Vegetarian Cat in South Korea
Can you believe that there is a cat in South Korea who is vegetarian and prays?
This video is of the vegetarian cat who goes by the refuge name, 解脱 (Free oneself). A nun rescued the male cat a few years ago, and it has been living in the temple with many other nuns since then. Every day without fail, the cat will go to the prayer hall, sit on a cushion with its paws placed in front and eyes staring at the Buddha statue as if he is praying!! Very interesting!
The cat will only leave the prayer hall after many hours. Sometimes, when the Chief Nun wants to bring it out to play, he refuses to go. It just sits at prayer hall and stares at the Buddha statue.
A few years back when the Chief nun rescued the cat, she instructed the cat not to make any noise in the temple compound, not to eat meat and not to kill any beings…the cat listened and complied! Until today, he does not eat meat…even when a piece of fried chicken is placed in front of the cat, he does not get tempted! This vegetarian cat has also not gone against the other rules set by the Chief Nun.
The video also shows a visitor to the temple who was so curious and impressed with the cat to the point she prostrated to him!!
Could you have imagined that a cat could be vegetarian, pray and refrain from killing any beings?
I have added a video below, as well as the translation. Do watch how well-mannered this cat is. He can sit in front of the altar for hours throughout the day, looking at the Buddha statues on the altar.
Tsem Rinpoche
South Korea super cute vegetarian cat who ‘prays’ and does not kill
This temple in South Korea besides having nuns also has a special resident which is a cat that goes by the refuge name, 解脱 (Free oneself).
Not like the other cats that goes around to play, this cat goes to the prayer hall every day, two paws place in front, eyes looking at the Buddha statue, looking like it is attentively praying. The cat will sit at the same position for a few hours and even though the Chief Nun brings the cat out to play, the cat still makes its way back to the front of the Buddha statue to sit. After sitting for a long time, the cat finally leaves the prayer hall. The cat walks so quickly, where is it heading to? Oh it wants to eat.
Like the nuns, the cat also only eats vegetarian food. After the Chief Nun rescued the cat four years ago, she instructed the cat to not make noise in the temple, to not eat meat and to not kill. The cat seems to understand as it has not gone against the rules for the past four years. Even though there is a fried chicken drumstick in front of the cat, the cat will not eat it.
There was a tourist who was very curious about this cat who prays till the point she prostrated to it. In actuality the cat sits at the prayer hall every day is it because of habit or is it really praying? Only the cat knows!
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/cat-in-temple.mp4
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Very interesting and amazed. A rescued cat in a temple who only eats vegetarian meals. After the Chief Nun spotted this cat took under his care, gave the cat vegetarian meals. Amazing the cat spent hours everyday in the temple and could understand the instructions Since then this cat has never violated the precepts, spending hours everyday in the temple venerating the Buddha. Cats can actually survive on a vegetarian diet, though they do require lots of dairy products in that case. It is interesting to see this cat doing so voluntarily though, eating vegetarian meals.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing
This is truly amazing! A vegetarian cat! As much as I know cats are obligate carnivores, which mean they must eat meat to survive. I think this little kitty might be had good imprint in previous life where now he got connected with spirituality, living in a blessed environment and staying in peace. Cats like to stay at peace and quiet places and temples are the best place for them. 😻😻🙏
Wow… this is really surprising but is a good surprise. I can only say that the cat may have a strong imprint from its previous lives for being vegetarian and meditating in front of the Buddha image. Even though the cat has taken rebirth in this form due to its karma but looking at the good side that the cat is in the spiritual environment. The cat can’t recite the mantra but able to listen to the chanting and able to see the Buddha images and this hopefully able to collect some good karma for its next life to take a good rebirth in a conducive condition to be able to practice the Buddha’s teaching under a great master.
This whole incident happened to the cat also tells us that there are past, present and future lives. What we are now at present is from the act from our past lives and if we want to make a change for our future we must make the changes now. They will never be a good time except for now because we don’t know what will happen in the next moment.
It is amazing that a cat can understand the rules that were told and abided by it. Even though the cat cannot chant but it just stays quietly, listening to the chanting and staring at the Buddha statue with full respect. The cat follows the vegetarian diet and refuses to eat meat.
This cat must have a very strong imprint that it follows the monastic rule and so insistent on paying the homage to the Buddha. It must have been a Dharma practitioner before but due to its karma, it took rebirth in the three lower realm. Hopefully, after the cat dies, it will take rebirth as a human and continue to practice.
While we are still in the human form, with the perfect condition to practice, we must not waste it. If we don’t practise diligently, there is a high possibility we will take rebirth in the three lower realms. When we are in the three lower realms, we will not be able to practise and may have to stay in that state for a very long time.
Interesting to know that a cat is vegetarian and prays. He is definitely not a normal cat as he can understand what the nun taught her i.e do not eat meat in the temple. He must have a strong dharma imprint from his previous lives. May he has good rebirth and be born in a human form to be able to learn dharma and benefit others.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article. “Free oneself” is so smart!! In my opinion, the cat’s previous life may be a monk or nun. We can hardly see a cat that can sit still even for a moment compared to “Free oneself” who can sit for hours looking at the Buddha statue. The most amazing thing is that “Free oneself” is vegetarian even being tempted with meat. This story is really something that is my first time reading and seeing it with my own eyes.
