it hasn’t harmed my health. It is easy to learn to eat wisely and stay healthy on a vegetarian diet. Other sources of protein are plentiful and you can also take vitamins.
The monastic community at the Abbey is vegetarian, whether we eat at the Abbey or visit family and friends who eat meat. All our guests are vegetarian while they are with us. Although we advocate vegetarian diets, we are not “born-again vegetarians” and do not insist that others permanently change their eating habits to correspond to our beliefs.
Some years ago a visitor to the Abbey asked why we didn’t consume organic produce, milk from cows that graze in open fields, and eggs from free-range chickens. He believed that if we didn’t do that, then we should be vegan and not consume any animal products at all. He was quite emphatic about this.
We do grow a small portion of organic produce in our garden, and we only use eggs that are not fertilized to avoid killing. But organic produce, free-range eggs, and milk from open-range cows are more expensive. If someone can afford such choices, it’s better to eat these. But we monastics are renunciates. We don’t buy food; we eat only the food that is offered to us. People are already giving to us with generous hearts; it would be disrespectful to ask that they offer expensive food that they do not even buy for themselves. From time to time, people do bring organic produce — especially in the fall when they share vegetables from their own gardens and fruit from the fruit trees around their homes.
Many Abbey residents are practitioners of kriya, or action tantra, which includes deity practices such as Thousand-Armed Chenrezig, White Tara, Green Tara, Medicine Buddha, and Manjushri. One kriya tantra precept is to avoid “black foods”: meat (including chicken and fish), fertilized eggs, garlic, onions, scallions, leeks, and radishes. Eastern and Western cultures view foods such as garlic differently. In many Asian cultures, onion and garlic are said to increase the energy of desire and to disrupt the flow of the subtle winds, or qi, in the body. In the West, garlic is said to be medicinal. We follow the view that corresponds with the Eastern tradition.
When some people hear that we don’t use onion and garlic, they exclaim, “Your food must have no taste! How can you possibly cook good food without onions?” But when they come to the Abbey and eat with us, they are surprised to learn that it is possible to make very tasty food without onions and garlic. Once, when I was leading a retreat in Mexico, I reminded the organizers to prepare vegetarian meals without onions and garlic. They gasped in horror, “Over a hundred people are coming to the retreat. They’ll complain if they have to eat tasteless food!” I said, “Well, let’s try.” We did, and no one complained. In fact, they were quite happy.
I’m not advocating this way of eating for everybody; this is simply what we do at the Abbey. Eating onions, garlic, and scallions does not involve killing so people can consume them without harming others. In short, people’s diet will depend not only on their spiritual practice but also on their culture, health requirements, and the food that is available at reasonable prices in the place where they live. The most important principle to remember is to avoid harming others as much as possible.