On Buddhist food

There are many traditions regarding eating in Buddhism. Most of them put restrictions on meat and other the least expected foods like garlic. The articles below are an overview of Buddhist eating habits and rules.

Links: Buddhist Cuisine  Garlic  Buddhist vegetarianism

The same difference

An analogy may not be analogous to the person. It has nothing to do with ability to understand. It has to do with experience.

Dhammapada - The Essential Teaching of The Buddha

Chapter XXVI

THE BRAHMANA

(ARHAT)

387 The sun is bright by day, the moon shines by night, the warrior is bright in his armour, the Brahmana is bright in his meditation; but Buddha, the Awakened, is bright with splendour day and night.

406 Him I call indeed a Brahmana who is tolerant with the intolerant, mild with violent, and free from greed among the greedy.

407 Him I call indeed a Brahmana from whom anger and hatred, pride and hypocrisy have dropt like a mustard seed from the point of a needle.

Dhammapada - The Essential Teaching of The Buddha

Chapter XXV

THE BHIKSHU

(MENDICANT)

360 Restraint in the eye is good, good is restraint in the ear, in the nose restraint is good, good is restraint in the tongue.

361 In the body restraint is good, good is restraint in speech, in thought restraint is good, good is restraint in all things. A Bhikshu, restrained in all things, is freed from all pain.

363 The Bhikshu who controls his mouth, who speaks wisely and calmly, who teaches the meaning and the law, his word is sweet.

367 He who never identifies himself with name and form, and does not grieve over what is no more, he indeed is called a Bhikshu.

368 The Bhikshu who behaves with with kindness, who is happy in the doctrine of Buddha, will reach the quite place (Nirvana), happiness arising from the cessation of natural inclinations.

372 Without knowledge there is no meditation, without meditation there is no knowledge: he who has knowledge and meditation near unto Nirvana.

375 And this is the beginning here for a wise Bhikshu: watchfulness over the senses, contentedness, restraint under the law; keep noble friends whose life is pure, and who are not slothful.

381 The Bhikshu, full of delight, who is happy in the doctrine of Buddha will reach the quite place (Nirvana), happiness consisting in the cessation of natural inclinations.

Dhammapada - The Essential Teaching of The Buddha

Chapter XXIV

THIRST

338 As a tree, even though it has been cut down, is firm so long as its root is safe, and grows again, thus, unless the feeders of thirst are destroyed, this pain (of life) will return again and again.

342 Beset with lust, men run about like a snared hare; held in fetters and bonds, they undergo pain for long time, again and again.

349 If a man is tossed about by doubts, full strong passions, and yearning only for what is delightful, his thirst will grow more and more, and he will indeed make fetters strong.

351 He who has reached the consummation, who does not tremble, who is without thirst and without sin, he has broken all the thorns of life: this will be his last body.

356  The fields are damaged by weeds, mankind is damaged by passion: therefore a gift bestowed on the passionless brings great reward.

357  The fields are damaged by weeds, mankind is damaged by hatred: therefore a gift bestowed on those who do not hate brings great reward.

358 The fields are damaged by weeds, mankind is damaged by vanity: therefore a gift bestowed on those who are free from vanity brings great reward.

359 The fields are damaged by weeds, mankind is damaged by lust: therefore a gift bestowed on those who are free from lust brings great reward.