Are buddhists vegan?

Question

I know that one of the precepts is to not kill and that one should also not instruct another person to kill (for example working as a farmer and ordering an employee to slaughter a cow). So are Buddhists vegan or vegetarian?

I am vegan and not sure if I consider myself Buddhist, as I am still learning about it and very new to meditating and such. Do Buddhists consider it wrong action to benefit from another person's misdeeds (eating an animal that was killed by another person)?

I want to be clear that I'm not judging anyone by asking this question. I'm just curious because as I said, I am still learning about Buddhism and want to understand the precepts.

Answer 1

A Buddhist can be a vegan, a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian. One's dietary preference has nothing to do with taking refuge in the Triple Gem.

If you order someone to kill for you, you break the 1st precept. But simply buying meat from the supermarket does not break the precept. The Buddha himself consumed meat & fish.

Comments

Thank you for the clarification.

---

You're welcome

---

Also, what is the triple gem?

---

Buddha, dhamma, Sangha