Jainism

[g0rph]

Yes, some sects of some religions take a compulsory stance on vegetarianism, but I was referring to the whole religion. I think Jainism is the only one where the whole religion in all of its sects and denominations have compulsory vegetarianism (not counting new religious movements).

Buddhists are very good at practicing vegetarianism in a few limited number of sects. Many Buddhists eat meat though. I think the "half" figure is mistaken though. According to Grok:

Even The Dalai Lama isn't vegetarian. From what I remember from his "Freedom in Exile" book, they won't harm an animal, but often take meat, dairy etc from others.
Kind of like most meat eaters I guess.

 

[g0rph]

Yes, some sects of some religions take a compulsory stance on vegetarianism, but I was referring to the whole religion. I think Jainism is the only one where the whole religion in all of its sects and denominations have compulsory vegetarianism (not counting new religious movements).

Buddhists are very good at practicing vegetarianism in a few limited number of sects. Many Buddhists eat meat though. I think the "half" figure is mistaken though. According to Grok:

I am amazed you are using Grok with all that it stands for

 

[spencer]

I am amazed you are using Grok with all that it stands for

Ha! I think you'll find similar results with other AI programs. Google AI:

While there are no precise global statistics, researchers estimate that roughly half (50%) of the world's Buddhists follow a vegetarian or near-vegetarian diet.
Dietary practices vary significantly by region and tradition:

• India: According to the Pew Research Center, approximately 25% of Buddhists in India identify as vegetarian.
• China: While many Chinese Buddhist monastics are strictly vegetarian, research indicates only about 4% of the broader population (which includes many Buddhists) follows a full vegetarian diet.
• Traditions:
  • Mahayana: Generally encourages or requires vegetarianism.
  • Theravada: Typically does not require it; monks often eat what is offered during alms.
  • Vajrayana (Tibetan): Traditionally permits meat due to the harsh Himalayan climate, though many modern teachers advocate for vegetarianism.

In Western countries, converts to Buddhism tend to have a higher rate of vegetarianism—often cited around 50%—compared to practitioners in traditionally Buddhist nations.

I think it's the Western convert Buddhists who have the higher rate of being vegetarian (about 50%) whereas, the Buddhists from Asian countries are at a rate of 4% to 25%.

 

[g0rph]

Ha! I think you'll find similar results with other AI programs. Google AI:

Grok has been allowing the undressing of people, including kids.
I am not on about ecological concerns. It's owned by one of the world's biggest A-Holes.

 

[Ahimsa24/7]

Even The Dalai Lama isn't vegetarian. From what I remember from his "Freedom in Exile" book, they won't harm an animal, but often take meat, dairy etc from others.
Kind of like most meat eaters I guess.

The Dalai Lama is a hypocrite and a poser. He claims that his doctors have ordered him to eat meat for health concerns. Yuh huh.

 

[1956]

Calling the Dalai Lama a hypocrite and a poser is going too far in my view…
He has openly stated that he consumes flesh, he doesn’t advocate for others not to eat meat…
I don’t know what you mean @Ahimsa24/7 by calling him a “poser”? From what I have seen he doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what he is.
As a follower of Tibetan Buddhism I have had the privilege of being in his presence on several occasions, hearing him speak has been incredibly inspiring…
Would I prefer that he was Vegan? Of course! However, there are Many spiritual leaders who are not, in fact probably Most are not Vegan… I don’t see any reason to signal Him out! One thing that is hypocritical about Tibetan Buddhism - is that it is my understanding that they don’t want to be responsible for the killing of an animal - they leave that to non Buddhist's… That though is not the decree of the Dalai Lama, it has been a long standing tradition… It is also important to remember that being Vegan or even vegetarian in Tibet would have been very difficult so culturally meat is considered part of their diet… It is my Hope that those Tibetan Buddhists living where it is possible to live a Vegan lifestyle will come round to it - as I would like to see All people do… Placing higher expectations on the Dalai Lama seems unwarranted…

 

[Ahimsa24/7]

Calling the Dalai Lama a hypocrite and a poser is going too far in my view…
He has openly stated that he consumes flesh, he doesn’t advocate for others not to eat meat…
I don’t know what you mean @Ahimsa24/7 by calling him a “poser”? From what I have seen he doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what he is.
As a follower of Tibetan Buddhism I have had the privilege of being in his presence on several occasions, hearing him speak has been incredibly inspiring…
Would I prefer that he was Vegan? Of course! However, there are Many spiritual leaders who are not, in fact probably Most are not Vegan… I don’t see any reason to signal Him out! One thing that is hypocritical about Tibetan Buddhism - is that it is my understanding that they don’t want to be responsible for the killing of an animal - they leave that to non Buddhist's… That though is not the decree of the Dalai Lama, it has been a long standing tradition… It is also important to remember that being Vegan or even vegetarian in Tibet would have been very difficult so culturally meat is considered part of their diet… It is my Hope that those Tibetan Buddhists living where it is possible to live a Vegan lifestyle will come round to it - as I would like to see All people do… Placing higher expectations on the Dalai Lama seems unwarranted…

I stand by my opinion. I had a good friend I worked with (who converted to Buddhism from Judaism) who also spoke reverently about being "is his presence". He lent me a book by him - I won't remember the title. I read the entire thing. The DL didn't say he ate animals because it was cultural or common or traditional, he said he did it under doctor's orders, insinuating that he wouldn't be doing it otherwise. That's after hundreds of pages of talking about not doing harm and being a positive force in the universe. Doctor's orders. Maybe he could seek a second opinion, since there's no evidence that any human being needs to eat meat to survive or be healthy. Certainly he has the means to eat whatever diet he'd like. I'd say he enjoys eating meat, so he does.

 

[g0rph]

The Dalai Lama is a hypocrite and a poser. He claims that his doctors have ordered him to eat meat for health concerns. Yuh huh.

I think some of his actions are, but overall I think he's a decent person.
You ought to read the book I mentioned. It's pretty enlightening.

And it's quite possible his doctor has indeed ordered him to eat meat. I see people saying that quite a lot.
Remember, doctors are not nutritionists.

 

[Ahimsa24/7]

I think some of his actions are, but overall I think he's a decent person.
You ought to read the book I mentioned. It's pretty enlightening.

And it's quite possible his doctor has indeed ordered him to eat meat. I see people saying that quite a lot.
Remember, doctors are not nutritionists.

One book was plenty for me, thanks.