法苑珠林 93.50

93.50

第五明食肉之人。皆是過去曾作惡羅剎。由習氣故今故貪肉。是故不應食肉也。如彼經說。有諸眾生。過去曾修無量因緣。有微善根得聞我法。信心出家在我法中。過去曾作羅剎眷屬虎狼師子猫狸中生。雖在我法食肉餘習。見食肉者歡喜親近。入諸城邑聚落塔寺。飲酒食肉。以為歡樂。諸天下視猶如羅剎。爭噉死屍等無有異。而不自知已失我眾成羅剎眷屬。雖服袈裟𩮜除鬚髮。有命看見心生恐悑如畏羅剎。此明食肉皆是過去曾作羅剎師子虎狼猫狸中來。故應裁斷也。

The fifth clarifies that those who eat meat were all evil rākṣasas in the past; due to residual habit energy, they are still greedy for meat in the present; therefore one should not eat meat. As that sūtra states: "There are sentient beings who, having cultivated immeasurable conditions in the past, possess slight wholesome roots, get to hear my Dharma, and with faithful minds go forth into homelessness within my Dharma. In the past they were the retinue of rākṣasas, or born among tigers, wolves, lions, and cats. Although they are within my Dharma, their residual habits of eating meat remain; seeing those who eat meat, they delight in approaching them. Entering cities, towns, villages, stupas, and monasteries, they drink wine and eat meat, taking it as delight. The devas looking down see them as no different from rākṣasas squabbling to devour a dead corpse, yet they do not know that they have already fallen from my assembly and become the retinue of rākṣasas. Although they wear the kāṣāya and shave their hair and beards, living beings seeing them give rise to terror in their hearts, as if fearing rākṣasas." This clarifies that meat eaters have all come from having previously been rākṣasas, lions, tigers, wolves, or cats; therefore it should be strictly cut off.