The Lankavatara Sutra, Volume Two

惟願為我說，食不食罪福。」

I only wish you would tell me the sin and merit of eating and not eating."

大慧菩薩說偈問已，復白佛言：「惟願世尊，為我等說食不食肉功德過惡。我及諸菩薩於現在未來，當為種種悕望食肉眾生，分別說法，令彼眾生慈心相向。得慈心已，各於住地清淨明瞭，疾得究竟無上菩提。聲聞、緣覺自地止息已，亦復逮成無上菩提。惡邪論法，諸外道輩，邪見斷常，顛倒計著，尚有遮法，不聽食肉。況復如來，世間救護，正法成就，而食肉耶？」

When the Bodhisattva Mahamati had finished asking in verse, he said to the Buddha again: "I only wish the World-Honored One would tell us the merits and faults of eating meat and not eating meat. I and all the Bodhisattvas, in the present and future, should explain the Dharma separately for beings of all kinds who wish to eat meat, so that those beings turn toward one another with a heart of loving-kindness. Having obtained a heart of loving-kindness, each becomes pure and clear in his stage and swiftly attains ultimate unsurpassed bodhi. Hearers and Solitary Realizers, after their own stages have come to rest, will again attain unsurpassed bodhi. Even those with evil and heretical doctrines, the various non-Buddhists with wrong views of annihilation and permanence, with inverted attachments, still have rules that restrain and do not permit eating meat. How much more the Tathagata, savior and protector of the world, who has accomplished the true Dharma, should he eat meat?"

佛告大慧：「善哉，善哉！諦聽，諦聽！善思念之，當為汝說。」

The Buddha told Mahamati: "Good, good! Listen carefully, listen carefully! Think on it well, and I will explain it for you."

大慧白佛：「唯然受教。」

Mahamati said to the Buddha: "Yes, I will receive your teaching."

佛告大慧：「有無量因緣不應食肉，然我今當為汝略說。謂：一切眾生從本已來，展轉因緣，常為六親，以親想故，不應食肉。驢騾駱駝狐狗牛馬人獸等肉，屠者雜賣故，不應食肉。不淨氣分所生長故，不應食肉。眾生聞氣，悉生恐怖，如旃陀羅及譚婆等，狗見憎惡，驚怖群吠故，不應食肉。又令修行者慈心不生故，不應食肉。凡愚所嗜，臭穢不淨，無善名稱故，不應食肉。令諸呪術不成就故，不應食肉。以殺生者，見形起識，深味著故，不應食肉。彼食肉者，諸天所棄故，不應食肉。令口氣臭故，不應食肉。多惡夢故，不應食肉。空閑林中虎狼聞香故，不應食肉。令飲食無節量故，不應食肉。令修行者不生厭離故不應食肉。我常說言，凡所飲食作食子肉想，作服藥想故，不應食肉。聽食肉者，無有是處。

The Buddha told Mahamati: "There are immeasurable causes and conditions why one should not eat meat, but I shall now briefly tell you. First: all beings, from the beginning, through shifting causes and conditions, have constantly been each other's six kinds of kin, and because of the thought of kinship, one should not eat meat. The flesh of donkeys, mules, camels, foxes, dogs, oxen, horses, humans and beasts is sold mixed together by butchers, so one should not eat meat. It grows from impure emanations, so one should not eat meat. Beings who smell the odor are all terrified, like candalas (a low caste of butchers) and tanbas, and dogs hate the sight and bark in terrified packs, so one should not eat meat. It also causes practitioners not to give rise to loving-kindness, so one should not eat meat. What ordinary fools crave is foul and impure, with no good name, so one should not eat meat. It makes the various spells fail to succeed, so one should not eat meat. Because those who kill beings see the form and give rise to consciousness, deeply savoring and clinging to it, one should not eat meat. Those who eat meat are abandoned by the gods, so one should not eat meat. It makes the breath foul, so one should not eat meat. It brings many bad dreams, so one should not eat meat. In quiet forests, tigers and wolves smell the scent, so one should not eat meat. It makes eating and drinking without measure, so one should not eat meat. It makes practitioners not give rise to weariness and renunciation, so one should not eat meat. I have often said: in all eating and drinking, think of it as eating the flesh of one's own child, and think of it as taking medicine, so one should not eat meat. There is no reason to permit eating meat."

「復次，大慧！過去有王，名師子蘇陀娑，食種種肉，遂至食人，臣民不堪，即便謀反，斷其奉祿。以食肉者有如是過故，不應食肉。

"Furthermore, Mahamati! In the past there was a king named Simhasaudasa who ate all kinds of meat, even to eating human beings; the ministers and people could not bear it and plotted rebellion, cutting off his salary. Because those who eat meat have such faults, one should not eat meat."

