Why does spiritual practice discuss vegetarianism? How can meat-eaters practise and decide what suits them?

Vegetarianism is not a prerequisite for practice. Meat-eaters can practise too. It is one aspect of cultivation, not an absolute requirement, and diet and practice are distinct. Sheng Zhen Men does not require everyone joining to become vegetarian. The programme half-joked that, if vegetables alone brought heaven, lifelong cattle, sheep and rabbits would become immortals, so why practise? Spiritual elevation leads toward becoming an immortal or Buddha. This does not make vegetarianism useless; first consider why it is discussed.

Two main explanations appear. One is not killing. Avoiding animal flesh developed as an extension of the Buddhist precept. The programme said the Buddha did not specifically require vegetarianism for practice; the idea developed from avoiding killing. The other is purity. One episode described the main aim as purifying energy, later interpreted in Buddhism through non-killing. Daoist discussion of clarity also sees vegetarianism as helping purity. As for plants being alive and whether eating them counts as killing, the speaker considered there to be no standard answer and no need for endless dispute. The speaker nevertheless regarded vegetables and fruit as bringing greater purity than animal flesh and described the difference as recognisable in science or ordinary life.

So first consider your position. If vegetarianism is a precept of the religion you follow or have taken refuge in, follow that discipline. Buddhist monastics naturally eat vegetarian food; some traditional Daoist schools also have such precepts, and Daoist monastics mainly follow vegetarian diets. The programme also said this can have a calming, purifying effect on the body, provided the diet is healthy, for example vegetables without chemical residues and unprocessed whole foods. Lay practitioners such as those at Sheng Zhen Men instead follow their own feelings.

From the perspective of purity, I feel vegetarian eating makes inner stillness easier and meat makes it harder. A common explanation is that animals hold resentment before death, and eating their flesh also brings that resentment into the body, making qi more negative and somewhat conflicting with human qi. Sensitive people may notice a difference. However, some energy workers feel meat replenishes more energy. The programme also mentioned differing animal and plant energies, meat-eaters accustomed to feeling stronger after meat, and vegetarians becoming hungry more easily. The speaker said the extent also depends on how the person thinks: many things follow our thinking, while most people do not think much about it when eating, so the effect may be slight.

What should meat-eaters do? I tell students to train more and cultivate clear qi themselves. Vegetarians may sometimes reach a better condition more easily through purer qi, while meat-eaters may need more work for the same clarity. If meat leaves qi blocked or moving poorly, practise harder to restore it. I recall Daoist qigong teacher Li Fengshan offering a similar idea: continued training improves qi, and the body naturally tells you what clarity it seeks. Another episode likewise said meat does not deduct points from practice, but energy may be less ideal, so exercise, qi training and practice can remove or transform accumulated negativity. Gratitude toward the animal while eating is also possible.

For personal choice, the programme advised following circumstances and bodily feelings. When asked whether practice requires vegetarianism, I say not necessarily. If conditions are ready and you wish to, do so. Without that readiness, wish or vow, let it develop naturally. Someone told they have a spiritual connection need not fear being restricted to vegetarian food. The choice should arise more from energetic need than merely a rule. We also recounted a listener accompanying a friend to a medium of the Mother, who said not to force it and suggested beginning on the first and fifteenth lunar days if willing. Bodily condition is another clue: Sheng Zhen Men believes the body communicates its food needs. Deities do not demand vegetarianism, though they may advise less raw, cold or fried food for health. One practitioner began feeling around New Year that the time for vegetarianism had come. We understood that as possibly indicating a current need for purer food.

But do not force yourself. If vegetarianism only suppresses desire for meat, leaving you staring unhappily into others’ bowls, following your feeling and eating meat may be preferable. As bodily energy moves toward vegetarianism, it can happen naturally. If meat is needed, follow that without excessive craving, such as requiring fried chicken at every meal. A freely accepted vegetarian vow is a good choice; initial restraint followed by overcoming habit is good too. But if distress at others eating meat persists, returning to meat is possible. Conversely, if eating it makes you nauseous, return to vegetarian food. Dao Xuan was an example: originally not fond of meat and with little food craving, the initial change nevertheless felt unfamiliar and made shared meals harder, but later became more comfortable. As Dao Xuan said, one day the wish arose and was followed.

Vegetarianism does not mean cultivation is complete. The programme said it does not automatically produce kindness or great love; these need practice, not just changed appetite. Some vegetarians retain strong greed, anger and delusion or even greater pride: vegetarian mouths without vegetarian hearts. Avoiding meat may reduce animal-resentment energy, but without cultivating the mind it adds little to practice. Ideally it extends virtue rather than becomes an identity. The folk saying attributed to Master Ji Gong, about wine and meat passing through while the Buddha remains in the heart, emphasises inner cultivation over diet. The real work is reducing desire. With less desire and a clearer mind, the difference in diet matters less.

How does vegetarianism relate to compassion? One account says it cultivates compassion by avoiding killing, not causing animals to die for us and not seeking to satisfy appetite. Later in the same episode, compassion was said not to have a direct relationship with vegetarianism, although diet does influence it. Together, these mean vegetarianism may help compassion but is not the only path. Meat-eaters can still be compassionate, and compassion matters more than food. Ordinary meat consumption is one thing; daily fixation on obtaining a particular meat is excessive desire, following the same principle as greed, anger and delusion.

Daily practice need not be extremely strict. Dao Xuan described a convenient approach: eat vegetarian choices when available, leave unsuitable choices, and select what is manageable when others order meat. This is often called eating vegetables from a shared pot. With few vegetarians at Sheng Zhen Men, extreme restrictions could make meals out unmanageable. Another practitioner beginning vegetarianism was likewise advised to proceed naturally, choosing shared-pot vegetables when fully vegetarian food was inconvenient and eating more vegetables and less meat. We also recounted a traditional origin story: Sixth Patriarch Huineng, fleeing pursuers, lived with hunters in cold mountains without vegetables. When they boiled animal soup, he drank broth without meat. This is a transmitted story, not historical verification.

The programme offered health-related views and experiences too. Many Taiwanese vegetarian foods are processed, and eating only vegetables may not provide complete nutrition such as protein. Some vegetarians supplement vitamins and protein, while processed vegetarian food may also contribute to weight gain. Food outside can be salty or hard, so suitable choices matter. Conversely, eating meat does not necessarily make a diet unhealthy. Balance matters most, and excessive meat may also bring concerns, so moderation is needed. Dao Xuan became particularly hungry during rituals and, after experimenting, also considered balanced nutrition and more protein important.

Returning to the main point, Sheng Zhen Men does not deliberately impose vegetarianism but favours natural development. Understanding greed, anger and delusion and reducing desire are the foundation. Discussion of non-killing and vegetarianism generally also aims to reduce desire. The programme separately mentioned scriptural instructions for pure food and clean clothes when conducting ceremonies or praying to avert others’ difficulties, so the person and energy are clean. That concerns the ceremony’s setting and differs from whether one eats vegetarian food every day.