Dhamma eating

Q. I’m a very spiritual person who enjoys eating meat. What will you say about that?

A. Actually, unless you ask me, I will say nothing. However, as you have asked, I will reply like this:

It depends how you understand the word ‘spiritual’.

There is a modern trend for a superficial spirituality that may make you feel comfortable and at ease simply because it offers no challenges to your existence. It’s just something else to add to your life as a new hobby or pass-time but has no real depth. It often based upon popular spiritual reading and may incorporate a new way of speaking and using terms that are assumed to be understood by everyone, but as with all language, how we understand each word or phrase is always unique and personal to ourselves.

Then there is a deeper spirituality that does involve a closer investigation of how we live and an examination of how the world works, and in your case, where meat comes from.

This may involve finding a new religion or social position to support our new views and can often be quite political. A sense of demonstrating to the world how right we are and how wrong everyone else is. it can happen that this person may become a political vegetarian or vegan, or anything else they have strong views about.

Then finally there is Dhamma.

Dhamma practice is the investigation into ourselves, to look at the true architect of our lives and the internal causes that promote a certain kind of habitual behaviour.

Here we speak about self-responsibility and the impact of following our desires and fears in our own life.

Now to respond more fully to your question:

We know where meat comes from, it’s not a secret. Only its processing is hidden from public view, and it is the same with all dairy produce. No animal graciously gives up its life to serve humans, as with everyone who believes in a paradise life after death does not rush toward it.

Animals are cruelly treated, beaten, tortured, forcefully inseminated, filled with steroids and antibiotics, and you know this. This is not a life we would wish upon ourselves, our children or any beings we felt close to.

You may not want to think about it, but because of the internet this is now revealed as fact and has become public knowledge. However, if you are comfortable with this, there is nothing I can say to change your mind. You can argue that animals were ‘put here’ for us to use as we like, and everything is acceptable so that I can eat their flesh. But is it? None of us live in isolation and everything we say or do has an impact on the world we are part of, but to understand this at the intuitive or heart level take a certain amount of honesty and bravery. To look at ourselves and accept the responsibility for what we contribute to the world. However, once we recognize these horrors of exploitation and the cruelty of the world, the loving heart simply says, stop! I no longer want to be a part of this, and so spontaneous deep-rooted changes take place.  It is not religious. It is not political. It is not social. It is love, pure and simple. But understanding the value of love and compassion for others is like a joke, you either get it or you don’t get it, but it can’t be explained. So, in the end, the world we experience is the one we create for ourselves moment after moment and every mind state we empower has a consequence. We can call ourselves spiritual or anything else, but for your own personal development, you may want to reflect on what you as an individual contribute to life? More fear or more love are the two choices. Therefore, the Dhamma teaching is always simple, live with love and be aware. In this way you will become a blessing to your own life and the lives of all the beings you share this planet with. 

All beings fear pain and death.
Remembering that we are one of them,
we will neither hurt nor kill.
(Dhammapada Vs 129)

May all beings be happy.