________________
JAINISM AND BUDDHISM
I did not find in these Pali books the quotations explicitly prohibiting the taking of flesh.
The Life of the Buddha " by Edward J. Thomas,
246
66
1927.
On page 129 there is the following statement :
"As meat-eating was made an ethical question, the ritual aspect ceased to have a meaning for the Buddhist. Hence the practice was not in itself condemned, but only in so far as the partaker was in some way contributory to killing or giving pain. This position is stated most clearly in the Jivaka Sutta (M. N. 1. 368). Jivaka told Buddha that he had heard that people killed living things intending them for Buddha, and that he ate the meat prepared on that account. He asked if such persons were truth-speakers and did not accuse the Lord falsely. Buddha replied that it was not true, but that in three cases meat must not be eaten: if it has been seen, heard, or suspected that it was intended for the person. If a monk who practises the brahma-vihara of love accepts an invitation in a village, he does not think, "verily this house-holder is providing me with excellent food; may he provide me with excellent food in the future." He eats the food without being fettered and infatuated. "What do you think, Jivaka, does the monk at that time think of injury to himself, to others, or to both ?" "Certainly not, Lord." Does not a
The famous physician of Bimbisara and Ajatasattu.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