With folded palms,
Vivian
This is an interesting story. As I have a cat I was told that cats need to eat meat for their body. It is very good that this cat is attracted to the temple and also follows the rule and does not eat meat.
In this way the cat does not create more negative karma by killing.
There is also a mantra which we can recite and blow on the meat :
OM ABIRA KHE-KARA SOHA. Recite the mantra seven times and blow on the meat before eating it or giving the food to the animal.
It is taught that the fault of eating meat is stopped and the sentient being whose flesh it was, will be reborn in a happy destiny.
You can find more mantras here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/sadhana-prayers.html
Here is the teaching where H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche shared about SARS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glAeITjrVSg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js2LnqfydNM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbobnpa-BAU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZTvqsZWSjc
Of course it is better to avoid meat as in this way we will not be attracted to meat and can eat in a healthy way. I am vegetarian now for many years and I am very happy that because of this, many animals have not been killed and I can encourage others to do likewise.
We should always protect animals and give them a safe environment. They are friends, not food!
Buddha Shakyamuni ate meat when it was offered to him – he made allowances – if we don’t order an animal to be killed, see it or hear it killed to feed us then it is OK to eat meat, his jealous cousin Devadatta who caused a schism in the sangha insisted on vegetarianism from his followers, yet Buddha said it was unnecessary, many ordained Sangha in the Theravadin tradition accept whatever food is given them, be it meat or not, HOWEVER, they can refuse if the animals have been deliberately killed for them, Je Tsongkhapa was vegetarian, which must have been quite a challenge in Tibet which has little room or an appropriate environment for a wholly vegetarian or vegan diet – and then in any case – how many insects die when we harvest fruit and vegetables? EVENTUALLY it will be unnecessary to ever have to kill any animals or consume any animal based products – HOWEVER – we’re not quite there yet, even Jews and Muslims say it’s OK to eat pork when you’re starving – even though their view is that pigs are unclean because they (& many shellfish, also banned in Jewish dietary law – & yet they help keep lakes, rivers and oceans clean) are coprophagic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprophagia
I became acquainted with Jews, Muslims, Bhutanese, Nepalese, Tibetan, Hui minority, Uyghurs and others who refuse to eat pork for the reasons above.
I do what I can. I cannot judge others.
If a cat is able to become a vegetarian then why not us? Cats are supposed to be carnivores while we humans are herbivores (Well not exactly, maybe omnivores). If the scientists says that we have to consume animal meat. Then fine, but we don’t have to consume them everyday. Some people have been vegetarian/vegan for their whole life. But do they have health issues? If you compare health problems between vegetarians and meat eaters, you will realize that meat eaters tend to have more health problems than vegetarians do. Many meat eaters have health problems such as cancer, heart attack, tapeworms in their intestines and high blood pressure. So please, if you care about your health then please become a vegetarian. Thank you
This is so cute! Even cat can be vegetarian, why can’t we humans be one? Sometimes I really do not think that some animals are originally carnivores, it’s just the environments they live in made them become one.
If by watching this and forcing against the heart to follow a certain belief as a result making the heart heavy, this would be very wrong. This would be no different from a blind man feeling an elephant and tainted the enlightening mind. Why? The heart should be lighten to follow a path similar to how one build up the understanding of certain action before knowing the correct action to execute and if the action is execute without the cause, great repellion occurs doing more harm than benefit and is this not extreme action compare to the neutral path that benefit more. So let say if by changing the diet of the kitty start to waste its life overtime due to the absent of missing element(this term is used to simplified understanding as i guess a student of microbiology would be able to explain more on it) to break down veg, it would be almost similar to a depressed person starving itself to death and that would be wasting off a precious life time if correct action is not rectify due to misinterpreting. one can use this life time to understand the way of enlightenment even-through it cannot practice it due to its circumstances so one must learned to judge what the heart is able to do and not what others can and followed blindly. That why i mention the heart would feel lighter when you are doing the correct things and not forcing it to do what it cannot. This is a reminder to us not just to belief in things because they are a special case or a someone great say so.(Applicable to those already calm the heart)
By the way, where is this temple in korea(if possible, can provide address) because the last time i visited(my guess that i maybe probably around city area only), i seldom see temple but mostly church around and had difficulties finding vegetarian food there too so probably next time i go, i would try to locate myself somewhere near to such temple so that easier to get veg food.
猫咪投身畜道都可以吃素和祈祷，我们人类难得获得如此瑕妙身更是要努力修持，更精进。
[…] u like a cat who is gvegetarian, prays to buddha and does not kill other animals Vegetarian Cat in South Korea | Tsem Rinpoche Can you believe that there is a cat in South Korea who is vegetarian and prays? This video is of […]
This story is very interesting. Who would have thought that predatory animals like cats can go vegetarian! If cats, who are meant to eat meat, can go vegetarian, I do not see how humans are incapable in becoming a vegetarian. If someone says that it is impossible to be vegetarian, show them this article!
wow, this is amazing and cool! i cant believe that a cat can do all of this it is really nice to know that a animal can do this along with people. maybe a monk in the past life?…
This is such a wonderful article to read! Good to know that the cats are vegetarian. Now that the cats are vegetarian, then why can’t us practise the same thing?
