presentation on how veganism relates to Buddhist Dharma from a medical nutrition and mindfulness perspective

1. Animals and the Dharma
Dharma Voices for Animals
Ashwani Garg, MD
lifestyle medicine/integrative family physician

2. Mindfulness Exercise
• What do you see?

3. Mindfulness Exercise
• What do you see?
• Do you just see a lotus flower?

4. Mindfulness Exercise
• What do you see?
• Do you just see a lotus flower?
• Or do you see the rays of sun that gave
photons of energy to nourish the
leaves?
• Do you see the drops of rain that
nourished the roots?
• Do you see the mud at the bottom,
yesterday’s trash that became the inputs
of this holy and beautiful flower?

5. What do you see?

6. What do you see?

7. What do you see?

8. Mindfulness of Eating
There is a long process from start
to finish from birth to death of the
animal that involved cruelty
* What was life like for animal?
* What was death like for animal?
* Did animal get to fulfill its full
potential, and live a long, happy
life? Or was it just an illusion on a
package?
Photo Credit: PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)

9. Are animals sentient?
“In every country in the world,
killing human beings is
condemned. The Buddhist
precept of non-killing extends
even further, to include all living
beings.”
–Thich Nhat Hanh, Interbeing
(1987, Parallax Press)
Photo Credit: Jonathan Moreau, flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathan_moreau/7504171684

10. Photo Credit: Mindah Lee Kumar, The Enthusiastic Buddhist

11. Carnism
• Carnism is an invisible belief system that
conditions people to eat certain animals.
• We use defense mechanism that block our
natural empathy
• Animal agriculture and slaughter are often
kept hidden and out of sight; advertising
often depicts scenes that don’t reflect
reality
Melanie Joy, Beyond Carnism – Carnism.Org

12. Right Livelihood – are we supporting it?
• A lay follower should not engage in five types of business. Which five?
• Business in weapons,
• business in human beings,
• business in meat
• business in intoxicants
• and business in poison.
Vanijja Sutta: Business (Wrong Livelihood) Anguttara Nikaya 5.177

13. Story of Ajahn Chah (Thai Buddhist Monk)
• Fisherman’s sole source of livelihood was fishing
• “I have to support my family – what will I do if I don’t
fish, I don’t know anything else?!”
• “Fish less. Only enough to feed your family” and in
the mean time, Ajahn Chah taught him how to use
herbal medicine – so that by the end, this man total
did away with fishing altogether and started treating
people with herbal medicine and was able to live off
that.

14. Why vegan and not just vegetarian?
“…we should eat and drink in such a way that can preserve
compassion in our heart.
We should consume in such a way that helps reduces the
suffering of living beings
And that way we can preserve compassion in our heart.
A person who does not have much compassion in his heart can
not be a happy person anymore.
So, to be vegan is not perfect, but it helps reduce the suffering of
animals.”
-Thich Nhat Hanh (“Thay”)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDMwYC9qZ-w

15. Karaniya Metta Sutta
“Just as with her own life a mother shields
from hurt her own son, her only child,
Let all-embracing thoughts For all beings be
yours.”
Mâtâ yathâ niyam puttam – âyusâ êka putta manu
rakkhe,
Êvampi sabba bhûtêsu – mânasam bhâvayê
aparimânam.

16. What if we don’t “see, hear or suspect”
the animal was killed for us?
“Do not eat meat knowing that it has been killed
specially for (your) use; I allow the use of fish and
meat blameless in three ways, unseen, unheard and
unsuspected”
–Jīvaka Sūtra, Rule of Tikotiparisuddha (Pure in
Three Ways)
This was intended for Bhikkus on alms rounds,
who needed a doorway to spread the Dharma.

