If a monk is wearing a monk’s robe – which is very dignified and represents liberation, represents compassion – and just sits there munching, biting, gnawing, or chomping a chicken-person’s leg, then I would feel very put off. I saw it before in some Hinayana Buddhist country, and it was really a sight that I would not want to see again. At that time, I was still married, a householder. And then my husband and I traveled in many Asian Buddhist countries. He took me to those countries for vacation because he knew I was a devout Buddhist; in my house, we had an altar, with flowers and fruit for the Buddhas. And he even planted flowers and cut some for me to put on the altar for the Buddha. When he saw some flowers wither, he changed, and he planted some flowers in the outside garden for that purpose.
And now, some people argue that the Buddha had advised that the Buddhist followers could eat three types of animal-people meat that I have mentioned above. But later, the Buddha didn’t allow it anymore because the disciples had grown up. They should be used to the vegan diet, which is better, compassionate, and it’s befitting a benevolent person such as a monk. So even in some other sutra or maybe the same sutra, some monk asked Him what to do if when he went out for alms, some of the followers gave them animal-people meat with the rice or other vegetables. What to do? The Buddha said, “Take that meat part away and eat the rest.”
So overall, everywhere almost, the Buddha always advocated the compassionate diet, which is the vegan diet. Now even if the Buddha did not force you to eat vegan, or allowed you to eat the three kinds of animal-people meat, I would not want to. Why would we do that when we have plenty of food? Even nowadays, oh God, we could never eat all of the food that is produced. Not to mention about the no-pain food that I adhere to, but not often even. If you just can live with brown rice and sesame that would be also OK.
But you have to chew very well the brown rice and sesame powder while you have it in your mouth, until it almost becomes liquid, so that it’s just absorbed naturally. Because that’s the best way to eat brown rice and sesame. And you should not eat the rice piping hot, because it’s better for you to eat it cold. If you eat it between four degrees and 34 degrees Celsius, there is a chance that you might get some kind of bacteria growing on it, and then it might upset your stomach. So if you want to eat that type of food or any type of food with rice, with noodles, you should eat it very fresh, or wait until it’s cold from the refrigerator. Rice and noodles especially. It’s to be safe.
So I don’t think we should argue about eating animal-people meat or not eating animal-people meat, or the three kinds of “pure meat” or not. We should not, because to be a monk is really to be in a noble position, for me. And the example that you make by the way you live your life is enormous to the faithful. They copy you, they learn from you, because they respect you. So we would like to make a very, very noble example; a dignified example, befitting the representatives of the Buddhas, or/and the representatives of God Almighty on Earth.
Imagine how does it sound to you if you are a child of God – if you are representing God, if you are representing the Buddha – and yet you’re sitting there, showing that you care nothing about the suffering of another being, who was kicking, quacking or mooing yesterday, or a few hours before you chomped it down. It’s just normal common sense. For me. For you, of course, I think it may be the same; most of you are the same, except some new ones or some at a little lower level have less sensitive feelings.
But for me, even though there’s no-pain food, I myself cannot even personally pluck them to bring in and eat when they are still alive – in the garden, for example. If it’s already sold in the market, then I could, maybe. But even then, I don’t feel very good. I prefer not to eat them. I prefer just like brown rice and sesame; there is enough nutrition for me to do all my heavy work – mentally, intellectually, and all kinds of other aspects as well. But still, if I can live on just very simple food, then I would be very happy.
When the sesame seeds are ripe, the plants have already withered, similar to peanuts. When the nuts are ripe/ready, then the plants become withered and yellow or brown already, or almost no more leaves, no more life, when people pluck the peanuts – I saw it when I was in the countryside; my house was in the countryside, so I saw many things like that. Mostly it’s like that. The same with the rice – all the leaves become yellow; most of the leaves are already dying. After the rice plant gives birth to the rice, then the plants seem to wither and die. So for me, it seems OK to eat – just for example. Before, of course, I used to go out and pluck flowers and harvest vegetables and all kinds of things like that, feeling that I’m good, that I don’t eat animal-people meat, I don’t eat eggs, for example. But nowadays, I can’t even do that.
When I walk in the garden, I walk carefully, I don’t want to walk on the grass. I feel that it’s so insensitive to walk on something which is still alive. And I always apologize to the grass if I accidentally, unavoidably step on them. I apologize to all beings if I have to go near or it might cause them some fear or hurt or something. So, I cannot even pluck anything. I cannot even pluck a flower, pluck a fruit – nothing, anymore. And it just came automatically like that. As you become vegan, after some time, you just don’t want to hurt anything at all, even the grass in your garden or on the street. You just don’t feel right. You just feel so respectful and so caring for their feelings. You’re very sensitive to anything else around you. You walk with respect and care in case you hurt something, even the grass on the street.
I don’t look like a monk anymore, even though some Buddhist monks still drag me in to blame me for not wearing a monk’s robe or for making business and all that stuff. I walked out of my family life in order to offer myself to the Buddha, to God – to learn how to be a better human. And I walked out of monkhood in order to offer myself to all the suffering beings. Thus, I don’t feel like I could hurt anything. It’s not like anybody was watching or I have any vow or anything. It’s just automatic. Just like you don’t want to cause any disturbance, any disarray in their life. You could almost feel like they all are breathing, feeling, and talking to you; sometimes they do, and sometimes they show it without talking.
I walked into a garden once, because I wanted to go into the shed. So I arranged, cleaned the shed, to go in to meditate at night. I thought it’s more close to nature than the room with concrete. And I just walked out before the sun set and took a photograph of some wild flowers in the corner of the garden. And when the photo developed, I saw a beautiful pinkish-purple color which, in that corner, there is nothing that could cause that; and that was the first time. Then I asked, and the fairies said that they wanted to show their love and respect. Oh, I was so touched. I still have that photograph. Maybe someday you will see it in the Between Master and Disciples introduction. If I see it, I will make a note for you to pay attention so that you know what I’m talking about. Maybe I can ask them to send it and then we can include it here for you to look at.
The fairies of the plants mostly hide themselves in the corner because they’re afraid of humans. Sometimes, me too, because I have had some not very pleasant experiences. Being a public figure, you will always encounter something. It doesn’t mean I’m blaming humans or anything. It just happens, because people sometimes cannot see through you. They only judge you by the outer appearance. Maybe if you are not their people, your skin doesn’t look the same, you wear not very chic and expensive clothes, you are famous, or people love you, etc. It’s OK. I guess it’s just a small number. I do hope it’s a small number. I don’t go out that often actually, anywhere, even before the retreat. I just went to work and then went back to my cave or in whatever room I had at that time.
Photo Caption: Beautiful 3 Fairies, Beautiful 1 Unified Greeting.
