A Buddhist’s Eating Manifesto

Yuan Zhou

WRIT-1133

Dr. Eric Leake

May 27, 2012

A Buddhist’s Eating Manifesto

I am a traditional Hinayana Buddhist, who does not eat meat at all, and the eating habits act like those of vegetarians. Hinayana Buddhism heavily affects my food values. My diet profoundly depends on the religious doctrine, which restrains people eating meat, fish, and eggs.

Why I always call myself as Hinayana Buddhist instead of the simple word--- Buddhist? The reason is that Buddhism has several branches, and there are two main Buddhism, such as Hinayana Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism. However, the food values between these Buddhism branches are very different. Some are eat meat and fish, while some are prohibit from eating meat and fish. In the article, “Buddhism: Diet & Nutrition”, Michael Ohlsson mentioned that “The Five Moral Precepts of Buddhism include: no killing and partaking of intoxicants.” (1) Ohlsson claimed that Buddhism does not prohibit people from eating meat but from killing and alcohol. Buddhism Ohlsson talked about refers to Mahayana Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism is not forbid people from eating meat and fish.

However, Hinayana Buddhist does not eat meat and fish. According to the article, “Buddhism Food, Diet, and Cooking”, in China, Hinayana Buddhist also has to avoid eating strong-smelling plants, such as shallots, onions, chives, garlic, and leeks. Because Hinayana Buddhist believes that the strong tastes of these vegetables can stimulate the senses and being an obstacle to Hinayana Buddhist seeking to control their desires. Monks and nuns are more devout than lay people, so they have stricter diet rules than lay people. Monks and nuns always eat only twice a day, in the morning and at noon. They always are fasting for the remaining day and night. Yet, I am not a monks and nuns. Instead, I am a layperson; nevertheless in order to become more devout to my faith, I am always fasting on the first and the fifteenth of lunar calendar. It is very important for me being a Buddhist, not only because religion is my spiritual ballast, but also believing in one belief can make life meaningful. I am steadfast in being a Buddhist and also maintain the Hinayana Buddhism diet.

Moreover, becoming a Hinayana Buddhist is good for my health too, because Hinayana Buddhist always eat vegetable, which has low level in saturated fat so that lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Some researches have already given some evidences to show that vegetarian always are healthier and have longer life than who always eat meat. In the article, “Vegetarian Diet may Cut Risk of Heart Attack; New Atkins Method Stresses Plant Proteins”, the author stated that the vegetarian who seldom eat meat have low risk of having heart attack, and the people who always eat meat likely have high-carb diet, which raises the risks of heart attacks and strokes. In addition, the author indicated that the vegetarian who has low-carb diet always could easily lose their weight and lower the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood. Losing weight by eating vegetable is quite effective. Vegetable makes the blood becomes slightly alkaline, so that can promote the metabolic activity. Thus, vegetable can burn the accumulation of body fat and sugar off, so eating vegetable would achieve natural weight losing goal. In addition, people who often eat vegetable are vibrant, and the skin appears soft, smooth and ruddy.

Therefore, becoming a Hinayana Buddhist or vegetarian is important for me. As a Hinayana Buddhist, on the one hand, I can keep my faith, which can help me get through difficulties. If I do not have my faith, probably I would throw my computer out of my window when I am frustrated on my homework. One the other hand, the lifestyle of Hinayana Buddhist is like vegetarian whose diet is very healthy. Furthermore, Hinayana Buddhist does fasting regularly, which also is a healthy activity.

Consequently, because of the religion reason and the healthy lifestyle of Hinayana Buddhist, I am insisting my diet, which does not have any meat or fish or eggs, no matter how bad the taste of vegetable is. Of course, I can refuse to eat meat or fish or eggs, even though they are much more delicious than vegetable. These are the reasons why I insist my food values, which are healthy, abstinent, and regular.

There is a question frequently flow in my mind--- Why Hinayana Buddhist does not eat meat? After I have done some researches, I know that agriculture is a reason, for which Mahayana Buddhism does not mind eating fish and Hinayana Buddhist does not eat meat and fish. Firstly, because Mahayana Buddhism originally comes from India, I have done some researches on early India farming. In the "Early Farming Communities in India", Thapar talked about how barren the soil was in the early India. Therefore, normal people did not have any chance to eat vegetable, so the food they can eat is meat, such as pork, beef, and chicken. By contrast, Hinayana Buddhism is originally comes from Southern China, in where soil was fertile, so people can grew a lot of vegetables. Hence, Hinayana Buddhist has the condition (having many vegetables, the substitution of meat) so that they can choose do not eat meat. They considered the meat is being specialized killed for consumption, which would distract them from cultivating.

