(Photo by Chen Ya Yin)
Someone asked Master Cheng Yen, “Do we go vegetarian to show that we love animals?”
The Master answered:
The purpose of adopting a vegetarian diet in Buddhism is not about showing our love for animals; rather, it is meant to purify our body and mind. We adopt a vegetarian diet to abstain from slaughtering animals, as we know that all living beings fear death as we do, and that is how we preserve our compassion.
Moreover, it is very bad for our health if we accidentally ingested sick animals. Therefore, going vegetarian is for our health and the purification of the mind.
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