The offeror accepts whatever it offers, and there is no room for pickiness.
When Buddhism appeared in India, Buddhists did not have special dietary habits and regulations, because India is a country with universal religious beliefs. Anyone with religious beliefs must have similar dietary concepts.Therefore, Buddhists in the primitive era and even monks and nuns lived a food life of begging along the door, which was called "one bowl of thousands of family meals";They do not choose begging objects, nor do they have the so-called clean or unclean, sacred or unsacred dietary taboos, in order to make equal and good relationships.To date, the Buddhist areas of Theravada in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, etc. still retain the ancient style of the time, that is, the offerors accept whatever they offer, and there is no room for choice or pickiness. As long as they are not killed for some beggars, they will not refuse even fish and other foods. This is why Hinayana Buddhism does not stipulate that vegetarian food is necessary.
Vegetarianism is emphasized and encouraged by Buddhism. If it can be done, it is based on a compassionate position, not for the sake of health and economics of modern people.In fact, eating meat is both harmful to compassion and does harm health. Therefore, Mahayana sutras such as the Brahma Net Sutra and the Shurangama Sutra emphasize vegetarianism and strictly prohibit meat.
As for meat and fish, there should be differences. The so-called "meat dishes" refer to vegetables with a foul smell, such as garlic, onion, phytonu, garlic, etc.The "Lingyun Sutra" says: Eating raw meat dishes causes anger, and eating cooked food helps lust.In the precepts of monks, it is stipulated that you must live alone after eating meat dishes, or sit several steps away from others, and sit at the disadvantage of others, or you must rinse your mouth until there is no foul smell.This is mainly to avoid disturbing the public, so no meat is allowed.Moreover, before chanting the scriptures, in order not to make the ghosts and gods who listen to the scriptures become angry and greedy, it is best not to eat meat dishes.The so-called "fishy" refers to meat.Chili pepper, pepper, five-spice, star anise, Chinese toon, fennel, cinnamon, etc. are all spices, not meat dishes, and are not limited to precepts.
As for not being allowed to drink, it is a characteristic of Buddhists in India. Other religions not only do not quit drinking, but even believe that alcohol can help the gods.Originally, winemaking does not require killing, and it can be a type of medicine and should not be listed as a religious taboo;However, because Buddhism values wisdom, if you drink too much, it is easy to get confused, and there are not many people who can control themselves after drinking without becoming confused. Therefore, in order to maintain regular soberness and facilitate diligent practice, especially to achieve the purpose of practicing meditation, you must quit drinking.As for the general public, if Confucius said, "If you can't drink enough to mess up", it will be injustice.Therefore, if you take the Five Precepts but cannot quit drinking, you can also give up the precept of alcohol or not take this precept of alcohol, and you will still be a disciple of the Three Jewels.
If you use wine as a seasoning for dishes, if you no longer smell alcohol and lose your intoxicating power, it should not be limited to the alcohol refrain.Therefore, the emerging religion in China - the so-called Principles and Buddhism also quit drinking;When wine is necessary, vinegar is used instead of cooking seasonings, for example, vinegar is used instead of cooking seasonings, because the vinegar is no longer of wine at this time.
If you enter a meat restaurant or stay at home, some of your family eat vegetarian food and some eat meat. It is ideal to be able to use two different cooking utensils and food utensils.Because the smell of meat and vegetables is different, the feelings for dieters are different. For the sake of habit, it is necessary to keep it clean.However, after the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism, Master Huineng, was enlightened and passed down in the hunter team, only ate meat and vegetables while avoiding vegetables and meat.Not eating meat is to compassion for all living beings, and eating vegetables is to survive. Therefore, it is not unacceptable to use meat-eating cooking utensils to cook vegetarian food under conditions that are not allowed to be forced by living conditions.
The concept of tobacco and narcotics can be prescribed by a doctor due to illness;Not only smoking, but even alcohol, is not considered a violation of the precepts when you have to use it.Of course, we cannot use the treatment of diseases and want to drink cigarettes and narcotics.Smoking is to prevent miasma. In areas where miasma occurs and spreads, monks can smoke in moderation;Otherwise, for the sake of majesty, you should quit.If you smoke for reasons such as stimulation, hobbies, boredom, etc., then you will not be allowed by the Buddha's precepts.In the tropical southern regions, chewing betel nut is also to prevent respiratory organ infection;However, without treating the disease, it becomes a bad habit of losing prestige and damaging the image.
Tobacco and betel nut are not essential foods in the diet. Use less to the human body to cure diseases. If you use more, it will be harmful or not.For example: alcohol overdose is poisoned;Nicotine from cigarettes damages the lungs and qi and is the cause of cancer;The liquid of betel nut is harmful to the health of the teeth and corrodes the enamel. It is best not to use it for Buddhists to avoid it.
As for eggs, they should be fishy because they can hatch and become chicks, and their taste is fishy. If you are purified and clean, it is best not to eat them.Although the eggs produced in chicken farms are asexual now, the ones purchased in the consumer market are inanimate;But it is obviously not a plant. From the standpoint of killing, eating sexless eggs is not considered a violation of the precept and does not harm compassion. If it is vegetarian, it should be avoided.
Best, for dairy products, they are not meat or fishy food, because cattle and sheep eat grass and grains, and the milk produced does not contain fishy smell.Drinking milk neither kills animals nor hinders the breeding of calves and lambs. It is raised by humans and controlled the production of milk, and will not affect the growth and development of young children. Therefore, in the Buddha's era, milk was widely consumed, and dairy products were divided into five levels: milk, cheese, raw crispy, cooked crispy, and dinosaur. It is a daily food and a necessary nutritional product, and is not included in the forbidden precepts.
