While visiting a large used book store in Dallas, Texas, I picked up a small book titled The Key of Immediate Enlightenment. It's by a contemporary Buddhist nun, Master Ching Hai. In it she has some strong convictions about being vegetarian and offers some fascinating points about the importance and wisdom of being vegetarian. Here are five takeaways -
1. You will feel much less guilt. "The more we eat vegetarian, the better our conscience. We will have fewer guilty feelings in our subconsciousness, and we will sleep better with fewer nightmares.
2. You will be healthier. "Vegetarianism is better for our mind, for our heart, for our health and for everything."
3. You will be spiritually stronger. "Most people care about health, diet and figure when they talk about vegetarian food. The spiritual aspects of a vegetarian diet is that it is very clean and non-violent. 'Thou shalt not kill!' When God said this to us, he did not say human being, he said all beings."
4. You are not a vegetarian if you eat fish. During a Q & A after a lecture, she was asked "Is fish all right to eat?" Her answer: "It's all right if you want to eat fish. But if you want to eat vegetarian, fish is not a vegetable."
5. You will experience great peace and security. "If we want a healthy mind, a healthy body, a good conscience and a good night's sleep, then we should have more compassion for other people and for animals. If we give others peace and security, then we will also get peace and security.
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