Friday 26 December 2014

"How is your food?" "Not bad. I’m a vegetarian.’”


In the Food chapter of the upcoming book Shwe Lan Ga Lay, we take a look at some of the great Burmese meditation teachers and monks who abstained from meat.

While Sayagyi U Ba Khin ate fish and fowl during this life, he did take a temporary vow to abstain entirely from meat from Sayadaw U Tejawontha at Shwe Mok Htaw Pagoda in Pathein in the 1930s for a time. In addition to ensuring that his International Meditation Centre kitchen served only vegetarian food, he also prohibited the use of all pesticides and insecticides on center land. Although Maha Gandayone Sayadaw U Janaka sometimes ate meat, he proclaimed to prefer a vegetarian diet. The venerable monk also provided this memorable commentary indicating such preferences: “On 14 December 1977 I had another medical check-up and they said: ‘All’s well.’ If one asks ‘How is your food’ I would say ‘Not bad. I’m a vegetarian.’”

There are other highly respected monks of the past who were known to subsist on only one portion of simple vegetarian food daily. And the tradition continues today, as two of the most venerated contemporary monks are vegetarian: Yaw Sayadaw, the eldest living Tipiṭakadhara whose Dhamma talks are attended by large numbers, and Pa Auk Sayadaw, one of the most popular and revered meditation teacher. Sayagyi U Goenka, who passed away in 2013, was also a lifelong vegetarian. In his case, however, this was not due to any Burmese or Buddhist reason, but rather his Hindu family background. In fact, U Goenka oversaw the “vegetarian line” during the 1954-56 Buddhist Synod held at Kaba Aye Pagoda.


1 comment:

  1. My children (son and daughter) studied in the UK for about 6 years about the law but they are studied very hard and they passed the law as graduates of law, a law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities

    YIP KUM FOOK studied law but he didn't know the law, he only cheated but he studied law to cheat his friend, he was a lawyer but useless, maybe taken a legal certificate to show people only, many people suspect he did fake laws or lawyers pay money only

    Lawyers have to study full time according to my experience, not study part time, this is what my children tell me and the course fees are also very high. Yip, I've known you for a long time, DON'T CHEAT ON ME OKAY!

    Yip! You play the girl in front of me but I keep quiet because you are my best friend, now you forget me and cheat on me, as your character is like a ghost

    From, Mr. Lim Taman Desa Jaya, Kepong

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