Buddhism and meat-eating

The first of the five basic precepts in Buddhism is, “To abstain from killing”. It is unqualified and therefore applies to all life.

The consumption of meat is made possible by killing. A person eating the flesh of an animal, which has been killed for the purpose of providing food, does so with the full knowledge that the killing has taken place. They are benefiting from the killing and are therefore party to it. They are as guilty as the one who carried out the killing. To suggest otherwise is self-denial, hypocrisy.

Given that the first issue in true Buddhism is self-assessment, self-denial does not even take the first step towards enlightenment. It is being dishonest with oneself.

Failing to be honest with oneself about oneself and breaking the first precept disqualifies a person from being a follower of the Buddha.

A saffron robe and meditation does not exonerate a person.

JC Wilcox