法苑珠林 93.38

93.38

Furthermore, the Nirvāṇa Sūtra states: "All sentient beings who smell the stench of meat are entirely terrified and give rise to thoughts of the fear of death. The classes of living beings that move in water, on land, or in the air, all abandon him and flee, all saying: 'This person is our enemy!' For this reason, bodhisattvas do not practice eating meat. To save sentient beings, they manifest eating meat; although they manifest eating it, in reality they do not eat it. But those sentient beings who cling to views do not understand the Tathāgata's intention in expediently speaking, and then dogmatically cling to the Vinaya's limited teachings, saying that the Buddha permitted eating the three kinds of pure meat, and also slander me by saying that the Tathāgata ate it himself. Those foolish people accumulate great sinful hindrances, falling for a long night into a place devoid of benefit, nor will they behold the worthy and noble disciples of the present or future, let alone the Buddhas and Tathāgatas. Mahāmati, things that the śrāvakas and others should always eat—such as rice, flour, oil, and honey—can produce pure livelihood. If hoarded against the Dharma or received against the Dharma, I say they are impure, and do not even permit them to be eaten; how much less do I permit eating the impurity of meat and blood? Not only does eating meat destroy the good and obstruct the Way, but even wrong livelihood and crooked flattery to seek one's own subsistence also obstruct the Way."