Letters to the editor

As far as I am aware, a majority of Sri Lankan Buddhist monks consume flesh. Any monk invited to an alms-giving (dana) at the home of a Buddhist knows that in almost all the cases, the dayakaya will offer food that the monk would like to eat.

A majority of dayakayas usually ask the monk or his ‘abithhaya’ (attendant) or people known to the monk as to what kind of food the monk normally eats, so that the dayakaya can avoid giving food that does not agree with him physically or spiritually.

As all the monks to whom we give alms happen to be vegetarians, this problem does not arise in our case.

During the days of the Buddha, the would-be donors of meals to Buddha often consulted Ven. Ananda Thera who was his chief attendant.

When we serve food at alms-givings the monks who don’t like any item offered to them have a pleasant manner in which they say, ‘No’ without uttering a single word.

More and more monks especially those living in hermitages do not consume any flesh (meat and fish) including Maldive fish or eggs because that kind of food rouses their passions and are not conducive to their spiritual upliftment. Monks who preach the Dhamma can in no way accept flesh for food without going into a stage of mental conflict with Ahimsa.

As far as I am aware Anepidu Situthuma, Buddha’s chief dayakaya, who offered alms to Buddha and thousands of monks when Buddha was staying at the Jethavanaramaya temple for about 25 years, never offered fish and meat.

Even before Buddha’s time various religions in India condemned flesh eating as it is not conducive to spiritual progress.

The Encyclopedia of Buddhism points out that in China and Japan eating meat was looked upon as an evil act. No meat was brought to temples and monasteries. Meat-eating was taboo in Japan until the middle of the 19th century and people avoided giving alms to flesh-eating monks.

Dr. Kashaliya Walli in her well-known book ‘Conception of Ahimsa in Indian Thought’ says meat which can never be obtained without injuring sentient beings, is detrimental to heavenly bliss and, therefore, one should shun meat-eating.

He who permits the slaughter of animals, he who cuts up, kills, buys, sells, serves it up and eats, is a slayer of animals. Meat cannot be obtained from straw or stone. It can be obtained only by slaughtering a creature; hence meat is not to be eaten.

I know instances where monks or their attendants inform the dayakayas that they eat meat and fish and indirectly request them to serve chicken.

These flesh-eating monks quote the Jeewaka sutra when they want to eat meat. However, it is common knowledge that a majority of Sri Lankan Buddhists have much respect for vegetarian monks.

Buddhism is a religion to be practised and the monks who preach the Dhamma should also practise the Dhamma.

If the Sangha as a group launches a drive for vegetarianism it would save a large number of animals from slaughter. The Sangha should show the way and the laymen, at least a good proportion of them, will follow the good example set by the monks.