The back of the T-shirt worn by the guy in front of me as I waited in line at Chipotle carried one of Gandhi’s most well-known quotes: The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. I try not to be judgmental, but this guy’s… Continue reading Are Hypocrites Simply Stupid?
Category: Vegetarianism
The Pope Leans Toward Zen
For many years meat-eaters have tried to cure me of my vegetarian views by advising me that animals, unlike people, have no souls and therefore it is OK to kill and eat them. “God put them on this earth for us to eat. That’s what animals are for,” they conclude. Rational people, on the other… Continue reading The Pope Leans Toward Zen
Greed, Zen and the First Paramita
When preparing to write on a Buddhist topic, I first read what others have to say on the subject. Then I try to find something original to say that might be eye-opening and helpful to a reader. I found one of the clearest, well-written discussions ever on the six paramitas while preparing to write this… Continue reading Greed, Zen and the First Paramita
Zen And Eating Meat
Becoming a vegetarian is the single most effective thing that a single individual can do to inhibit global warming. It dwarfs the impact of switching light bulbs from incandescent to fluorescent or LEDs, driving more fuel efficient or electric cars, using Energy Star appliances, putting solar panels on our roofs, and so on. Some researchers… Continue reading Zen And Eating Meat
The First Precept of Zen
The first precept of Buddhism, the one that drives many people away from Zen practice because they can’t keep it, is a call for not killing. It doesn’t say not to kill people. It says not to kill, period. See The Lankavatara Sutra. Following a precept results in a calm, soothed mind. The average vegetarian… Continue reading The First Precept of Zen
Meat, Murder, Tofu And Zen
The first fold of the Eightfold Path, Right View, is sometimes translated as Right Understanding and is explained by many commentators to mean that one has Right Understanding if one understands the Four Noble Truths. But that common explanation doesn’t jive with the Buddha’s words. He said the first fold of the Eightfold Path was… Continue reading Meat, Murder, Tofu And Zen
Zen Precepts: Black or White?
I had the misfortune of taking a tour of a Buddhist temple in Orlando today. It was a spur of the moment tour, taken only because the tour group passed by us and a lady who worked at the temple suggested we (my wife and I) join it. The man leading the tour, which was apparently over,… Continue reading Zen Precepts: Black or White?
Zen Practice And Indoor Pets
I attended a meditation retreat in the late 1980s in southern Missouri with about 500 people. It was by far the largest group I had ever sat with and the effect was palpable. There were times when everyone would go into a deep meditation at the same time; it could be felt. I recall an occasion when… Continue reading Zen Practice And Indoor Pets
Are Zen Buddhists Vegetarians?
I know self-proclaimed Buddhists who brag that they eat meat because they have transcended all notions of right and wrong and are no longer concerned about trivial issues such as eating veggies or the dead bodies of slaughtered animals. They proclaim that only the unenlightened care about such a non-issue. “Grow up,” they tell me. “It’s… Continue reading Are Zen Buddhists Vegetarians?
Zen, the Sniper and Jesus
In the spring of 2009, I saw a pickup truck with “My boss is a Jewish carpenter” on one bumper and “This vehicle will be unoccupied in case of Rapture” on the other. Centered on the glass behind the passenger compartment was the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor (the logo of the Marines), under which appeared… Continue reading Zen, the Sniper and Jesus