It is okay to just be vegetarian and not vegan?

Question: “I’m Buddhist and I come from a practicing Buddhist family. We don’t eat meat, but we consume animal products such as milk or eggs. Someone recently told me that that is bad, and that as a Buddhist, I should be eating vegan. Is it ok to just eat vegetarian but not vegan?”

It is very OK to just be vegetarian. Veganism is a fairly new concept and though it makes sense to a lot of people, Buddhists and non-Buddhists, it isn’t necessary. Buddhism does not protest that we have to be vegetarian. Vegetarianism in Buddhism only began when Buddhism started coming more often in China around the 2-5 century. The Buddha was never a vegetarian, he never said we have to be vegetarian. Because early Buddhism in China had to adapt to the local culture and religion to become successful, many Taoist/Daoist beliefs, traditions and terminology merged with early Buddhism, including vegetarianism, so (for the most part) that’s how that happened.

 

Smile and be well!

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox

Join other followers: