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The Plains Indians (Comanche, Sioux, Cheyenne, etc.) were almost 100% carnivorous. Ten pounds or more of bison meat a day for the men.
At the time of the Potato Famine potato intake in Ireland was eight pounds of potatoes per person per day.
The ironic thing about potatoes is that they were originally eaten by Native American Indians (albeit from the Andes region of South America instead of North or Central America, but Indian people, nevertheless) and potato itself originally from said region.
What I don't understand that if you're a Buddhist, according to you, you are supposed to be a vegetarian, but I know LOTS of Asian people (I'm in medical field) that eat meat, and some of them claim to be devout Buddhists, and most Chinese, Japanese, Thai, etc., restaurants have meat dishes of one kind or another. Also, my father told me that Koreans (he was in Airborne in Korean War) ate lots of meat dishes, and at that time, other than the military personnel from other countries and a few Christian missionaries by far the bulk of the people were practicing Buddhists. Seems to me (I by no means am an expert on this) that most vegetarians and vegans that claim to be Buddhists are American and European converts to Zen Buddhism or something along that line, and lots of vegetarians and vegans aren't even Buddhist in faith at all. Someone that knows more about that please explain to me, and have a great day.
The beauty of Buddhism (and Hinduism) is that nothing is PUSHED on a believer. They are free to grow within their beliefs at their own pace. Life is a learning experience that allows us to cast off negative karma and acquire good karma. But it is up to us to do it ourselves it cannot be pushed upon us.
There are many Buddhists (and probably a few Hindus too) who do still eat meat because their soul has not gotten to the place yet where meat is abhorrent to them. Perhaps in this lifetime it will never be so. You cannot say a Buddhist does this....or that....because Buddhists are people who are on the path to enlightenment. And there are many different stops along the way.
^Very nice post. I have been acquiring a great taste for eastern religions and philosophies.
I have always known a few people that are just angry wierd people and try way to hard to be the masculine dominant man. One was a obnoxious racist redneck I knew in college. You had to drink cheap crappy whisky, eat lots of meat, and drive a big pickup to be a big man. It was really lame. Those people are around, but the truth is, they probably have a small penis. So don't worry about it. Let them deal with it.
I have lost a ton of weight, quit drinking and smoking, and traded a diet of beer and pizza to organics and naturally feed/hormone free chicken and red meat like a few times a month. It makes one feel 100X better.
Last edited by Urban_HillBilly; 05-20-2010 at 08:09 PM..
One of the things I try to remind myself is that I have taken a pledge to treat not only animals with kindness, but humans as well. As difficult as they may sometimes be.
When meat-eating folks strike out at me, I often think that they feel defensive. Perhaps they have felt "attacked" by some of the more militant vegetarians in their past?
I gently try to encourage any and all who express any sort of curiosity about the vegetarian diet.
They say they cannot give up meat 100%? Ok then, how about trying to go vegetarian one or perhaps two days per week at first?
Worried about protein and nutrients? No problem. But at least consider giving up the larger animals (harder on the planet and more wasteful of resources) and stick with locally farmed chicken and fish you catch yourself?
Sometimes, when you present people with options you will create paths to a better understanding. Many are turned off by the "all or nothing" approach.
The beauty of Buddhism (and Hinduism) is that nothing is PUSHED on a believer. They are free to grow within their beliefs at their own pace. Life is a learning experience that allows us to cast off negative karma and acquire good karma. But it is up to us to do it ourselves it cannot be pushed upon us.
There are many Buddhists (and probably a few Hindus too) who do still eat meat because their soul has not gotten to the place yet where meat is abhorrent to them. Perhaps in this lifetime it will never be so. You cannot say a Buddhist does this....or that....because Buddhists are people who are on the path to enlightenment. And there are many different stops along the way.