After talking about why I am a Hinayana Buddhist and strictly abiding by the religious doctrine, which does not allow people eat meat, I am going to talk about how I eat in my family.

My grandmother and I are both Hinayana Buddhists, but my mother is not Hinayana Buddhist. My mother love to eat scrambled egg with leek, which is a famous Cantonese dish and is prohibited to eat for Hinayana Buddhist. Also, Cantonese love to cook with shallots, onions, chives and garlic. So my mother does. All kinds of condiments are my mother’s favorite, but they are all forbid to eat for my grandmother and I. Therefore, there must have many conflicts on what we eat. The solutions for these conflicts are the same. Every time my grandmother is cooking meal, she would separate the same dish into two dishes; one is for her and I, which does not contain any condiment. Another one is for my mother, which is very delicious, tender and crisp. Even though my mother’s dish is very tempting for grandmother and I, grandmother and I always can withstand the willing of eating the delicious food. No matter how inconvenient to cook the same dish into two different dishes, my grandmother do not complain about it, because she is a very devout Hinayana Buddhist, and willing to abide by the doctrine. I think I am as devout as my grandmother, because I weigh the Hinayana Buddhism doctrine heavier than the delicious dishes, especially for a foodie like me!

Actually, being a Hinayana Buddhist is very difficult for me, because I think the food diet of a Hinayana Buddhist is very austere (no meat, no fish, and have to fast two days a month). Before high school, I did not have any religious faith. Nevertheless, because the exam in high school is extremely intensive, I choose to believe in Hinayana Buddhism to relief my pain from study. Although it is very challenging to preserve the diet habit, I force myself to love eating vegetable, which is healthy to my body. Because eating vegetable, which has low calories, is not satisfy my hunger very well, and I usually work out, which takes a lot of calories, I always have to eat a lot of rice.

I was in a dilemma since I came to the United States, because vegetable was usually uncooked, which was too tasteless to eat. Rice is not common in American food diet, but I have to eat vegetables and rice. At last, I eat sandwich (two pieces of bread with some vegetables) instead. According to my research of American food culture, I found out that American are concerning about convenience. Hence, I think it is the reason why the vegetables in the United States are always raw. Because I can hardly accept the uncooked vegetables, I sometimes would break my religious precept--- eating meat instead of raw vegetables. I would feel guilty every time I eat meat. Therefore, in order to obey my doctrine, I would choose to move out campus and cook by myself. I can be fully mindful of my eating, so that I would not be particular about food. Mindfully eating is an important idea of Buddhism eating habit. In the article, “Engaged Buddhism in Retreat”, the author argued that “If we are fully and genuinely mindful of our eating, we will not allow our choice of foods to bring needless suffering and death to living beings.” Thus, I think I can strictly execute my eating schedule when I can practices mindfully eating very well. Mindfully eating can solve my difficult dilemma, which is very exciting.  

       Hinayana Buddhism affects my food diet a lot. My food diet is austerely abided by the Hinayana Buddhism doctrine, which does not allow people to eat meat. Even though the food diet of mine is too lite, I am very glad to execute my food diet, because my food diet is very healthy.

Work Cited

Anonymous. “Vegetarian Diet may Cut Risk of Heart Attack; New Atkins Method
    Stresses Plant Proteins.” Edmonton Journal: A.11. Print. 2009.

Balisunset. “Buddhism Food, Diet, and Cooking.” Journal of Religion and Philosophy
    (2009). Web. 2009.

“Buddhism: Diet & Nutrition.” CultureVision  : Buddhism 1 Nov. 2008: ProQuest
      Nursing & Allied Health Source, ProQuest. Web.  25 May. 2012.
Kemmerer, Lisa. "Engaged Buddhism in Retreat." Human Architecture: Journal of the Sociology of Self-Knowledge 6.3 (2008): 135. Print.
Thapar, B. K. “Early Farming Communities in India.” Journal of Human Evolution
    7.1 (1978): 11-22. Print.