Committing Sin
(By Tsem Rinpoche)
I am just an ordinary practitioner:
“Some of the Lamas, teachers and practitioners are ignorant. Because they want to eat meat and drink alcohol, they say that it is necessary since they are followers of Guru Rinpoche, who ate meat and drank alcohol. But Guru Rinpoche was born miraculously, not like those Lamas who were born from human parents…. With supernatural powers gained through certain meditations, it is true that there are some realized beings who can revive animals from the dead and help them reach a higher rebirth or Enlightenment by consuming small amounts of their flesh. But this is not done for sustenance, only for the purpose of helping that animal. I personally do not have that power and because of that I never eat meat. Eating meat in one’s diet is much different than eating flesh to liberate a being through supernatural powers. I am just an ordinary practitioner who really doesn’t have these qualities. So, if I ate meat it would be the same if you or any other lay person ate meat. I would be committing sin and I would be getting negative karma. I don’t pretend as if I have special powers and eat meat, I just avoid it altogether.” ~Chatral Rinpoche
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Chatral Rinpoche was one of the greatest meditation masters and most compassionate bodhisattvas in the history of Tibetan Buddhism. Chatral Rinpoche explains the purpose and benefit of saving the lives of endangered animals, especially those due to be slaughtered. Great advice by Chatral Rinpoche to develop compassion for all sentient beings . Save animals, save nature, as animal life is precious too. He lived as a humble yogi without the distractions of fame and fortune. He practiced what he preaches without compromise and was beloved , respected by many of all faiths throughout the Himalayan region. He was well known for his compassion for animals through his compassionate action and profound wisdom. He had liberate millions of fish animals and had encourages his student not to eat meat and drank alcohol. It’s a right choice to be on vegetarian , as more animals will be save. It be healthier for us, better for environment and kinder to be a vegetarian.
Powerful saying by Chatral Rinpoche ……Eating meat in one’s diet is much different than eating flesh to liberate a being through supernatural powers. I am just an ordinary practitioner. I would be committing sin and I would be getting negative karma.
Thank You for this sharing Rinpoche and Pastor Loh Seng Piow.
Eating habit is not something fix but can be change. Some people claim that eating meat because we need protein but actually protein can get from other source like beans and vegetables. So is always our choice. Not eating meat in the event we are cultivate sense of sympathy to animals.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article. Chatral Rinpoche was a highly spiritual being and a revered master of the Dzogchen tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He has lived for more than 100 years. He lived a simple life, living as a wandering yogi retreating in remote areas of India and Nepal. Rinpoche was also a strict vegetarian. He did saved millions of fish from certain death by setting them free in the ocean outside Kolkata,. Chatral Rinpoche once said…….I would be committing sin and I would be getting negative karma.
Eating meat in one’s diet is much different than eating flesh to liberate a being through supernatural powers. I am just an ordinary practitioner.
What he said was indeed very powerful . a great example that eating meat is wrong. By not eating meat ,we can saved more animals. Choosing to be a vegetarian is a right choice.
Thank You for sharing Rinpoche and Pastor Loh Seng Piow.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing message by Chatral Rinpoche. Once I had asked before about why human must consume meat? I received answer such as to go stronger, more vitamins, protein etc and even we can liberate that animal by eating their meat. I find it very illogical statement.
So far I have not seen any monk that is eating meat but I do saw monks that in normal restaurant with their disciples but hopefully is not what is been said aboved.
Hopefully these monks practice *compassion* diligently.
Thank you.
_/|\_ Victor Choi
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article. “Eating meat in one’s diet is much different than eating flesh to liberate a being through supernatural powers” Without the supernatural powers such as the supernatural powers of enlightened beings. We should refrain or reduce taking meat to reduce our negative karma.
Dear Rinpoche, what Chatral Rinpoche said is true. I don’t want to say bad thing about the monks but some monks when they come to Malaysia they still consume meat. Like Rinpoche said, the monks consumes meat is because Tibet is a very cold place and they can’t grow many vegetables. But there is no excuse for them to eat meat when they visit countries like Malaysia.
Shelly tai on 29 June at 519pm
Actually some people their attactment towards meat are so strong that they will find reason to said eating meat is good for if they dont eat meat they said it will affecting their health. I find it really sad for them out of ignorant they have commited a very heavy karma which is killing and tbey do it everyday. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this blog post with us.
