Originally Posted by Austin
Phylum Bigots!!!

If vegetarians knew what really lived in the soil, they would cry everytime a seed was thrust into the ground.

I am serious.

I certainly cannot speak for all vegetarians. But I think many Buddhists (regardless of whether vegetarian or not) are quite mindful of the lives of sacrificed so that we can eat. That is what I was getting at when I said

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I think regardless of whether one eats meat or not, the true spirit of Buddhism is to be appreciative of the lives that are sacrificed to make our meals possible.


This certainly includes the insects, worms, and other organisms in the soil, as well as the plants themselves.

Shinran sent some beets with his servant on her day off to give her parents. When she returned she said that her parents thanked Shinran for the beets. Shinran was confused and said, "don't thank me; they should thank the beets!"

The Jainists are much more into avoiding taking life than the Buddhists. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism