法苑珠林 93.56

93.56

又鴦掘魔經云。文殊師利白佛言。世尊。因如來藏故諸佛不食肉耶。佛言。如是一切眾生無始生死。死生輪轉。無非父母兄弟姊妹。猶如伎兒變易無常。自肉他肉則是一肉。是故諸佛悉不食肉。復告文殊。一切眾生界我界即是一界。所食之肉即是一肉。是故諸佛悉不食肉。佛告文殊。若自死牛。牛主持皮。用作革屣。施持戒人。為應受不。若不受者。是比丘法。若受者非慈悲。然不破戒。以從展轉離殺因緣故也。

Furthermore, the Aṅgulimālīya-sūtra states: 'Mañjuśrī addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honored One, is it because of the tathāgatagarbha that the Buddhas do not eat meat?" The Buddha said: "It is so. In the beginningless saṃsāra of all sentient beings, revolving through death and birth, there are none who have not been one's father, mother, elder brother, younger brother, elder sister, or younger sister; like performers, they transform impermanently. One's own flesh and the flesh of another are just one flesh; therefore the Buddhas all do not eat meat." He further addressed Mañjuśrī: "The realm of all sentient beings and my realm are just one realm; the meat that is eaten is just one meat. Therefore the Buddhas all do not eat meat." The Buddha addressed Mañjuśrī: "If an ox dies of itself, and the ox's owner takes its hide to make leather shoes and donates them to a person who observes the precepts, should they be accepted or not? If they are not accepted, that is the rule of a bhikṣu. If they are accepted, it is not loving-kindness and compassion; yet it does not break the precepts, because it is step by step removed from the causes and conditions of killing."'