Buddhist carnivore, sigh.

[justmeinoz]

If you are concerned for the treatment of animals in abattoirs, you could always eat kangaroo.

Roo is out at night nibbling the grass, sees a blinding light, bang,and it's all over in milliseconds.  No being trucked miles, stressed in yards etc.

Karen.

[Cindy]

And it hops onto your plate.

[Carbon]

I think it's starting to wear off, and I'll be happy if it does.

I'll be happy for you, too. I may not be a buddhist but after just a bit less than a decade I'd hate to have to deal with that.

[Maegan]

And it hops onto your plate.

In my case, I eat my meat so raw it will most likely hop out again! 

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

In my case, I eat my meat so raw it will most likely hop out again! 

I always order my steak this way.  "Throw it on the grill, count to five.  Stick it with a fork.  If it moos, flip over".

Sorry Padma.

[Asfsd4214]

Nothing is mandated in Buddhism. Most Buddhists are vegetarian as an expression of the ethical precept (Buddhist ethical precepts are not 'commandments', they're training principles, requiring conscious choice) of "not harming living beings". For me, that means trying to do as little harm as I can (and as much good as I can) - I don't expect to be able to do no harm.

Speaking as an omnivore who spent most of 30 years not eating animals, I don't agree that it's difficult to survive healthily as a herbivore.

And saying 'everything suffers' does not, as far as I'm concerned, free me from what I consider to be an ethical obligation not to add to that suffering.

But are you adding too it? How are you adding too it?
I ask this as a serious question.

Also, when I said eating healthily as a herbivore. I include not eating anything that is processed from animal products or any kind of dietary supplements that supplement anything missing as a result of that diet.

[A]

Hm, I don't know... I haven't had weird "HRT cravings" yet (and it's the first I hear of them o:), really, but whenever I crave for meat or something akin to that, I don't really crave for that particular thing, but rather for a general taste or nutrient. For example, if I crave for fries, I actually crave for salt and/or oil. A salad and crackers do the job! When I "crave for meat" (which feels really weird, since I don't actually like the taste of meat to begin with), I generally just need proteins and/or fat and/or salt, or a combination of that. A lentil soup or beans generally settle that.

So if you "want to eat meat" but don't want to at the same time, you might want to analyse those cravings and see what else would satisfy them. And if you're really morally torn by the thought of eating meat, well, don't forget that it's almost impossible to resist eventually eating something once you've bought it. So make sure you only go to the grocery after a big meal and resist meat there. (And honestly, with all the gross blood and fat and squishy stuff there is on raw meat, it should be easy to resist.)

So, uhm... If there is any, the meaning of weird, specific cravings is probably that you need the nutrients in what you crave for. If you crave for meat but don't want to eat meat, get foods with the nutrients that are in meat.

Oh, yeah, and you could try those fake meat things made out of soy. Sausage, burgers, etc. They're FREAKING DELICIOUS even though they cost a lot.

But do what you want, really. Meat isn't -that- noxious.

PS: If you eat meat, don't choose sausage. D: It's the worst for your health, along with almost all prepared cooked meats and such. And if you crave for them and not other meats, it's probably a sign that you crave for salt and taste, not for the actual sausage~.

[Amazon D]

That is some smart deductions there A 

[Devlyn]

Modern slaughter techniques of any method are far, far, kinder than what any animal will die from in nature. Have you ever watched a family of ducks or geese swimming across a pond when all the babies start getting pulled under by turtles? Nature is harsh. Hugs, Devlyn

[Asfsd4214]

So make sure you only go to the grocery after a big meal and resist meat there. (And honestly, with all the gross blood and fat and squishy stuff there is on raw meat, it should be easy to resist.)

Doesn't work with cigarettes for me.

[Devlyn]

Also, Lynns post got me thinking (I know, run, hide!) Does anyone know how many babies are in a serving of caviar? Hugs, Devlyn

[Shang]

Also, Lynns post got me thinking (I know, run, hide!) Does anyone know how many babies are in a serving of caviar? Hugs, Devlyn

Ooo...I did something dangerous. :p

I don't eat caviar and I won't try that stuff.  There's something squicky about eating fish eggs.  However, I don't consider them babies because they're not living (in my opinion) and therefore OK to eat.

