eating meat

Actually the majority of Buddhists are not vegetarians. Even Siddhartha the Buddha ate meat. There is a book that goes over this written by Franz Metcalf, Ph.D. in the University of Chicago. The book is for teenagers and is titled, "Buddha in Your Backpack". Now, I don't believe everything I read, but considering the author has gone through ample education, and has written three other books on Buddhism since 2003, I think it's safe to say that his work is fairly reliable.

I'm not saying being a vegetarian is "wrong" or "right". I'm just saying that most Buddhists are not vegetarians. The book states:

"Vegetarianism is on the rise among Americans, especially teenagers. You have chosen to be a vegetarian for moral reasons because, for you, killing animals to eat them creates too much harm. The Buddha would certainly respect this decision. I should tell you, though, that the Buddha was NOT a vegetarian, nor are most Buddhist monks, even now. In fact it's likely that the Buddha died from eating some bad pork. Only in East Asia (and some monasteries in the West) are monks vegetarian. Why? Because the Buddha did not set up rules based on right and wrong. He set up rules on helping and harming. If a monk is offered a meal with meat in it, he can eat it. In fact, he HAS to eat it, otherwise he'd be harming the giver of the meal by not accepting it. There are only a few exceptions to this rule: monks and nuns cannot eat an animal they killed, one they saw killed, or one killed especially for them. We're talking about monks and nuns here, though. Regular Buddhists have always been able to eat whatever they want, with no rules."

So there you have it. :sunglasse

 

soulrebel51 what I'm saying is show the same respect you have for animals towards plants, eat what you want and respect those of a different view. The maoris had a thing of asking the gods permission before they would cut down a tree for example I'm not saying do that but you know they viewed all living things as important and gave them all respect and you can do the same in your own way

 

I do respect those with a different view, I just don't see how people can support the torturing of those poor animals.

 

*cough* dubya *cough cough*

 

sorry soulrebel51 misunderstand what you were saying there, I agree all animals should lead a natural healthy life and not be force fed or put in confine spaces if everything had to be organic including fruit and vegetables it would be a lot better I think sure the price would go up at first but would level itself out after all it was this way before why can't it be turned back? again its the greed issue

 

IdentityCrisis, i didn't know that most weren't vegetarian- I was simply going on what I had read

 

out of interest have we come to the point of that we respect each others view and agree that organic is the way of the food of the future? I'm getting that feeling but could be wrong, if I'm right what would you like to see? for example, I know I'm pleased with lincoln uni here looking at natural ways to care for plants so we can get away from pesticides being put in the soil which leads to containamated soil and leakage into our rivers and drinking water. I would like to see regular checks on people farming animals to make sure they are not in confined spaces they have room to move and frolic and arnt being forced fed, also checks that animals killed for food are killed in a humane way.

 

You say want them to live a healthy life, yet you continue to buy the tortured animals, which means you support their tortures by paying the companies to continue doing what they are doing.

 

hmmmmm you have a point and the only that has had one that I sadly couldn't answer against oh well I knew this day was coming since starting this thread just expected it so much sooner lol

 

So, uh, how about them Cowboys?

::feels awkward::

 

lol well now might be the time to turn it into something else how about what event is coming up that you are looking forward to? me its christmas seems ages away but so many shops have stuff in and I love looking at all the displays lol but it does remind me how much crap there is

 

Halloweeeeeeen

 

yeah Halloween is starting to take off in New Zealand over the last few years I was in a speciality shop that had some of your american candy, you guys are so lucky to have a candy holiday

 

I can't believe they are starting Testaverde and cut Carter and Hutchinson. Those idiots, now they have Tony Romo who sucked in college at backup and Drew Henson who's been playing baseball for the last few years. Bill Parcells should take over the GM role. They;ve got Eddie George tho, and they're tied right now.

 

That's funny...
I know nothing about the Cowboys or soprts at all, and I started that convo...

 

Haha, I figured they were you're favorite team. It seems, sadly, that the NFL is turning into the same marketplace as the MLB. Just look at the Cowboys, they're 3 top offensive players were all on different teams last year. Oh well.

 

your rugby is for pussys you have helmets and shit lol nothing like over here, or australia now AFL thats a version of rugby for real hard arses {stir stir stir }

 

Haha.
That's funny.
You called it rugby.
Rugby's not Amerikan football at all.
Now rugby, that's a game for tough men!

 

yeah before I got contacts a group of cool people got me to join them took my glasses off course I couldn't see so I was pretty fearless {or stupid} lol ran straight through people I didn't know was there

 

Fuck rugby. The enjoyment level for rugby doesn't come anywhere close to the NFL, even if most of their players care more about money than football itself. nya nya nya nya nya