Buddhism and Vegetarianism

Introduction & Sutras | Tantras | Other texts

The earliest Buddhist texts are clear about the fact that avoiding eating our fellow sentient beings is conducive to walking the Buddhist path. Later Mahayana sutras and tantras strongly go against eating our fellow sentient beings.*

Sutras on refraining from eating meat quoted by Shabkar:

Angulimaliya Sutra

Lankavatara Sutra (see below as well)

Mahaparinirvana Sutra (also no fish - see below as well)

Saddharmasmrityupasthana Sutra

Sutra Describing Karmic Cause and Effect (also no fish)

Vinaya-Sutra

Mahayana Sutras on refraining from eating meat from other sources:

Brahma Net Sutra - Brahmajala Sutra (also no fish)

Jivaka Sutra

Kandaraka Sutra (don't be a butcher, fowler, traper of wild, or fisherman)

Lankavatara Sutra Chapter 8 as transl. by W. Bagley [download PDF - 300 KB]

Lankavatara Sutra Chapter 8 as transl. by D.T. Suzuki [download PDF - 119 KB]

Maharinirvana Sutra (also no fish) [download PDF - 5 MB]

Maharinirvana Sutra - Lobsa slideshow (also no fish)

Sanghata Sutra

Surangama Sutra

Pali Sutras on refraining from harming and/or from causing to harm

Brahmajala Sutra (The Buddha does not eat - stored up - meat)

Sutta-Nipata (refraining from causing others to kill)

* This does not mean that to walk the Buddhist path one has to be vegetarian or vegan first. Also Buddha did allow monks and nuns who were going on a daily begging round, to eat meat under specific circumstances for various practical reasons relevant at his time. See also "Quit, I Am Meditating!".