The weariness of Samsara

[Ensapa]

I found a story that I have read long ago, when I was a little boy on the weariness of Samsara, and also why we should be vegetarian and I thought it would be nice to share with everyone here.

The Horror of Taking Lives and Eating Meat

--by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua

The mere use of such names as "vegetarian chicken" and "vegetarian duck" plants seeds of defilement.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty, when Buddhism flourished in China, people would always invite monks to recite Sutras at weddings and funerals. Times have changed, and now monks are invited to recite Sutras only at funerals. No one asks them to recite Sutras at weddings or baby showers. Actually, this is wrong. Whether it is an occasion for rejoicing or mourning, left­home people should be asked to recite Sutras and transfer the merit, on the one hand to save the deceased, and on the other to increase the blessings of the living.

During Emperor Wu's time, there was a high monk called the Venerable Zhi. Having attained the Five Eyes and the Six Spiritual Penetrations, he could clearly discern causes and effects. One time, a rich man asked him to recite Sutras at a wedding. Upon entering the house, he sighed and said:

How strange! How very strange indeed!
The grandson marries the grandmother.
The daughter is eating her mother's flesh,
And the son is beating on a drum stretched with his father's skin.
Pigs and sheep are sitting on the couch,
And the six kinds of relatives are cooking in the pots.
People have come to offer congratulations,
But I see that it is truly suffering!

What does this mean? The grandson marries the grandmother. Would you say this is strange or not? Right before she died, the grandmother of the family had held her grandson's hand, not being able to part with him. She said, "You all have your own families, but this little grandson of mine has no one to take care of him. Ah! What is there to be done?" Then she died.

When she arrived at King Yama's court, King Yama gave her the following verdict, "Since you love your grandson so much, you might as well go back to be his wife and take care of him." And so the grandmother was reborn as her grandson's future wife. The workings of the law of cause and effect in this world can be quite frightening.

The daughter is eating her mother's flesh. Outside the house, a girl was eating a pig's foot with great relish, not realizing that the pig had been her mother in its previous life. And the son is beating on a drum stretched with his father's skin. Venera­ble Zhi then took a look at the musicians who were beating drums and blowing on their trumpets and flutes. What excitement! One man was banging away vigorously on a drum stretched with mulehide, not knowing that the mule had been his father in a previous life.

Venerable Zhi looked at the people sitting on the couch and said: Pigs and sheep are sitting on the couch. Then he looked in the pots and said: And the six kinds of relatives are cooking in the pots. All the former pigs and sheep that had been slaugh­tered before were now getting even and eating the people who had eaten them before! The six kinds of relatives who had eaten those pigs and sheep were now being chopped up and cooked in the pots to pay off their debts.

People have come to offer congratulations, / But I see that it is truly suffering! Everyone thought it was a happy occasion, but the Venerable Zhi only sighed and said, "This is really suffering!" People take suffering to be joy!

After hearing this story you should understand the horror of killing and eating meat. Let us look at the Chinese character for meat .

Two people are inside the character for meat.
The person inside is linked to the one outside.
Living beings eat the flesh of living beings.
If you really think about it, it is people eating people.

Thus it is best to be vegetarian. However, we shouldn't use names such as "vegetarian chicken," "vegetarian duck," and "vegetarian abalone" for vegetarian dishes. If we are vegetarians, why can't we forget about meat? The mere use

of such names plants seeds of defilement. Vegetarian dishes shouldn't be called by non?vegetarian names.

Some people who came to the City of Ten Thousand Bud­dhas this time have vowed to become lifelong vegetarians. This is a very good thing, because this way one severs unwholesome affinities with living beings in the six paths. If you don't eat them, they won't eat you; if you don't kill them, they won't kill you. The cycle of karmic retribution will thus be purified.

"What benefits are there in being vegetarian?" someone asked.

I said, "There aren't any. You're taking a loss while you're alive." Because vegetarian food isn't as tasty as meat, you take a loss by being vegetarian during your life. However, if you don't keep a vegetarian diet, then you will take a loss after death. It's like a scale. You have to figure out for yourself which side is heavier and which is lighter.

Why will you take a loss after death if you eat meat? Well, your body is composed of the foods you eat. If you eat vegetables, you will smell like vegetables; if you eat onions, you'll smell like onions; drink milk, and you'll smell like milk; eat cheese, and you'll smell like cheese. If you eat some garlic, your breath will smell of garlic. The things you eat become part of your body. If you eat a lot of a certain thing, your body will become very similar to it. Therefore, if you eat a lot of pork, you will become a pig. Eat a lot of beef, an you will become a cow. This accords with science and logic. The meat you eat incorporates with your body, and after you die you turn into that kind of animal. If you smell like a pig, for instance, after you die King Yama takes a sniff and says, "You smelly thing, you should be reborn as a pig." The same goes for sheep, cows, chicken, and dogs. That's what I mean by being cheated after death.

