Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c12.s2.21

v2.c12.s2.21

Vegetarianism is also an integral part of the practice of self-cultivation and well-being both in India and China. It was promoted by Buddhists' emphasis on ahimsa (ie respect for all living things and avoidance of violence). Chinese Buddhists were not completely prohibited from consuming meat, but they also advocated vegetarianism. Many Zen Buddhists practiced vegetarianism at the time of chanting the scriptures. Emperor Liang Wudi (502-549 CE) believed in Buddhism and strongly promoted vegetarianism through his edicts on "Discard Meat and Wine Culture". This prohibited consumption of meat and wine for monks and nuns. This not only later established the practice of vegetarianism among them but also gradually affected the non-Buddhist community in China and promoted a distinctly vegetarian Chinese culinary culture.