諸經要集 17.47

17.47

First, regarding the actual harm: according to the sūtras, a person who eats meat has ten kinds of faults. First, explaining that all sentient beings since beginningless time have all been one's own relatives, so it is improper to eat meat. Thus the Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra says: "I observe that sentient beings transmigrate in the five destinies, together in saṃsāra giving birth to one another, mutually becoming parents, brothers, and sisters, whether male or female, maternal and paternal, inner and outer relatives and kin; or born in other destinies, whether good destinies or evil destinies, always becoming kin. Due to these causes and conditions, I observe sentient beings: in mutually devouring flesh, there are none who are not relatives. From savoring the taste of meat, they devour one another in turn, constantly giving rise to harmful thoughts, increasing painful karma, drifting in saṃsāra without being able to escape. When the Buddha spoke this, all the evil rākṣasas, hearing what the Buddha said, all abandoned their evil minds, ceased and did not eat meat, and mutually exhorted one another to generate the mind of a bodhisattva, protecting the life of sentient beings and also protecting themselves, shunning all meat and not eating it. Weeping tears of grief, they addressed the Buddha, saying: 'World-Honoured One, having heard the Buddha's explanation, we closely observe the six destinies: the meat we have eaten is entirely our relatives. We now know that meat-eating sentient beings are our great enemies, severing the seed of great maitrī, increasing unwholesome karma, being the root of great suffering. From this day forward, we abstain and do not eat meat, and our kin will likewise not be permitted to eat it. If there are disciples of the Tathāgata who do not eat meat, we shall day and night approach and protect them; if they eat meat, we shall bring great harm to them.' Mahāmati! When the evil rākṣasa ghosts who constantly eat meat heard what I said, they still generated the mind of maitrī and abandoned meat without eating it; how much less should my disciples who practice wholesome dharmas be permitted to eat meat! If one eats meat, know that he is indeed the great enemy of sentient beings, severing my noble lineage. Mahāmati! If my disciples, hearing what I have said, do not closely observe it and eat meat, know that they are indeed of the caṇḍāla lineage, not my disciples, and I am not their teacher."