You can investigate this carefully. Why does a butcher of pigs have eyes resembling those of a pig? It's because he had been slaughtered as a pig many times in the past, and now he has come to seek revenge. Although he is human, his eyes are those of a pig. Cattle butchers have the eyes of a cow. The law of cause and effect is never off. There is a verse:

For hundreds of thousands of years,
The stew in the pot has boiled up
A resentment very hard to level.
If you want to know why
There are wars in the world,
Just listen to the haunting cries that come
From a slaughterhouse at midnight.

The grief and hatred brewed up in a pot of meat stew is as deep as the ocean. It could never be fully described. The wars and massacres in the world are brought about by the convergence of the evil karma of living beings, causing beings to undergo retribution at the same time. If you listen carefully to the cries of misery coming from a slaughter­house in the middle of the night, you will realize the horror of the ceaseless killing that goes on in there.

Scientists have discovered that people who eat a great deal of meat tend to get cancer. This is because the resentful energy in the bodies of slaughtered animals accumulates in the bodies of those who eat meat and eventually turns into a harmful toxin. We should cut off this relationship of causes and effects with animals and stop the vicious cycle of creating offenses against cows, sheep, chickens, and other animals. Then we will gradually be able to lessen the inauspicious energy in the world.

At the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, we want to uphold the Proper Dharma and avert the crisis of killing in the world. We want to slowly and imperceptibly avert this disaster. Therefore we advocate: not killing, not stealing, not engaging in sexual misconduct, not lying, not drinking, and not taking drugs. At the very least, we should observe the Five Precepts and maintain our purity in that regard. Since you have come to this treasure mountain, don't leave empty handed!

A talk given on November 20, 1979.

[kris]

When we become vegetarian, we should refrain from thinking we are still eating meat, just like what is given in the talk. As Buddhist, we should become vegetarian for the motivation of not making other beings suffer and taking lives away from them.

However, I do agree that such food as "vegetarian chicken" etc is not pure evil. Many people nowadays has certain believes about becoming vegetarian, and food such as "vegetarian chicken" can let me taste what it is like to be vegetarian, and that vegetarian can be tasty and filling too.

I have brought many fiends to some nice vegetarian restaurant, and many of them said, "if vegetarian can taste this nice, I can be vegetarian everyday".

I do believe "vegetarian chicken" has its benefits, and after people become more open about vegetarian, we can talk to them more about motivation of not harming others.

[Dorje Pakmo]

Thus it is best to be vegetarian. However, we shouldn't use names such as "vegetarian chicken," "vegetarian duck," and "vegetarian abalone" for vegetarian dishes. If we are vegetarians, why can't we forget about meat? The mere use

of such names plants seeds of defilement. Vegetarian dishes shouldn't be called by non?vegetarian names.

I agree with the statement above, however, it really depends on where and to whom these terms (vegetarian chicken/duck/abalone/sharks fin etc. etc..) are used. Yes, it pretty much spoil the whole purpose of going vegetarian if one keeps thinking about meat while eating vegetarian meal, but if in a society where meat is and always have been part of the daily food intake. Then to use such terms, although it spoils the purpose slightly, but in order to slowly wean meat eaters off meat, then I personally think it is ok.

Like what Kris have said. 

I do believe "vegetarian chicken" has its benefits, and after people become more open about vegetarian, we can talk to them more about motivation of not harming others.

I believe every small steps count. Lets start by eating "vegetarian chicken" first. When one has gotten so used to vegetarian meals and know how to maintain a healthy vegetarian diet. Then the "vegetarian chicken", becomes just a label. I mean, automatically the person who have changed his mindset will not even think about "vegetarian chicken"  as chicken anymore. Because if one have set his/her mind to not have meat anymore out of compassion. Then one will definitely not look and think of vegetables that look like chicken to be chicken anymore (I am just using chicken as a reference to all meat). It just becomes, succulent, delicious healthy and full of nutrient vegetables

And Kris, not nice to refer to meat eater friends as fiends.

I have brought many fiends to some nice vegetarian restaurant, and many of them said, "if vegetarian can taste this nice, I can be vegetarian everyday".

Just kidding...

[Tenzin K]

There are several reasons why being a vegetarian results in good karma.  First, it is saving a life.  That counts as real good karma.  Remember, you get rewarded or punished according to your deeds.  Saving a life generates a pretty big reward.  It could very well be the reason why someone "miraculously" survives a devastating accident.  Karma doesn't count a rabbit as less than a human (so slow down on that back country road at night).  A life saved is a life saved.

Now, we all know that in the animal kingdom, animals survive by eating other animals.  Or rather, animals with sharp teeth and claws survive by eating animals with dull teeth.  That's the way they do it.  Lions live in prides, but they don't have a neighborhood farmer's market where they can get some tomatoes, a head of lettuce, and a bag of apples.  Humans, on the other hand, have the option of avoiding meat.  A diet of broccoli, spinach, tofu, and other vitamin-rich plants can provide more than enough of the same essential vitamins and minerals (and none of the animal fat) humans need to live well.  Plus, you're saving a life.  Henrietta Hen doesn't have to get plucked and have her head chopped off for that bucket of KFC chicken.  Paulette, that cute little pig that has the intelligence of a small child, doesn't get turned into bacon or ham.  Even if you're not an animal rights person, it's obvious that every animal wants to live.  Eating meat violates that most basic of survival instincts for the sake of a full stomach.  Sounds kind of selfish, doesn't it?

