Yes and no. Whether
eating meat is right, wrong, good or bad has been a long and interesting
debate among Buddhists scholars. Many lay Buddhists eat meat and many
do not. Strict Buddhists followers such as the monks and nuns generally
do not.
However, it is
recorded that the Buddha did eat some meat. As a monk it is customary
to accept any alms food that is offered. On the other hand, the doctrine
also indicates never to kill another being and this includes animals.
It is believed that during the Buddha's time that it would have been
nearly impossible to employ a rule of no-meat eating. So he began
to employ other rules such as not eating animal meat that was 'specifically'
killed/made for you, no human meat and of course one of the precepts
which is never to take the life of another being. Keeping in mind
of that precept many Buddhists choose not to eat meat.
Some Buddhists
followers will avoid pork or beef. Many believe that it was poisoned
pork meat that brought the Buddha to the end of his phyical life.
Thus many choose to avoid that meat, out of respect. But the food
that brought on that event is also in debate. Some scholars believe
that it could have been poisonous mushrooms, bamboo shoots, etc. or
in general improperly prepared food (or ingredients) by a layman.
It's important
to keep in mind that many medical texts nowaday assert the eating
too much meat is simply not healthy and puts a strain on the body.
Additionally, raising herds of animals takes away land, space, food
and other resources that could otherwise be used for humans; not to
mention the inhumane treatment of animals in, for example, factory
farms. Moreover the waste created by large number of farm animals
has been known to contaminate ground water across many communities.
And of course many diseases are being borne out of those industries,
mostly notably the "mad cow" disease. Also, because many animals such
as cows are given hormones, there are traces of those compounds found
in milk and other cow/beef products. For all these reasons and more,
is why it is a responsible and logical (albeit, a very Buddhist way
of thinking) to reduce or, if you desire, eliminate meat eating in
your diet.
Though of course
there are some health benefits to eating it. I think we simply have
to take a chapter from the Buddha's teachings and that is to do things
in moderation - meat eating included.