「復次，大慧！凡諸殺者，為財利故、殺生屠販。彼諸愚痴食肉眾生，以錢為網而捕諸肉。彼殺生者，若以財物，若以鈎網，取彼空行水陸眾生，種種殺害，屠販求利。大慧！亦無不教不求不想，而有魚肉。以是義故，不應食肉。大慧！我有時說，遮五種肉，或制十種。今於此經，一切種、一切時，開除方便，一切悉斷。大慧！如來、應供、等正覺，尚無所食，況食魚肉？亦不教人。以大悲前行故，視一切眾生，猶如一子，是故不聽令食子肉。」

"Furthermore, Mahamati! All killers do it for wealth and profit, killing living beings and butchering and selling them. Those foolish beings who eat meat use money as a net to catch all kinds of meat. Those who kill living beings, using goods or using hooks and nets, take beings that fly in the air and live in water and on land, killing them in all kinds of ways, butchering and selling for profit. Mahamati! There is also no fish or meat that exists without teaching, seeking or thinking. For this reason one should not eat meat. Mahamati! At times I said that five kinds of meat are forbidden, or ten kinds are restricted. Now in this sutra, in every kind and at all times, I remove the expedient, and cut it all off entirely. Mahamati! The Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened, does not eat anything, let alone fish and meat? Nor does he teach others to. Because great compassion goes first, he regards all beings as one child, and so does not permit people to eat the flesh of a child."

爾時，世尊欲重宣此義而說偈言：

At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to proclaim this meaning again, spoke in verse:

「曾悉為親屬，鄙穢不淨雜，

"They have all once been kin, and the base and filthy are mixed together,

不淨所生長，聞氣悉恐怖。

Growing from the impure, all are terrified at the smell.

一切肉與蔥，及諸韮蒜等，

All meat and onions, and leeks and garlic and the like,

種種放逸酒，修行常遠離。

All kinds of intoxicating wine, practitioners should always keep far from.

亦常離麻油，及諸穿孔床，

Also always keep away from sesame oil, and from beds with holes,

以彼諸細蟲，於中極恐怖。

Because the tiny insects within them are in great terror.

飲食生放逸，放逸生諸覺，

Food and drink give rise to laxity, laxity gives rise to perceptions,

從覺生貪欲，是故不應食。

From perceptions arises craving, so one should not eat them.

由食生貪欲，貪令心迷醉，

From eating arises craving, craving makes the mind intoxicated,

迷醉長愛欲，生死不解脫。

Intoxication increases desire, and one is not liberated from birth and death.

為利殺眾生，以財網諸肉，

To kill beings for profit, to net meats with money,

二俱是惡業，死墮叫呼獄。

Both sides are evil karma, and at death one falls into the Hell of Screaming.

若無教想求，則無三淨肉，

If there is no teaching, thinking or seeking, there is no meat of three purities,

彼非無因有，是故不應食。

That does not exist without a cause, so one should not eat it.

彼諸修行者，由是悉離遠，

Those practitioners, because of this, all keep far from it,

十方佛世尊，一切鹹呵責。

The Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, of the ten directions, all rebuke it.

展轉更相食，死墮虎狼類，

Eating one another in turn, at death they fall among tigers and wolves,

臭穢可厭惡，所生常愚痴。

Foul and loathsome, and what is born is always foolish.

多生栴陀羅，獵師譚婆種，

Often born among candalas, hunters and tanba castes,

或生陀夷尼，及諸肉食性，

Or born as dayinis, and as creatures that eat meat,

羅剎貓狸等，遍於是中生。

Rakshasas, cats and wildcats and the like are born throughout among these.

縛象與大云，央掘利魔羅，

The Hastikakshya and Mahamegha (names of two sutras), the Angulimala (a sutra telling how a finger-cutting heretic turned to the Buddha),

及此楞伽經，我悉制斷肉。

And this Lankavatara Sutra, in all of them I have forbidden meat.

諸佛及菩薩，聲聞所呵責，

What buddhas and bodhisattvas and Hearers rebuke,

食已無慚愧，生生常痴冥。

One who eats without shame is always foolish and dark in life after life.

先說見聞疑，已斷一切肉，

Earlier I spoke of what is seen, heard and suspected, which has already been cut off from all meat,

妄想不覺知，故生食肉處。

Deluded thought does not realize it, and so there arise places for eating meat.

如彼貪欲過，障礙聖解脫，

Like that fault of craving, it obstructs the liberation of the sages,

酒肉蔥韮蒜，悉為聖道障。

Wine, meat, onions, leeks and garlic are all obstructions on the sages' path.

未來世眾生，於肉愚痴說，

In future ages, beings will speak foolishly about meat,

言此淨無罪，佛聽我等食。

Saying this is pure and without fault, and that the Buddha permits us to eat.

食如服藥想，亦如食子肉，

Eat it like taking medicine, and like eating the flesh of a child,

知足生厭離，修行行乞食。

Be content and give rise to renunciation, and practice begging for food.

安住慈心者，我說常厭離，

For those who abide peacefully in loving-kindness, I say they always renounce it,

虎狼諸惡獸，恆可同遊止。

Tigers, wolves and other evil beasts can be always at ease and roam together.

若食諸血肉，眾生悉恐怖，

If one eats blood and flesh, all beings are terrified,

是故修行者，慈心不食肉。

So practitioners, with loving-kindness, do not eat meat.

食肉無慈悲，永背正解脫，

Eating meat is without compassion and forever turns away from true liberation,

及違聖表相，是故不應食。

And goes against the signs of sages, so one should not eat it.

得生梵志種，及諸修行處，

Reborn into the Brahmin caste, or into places of practitioners,

智慧富貴家，斯由不食肉。」

Or into families of wisdom and wealth, this comes from not eating meat."