Question: are they vegetarian or vegan dishes? That is, you mention that they don't use animal products, including lard; if they don't use any at all in the preparation, including for instance eggs, beef broths, honey, etc. then they are in fact vegan.
- in that sense I believe they can be vegan dishes. I am not a buddhist myself, so I cannot confirm the answer. For example, some buddhists allow eggs in their diet, so some restaurant may prepare vegetarian or vegan dishes depending on the customer request.
Further question: so since Buddhists are opposed to the killing of animals, they are themselves vegans, aren't they? i.e. they don't eat animal products or use them in any other way, including to wear?
- Buddhism are practiced in many ways in China. Buddhist monks are vegan for sure. A friend of mine only removed beef from her diet as her pledge to the Buddha. She eats chicken and pork like everyone does.
- Oh. Well, vegans don't eat or use any animal products in any way.
Also, I think this article might be moved to Chinese Buddhist cuisine. Or maybe that will be corrected automatically with the new UseModWiki upload?
- Why should buddhist be capitalized?
- "Buddhist" is alwasy capitalized in English.
Buddhists aren't necessarily vegan: my understanding of the tradition is that they do not wish to cause pain, so they will not kill an animal for food, nor steal eggs or milk products; but some
will consume these things if they are given to them and would otherwise go to waste (the way an animal rights activist might wear leather--it's already too late for that cow--but never buy them) and some will also eat animals that have died naturally. American Buddhists generally are more lax; in fact, the Roshi under which I studied at the Mountain View Zen Center ate meat regularly (though most of the other students were vegetarian to one degree or another). But then Zen is kind of its own animal anyway. --
LDC
![[Home]](wikipedia.png)