About eating meat

As long as you're alive, it's probably impossible to live without sacrificing other creatures, even if you don't eat them.
When the houses and roads we live in were built, there are probably countless insects and earthworms that we unknowingly killed.
If you have children, there's no reason not to use mosquito coils, etc.
Animals were probably sacrificed when making leather goods and silk products.

If you don't like that, you must graduate because you are a living creature, that is, free yourself from repeated reincarnations.
To do that, we must overcome all kinds of worries, get rid of our attachment to life, and enter nirvana silence (nehanjakujo).

Anyway, in everyday life, it is better to stop intentionally killing yourself as much as possible, and it is an ascetic practice to get rid of worries.
If you buy meat that has already been killed and eat it, you don't need to worry too much about it because it seems that even the Buddha ate meat dishes when they were offered them.
As for milk, it was originally meant for calves to drink, and I think it is an ingredient that Buddhists appreciate in that they can get protein without killing them.

The Buddha did not prohibit carnivorous eating. It is clearly stated in the oldest rule collection “Quartet Rules” that “the prohibition of carnivorous eating is prohibited by Daibadatta (which corresponds to Judas in Christianity), and young monks are concerned about it, but it is a problem.”

Why didn't Buddha prohibit eating meat?

The answer is simple. This is because dualism, good or bad, is the cause of suffering. The questioner is addicted to the trap of suffering that gets stuck in a quagmire the more he thinks about it. What's more, this trap is troublesome because it even contains attractants that make people who are addicted to it feel like they are facing life.

Buddhism defines three causes of suffering. One is “ignorance” (ignorance) and “ignorance of truth such as the structure of suffering.”

Next is “craving,” that is, the “more more,” part of “I want more, I want more.” What's amazing about the Buddha here is that the heart that dislikes “I don't want it anymore, I don't like it anymore” is two sides of the same coin, and I saw through it that it causes just as much suffering. Eating meat itself is not wrong. Since they have a dualistic theory of extreme liking or extreme dislike of meat eating, they only stick to themselves as much as they become extreme.

The third cause of suffering is “taking” (shu). It's a heart that evaluates things and sifts through them.

The content of the question is “dislike eating meat” → “craving”, “clarifying right and wrong” → “taking,” etc., and the suffering system is operating at full capacity.

Life is life including food. Among them, no one can be saved by discussing and arguing about drawing the line between whether plant life is OK to eat, animal life is bad, or whales are bad because they are smart, but pigs are good because they are domestic animals while being born, and where to reject them. No one will be happy if we don't accept humans in their current form as a result of the history that has been piled up since the opening of space.

This is like a social illness in Japan as a whole now, but a heart directed towards rejection is not justice. Even if criticism is repeated over and over and progresses into a convenient world, criticism will turn people's hearts towards dissatisfaction, so in the end, they will become unhappy. This world is full of suffering (nothing goes the way you want it). It's okay if you're not convinced. It's fine if it doesn't have black and white. That's because it's like that. There is no choice but to get hungry and accept this completely painful world and decide to live and raise children. I would like children to teach such a “heart of acceptance.”

My name is Kameyama Junshi. I'm a Jodo Shinshu monk, and Jodo Shinshu monks are carnivores on a regular basis. This is because the monks of the Jodo Shinshu advocated that they are not monks and live in secular ways.

Now, we (even if we are vegetarians) are beings who can only live on other lives, our “own lives” standing on “the lives of others.” No one can escape this fact.

Also, I think “being grateful” for food is not forgiveness for killing life and eating, but rather an act of “facing oneself” for food. Through our appreciation for food, our self, which can only live on other lives, is highlighted. There is an erroneous devotion in the Jodo Shinshu sect called “unfounded prayer.” It is an erroneous way of thinking that “no matter how bad things are, they are forgiven by Amida Nyorai's original power.” If you really feel that you cannot be saved unless you rely on Amida Nyorai's original power (in other words, you are an afflicted person), then you probably don't think that you would like to do something bad about yourself. Don't capture this feeling of gratitude in vain.

Also, it is important to teach them how meat is placed on the table, and the root of that is definitely “this is how I receive my life so that I can live.” Don't forget that point of view. If you leave this point of view out, it's simply “poor animals.” It ended with, “Why is this happening?” I can't see the “relationship between life and food” and “the relationship between one's life and the lives of others.” And on top of that, I think it's up to you to decide whether to become a vegetarian or not.

