Master Jing Jie - If you Eat Meat, you Owe Animals Meat Debt 如果你吃肉，你就欠動物肉債

(English Subtitles) Lectured by Master Jìng Jiè (淨界法師) from Taiwan. Subtitles:
If you eat meat, you may owe them life debt and meat debt. I didn't kill you, but I eat your meat, this is meat debt. What is a debt? It's that you have to repay. In other words, when you eat meat, a karma is created between you and the animal that was eaten. First of all, Do you think animals would like you to eat their meat? By reasonable inference, no one would. You see, when every chicken is killed, they all scream very loudly because they don't want to be killed. As long as they are unwilling, there are troubles.
As a human being, you have good fortune, and they have misfortune,
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so you take their lives. Of course, the person who directly kills them has the gravest karma and owe them a life debt. So I didn't kill them, it's him that kill them. Well, meat debt. Even if they are killed, do you think they will give their meat to you unconditionally? No, they won't. That's meat debt. About the meat debt. If you don't practice to free from birth and death this life, but prepare for reincarnation and pursue good fortune, there is no big issue. Because you are ready for reincarnation, they have many opportunities, so they would wait patiently. But you are going to get out of Three Realms this life,
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that's a trouble, as they won’t be able to find you. It's like you live in the USA and will go to Australia. Those who lent you money become nervous: That's outrageous, if you run away, where can I get the money back? Here comes the problem. So Master Yinguang valued bearing Buddha in mind and having vegetarian diet.
Read the Shurangama Sutra, you will know how terrifying it is to eat meat. First, you form a bond of birth and death with beings. 2Nd, you often eat meat and are not ashamed. You have lost the good root of compassion. Eat meat for so long that you become numb to the sight of other being's pain, and you lose empathy. So, you must know that diet can affect mindset.
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The compassion you strive to cultivate may disappear just by eating meat day after day. Mahayana Buddhism is based on compassion. When you lose compassion, every dharma you practice will not resemble the Mahayana. If a person loses good root of compassion in his heart, every dharma he practices will lack compassion. Without compassion, it is not Mahayana Buddhism, at best it is Sravaka Buddhism. Therefore, you will lose a lot. The most terrible thing for a person is not that he commits sin but loses good roots. If you commit a sin but still maintain good roots, you will not mess up, and you can always turn back. You can get back on your feet. If your good roots are ruined, you don't even have a chance to stand up.
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So if you have to eat meat, you better be ashamed, and say: It's not that I want to eat you, but I can't control myself. I really don't want to eat you. This is better than no shame. You can't just take it for granted.
Once you take it for granted, you will have trouble in the future and you will definitely destroy your good roots. At least you should apologize and repent before you eat meat. After eating, you may recite the mantra of rebirth and transfer the merit to it. This is crucial, repent beforehand, and compensate afterward.
You protect your good roots at least, and you better make a vow. I will stop eating at a certain time. You plant the force of turning back beforehand.
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If you are determined to end this life of birth and death, you'd better not owe too much debt to sentient beings. It's really hard to get away from it. Don't give you too much burden when you are dying. You have too much burden already. Don't keep loading stuff in your backpack all the time. You can't walk out freely. I hope you read patriarch's phrases, which are reasonable.
You see, Master Yinguang take holding precepts seriously. He attaches great importance to keeping precepts. Except killing, theft, obscenity, lie, he emphasizes not to eat meat. Every few phrases, he recommends not eating meat. You have to realize that what he said makes sense. Because you vow every day: May I have no hindrance when dying. But you keep adding to your burden, which is contradictory.
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In fact, many foreigners are also eating veggie. The don't do it for religious factors but for health and environmental protection. See, he can do this even without believing in Buddhism. In fact, I think you need to convince yourself before doing anything. Why do you do that? What's the benefit of eating meat? Now, animal fats are fraught with many problems and contamination.