meat eating

I see a lot of question on Reddit asking if people can be meat eaters and be a Buddhist, so when I read this I thought it discussed the topic interestingly:

"The Buddhist Sangha generally prohibits meat-eating and Xu-yun introduced rigorous reforms in the Chinese monasteries when and where he found meat-eating going on. Consequently, he was shocked to discover that it is fairly common for Tibetan Buddhists to eat meat as a matter of course. The Tibetan climate and terrain does not readily yield up vegetable crops and cereals are often scarce. Thus, out of sheer necessary, the Tibetan monks often live on meat. Barley and millet are sometimes available, but rarely in quantities sufficient to meet all needs. Having said that, Xu-yun was a strict vegetarian through his stay in Tibet and obviously found sufficient food to sustain himself. Strangely enough, the Vinaya code does not explicitly rule out meat-eating, largely because monks are supposed to beg or eat what their patrons offer. In China, the Vinaya code is linked with the Brahmajala-sutra, which does rule out meat eating, like the Lankavatara Sutra. Thus, in China, the Precepts do explicitly prohibit meat-eating."

(Footnote 26 in Charles Luk translation of Empty Cloud: : The Autobiography of the Chinese Zen Master Xu Yun, p. 56)

I thought I wrote an eloquent articulation of the opportunity the discipline of vegetarian and vegan presented to Buddhists, but I just got a snarky reply that if it was alright with me, because they had a nut allergy, they would eat meat. I didn't really feel like I was met with the energy I was putting into it, so I withdrew from the online discussion. 

I don't care if people eat meat, my point is the opportunity of plant based, vegetarian and vegan offer an opportunity in support of the gladdening. That most people I know on the path, evolve in that direction. There are all kinds of scenarios, and I have no problem with people listening to their bodies, or using a nut allergy to be omni. Even though I try to be vegan, I often lapse and not read ingredients, or choose to accept food that isn't vegan. I even sometimes choose not to be vegan. I cook a lot of vegan meals and go days and weeks being vegan, but I'm not perfect. 

The above quote doesn't make it a strict yes or no, in some places they find the struggle too much and retreat from dietary restrictions in favor of omnivore diet. That parallels my experience, but I kind of feel like convenience is mostly why I lapse, laziness. I could go hungry more often. I take vitamins and listen to my body, but I wonder if listening to my body is backsliding. I feel positively about the struggle to be better with my food intake, to push myself to improve the nutrition and avoidance of kindness.

Even though the answer is “it depends,” there needs to be discernment.

When Xu-yun become enlightened he composed the following gatha:

A cup fell to the ground

With a sound clearly heard.

As space was pulverized

The mad mind came to a stop.