Finally, I would like to introduce “Someday Cold Rain” by singer-songwriter Iruka. (Note that Iruka is a vegetarian.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLg8Qt-DdgM

“Cows, birds, and fish are for humans... I don't want to be a mom who says that. But I also grew up eating it, and I've even killed bugs.”

It's a song that makes me think about the inseparable relationship between one's own life and the lives of others, not limited to food.

“Words before meals”
I'm going to eat here
Tsutsumi the blessings of heaven and earth
Apologize for people's hard work

“Words after the meal”
I finished eating
rich in heart and full of strength
Onogatsumi ni isoshimi
I swear I'm thankful to you, I won't give you a lot of support

Regarding carnivorous food, as other monks have said,
I think it's better not to worry too much about it.
This is because people cannot live without sacrificing other lives at all.

Anyone can hit a pest unintentionally,
When walking on grass, etc., you may unknowingly trample on small insects, etc.
When growing vegetables, there are times when exterminating pests.

Plants also have life, so even if you are a vegetarian,
I am making up my own life by sacrificing some kind of life.

If so, I think it would be wise to eat meat in moderation so as not to be unbalanced in nutrition.
Even more so if you have growing children.

People are kept alive through all kinds of relationships.
Eating animal meat is one of the reasons for this.

How should I tell my kids about it?
It doesn't mean “if you're grateful, you can do whatever you want,”
As you can see in the “After-Meal Words” introduced earlier,
Thankfully, after receiving life,
All you have to do is “get sick and be thankful.”

“I don't think I and my life are worth as much as the lives of animals that have been sacrificed,”
As I said, I am the one who increases the value of my life.

What will I be able to accomplish in the future due to the relationship that gave me an important life?
Along with being grateful, it's about being aware of that.

There are times when you imagine that situation and empathize with it, and when it becomes a feeling on the side being eaten, it becomes unfortunate.
It's something that makes you suffer in your mind.
In terms of actual life, there must be a history where people have left such things and unwittingly given their lives.
Older brother Tori “Hey, Famikichi, it's dangerous to go over there.”
Little brother: “It's fine. Brother Kenta.”
Human: “Is this guy's turn today?”
My older brother Tori “That's cool! What are you going to do...! let go of it! FAMIYOSHI!”
Yotori “Brother Kenta!”
Human “take this guy too, K”
Little brother “That's cool! Stop it!”
Thus, the siblings were separated, and the older brother became the god of Kenta, and he became Famichiki. (crying)
When I think about the fact that there was such a drama about chicken meat being sold, I'm filled with a feeling of sorry. (T_T)
Now on to the next story...
True Plant Story
Mame-O “We've always been together.”
Mameko: “I'm happy. Mame-san ♡”
Human: “Today, this is it.”
Mame-O “What are you going to do...”
Mameko “Mame-san!”
Thus, Bean-Man is made into cotton tofu, and the beans next to it become miso, and the soybeans next to it become shoyu, and everyone later becomes light fried, tofu, cancer modoki, bean snacks, bean sprouts, edamame, soy milk, kinako, protein, etc., and they are carried all over our dining table, and not only animals have lives while entering someone's mouth and making them living beans for the eternal future of life on Earth as a whole That was it.
We are here because of that life. Both of us will give back this life, and someone else's life will continue to live for the future forever.
Please watch it without getting killed by the word “kill.”
If you don't receive another life, you will kill your own.
What do you think is a way to not kill yourself or kill animals or plants?
It's a way to live without being killed by one's own thoughts.
If you make use of things, they can live and be used.
My heart freezes, saying “I killed it” if it was used improperly.
Live by making the most of your life. Changing your life to LIVE is living.
If you want to learn about living Buddhism, go to Toyama Zazen Association.

It means don't kill uselessly
In other words
It means making the most of your life.

Humans eat cows and are cruel.
However, cows also eat grass, hide in grass
It's taking the lives of insects.
That bug is also ripping away weak bugs from their heads.

Life can only be supported by life.
then making use of lives that have been sacrificed
I thought it was a responsibility.
Live a healthy life and think about family happiness.
This is a way to return the favor.

Also, by making the most of people, if you can't make the most of yourself, it can be said that you are violating the commandment of murder.
It means identifying the characteristics of children, playing one's own role at home, and making use of it.