[RedLantern]

One should not judge the purity or impurity of man simply by observing what he eats.
The Buddha said;  'Neither meat,nor fasting,nor nakedness,
                              Nor shaven heads,nor matted hair,nor dirt,
                              Nor rough skins, nor fire worshipping,
                              Nor all the penances here in this world,
                              Nor hymns,nor oblation,nor sacrifice,
                              Nor feasts for the season,
                              Will purify a man overcome with doubt,'
Buddha advised not to involved in killing intentionally or not ask others to kill any living beings.Those who take vegetable food and abstain from animal flesh are praiseworthy.
Anybody who thinks that people cannot have a healthy life without taking fish and meat are incorrect as there are millions of pure vegetarians all over the world who are stronger and healthier than meat eaters.
If one craves after any kind of food,or kills to satisfy his greed for meat,this is wrong.

[bambi]

Thank you for the great teachings! It's just amazing how karma works!

There was this friend of mine who asked me why are there vegetarian dishes that have names like chicken, mutton, fish and so on. What's the point of being vegetarian if the dishes are named like that? I simply told her that you can't have 100 types of dishes with only 1 name. Naming the dishes with names like chicken, mutton, etc. is so that it is easier to order and easier to understand.
I am not a fan of Chinese vegetarian dishes anyway. I'd rather go for organic food.

Being vegetarian may not be only for religious purposes. I also have friends who are vegans and vegetarians because of health issues.

[Ensapa]

When we become vegetarian, we should refrain from thinking we are still eating meat, just like what is given in the talk. As Buddhist, we should become vegetarian for the motivation of not making other beings suffer and taking lives away from them.

However, I do agree that such food as "vegetarian chicken" etc is not pure evil. Many people nowadays has certain believes about becoming vegetarian, and food such as "vegetarian chicken" can let me taste what it is like to be vegetarian, and that vegetarian can be tasty and filling too.

I have brought many fiends to some nice vegetarian restaurant, and many of them said, "if vegetarian can taste this nice, I can be vegetarian everyday".

I do believe "vegetarian chicken" has its benefits, and after people become more open about vegetarian, we can talk to them more about motivation of not harming others.

Personally, I think that if we want to go vegetarian we shouldnt be attached to meat anymore. To call those flour and gluten based foods as chicken or fish are merely labels, but it also puts negative reinforcements in our minds that we are eating the flesh of animals. And how can we be vegetarian if we rejoice in eating the meat of others? Then might as well dont be vegetarian if we rejoice in eating the meat of animals. As for me, personally im not a fan of mock meats as those are not natural foods for the body and can cause a disturbance in digestion.

[sonamdhargey]

Well I think the motivation of being a vegetarian is upmost importance, and the dishes are named after the animal or not is not important as long as our motivation is not craving for that particular meat, to practice non killing and non eating meat to generate compassion towards the animals is key to our practice for being a successful pure vegetarian.

[Midakpa]

The scene related by the Venerable Zhi at the wedding is similar to the one Shariputra saw:

"He eats his father's flesh and hits his mother.
The enemy he killed sits on his knee.
A wife gnaws her husband's bones.
Samsara can be such a farce!"

This shows that there is no certainty in Samsara. As long as we remain in Samsara, we have not transcended suffering. Friends, enemies, parents, and so forth, change places. What Shariputra saw was the results of the karma of a family. The father used to eat fish from a pool behind the house. When he died, he was reborn as a fish in the pool. The mother was attached to the house and was reborn as the family's dog. The son's enemy had been killed for raping the son's wife and because the enemy was attached to the wife, he was born as her son. The son caught the fish, his father, and killed it. While he ate the meat, the dog, his mother, ate the fishbones and was beaten by her son. His own son, the enemy, was sitting on his knee.

The story is about the uncertainty of Samsara and how things can change from moment to moment.

How is this related to vegetariansm? Here, the only example we can use is the father who was reborn as a fish because he used to kill the fishes from the pool behind his house. Will the son be reborn as a fish because he killed the fish who was his father? Maybe. In Ensapa's story there are more examples to illustrate that one can be reborn as a pig, a cow or a sheep if one kills these animals for food. It's karma. Therefore, one should not kill animals intentionally if we don't want to be reborn as an animal. So it is better to be a vegetarian to avoid killing and the danger of taking rebirth in the animal realm.

[vajrastorm]

We eat our relatives and closed ones as food because we do not recognize that they have been our loved ones before. How sad.We wearily circle samsara, being born human and then as animals and other beings, like hungry ghosts. In some rare rebirth, we may be born as a god. But then we will fritter away that life chasing after the objects of our craving and clinging , and when it's too late, we regret it , but are on our way to the hell realm.

Samsara is an illusion and a deception. As we circle samsara, and go from one rebirth to another in a cycle that never has an ending, we grow weary because there is no end to the suffering. Death never brings an end to our suffering as suicide cases and cases of euthanasia falsely lull themselves into believing.With death in this life, we continue our never ending journey into future lives. As long as we are governed by our karma and delusions, we will continue to circle in Samsara, which is in the nature of suffering.