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A Reader recently wrote:

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The Buddha did not advocate vegetarianism and was not a vegetarian.

I’m a vegetarian myself but eating meat is not breaking the first precept.

The Buddhist scriptures say “Being rough, pitiless, back-biting, harming ones friends, ‚Ä®being heartless, arrogant and greedy – ‚Ä®this makes one impure, not the eating of meat. ‚Ä®Being of immoral conduct, refusing to repay debts, ‚Ä®cheating in business, causing divisions amongst people – ‚Ä®This makes one impure, not the eating meat.” ‚Ä®Sn. 246-7

Some of the people that were not pleased with Buddhism’s middle way ‚Ä®desired that it be more strict with it’s monks, demanding that the ‚Ä®Buddha make vegetarianism required for monks and followers, but the ‚Ä®Buddha refused. The fact that you are eating meat or vegetables both ‚Ä®mean that you are responsible for the suffering of life which ties in ‚Ä®with the First Noble Truth. Suffering is unavoidable.

Therefore you 
can eat meat as long as you do not kill the animal itself. This is 
what I have learned from my studies in Buddhism.

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My Response

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You are absolutely correct in that Buddha did not require vegetarianism. According to at least some of the legends, he died from eating spoiled pork, so that’s pretty much the final word on that! However, many groups do feel that harming animals breaks the first precept.

In modern days, meat animals are raised under terrible living conditions. No one who does any research on the subject can possibly say that animals raised for meat don’t suffer their entire lives. Now I have never killed a cow or a chicken in my life, but to say I am not responsible for many animal deaths is just avoiding the truth. Every cheeseburger that I eat causes suffering somewhere. The belief in reincarnation only adds to the problem.

I will be honest; I love steak, chicken, turkey and all that. I realize it causes suffering, but I don’t stop. Does this hurt my karma? I cannot see how it couldn’t. This is something I know I need to work on.

Q&A #2

Please keep those questions coming in. I have gotten several good responses to yesterday’s question about vegetarianism. They’re very well thought out and worth discussion. Check the ‚Äúcomments‚Äù under yesterday’s posting: http://www.dailybuddhism.com/archives/59#comments

Add your thoughts to the ones posted if you have anything to add.

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A Reader recently wrote:

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Hi, and thanks for the podcast. I have found it to be very helpful to me. Please keep up the good work. Given that you are soliciting questions, I thought that I would offer one.

What do you believe is that best advice that an experienced practitioner would give to a westerner who is just beginning to make the true effort to turn philosophy into practice? It is so easy to either have overinflated ambitions or feel overwhelmed by the perceived difficulty in this transition.

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My response:

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This would be a good one for others to chime in on and give your opinions. In my own case, I would offer two thoughts that are easy to say, but not always so easy in practice.

The Buddha told us about his “path,” and we all know how the journey of a thousand miles begins, right? With a single step. Start small and build from there.

1. Pick one of the five precepts that you are weak on and aim to improve it. Sure, you’re supposed to be perfect in all five, but you have to start somewhere.

2. Start meditating. Coming from a Zen background, I would recommend doing zazen as described last week; those two links I provided will help you get started. If you need more help, I would recommend “Meditation for Dummies” which can be found at Amazon: http://astore.amazon.com/askdrarca-20/detail/0471777749/105-3033970-1707669

Meditate daily, and start emptying your mind of clutter. Start working on the precepts. Try to go through your daily life clearly and consciously, with your mind on the here and now.

I’m sure others will have much to add.

Q&A #3

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A Reader recently wrote:

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My wife, a devout catholic, asked me some interesting questions when i brought up reincarnation.

1. Can you do it right the 1st time and never come back to earth?

2. Are there new people comming into the cycle or are all spirits recycled from past lives?

I couldn’t answer. please help.

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My Response:

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1. Can you do it once perfectly?

I suppose it’s technically possible, but as far as I am aware, no one, not even the original Buddha has done it. Some people might say it’s just not possible to accumulate enough positive karma to make it in one go-round, but how could anyone really know that? I’ll say yes, it could be done, but it’s ultra-super-unlikely.

2. Are there new souls coming into existence?

Much of the confusion about this topic comes from our translation of “reincarnation” and “souls.” The Eastern way of looking at these two things are not quite the same as our thinking in the West.

Actually “reincarnation” isn’t precisely the right word; Buddhists prefer the term “rebirth.” I haven’t really looked this up, and I don’t remember the question coming up before, so this answer is just my opinion on it, but I do not think that there are new souls coming into existence. Logically, where would they come from? I’d love to hear other’s thoughts on this.

“Soul” really isn’t exactly the right word for what Buddhists have anyway. Here’s a link that might clarify that:

http://www.esalenctr.org/display/confpage.cfm?confid=9&pageid=96&pgtype=1

Buddhists often use the analogy of a flame being passed from a burning candle to an unlit candle. It’s not the same fire, but it also is the same in some ways. It’s complex, that’s a certainty.

Q&A #4

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A Reader recently wrote:

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My name is Brian as well, and I recently joined your site, and subscribed to your podcast also. I have just recently become interested in Buddhism, and find the information invaluable.