17. If we keep consuming,
they keep producing.
“The chicken in the market or the cheeseburger in the restaurant was not ordered
specifically for us; it’s already there. This obviously does not apply to our situation,
however, for as soon as we order… the inventory in the market or restaurant is
depleted and the next morning, because of our purchase, an order will be placed
for another dead chicken or another cheese burger, and animals will be
transported and killed to provide it—specifically because of us.” –Dr. Will Tuttle

18. MAJJHIMA NIKAYA 55 : JIVAKA SUTTA
WHAT ELSE DID THE BUDDHA SAY
ABOUT EATING MEAT ?
The Buddha said: ‘Jīvaka, whoever destroys living things on account of the Tathāgatha
or the disciples of the Tathāgatha, accumulate much demerit on five instances:
- If he said, go bring that living thing of such name. In this first instance he
accumulates much demerit.
- If that living thing is pulled along, tied, with pain at the throat, feeling displeased and
unpleasant. In this second instance he accumulates much demerit.
- If it was said, go kill that animal. In this third instance he accumulates much demerit.
- When killing if that animal feels displeased and unpleasant. In this fourth instance
he accumulates, much demerit.
- When the Tathāgatha or a disciple of the Tathāgatha tastes that unsuitable food. In
this fifth instance he accumulates much demerit.

19. Right Mindfulness
Greed, craving and desire to eat meat is a defilement.
To eat meat without considering where it came from is not right mindfulness.
We should place kindness and compassion first and let go of our craving for
eating meat.
As a medical doctor, I can say without hesitation that there is no medical
condition which would necessitate the eating of meat. We have enough
knowledge today to recommend a plant-based eating plan for everyone.

20. Every day, we make a choice what to eat and on living beings’ lives. It’s up to us to choose.

21. Loving-Kindness (Metta)
• May I be free from inner and outer harm and danger.
• May I be safe and protected.
• May I be free of mental suffering or distress.
• May I be happy.
• May I be free of physical pain and suffering.
• May I be healthy and strong.
• May I be able to live in this world happily, peacefully, joyfully, with ease.
• May YOU be free from suffering…
• May all beings, everywhere be free from suffering…

22. Metta Chant: Let whatever beings that move on earth, water, and air be free from suffering…

23. Is eating “plants only” healthy?
Statement by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:
It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that appropriately planned vegetarian, including
vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and
treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy,
lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and for athletes. Plant-based diets are more environmentally
sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with much less
environmental damage. Vegetarians and vegans are at reduced risk of certain health conditions, including ischemic heart
disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer, and obesity… Vegans need reliable sources of vitamin
B-12
https://jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(16)31192-3/abstract

24. Nutrients: Plant vs Animal food
Plant and Animal-Based Foods (Per 500 Calories of Energy)

25. 1. USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/.
2. Holden JM, Eldridge AL, Beecher GR, et al. “Carotenoid content of U.S.
foods: an update of the database.” J. Food Comp. Anal. 12 (1999):
169–196.
3. The exact food listings in the database were: Ground Beef, 80% lean
meat/20% fat, raw; Pork,fresh, ground, raw; Chicken, broilers or fryers,
meat and skin, raw; Milk, dry, whole; Spinach,raw; Tomatoes, red, ripe,
raw, year-round average; Lima Beans, large, mature seeds, raw;
Peas,green, raw; Potatoes, russet, flesh and skin, raw.
Nutrient Composition
Previous Slide References
nutritionstudies.org

26. Animal Proteins Tend to:
-Elevate Cholesterol
-Promote Heart Disease
-Increase osteoporosis
-Increase growth hormones / accelerate cancer cell growth
-Associated with Alzheimer’s, gout, kidney stones, gout, chronic
kidney disease, autoimmune diseases, and many others.

