VII. VEGETARIANISM IN RELIGION
In religion, vegetarianism is even more important, because it avoids killing, which is a forbidden law in religion.
God and Buddha are life loving and respect for life (Đức Háo Sanh), not willing to sit and watch humans harm the lives of living beings for the sake of delicacies. Although animals cannot speak, they also know the desire to live and fear death like humans, they also know pain, joy and sorrow like humans, and they also know love and compassion like humans. They also share the same spark of life from the Creator as humans. Therefore, a living being is a life. How can we bear to harm its life for the sake of our taste?
Master Mengzi said: “A gentleman, in regards to animals, seeing them alive cannot bear to see them die, hearing their cries cannot bear to eat their flesh.”
Let’s look at a cow being led to the slaughterhouse, its face is still gloomy, its eyes are still filled with tears, because it knows that they are leading it to be butchered. Because it cannot resist the brutal butcher, it has to force itself to die. If only it could speak, oh! How many tragic stories, how many accusations of cruelty.
In the sutra: “Lão nhơn đắc ngộ”, there is a poem about not killing as follows:
“Thiên bá niên lai, hoản lý canh,
Oan thâm tợ hải, hận nan bình.
Yếu tri thế thượng đao binh kiếp,
Ðang thính đồ môn, bán dạ thinh”.
TRANSLATION
Centuries have passed in the cycle of reincarnation,
Enmity deep as the sea, hatred hard to quell.
To understand the karmic cycle of war and violence in the world,
Listen to the midnight sound in the slaughtered house.
The Way of Heaven prioritizes the soul over the body. Cultivators must refine their souls to be pure and light, so that when they leave their bodies, they can ascend to the realm of utmost peace and happiness. To achieve a light and pure soul, one must first maintain a pure physical body. To maintain a pure physical body, one must nourish it with light and pure substances. What are light and pure substances? They are plant-based foods, in other words, vegetarian food. Vegetarian food is yang, and by absorbing the yang energy of the sun, it is both nutritious and pure. Non-vegetarian food is yin, and is a heavy and impure substance of blood and flesh.
The Way of Heaven teaches reincarnation: Although we are human in this life, who knows if we were not an animal in a previous life? Humans and animals share the same origin, and as such, how can we bear to eat each other?
In conclusion, the Three Teachings (Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism) all emphasize the importance of vegetarianism.
Regarding the practice of vegetarianism for spiritual cultivation, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Being, and the Founder of the Cao Dai Religion in the South, gave the following teachings through spirit writing on the 8th day of the 6th month of the year Binh Dan:
“Disciples must practice vegetarianism and abstinence. Why is this? It is not that I still follow the Old Law, but that this law is very precious and cannot be neglected if one wants to become an Immortal or a Buddha. I will explain:
Every mortal in this world has two bodies: one physical body and one spiritual body. The spiritual body comes from the physical body, so it is called semi-formless, because it can be seen and also not seen. This invisible, mysterious, and sacred body is formed from the essence, energy, and spirit. It is lighter than air. When it leaves the physical body, it takes the form of the physical body as a mold. If one attains the Way but has essence and energy without spirit, one cannot enter and live forever. If one has spirit but not essence and energy, it is difficult to return to the Two Bodies. Therefore, these three treasures must be combined to be successful.”
It is still a physical substance, that is, it is compatible with the Primordial Air, and within the Primordial Air there is always electric light.
The True Spirit must be diligent and pure in order to be lighter than air and leave the Universe. It must have the original essence of the Supreme Saint, the Supreme Immortal, and the Supreme Buddha in order to become a Saint, an Immortal, or a Buddha.
One must have a pure physical body in order to manifest a pure True Spirit.
If you still eat meat, even if you have some spiritual experiences while cultivating, how can you dissolve them?
If you are lucky enough to return to the second body, when you attain the Way, that impure energy will still be present. And impure energy is a material conductor of electricity, so before you can escape the atmosphere, you will be struck by lightning and destroyed. If you are wise, you will hide in the world and become a “Human Immortal”, but your karmic cycle of reincarnation will not be over yet.
Therefore, I require you to practice veganism in order to cultivate the Way.
Many wealthy families slaughter pigs and cows to offer to their deceased ancestors. By doing so, they not only commit the sin of killing, but their deceased ancestors also commit the sin of being involved with them. I would like to borrow the following story of Mr. Mạnh Quốc Thoại to add to the end of the Amitabha Sutra for those who have not read it yet. The story is as follows:
Mr. Tôn Hành Giả (not the Great Sage) was about to die and he told his wife and children: “Do not offer me anything. If anyone eats the offerings, they will be committing the sin of killing and harming lives.” His wife and children said: “We are wealthy. If we do not offer you anything, people will criticize us for being stingy. They will not think about the love between husband and wife, or between father and children. If you are afraid that killing is a sin, then can we offer vegetarian food?” He said: “Yes, even a banana or a plum offered with sincerity is a valuable expression of love.” For three years, they followed his instructions.
**The following year, his wife thought that they should slaughter pigs and cows. First, they would offer them to him. Then, they would repay those who had helped them and show their love for their friends. They would not have to worry about offering anything. So, his wife killed pigs and cows. Immediately, King Yama summoned Mr. Tôn Hành Giả (because he was virtuous, his soul was allowed to go to heaven). He told him that his wife and children had killed and harmed lives to offer to him. He instructed him to stay and guard their vengeful souls. They had not yet reached the time to be called back. Without bodies to enter, they would cause harm if they were allowed to wander freely. Mr. Tôn Hành Giả told King Yama: “When I was about to die, I told my wife and children not to offer me anything.” The King said: “If your wife and children kill and eat the animals, then they will be the ones who bear the sin. However, if they kill animals to offer to you, then you will be the one who bears the sin. This is the karmic retribution of causing others to sin.” Mr. Tôn Hành Giả said: “I beg Your Majesty to let me go back and talk to my wife and children.” The King agreed. Mr. Tôn Hành Giả transformed himself into a twelve-year-old boy and rode a buffalo home to see the preparations for the offering. When he reached the gate, he got off the buffalo and tied it up there. He went into the house alone. Suddenly, the buffalo outside the gate died. The people who saw it called out to him and said: “Your buffalo is dead. Go and tell your master.” He went and picked a handful of grass and said: “Buffalo, buffalo, get up and eat.” The people saw this and scolded him for being crazy. He asked: “Who is crazier? My buffalo just died and its body is still lying here, but I am feeding it grass. You call me crazy. But Mr. Tôn Hành Giả has been dead for more than three years and his body has been buried. What can he eat or drink? The owner of the house offered pigs and cows to him and committed a sin. So, who is crazier?” Hearing these words, everyone was terrified. They asked him how to make Mr. Tôn Hành Giả free from sin. He replied: “You must bury the pigs and cows that have been slaughtered and invite a priest to perform a ceremony of deliverance for their souls.” After saying that, he disappeared along with the buffalo.
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*(1) This Nôm poem was originally written by Mr. Trần Phong Sắc (Tân An).
*(2) Corporel refers to the physical body.
*(3) Spirituel refers to the spirit, which is invisible, inaudible, and intangible.
*(4) To return to the Nhị xác thân, or the second body.