I have been soaking up info from as many different sites, reading groups and podcasts as I can. I stumbled onto your show from searching in iTunes, and am very pleased with what I have heard so far. I found your website from there.

My first question is: By daily mails, do you mean weekday? or including weekends? I’m only curious because I am eager to learn as much as I can, and was happy to see my first email arrive this morning, Monday.

My other question is regarding the free e-book you offer on your website’s join page. Is this offer still available? I’m sure it would prove an invaluable source in my quest for knowledge. If it isn’t, can you suggest where I might be able to find this book? Is it in print, as well as available electronically?

Thanks for any attention and time you can afford my questions, and I look forward to learning with you, via your emails and podcasts.

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My Response:

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Thanks for the note, I always like hearing from readers/listeners.

The emails are usually just weekdays. Most of the time there are five a week, but once in a while I get busy ad miss a day. If you want to read all the “back issues” of the email, you can see them all on the http://www.dailybuddhism.com website, just look in the “archives” section.

The podcasts don’t have a fixed schedule; I record them whenever I’ve finished covering a subject in the daily mails. It usually works out to about one a week, but there’s no rule.

You can download the free “Essence of Buddhism” ebook at

http://www.arcanethings.com/the%20arcaneum/books/Essence_Of_Buddhism.pdf

Have a good read!

Q&A #5

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A Reader recently wrote:

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I’m not sure if this is the correct email address to ask a question but here goes…

How does someone who is trying to practice Buddhism handle disappointment? I understand the 4 Noble Truths regarding suffering but it seems like I can’t get past constant disappointment in my life. Are we supposed to quit having a desire for anything more in our lives to successfully attain Enlightment?

Thanks for your insight.

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My Response

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Yup, this is the right address for questions, comments, or anything else: dailybuddhism@gmail.com

Anyway, as we discussed way back in the beginning, the Four Noble Truths tell us that all suffering comes from ‚Äúdesire.‚Äù This is a little confusing, since if we didn’t have desires, nothing would ever happen; no one would have goals. That’s obviously not the way things are.

‚ÄúDesire,‚Äù from the Buddhist point of view, is more correctly translated as ‚Äúgrasping,‚Äù or an overly strong form of attachment and desire. Holding on to things that we know cannot last or being disappointed when things change are examples of this. Nothing is permanent and everything changes, there is just no way to avoid it, and hoping against hope that things won’t change is always doomed to failure.

You weren’t very specific in your description of your disappointment, so I will address the question as if you are disappointed in life in general. You are disappointed that your life/relationships/job/income/health/whatever isn’t what you want. Why? The world is what it is. In many cases, we assume that our lives will meet our expectations. Sometimes it happens, but quite often it doesn’t. But the ‚Äúgrasping‚Äù that causes suffering are not limited to just material goods. Sometimes clinging to internal expectations causes suffering in the form of disappointment.

This is one reason we say that Buddhists can ‚Äúshape reality.‚Äù You cannot change the world, but you can control your own outlook on the world. By realizing that you are too bound up in expectations (realistic or otherwise) you can start to live life in the real world, here and now, and not in some perfect world of your imagination. Your life may really suck, I don’t know; but it is your life to make of it what you want. Take control of your own outlook.

Look around you and realize that you are a part of the world. Things are the way they are and that is good. We can try to ease suffering of others and ourselves, but there are some things that we cannot change. It sounds somewhat stoic, but Buddhists are realists; they take the world as it is and work within it.

Q&A #6

This one is a follow-up to yesterday’s post on disappointment. I don’t usually re-post blog comments to the email, but I’d like to get this one out to a wider audience hoping for better suggestions.

And this is also a good time to point out that there are many comments and questions posted on the blog portion of the webpage that do not appear in the emails. Check out www.dailybuddhism.com and look at the “comments” section on the right-hand side of the page. Comment if you want.

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A Reader recently wrote:

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I understand that we can change our outlook on life and not let dissapointment bother us. But something I don’t understand is how this applies to others, just because some dissapointment doesn’t bother me should I still take responsibility for the attachment to those things of others? I am about to move from where I now live, I have moved from place to place my whole life so it doesn’t bother me much anymore anyway, but a friend of mine is saddened by my leaving, at moments like this what am I supposed to do? take responsibility for it and do something to stop it, or be fine with my friends suffering and move on anyway?

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My Response

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Wow, I’m in a very similar situation myself, and I know of no easy answer.

You aren’t personally suffering, but your leaving is causing suffering for others; a perfect Buddhist dilemma! I guess if it really comes down to it, we each make our own ‚Äúsuffering.‚Äù You are in control of your own suffering, and your friend is in control of his. You should do what you can to ease his/her suffering, but also keep in mind that everything changes; people will come into and out of your life. Don’t change your plans, do what you have to do, but also try to explain/teach/convince your friend that this is for the best and help them through their time of pain.

Yeah, I know that’s a pretty lame answer, but that’s all I’ve got. As I said, I am in the same position right now.

Anyone else have a better answer?

