Vegetarianism is a challenge for everyone, especially for us Filipinos who are used to eating lots of tasty and rich foods that satisfy both palate and stomach.
As a vegetarian since the age of 17, I knew spiritual aspirants find the practice as both challenging and rewarding. I started to be a vegetarian upon the prodding of a medical doctor who asked me to try it for better meditation. This was difficult because our family would eat together during meals. I learned how to cook my own food the moment I decided to be vegetarian. I also stopped cooking dishes with garlic and onions. I stuck to the practice as I experienced the positive effects of vegetarianism on my meditation and spirituality. More than just being a health fad, vegetarianism became a basic component of my lifestyle. On the first month, my diet was meat-free as I discarded pork, beef, poultry and all meats that I used to eat with my family. Then, I let go of all seafood including shrimps, lobsters, and crabs, which were my favorite. The last to go that turned me full, strict vegetarian were eggs, even though they were easy to cook.
Using the food cycle as one reason for eating other life forms, the meat industry continually raises animals primarily as a source of food, and often times kills them with cruelty. In Buddhism, “compassion to all sentient beings” is emphasized and supports the precept of No Killing. The Sixth Patriarch Huineng, in his deep respect for life, would free animals from their nets after they were caught by the hunters. To have freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth, one must be free from any motivation of harming and killing. When we value life, not only our own but everyone else’s, then we can truly meditate and appreciate the essence of life.