Draft

A Buddhist’s Eating Manifesto

I am a traditional Hinayana Buddhist, who does not eat meat at all, and my eating habits act like those of vegetarians. Nevertheless, different from vegetarians who eat fish, Hinayana Buddhist also does not eat fish, because Chinese consider meat and fish as “Hun”, and consider vegetable as “Su”. Even though nowadays Hinayana Buddhism religious doctrine restrains people from eating meat, fish, and eggs, it is very important for me being a Buddhist. Not only because religion is spiritual ballast, but also believe in one belief can make life meaningful, I am steadfast in being a Buddhist.

The Buddhism has several branches, such as Hinayana Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Esoteric Buddhism--- can be called Vajravana Buddhism or Mantrayana. 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.

Obviously, Hinayana Buddhist does not eat meat and fish. Mahayana Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism and Esoteric Buddhism are not forbid people from eating meat and fish. Why are they having different food values eating habits?

At the beginning of founding Buddhism, Sakyamuni does not clearly defined the abstinence of meat, but avoid of killing. He specified people should not eat animals killed by human, but he advised people that meat should be eaten only when the animal had not been specifically killed for consumption.

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’s claim is that Buddhism does not prohibit people from eating meat but from killing and alcohol.

//going to explain why eat meat.
   There is a reason, for which Hinayana Buddhism does not eat meat and fish. Firstly, because Buddhism originally comes from India, I have done some research 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 have meat.

For me, in such a thriftily society, the reason why do not I eat meat is that being a Vegan is healthy for my life.

            //explain why I eat vegetable.

"Buddhism: Diet & Nutrition. " CultureVision  : Buddhism 1 Nov. 2008: ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source, ProQuest. Web.  25 May. 2012.

Wiist, W. H., et al. "Buddhists’ Religious and Health Practices." Journal of Religion and Health 51.1 (2012): 132-47. Print.

Thapar, B. K. "Early Farming Communities in India." Journal of Human Evolution 7.1 (1978): 11-22. Print.