Thank you Chatral Rinpoche your words will enlighten many people about the dangers of just eating indiscriminately. Many people think they are at the same levels as the lamas which is so untrue. The high Lamas have practiced for many lifetimes and are realised and some enlightened how can we compare ordinary folks like ourselves to them. It is like comparing a Buddha to lay people, there is no comparison at all.
This is really interesting everytime when I hear people say, Buddha also eat meat what, Buddha never ask us to be vegetarian, etc etc… So much excuses for them to continue eating meat.
But when ask them Buddha can float on water, Buddha can see people’s past, present and future, can they? everyone just keep quiet. I realized many people nowadays are trying to use Dharma as an excuses for them to enhance their desire rather than taking off their desire. Dharma is suppose to make us more compassion and kind, but people can easily twisted the Dharma teaching to feed their desire, is this the significant of degeneration?
People often see the beautifully done meat on the dining table, but they didn’t know the scene behind the stage, how the animal suffered, being tortured, crying for mercy, being skinned alive, and finally got killed for feeding our selfish desire. I guess if these people follow through the whole process of how the meat is up to our dining table, not from the screen, because they may not get the impact of how much these animal suffered, But follow through in the actual places, I guess may of them will be vegetarian.
Wow, Chatral Rinpoche words were so powerful. It really had full impact on me as I read his words of wisdom. I never understood why I saw monks or Rinpoche’s eating meat, I had always thought that it was because it may have been cheaper or easier to get from where they reside, as to be consumed for sustenance. After reading this it made me feel I am glad to be a vegetarian as I would like to avoid getting negative karma. I feel that it is not right to be eating meat and that it isn’t fair for the animals who have to suffer in pain and in fear for our selfish greed.
I never knew about the fact that higher attained beings with super natural powers could revive animals from the dead for a better rebirth or reach enlightenment, it all seems so beautiful to know someone would consume a bit of their flesh to help an animal even if it may create negative karma. Chatral Rinpoche sounds like a great and humble Lama. He is a great example for many people to be a vegetarian. May he live long a benefit many people around him. Thank you for sharing this Rinpoche, I hope you are well and I pray for your health.
Chatral Rinpoche is very humble and set himself a good example to many lamas and practitioners. What Chatral Rinpoche said was very true just like Buddha is not a vegetarian because He is Buddha that already enlightenment but we are not. What those lamas did was actually playing their own mind game with themselves with their own attachements and all the excuses they created for themselves. At the end they created sin by ignoring what is true about their own practice.
Now that is very enlightening…
Every high Lama got their own way to teach include their behavior etc.
But as student we should have a very strong Guru Devotion to let our Dharma path become smooth…
I believe that people should not use the excuse that you are helping the sentient beings by eating them. People cannot indulge in meat when they do not have the qualities to liberate them. It is bad. If you do not help animals and eat them, using a excuse based on spiritualism, you are committing a sin and creating heavy negative karma.
I agreed fully with what Chatral Rinpoche said above. Other high Lamas who eat meat must have their intentions of doing it, as for the monks and laymen, we do not have that pure intentions and also power to do so, the reason why we consume meat it’s just because for the sake of our taste buds, that’s all. When you know that eating meat will lead yourself to committing sins, then you should not do that. Animals aren’t here to be eaten, they deserve much much better.
Thank You for sharing Rinpoche.
Great lamas teach by example. Chatral Rinpoche teaches the truth – that eating meat is a sin and one collects negative karma. I’ve always felt confused when I read about high lamas eating meat. Now I know they were blessing the animals and helping them to gain a higher rebirth. It makes more sense than saying that one’s tradition allows it. Out of ignorance, practitioners think that since their lamas eat meat, they also can do so.
Chatral Rinpoche is just being humble as to liken himself as an ordinary being. Highly attained Lamas never show off their powers. Definitely Chatral Rinpoche has the power to bless the meat but I think he does not take meat to set an example for practitioners to follow too. Out of his compassion, he helps us not to create more negative karma for ourselves by encouraging us to be vegetarian.