20yrsinBranson
Yes I can say this, because some of my Asian colleagues are practicing Buddhists, and still eat meat, some voraciously, and many Oriental restaurants have meat dishes and are run by people that are Buddhists, and I see them eat their own food themselves. Also, a young girl that I know, that some people might consider a "redneck" or "hick" is an actively practicing vegan, she simply does not like meat and does not like the thought of a cow or chicken or whatever in a slaughterhouse and does not even wear leather belt, etc., the girl is Old Regular Baptist and probably doesn't even know what a Buddhist or Hindu is. Your answer, with all due respect, seems more like proselytizing propoganda than an actual answer, and is not really a straight answer at all, although I respect you for your beliefs and I know your cholesterol will most likely be less than mine, an omnivore that knows better (health professionals are the worst patients .... Dr. (or pharmacist or dentist) heal thyself). Have a great day!
Buddhism is a soft version of Jainism. Buddha himself spent time in a Jain monastery long before there was any Buddhism. And in Jainism being vegetarian is an absolute must, one cannot be a Jaina and eat animals at the same time. Let's be honest, India as well as other countries in SE Asia have been on a moral nosedive for quite some time. Just look at Thailand currently, real Buddhists would not behave that way.
The Plains Indians (Comanche, Sioux, Cheyenne, etc.) were almost 100% carnivorous. Ten pounds or more of bison meat a day for the men.
At the time of the Potato Famine potato intake in Ireland was eight pounds of potatoes per person per day.
I wonder where you got your numbers from. Nobody can eat ten pounds of meat (or anything for that matter) a day.
The Indians were hunters and gatherers, of course they did not only eat meat.
Finally, who cares what the old Indians did? Do Americans still dance around the stake and wear feathers on their heads?
I used to eat plants until single-cell organisms convinced me that it was wrong (they talk to me, cos I'm speshul). In fact, I think we should all just stop eating, because no matter what we eat, something dies, and by extension, some lamer will whine about it.
Just speaking for myself. I may sometimes come across as elitist or arrogant about my eating habits (although I am not a pure vegetarian yet). Because I am often dumbfounded that otherwise intelligent and educated people would CHOOSE to eat meat in quantity.
It seems obvious to me that if a person KNEW what eating meat does to your body (the negative aspects), that no rational person would make this choice. I assume therefore that my demeanor when discussing it comes across somewhat condescending and "uppity", but I am just so simply GOBSMACKED that anyone would choose this over a healthy diet.
Now I will admit that I am not 100 percent vegetarian yet because meat is a very difficult thing to overcome, but I can say honestly that I am reducing my intake dramatically for all of the reasons I have given. Not even taking into consideration my love for animals and desire to see an end to their suffering.
20yrsinBranson
Everyone does things that are bad for their bodies. I exercise regularly (cycle 25+ miles or run 5+ miles/day). I also rarely drink.
To drink more than a glass of red wine about once/week is terrible for your body. To not exercise aerobically is terrible for your body.
How can any educated person not do those things?
Answer? It is a personal choice. Shut up and let people do whatever they want.
Plus, ALL meat is NOT bad for you. Red meat in quantity is not good, but fish and fowl is beneficial to a healthy diet, when eaten in moderation. Obviously too much of anything is bad. If you eat nothing but broccoli it can be a bad thing.
You are showing the arrogance we dislike in vegetarians. Vegetarianism is NOT the only healthy diet that exists. To make that claim is nothing short of ignorant. There is middle ground between eating a steak every day and being a vegetarian.
I wonder where you got your numbers from. Nobody can eat ten pounds of meat (or anything for that matter) a day.
The Indians were hunters and gatherers, of course they did not only eat meat.
Finally, who cares what the old Indians did? Do Americans still dance around the stake and wear feathers on their heads?
Numbers are from here:
This would be available to you. Also got them from original source documents when I was half-heartedly doing a thesis more than 30 years ago. They may now be availlable on-line but I don't know.
The Comanche, especially, lived in "Buffalo Central" in the Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas Panhandle. The bison were literally outside their front doors and all they did while there was eat. The Comanche, or Nerm, were about 98% carnivore with very little vegetable matter in their diet. In fact, they disdained those tribes that were agricultural and made great sport of them.
Potato consumption in Ireland:
Knock yourself out.
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So don't worry about it. Let them deal with it.
