Buddhists are encouraged to love all living beings and not to restrict their love only to human beings. They should practice loving kindness towards every living being. The Buddha’s advice is that it is not right for us to take the life of any living being, since every living being has a right to exist. Animals also have fear and pain as do human beings. It is wrong to take their lives.
—Ven. K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera
There is a common belief in some Buddhist countries that one may eat flesh provided he does not kill the animal with his own hands; but it is not so, because eating is the cause of slaughter. If we become vegetarians, all the butchers will have to close their shops and turn to a better profession. By eating flesh we keep a class of people in a miserable profession. It is not fair that we should force the butchers to go to hell for our sake. If we became vegetarians, then the whole world would be at peace.
—Ven. U Lokanatha
—Ven. K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera
There is a common belief in some Buddhist countries that one may eat flesh provided he does not kill the animal with his own hands; but it is not so, because eating is the cause of slaughter. If we become vegetarians, all the butchers will have to close their shops and turn to a better profession. By eating flesh we keep a class of people in a miserable profession. It is not fair that we should force the butchers to go to hell for our sake. If we became vegetarians, then the whole world would be at peace.
—Ven. U Lokanatha