Q&A #10

Follow-up to “War”

I have more comments on yesterday’s War post. As expected, opinions are going both ways. I have two of them here for your consideration. I really don’t want to drag this topic out for too long in the emails, since I have a few older ones I need to cover soon. You can read the comments on War and make your own comments at the link below:

http://www.dailybuddhism.com/archives/68#comments

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A Reader recently wrote:

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“There is an account about a previous life of the Buddha, in which he was a navigator who went to sea with a group of five hundred people in search of a buried treasure. There was one man in this party who had very greedy thoughts and, in order to steal all the jewels for himself, was plotting to murder the five hundred. The bodhisattva (Shakyamuni Buddha in a previous life) was aware of this and thought that to let the situation develop was incorrect, as one man would kill five hundred. Therefore, he developed the very courageous thought to save the five hundred by killing this one man, willingly accepting upon himself the full responsibility of killing. If you are willing to accept having to be reborn in a hell in order to save others, you have a greatly courageous thought. Then you can engage in these acts, just as the Buddha himself did.

To protect your wife and child is a positive constructive act, but to harm the enemy is negative and destructive. You have to be willing to accept the consequences of both.”

Tsenzhab Serkong Rinpoche I, answering a similar question from one of his audience.

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And another Reader also wrote:

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Although I am deeply opposed to war, I am not advocating appeasement. It is often necessary to take a strong stand to counter unjust aggression… [But] war is violence and violence is unpredictable. Therefore, it is better to avoid it if possible and never to presume that we know beforehand whether the outcome of a particular war will be beneficial or not. The Dalai Lama

The taking of a human life is the ultimate wrong action no matter what path you chose. If it comes down to kill or be killed, I’m sorry to say your choice should be, death‚Ä®Just my interpretation of things; Mike.‚Ä®

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My Response

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I am not about to argue with the Dalai Lama or any Rinpoche. As I’ve said many times, Buddhism is very rational and considered, and practitioners are going to come to their own conclusions about these difficult topics. One Buddhist says ‚Äúthe good of the many outweighs ‚Ķ‚Äù and the other says, ‚Äúviolence is always bad‚Äù both are right from their own perspective. This openness to alternative viewpoints is (in my opinion) one of the most attractive traits of Buddhism over many other religions.

Q&A #11

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A Reader recently wrote:

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I was taught to meditate by my martial arts instructor many years ago. I meditate 4 times a week. I have never had a Buddhist instructor but listen to six Buddhist podcasts a week and read books dealing with Zen. I try to live my life by the Eightfold Path. Am I considered a Zen Buddhist if I am basically self-teaching myself?

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My Response

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I’d ask my Zen Master, but I don’t have one either. They’re bit hard to find here in Ohio.

🙂

A Zen “purist” would probably say no, you need a master to learn Zen, but I am not so sure that is really true. Remember, these old lineage traditions were mostly oral, passed down from generation to generation. With today’s literacy levels, modern multimedia materials, and such easy communication, things may be different today. You have more Buddhist material available at the touch of your fingers right this second than most monks could have ever hoped to access in their lifetimes. You also have the benefit of their distilled, cleaned-up and edited teachings to help you along the path.

Still, you and I have no individual master to teach us, and it is going to be an uphill battle because of that. Zen masters aren’t exactly common in this part of the world so we just have to do the best we can with what we have. I listen to several podcasts and read a lot as well, but I am in no way a master or even close to enlightenment. I have pretty serious university training on the subject, but I’ve never been a monk. I don’t even have a local sangha/church to attend around here. But Zen is my “flavor of choice” in Buddhism, and I do what I can to progress with it.

Will I achieve enlightenment on my own? Probably not, but it is theoretically possible, and at the very least I’ll be in a better position next time around.

If a real Zen Master wanders past your house, follow him, but it the meantime, keep up what you are doing.

Q&A #12

The Three Jewels include the Sangha

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A Reader recently wrote:

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Hi,‚Ä®I first wanted to thank you for your podcast, blog etc. I’ve just started listening etc. so you may have already covered this, but I thought I’d ask.‚Ä®How important is it to join with some kind of group/congregation/whatever within Buddhism? There are a few Buddhist centers in my area but I’m not so sure that I quite agree with what they teach. Should I join one anyway?

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My Response

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The technical term for what you are looking for is “sangha,” or “Buddhist community.”

Yet another of those many Buddhists “lists” is “The Three Jewels.” The three jewels are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. You look to the Buddha as a great teacher and role model. You look to the Dharma (written and oral teachings) for rules, inspiration, stories, and experiences. You look to the Sangha for support, learning, and fellowship. So the classical Buddhist answer is yes, you should join a group.

On the other hand, here in the West, it’s often hard to find a group that fits you well. I think I’ve said before that I don’t care for the only group around here, so I don’t have a group either. With all the material available to you in books, videos, podcasts, Internet and other forms of media, there are plenty of opportunities to learn on your own. Is that enough for you? I cannot answer that.

That being said, you mention that there are a few centers near you. I’d recommend going to one of them and see if they are a good fit for you. If one doesn’t suit you, try another. If they all seem incompatible, then you’re on your own. But I would definitely give them a chance, since the ‚Äúclassical‚Äù Buddhists strongly recommend all of the ‚ÄúThree Jewels.‚Äù