乾县铁佛寺移动版

'Just as a mother would protect her one and only child even at the risk of her own life, even so, one should cultivate immeasurable love towards all beings in the world.' Sn.149

In Buddhism this 'immeasurable love' is called metta.

When we encounter someone suffering or distressed, the concern element of love becomes dominant and  manifests  itself  as  compassion.  Thus  compassion  is  the loving mind's way of relating to those who are suffering.

QUESTION:  I think that when you are kind and gentle people will walk all over you.

ANSWER: That is quite possible. But this can happen even if you are selfish and aggressive, because there will always be people who are even nastier than you are. There  are  no  guarantees.  However,  while  it  is  true  that  some  people  may  take advantage of your goodness, most people will appreciate you and treat you with respect. You will always have more friends and helpers than exploiters. Also, why should you allow yourself to become like the very people you do not like?

8. VEGETARIANISM

QUESTION: Buddhists should be vegetarians, shouldn't they?

ANSWER: Not necessarily. The Buddha was not a vegetarian, he did not teach his disciples to be vegetarian and even today there many good Buddhists who are not  vegetarians. In the Buddhist scriptures it says;

‘Being rough, pitiless, back-biting, harming one’s

friends, being heartless, arrogant and greedy – this

makes one impure, not the eating of meat.

Being of immoral conduct, refusing to repay debts,

cheating in business, causing divisions amongst

people - this makes one impure, not the eating of

meat.’ Sn.246-7

QUESTION: But if you eat meat you are responsible for animals being killed. Isn't that breaking the First Precept?

ANSWER: It is true that when you eat meat you are indirectly or partially responsible for killing a creature but the same is true when you eat vegetables. The farmer has to spray his crop with insecticides and poisons so that the vegetables arrive on your dinner plates without holes in them.  And once again, animals have been killed to provide the leather for your belt or handbag, the oil for the soap you use and a thousand other products as well. It is impossible to live without, in some way, being indirectly  responsible  for  the  death  of  some  other  beings.  This  is  yet  another example of the First Noble Truth: ordinary existence is suffering and unsatisfactory. When you take the First Precept, you try to avoid being directly responsible for killing beings.

QUESTION: Mahayana Buddhists don't eat meat.

ANSWER: That is not correct. Mahayana Buddhism in China laid great stress on being vegetarian but both the monks and lay people of the Mahayana tradition in Japan, Mongolia and Tibet usually eat meat. (责任编辑：admin)