27. Plant Proteins Have
Opposite Effect:
nutritionstudies.org
A plant-based diet with adequate variety of foods and enough calories will have enough protein
It’s not protein alone we need to worry about, but many, many other nutrients
(vitamins/minerals/phytonutrients/antioxidants)

28. Fruits
Credit: EatToBeat.Org

29. Vegetables
Credit: EatToBeat.Org

30. Legumes, nuts, seeds, grains
Credit: EatToBeat.Org

31. Herbs/spices
Credit: EatToBeat.Org

32. Other lifestyle factors
(from a Buddhist perspective)
• Feet - physical activity, strength, stretching
• Forks - plant-based diet (1st precept)
• Fingers – no smoking/drinking (5th precept)
• Sleep – at least 6-7 hours/night – self care/loving-kindness
• Stress – mindfulness in everyday life / meditation practice
• Love – cultivate loving-kindness for self and others, abide by the 3rd precept
Dr. David Katz, https://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-katz-md/healthy-lifestyle_b_884062.html

33. Thich Nhat Hanh, Blue Cliff Letter
As a spiritual family and a human family, we can all help avert climate change with the
practice of mindful eating. Going vegetarian may be the most effective way to stop climate
change. Being vegetarian is already enough to save the world. – from Thich Nhat Hanh’s
2007 “Blue Cliff Letter”
We can eat in such a way that “stops
contributing to climate change, and heals and
preserves our precious planet”

34. Benefits of following Dhamma
(from Chinese Buddhism)
The One who follows dhamma teachings will have 3 benefits:
(1) fragrance of right behavior and exemplary conduct will be
felt by others throught the world, pleasing everyone who
comes into contact with him/her.
(2) he/she will have the most restful and peaceful sleep, free
from shame, regret, guilt and worry.
(3) he/she will have a long and healthy life in body and mind

35. Call to Action
The Buddha taught the way out of personal
suffering
Should we knowingly cause more suffering
to other living beings or ignore their
suffering?
We can control what we eat, wear and use
in our daily lives and this is where we can
do the most harm or good.

36. Is “veganism” a new idea?
“Animals are not ours to eat,
wear, experiment on, use for
entertainment, or abuse in any
other way”
-Ingrid Newkirk

37. Reducing Suffering
Let us support the right livelihood of
those who do good in the world and not
support the Wrong Livelihood of those
who cause harm to living beings.
The path to Enlightenment is an ethical
one and working every day to reducing
suffering of human AND nonhuman
beings is along that path. Kuan Yin or Avalokiteshvara
(Boddhisattva of Compassion)

38. Buddhist Emperor
Dharma Ashoka (India)

39. References for more information
• DharmaVoicesForAnimals.Org (Twitter @DharmaVoices, Facebook)
• Movie: Animals and the Buddha (free viewing on YouTube)
Suggested Reading (from Enthusiastic Buddhist Minda Lee Kumar):
• To Eat Or Not To Eat Meat is a comprehensive piece of writing by Venerable S. Dhammika that examines what the
Buddha said about eating meat and how it relates to the wider framework of the Buddha’s teachings.
• Bhikkhu Sujato, Why Buddhists Should be Vegetarian, examines how Buddha’s teachings might be applied today.
• Do We Have A Choice?, a little book put together by Chan Kah Yein. In her third chapter she presents some
interesting comparisons between us and carnivores and considers whether humans have naturally evolved to
become carnivores or omnivores.
• Taking A Stand, Venerable Abhinaya tells us in less than six pages why we shouldn’t fall for the age-old excuses for
eating meat which are often expounded by followers of the Theravada tradition in particular.
• Roshi Philip Kapleau, To Cherish All Life, where he talks about his own journey into vegetarianism after questioning
the meat-eating habits of the Japanese Zen Buddhists. Of particular interest to some people may be page 92
onwards which explores the feared protein or other deficiencies we might experience on a vegetarian diet.
• Also see Easy Vegetarian Meals for Aspiring Vegetarian Buddhists
• www.internationalvegan.org (resources on veganism) www.NutritionStudies.Org (nutrition resources)
• WWW.CPBNM.ORG (Chicagoland support group for plant-based eating)
• www.PCRM.ORG – many resources on the science behind plant-based eating
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