Thank You for sharing Rinpoche.
Love, beatrix.
One thing that really scares me about becoming reborn as an animal is that I will have no control over what I eat. It doesn’t matter what I eat, but the fact that I may have no choice but to eat meat and continue the vicious cycle of being part of the killing food chain is a horrible feeling.
This cat story is an amazing read. It shows that perhaps in his/her previous life, the cat was probably a vegetarian and hence in this life it’s not easy to eat meat.
Even in this life, I find it difficult to digest meat. I hope that this repulsion towards meat is brought over to my next life – regardless of what state I’ll be reborn in!
OMB, this is so cute!
Rejoice with the cat to have the chance to be closed to Buddha Dharma. Although I am not sure if it is really practicing by sitting in front of Buddha image, but I am sure it has good imprints planted.
It has also not committing more killing by being vegetarian. Even a cat can be vegetarian, what excuse can we say to not to be vegetarian!
This is so cool. Why does South Korea have all these cool stuff. This and now Gangnam Style 😛 It is very cool to know that even animals are going vegetarian. Vegetarian foods are extremely good for cats, it has all the necessary nutrients.
This cat is so adorable! He obeys the chief nun and never eat meat or kill an insect or animal, this is so amazing. If the cat can be a vegetarian and doesn’t even kill a life at all, why can’t us humans do it? So if think you are better than the cat, then you better stop eating animals. And here is the amazing part, the cat will sit in the temple stare and pray to the buddha statue for hours without walking around. Thank you
[…] My guru’s name is Swami ”FishSmellAnanda”. Swami, how I love you, how I love you, my dear old swami. Sometimes I just want to bite her (instinct). It is a challenge though to sit still and meditate when outside I can hear the sounds of birds singing outside my window. My spiritual beliefs? I do believe in life after my nine lives. “ReinCatnation” is a strong belief of mine. I must be disciplined for I want to become a Swami Cat like my guru. Join me now in a new cat chant. Kitty nap, kitty nap, kitty, kitty kitty nap. Don’t you feel peaceful now?I like meditating with my mommy. I I like meditating with my mommy. I practice the old fashioned, TM…StrayCatButtonnose.jpg"> […]
This cat is a very special cats. From this cat, i saw in him strong “Guru Devotion”. Even a cat can learn how to devote to a Guru. This touched me deeply.
This is an amazing cat! Be inspired.
Cat can also choose to have a compassionate diet. If Cat can do this, humans can easily do likewise without any difficulty.
Cats hunt and they eat meat – it’s how they have evolved. Look at their claws, their teeth, even their bodies – they are little hunting machines. They don’t have moral values, they are innocent, they have no malice and beyond our stupid human prejudices. So, if a cat kills, it is not bad karma for them. There is nothing great about a vegetarian cat. It is not a better cat. It’s a cat that eats vegetables.
Cute kitty! I’m amazed by her perseverance staying in the main hall for hours looking undisturbed at the Buddhas with admiring eyes. And furthermore she avoid killing! I feel she’s not ordinary. Very inspiring example. Thanks kitty cat 🙂
Amazing indeed – a cat who’s vegetarian, doesn’t kill and meditates!
At this rate, he would be freed from samsara faster then most humans!Most importantly, though, it sends a strong message that, if a cat(a carnivore by nature) can be vegetarian, why can’t humans?
How cute! Karma might have led him to be where he is now. It just showed that countless life time of prayers can lead us and bring us closer to dharma if we practice it sincerely. At least, the cat is very near to dharma; he might not have the full conditions to practice like we are, but it is the mind that to be trained. Wonderful being!
Wow amazing. Looks like this cat meditates in front of Buddha statues! I guess it must be the strong imprints from previous life. And he is a vegetarian too and holds on to his vows. May he take a good rebirth!
My cat has taught me humility before and I expect him to teach me other things too. Hopefully I can repay him by training him to be a vegetarian…
Wow! Even a cat could do that – inspiring!
This is quite cool. Maybe it is a past life impression. I tried training my cat before. It would not do anything extraordinary like the cat mentioned above. I guess this cat can be an example to mankind to be vegetarian and also follow what the cat does 😀
Dear Rinpoche
This is such a great news. I always think that it is absurd that in taking care of one animal, we have to harm another.
Warm regards
Valentina
Love this story. And it’s so good to hear that all the nuns and the cat are vegetarian.
Our two cats have been vegetarian for the past 2 months or so now and they are doing really well on it. Their food contains all essential nutrients including taurine which is essential for cats. They have never been livelier and are more affectionate : )
Great to see this South Korean cat keeping his vows! What good karma he is creating, we should all rejoice on his behalf. : ) I wish that he can achieve the goal of Enlightenment soon. Amazing story …
Wonderful! Our two cats have also been vegetarian now (for about one year) and are doing perfectly and very happy! The food is a special preparation with all their daily requirements. All the best!