[A]

Modern slaughter techniques of any method are far, far, kinder than what any animal will die from in nature. Have you ever watched a family of ducks or geese swimming across a pond when all the babies start getting pulled under by turtles? Nature is harsh. Hugs, Devlyn

Uhm, putting aside slaughter methods (which I still think are awful; being carried to the other building in an indecently crowded truck, and wait in line whilst your friends get crushed and you hear them, and when it's your turn, be crushed yourself with tens of others...) I'm pretty sure that the actual debate is not on how they die, but how and why they live.

[Padma]

...So, uhm... If there is any, the meaning of weird, specific cravings is probably that you need the nutrients in what you crave for. If you crave for meat but don't want to eat meat, get foods with the nutrients that are in meat...

I have already devoted months in the autumn to trying all possible substitutes, assuming (as you are doing) that I was missing something like protein, or vitamins/minerals, or omega oils, or or or... and nothing removed my craving. I find it intriguing that people (and not just you, and in spite of me already mentioning this) keep assuming I haven't tried everything else first .

[Padma]

But are you adding too it? How are you adding too it?
I ask this as a serious question.

Also, when I said eating healthily as a herbivore. I include not eating anything that is processed from animal products or any kind of dietary supplements that supplement anything missing as a result of that diet.

I consider that everything is interconnected (we just think we're all separate because that's the way we tend to think). If an animal is slaughtered so that I can eat it, in what way could I possibly not be connected with that animal's unnecessary suffering (and the suffering of whoever has to slaughter it)? It's no different in principle from me paying to have someone assassinated, for example - that person suffers unnecessarily, and it's my fault. If I do not eat animals, it's not necessary for any animals to be slaughtered by me or on my behalf. I consider it sad but completely irrelevant that the animal may get slaughtered for someone else to eat - if it's on my behalf, I'm personally involved in its suffering a frightening and premature death, and I don't want that. Right now, I am stuck being involved in the death of animals so I can eat them, and I hope this stops soon.

As for a vegan diet, there's no problem getting all the nutrients you need (in most cases) by simply eating a carefully chosen and balanced diet of vegetables, fruit, pulses, nuts, seeds, proteins. I say 'in most cases' because it's apparent that there are some people who can't stay healthy on a vegan diet, and it's apparently down to genetics. But most people can - it's just that most people can't be arsed to eat a proper diet consistently.

[Devlyn]

@ A, OK, let's take humans out of the equation. The world would still be full of herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. Almost every living thing would still be eaten before it reached it's adult stage. It's the master plan. Hugs, Devlyn

[Carbon]

Ooo...I did something dangerous. :p

I don't eat caviar and I won't try that stuff.  There's something squicky about eating fish eggs.  However, I don't consider them babies because they're not living (in my opinion) and therefore OK to eat.

Whether or not a person can eat caviar is apparently determined by a combination of one's opinions on vegetarianism and abortion.

[Carbon]

As for a vegan diet, there's no problem getting all the nutrients you need (in most cases) by simply eating a carefully chosen and balanced diet of vegetables, fruit, pulses, nuts, seeds, proteins. I say 'in most cases' because it's apparent that there are some people who can't stay healthy on a vegan diet, and it's apparently down to genetics. But most people can - it's just that most people can't be arsed to eat a proper diet consistently.

What do you think about vitamin B12? Do you support using "vegan B12" or does one just get a vitamin pill and not think about where the b12 is coming from too much?

I try to take a multivitamin just because like most people I can't always stay on top of my diet 100%. I'm not that big on dairy products so sometimes this is my primary way of getting B12, but since I'm not an actual vegan in principle this doesn't really matter.

I think the biggest thing stopping me from positioning myself as a vegan is having to find alternatives for non-food animal products. It's not exactly easy to find cheap quality "vegan shoes" although I expect I could if I scoured the internet enough.

On a somewhat related note, I recently learned that carmine is made from bugs, making it very definitely not vegetarian. Now I have to be suspicious of anything that's colored red or pink...

[Devlyn]

And all those wild yeasts that are on every plant surface on the planet are......animals. Hugs, Devlyn

[Shang]

Whether or not a person can eat caviar is apparently determined by a combination of one's opinions on vegetarianism and abortion.

Mmhmm and you've just seen my views on it, at least abortion assuming that those fish eggs are fertilized.  As for vegetarianism, whatever floats the person's boat.  I'm not a vegetarian because I can't afford the lifestyle.  However, I also don't eat a bunch of meat because I also can't afford to have it too often.  I generally eat what the body craves.