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Introduction & Sutras | Tantras | Other texts

The earliest Buddhist texts are clear about the fact that avoiding eating our fellow sentient beings is conducive to walking the Buddhist path. Later Mahayana sutras and tantras strongly go against eating our fellow sentient beings.*

Sutras on refraining from eating meat quoted by Shabkar:

Mahayana Sutras on refraining from eating meat from other sources: Pali Sutras on refraining from harming and/or from causing to harm
* This does not mean that to walk the Buddhist path one has to be vegetarian or vegan first. Also Buddha did allow monks and nuns who were going on a daily begging round, to eat meat under specific circumstances for various practical reasons relevant at his time. See also "Quit, I Am Meditating!".