Name: 動物とブッダ (ANIMALS AND THE BUDDHA)
Uploaded: 2021-01-14T05:32:18.000Z
Duration: 50 min 7 s
Description: VoiceTubeの動画で発音を聞きながら英語表現を覚えよう！学べる英語：

2500 years ago a man sat under a Bodhi tree, determined not to budge until he saw all there

was to see. Upon rising, now enlightened, the Buddha spent the next 45 years teaching

a new and revolutionary way of seeing the world. The essence of his teachings, called

the Dharma, was articulated in the four noble truths, where he taught the path to the end

of all suffering. Central to these teachings was an important notion that the Dharma is

not just about humans; rather it includes all of the beings who share the earth. During

the course of this film we´ll explore what the Buddha taught us about animals and our relationship to them.

west were taught that animals are very different from people. The food culture centers

around eating animals. It´s everywhere, in advertising, in restaurants, in the supermarket

and few people think twice before eating a Hamburger or a steak or a piece of chicken.

The entertainment industry showcases them in circuses and zoos and aquariums. And the

medical and cosmetics industries experiment on them. Most of us care very deeply about

our companion animals, such as dogs and cats. But we often fail to extend the same compassion

to other animals. Imagine instead a culture where animals are not harmed. When people

are introduced to the Dharma, one of the first things they are taught is the first precept:

Cause no harm! And they are taught that this principle of non harm extends not just to humans but to all beings

Unlike in western culture, where animals are kind of considered as almost

a separate form of life, and humans are considered as very very different,in Buddhism we are

all considered to be just a part of nature. And that we all have the same - what we could

say - five aggregates. We are all made up with the same kinds of stuff. So there is

not a hard and vast dividing line between humans on the one hand and the creatures on

the other. That´s why the first ethical precept, in the Buddhist teachings, is not to take

the life of any living being. So I think that is the fundamental stance from the point of view of the Dharma.

As a Buddhist, when you take refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha,

the one of the principles by taking refuge in Dharma and Buddha is that not harming other

beings, not causing harm to other beings. That is the N°1 key principles that you´re

taking by taking refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

When I am asked what’s the major factor of Buddhism I would say “Ahimsa”. Ahimsa means “non-harming”. And in what

I´ve learned in Buddhism, the non-harming is of ourselves, of others, including animals,

and of the environment. Those three things are the three things that I see - at least

our tradition - try to deal with all the time: to live lightly on the land and that would

certainly include not taking the life of another, not stealing their lives, and also what their bodies were made of.

So, the teaching is really, you know, not to do any harm, that´s the

first precept, not to kill. Sometimes it is translated as: harm no living beings. And,

it has partly to do with a sense of compassion for the animals, a sense of recognizing that

animals suffer. There is also, I´d say, a more transcendent view of it, that according

to the Dharma, we take rebirth and it might be, that some of the animals, that we are

killing, were once human beings, or hopefully were moving up the strata. I think it is basically

seeing his teaching as a whole and putting all animals within that process of liberation.

I am lucky, in the sense, that I have taken the precepts in all three traditions. I am

a joined monk now in the Tibetan tradition and the Zoto-Zen-tradition. A bit in my early

days I tried in the Theravada-tradition and spent a short time as a Theravada-monk. So

I have taken the precepts in all three traditions. In the early tradition of Theravada the first

precept was translated to me: I undertake the rule of training to refrain from causing

injury to living things. That’s all living things, that’s how it was told to me. And

that´s how I teach people: All living things. So we refrain from harming them. That´s the

same in the Tibetan tradition. Because in the Tibetan tradition the Vinaya is based

on the early Pratimoksha-Tradition anyways. So the precepts are more or less the same.

The difference comes in the Zen-tradition, where the first precept just says: Do not

kill!. And this means: Do not kill the Buddha. Do not kill the Buddha-mind, if you like.

Do not do anything that hampers the growth, movement and flow of the Buddha-mind, Buddha-

nature, Dharmakaya. So obviously the eating of animals and the interfering with the animal

kingdom, exploiting it, does affect that precept, does block that flow, does get in the way

of the flow of Buddha mind, of the Dharmakaya. So the first precept, not to cause any injury

to any living things means: ANY living thing!

You know it´s interesting to me, because the Suttas on one hand are very clear about non-harming. And when they talk about “beings” it’s

all beings, its sentient beings. Included in the first precept of non-harming is to

not take life. So that seems fairly clear to me that the Buddha was intending us to

include in a field of “Metta” or loving-kindness, all kinds of beings, from the smallest to

the largest, the two-legged, the four-legged, many legged…So that’s really how I hold

it and certainly how I try to live my life and don’t claim to be perfect, there are

challenging situations about that, but the first precept of non-harming is really very

dear to my heart, both as an attitude towards people that I meet certainly , but as I said

to all beings. And really knowing and acknowledging that to each being their life is precious.

To practice compassion, to practice loving friendliness (Metta), to appreciate, to develop

the joy of life. We always say that we have to abstain from killing, one of the five precepts. So this precept applies to everybody

Buddhism has two main branches: Mahayana and Theravada.

In both lineages the Buddha talks about our relationship to animals and the fundamental

question of the morality of eating them. In the Mahayana scriptures the Buddha is unequivocal

addressing this subject in detail in the Lankavatara Sutra:

“For innumerable reasons, the Bodhisattva, whose nature is compassion, is not to eat any meat.

”“Thus, Mahamati, whenever there is the evolution of living beings, let people cherish the thought of kinship with them,

and thinking that all beings (to be loved as if they were) an only child, let them refrain from eating meat.

”“If, Mahamati, meat is not eaten by anybody for any reason, there

“Thus, Mahamati, meat-eating I have not permitted to anyone, I do not permit, I will not permit."

”There are many different quotes or paraphrases the Buddha is talking about different lives and not eating meat. One of the very strong

statements that Buddha had is: I condemn meat eating in all means. I have never approved

of meat -eating, I will never approve of meat-eating and I do not approve of meat eating for my

followers. For all sentient beings are equal to me like my only son.

For Bodhisattva-vows, lay people can also take Bodhisattva-vows, if they choose. Monastics have our monastic

precepts, that are different from the lay people or at least they are more elaborated

than what the lay people take as the five precepts. But the Bodhisattva-vows, they can

also take vows and the Bodhisattva-precepts will prohibit meat-eating, whether you are

a lay person or monastic. It’s very explicit.

Buddha´s main teaching is be vegetarian, main teaching is don’t kill animals, don’t kill human body, don’t kill animals,

don't lie, don´t steal, very nice honest compassion for others to take care, how is I can do for

others to benefit. Only these things. Remember this always, he says.

The Buddha also addresses the subject of eating animal products in the Surangama-Sutra.

“Bhikshus who do not wear silk, leather boots, furs, or down from this country, or consume milk, cream, or butter, can truly transcend this world.

”In the Theravadian scriptures only a few passages

address the subject of eating meat. In the Jivaka-Sutra the Buddha discusses a notion

called the three purities. Saying that monks are not allowed to eat meat, unless they know

“Jivaka, I say that there are three instances in which meat should not be eaten: When it is seen, heard, or suspected (that the living being

has been slaughtered for oneself)*. I say that meat should not be eaten in these three

instances. I say that there are three instances in which meat may be eaten:When it is not