According to the Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, a Mahayana sutra giving Gautama Buddha's final teachings, the Buddha insisted that his followers should not eat any kind of meat or fish.
The "Five Foodstuffs" (bhojantya or bhojana) recommended by Buddha were : (1) odana, boiled rice prepared with ghee, meat, fruit, etc; (2) sattu, baked grain-e, g., barley, graham flour, wheat, or millet-taken in the form of small balls or licked as a paste ; (3) kummasa, a boiled mixture of barley (or rice) and pulse ...
In general, Buddhism prohibits the eating of any and all meat, because (1) the killing of animals violates the First Moral Precept and (2) meat is considered an intoxicant to the body, which violates the Fifth Moral Precept.
Those who cannot fulfil their oaths to the divine can make up for it by sponsoring a vegetarian meal for other people. Chinese Buddhist monastics and the more devout lay Buddhists practise a permanent form of abstinence by becoming vegetarian or vegan.
In 1999, it was published that the Dalai Lama would only be vegetarian every other day and partakes of meat regularly. When he is in Dharamsala, he is vegetarian, but not necessarily when he is outside Dharamsala.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama eats meat once a week for his health. He gives a perfect explanation. He says you should not eat meat, but if you must, you can eat a little, not tons.
Food is prepared as a spiritual exercise with attention to balance, harmony, and delicacy. Conscious eating is followed among all Buddhists. Buddha advised monks to avoid eating 10 kinds of meat for self-respect and protection: humans, elephants, horses, dogs, snakes, lions, tigers, boars and hyenas.
Similarly, in the Great Parinirvana Sutra, the Buddha says, “Eating meat destroys great compassion” and advises his disciples to avoid the consumption of meat “just as they would avoid the flesh of their own children.” Numerous Tibetan masters also condemn consumption of the flesh of animals.
Instead of going vegetarian, some Buddhists will opt to prioritize preventing food waste over vegetarianism. While alive, the Buddha merely restricted his intake of meat but did not fully ban it. In fact, the Buddha's last meal was tainted pork which led to the Buddha contracting food poisoning and death.
But what the prince-turned-monk really valued more according to Vinaya Pitaka, the Buddhist scripture, was the yagu — which was a healthy porridge made of barley or rice and salt; or with sour-milk, curd, fruits, and leaves and on some occasion served along with some form of meat or fish, whenever they appeared as part ...
The idea that the Buddha's last meal consisted of pork is generally supported by the Theravada tradition; while that it was a vegetarian dish, by the Mahayana tradition. These may reflect the different traditional views on Buddhist vegetarianism and the monastic precepts.
The food that a strict Buddhist takes, if not a vegetarian, is also specific. For many Chinese Buddhists, beef and the consumption of large animals and exotic species is avoided.
Among the early Judeo-Christian Gnostics the Ebionites held that John the Baptist, James the Just and Jesus were vegetarians. Some religious orders of various Christian Churches practice pescatarianism, including the Benedictines, Franciscans, Trappists, Carthusians and Cistercians.
Plant-based eating is deeply rooted in three of the prominent religions practiced in India – Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. All these religions believe in the concept of Ahimsa, which means kindness and non-violence towards all living things.
Buddhism teaches that drinking or using other kinds of drugs can cause carelessness and should be avoided, and strong Buddhist beliefs would be expected to have a significant impact on alcohol use.
In the olden days, they were forbidden amongst the Buddhist community because these vegetables can cause irritation and intestinal gas, which lessen one's ability to concentrate or meditate.
After reaching enlightenment at Bodhgaya, Shakyamuni meditated and fasted for forty-nine days. Thus, showing him as an emaciated renouncer relates to his enlightenment and his status as a yogic ascetic who has ultimate control over his body.
Buddhism generally forbids the consumption of any kind of meat since it breaches both the Fifth Moral Precept and the First Moral Precept when animals are killed for food.
Therefore, during the Buddha's time, people consumed milk in five ways: as milk, cheese (curds), whey, butter, and cream. These are common food staples and well-needed nutrients, so they are not forbidden to Buddhists.
They can have pizza if pizza is given as an offering to Buddha by Page 6 members of congregation. Nun #3 agreed that many of them like pizza. They preferred thin crust as thick crust can be too heavy. One of principle precepts in Buddhism is to do no harm.
Some Buddhist monks don't count cocoa as food so can eat dark chocolate even when they're fasting. Buddhists often don't drink alcohol.
The vegetarians say that ahimsa, or the yogic practice of nonviolence, prevents them from eating animals because it's violent to take the life of another living being. Vegetarians also say that meat-eating inhibits us from achieving deep states of meditation because it negatively affects the energy body.
There are many reasons people choose to eat plant-based diets full-time. The common perception in the Vietnamese community is vegan for spiritual and religious reasons. In the last 10 years with the growth of social media and the information age, the reasons to enjoy plant-centered diets have become more apparent.
Yoga is a lifestyle choice, and while many yogis choose to be vegetarians in compliance with ahimsa, again—this is a choice. Every person is different and every person can interpret ideology in his or her own ways.