Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with an besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.
Gautama BuddhaRead
Meat-eating is condemned by the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Sravakas; if one devours meat out of shamelessness he will always be devoid of sense.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote criticizes the act of eating meat, emphasizing moral and ethical implications tied to such behavior.
In this quote, Gautama Buddha emphasizes the importance of ethical living and the impact of one's choices on spiritual development. By condemning meat-eating, he highlights the moral responsibility individuals have toward all sentient beings, suggesting that consuming meat out of shamelessness reflects a deeper disregard for compassion and mindfulness in one's actions.
Themes
BuddhismEthicsCompassionMeat-EatingMorality
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on ethics in diet, this quote could be used to illustrate the Buddhist perspective on compassion toward animals.
More from Gautama Buddha
All quotes βA kind man who makes good use of wealth is rightly said to possess a great treasure; but the miser who hoards up his riches will have no profit.
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There are having flowers in Spring, breezes in Summer, moon in Autumn, snows in Winter. If there is nothing worrying over you, it will be the best seasons at all times.
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Make an island of yourself, make yourself your refuge; there is no other refuge. Make truth your island, make truth your refuge; there is no other refuge.
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When a wise man is advised of his errors, he will reflect on and improve his conduct. When his misconduct is pointed out, a foolish man will not only disregard the advice but rather repeat the same error.
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The tongue like a sharp knife ... Kills without drawing blood.
Gautama BuddhaRead
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