What a wonderful quote 🙂 really enjoyed reading it. Its strong in its language and it sends an important message in the statement. But to me, i would honestly have to say that nobody should have the power to eat meat. I think that everybody should just consider themselves as a ordinary practitioner. I am not trying to offend or insult anybody. But in my opinion, everyone should not have the power to decide if they are going to eat meat. They should just never eat meat. Thank you so much for sharing Rinpoche.
Very powerful message being sent by Chatral Rinpoche.
Rinpoche has mentioned something similar like this to us before… stating that some people use excuses that even Buddha eats meat, thus it is no harm for them to eat meat also. But Rinpoche also mentioned to us that when we eat meat and when the Buddha eat meat, it is a total different thing all together.
The meat that was consumed by the Buddha, actually blessed the carcass that was consumed… while if it was us that ate the meat, we not only cause harm to the animal by causing it’s death, but it causes harm to us because the action itself will cause us to increase our desire.
I take this as a very simple analogy for myself to understand. For example, if we are trained professionally in the fields of medicine, we are able to prescribe medication that would actually help heal others. But if we are untrained, then if we prescribe medication for others, it will definitely harm the person that consumes it, and causing you to land up in jail.
High lamas like our Guru Tsem Rinpoche, Chatral Rinpoche etc… there really is no reason to be vegetarian, but they decide to adopt this diet to lead us by example. At the same time, they are so humble about it. If great masters and lamas becomes vegetarian for the sake of the animals and even advice it as spiritual improvement, what is there left to question on our part…?
Chatral Rinpoche is showing a great example to everyone that eating meat is wrong and that it will create negative karma for those who eat meat. Of course he is so highly qualified that he could eat or do anything and there would be benefit, but what he is saying so humbly is that even he doesn’t have anything special and hence he avoids meat, as we should.
I believe all Lamas are very humble and even if they do possess certain powers, they will not show off and admit it.. Just like how Tsem Rinpoche’s divinations could be done without the dice or anything, Rinpoche is just being humble.
Our Gurus do not show off their power is also because they want to teach us humility as well. Basically our beloved Gurus only has our best interest at heart. To be the best we can be..
And also, we do not have to be a highly attained Lama to practise vegetarianism. We just shouldn’t eat meat at all..
Thank you for sharing, Rinpoche!
It is due to our ignorance that we always compared ourselves with great beings, thinking we are the same. There are things that are beyond our comprehension…
Chatral Rinpoche is such a wise, compassionate and humble person. Itis excellent that Chatral Rinpoche promotes vegetarianism and advice others to do the same. It is logical the way He said it. We are not attained so how can we eat meat, create negative karma and want to be Enlightened at the same time.
Chatral Rinpoche is so humble as he likened himself to ordinary people. What he does is setting an example to all that if he can do it, others can too. And not use any excuse not to do it, in this case eating meat.
Thank you very much for sharing this with us Rinpoche, I am so surprised to learn from this article that some lamas consumed meat and alcohol. I also learnt from this post that “supernatural powers gained through certain meditations, it is true that there are some realized beings who can revive animals from the dead and help them reach a higher rebirth or Enlightenment by consuming small amounts of their flesh.”
I hope those who read this article realized that by eating meat they have committed a sin and I hope they could quick repent and stop doing doing so. Although some said they have blessed the meat by reciting the mantra and blowing over the meat but without the powers of an enlightened being the strong motivation i think it is better to avoid meat completely.
Thank you once again,
Dear Elsie,
In the Tantric tradition, a Tsog or Tantric feast of the yidam(personal Buddha) is performed every 2 weeks once. That day is a special day where the dakas and dakinis are active to assist us in our Tantric practice. Tsog is performed and part of the Tsog ritual is to partake a small amount of meat and alcohol in symbolic gesture. The meaning is shrouded in secrecy for the uninitiated. But I do know that it is a ritual to train the Tantrika in developing one taste and pure perception. I would not go into it so much.
However, what Chatral Rinpoche is saying that because of this ritual, some lamas and practitioners use this as an excuse to consume meat and alcohol in sometimes large amounts. Anyway, I find Chatral Rinpoche very humble and such a great Lama. I fold my hands in deep respect. I do think that he has the power to bless the meat of animals when he eats them. However, I think he is vegetarian to set an example for practitioners like us who have no power and in fact, created unknowingly, a lot of bad karma.
… by eating meat.