It is a common belief that Buddhist monks, lamas and teachers are vegan. In fact, many are not. So what is the connection between Buddhism and veganism, and how can spiritual and moral awakening be achieved when the seeker is a participant in our culture's abuse of animals? This insightful book is a collection of teachings and stories by people who are committed to both Buddhism and veganism opens up intriguing questions. Do Buddhist teachings require or even explicitly encourage vegan living, or is veganism a personal choice? How do spiritual awakening and animal liberation interconnect and reinforce each other? As both Buddhism and veganism continue to spread and gain ground, the inspiring wisdom in this book reveals intriguing keys to a better world for us all. Includes contributions from Will Tuttle, John Bussineau and Master Ma Chuo.

In The Buddha, The Vegan and You: Part I, the author, a student and practitioner of Buddhism for eighteen years, shares how he changed his eating habits, improved his health, and lost weight by using various meditation practices. These meditation techniques, in conjunction with research, helped him to curb cravings and attachment to "standard American diet" foods. He reveals what it was like going from a heavy intake of animal products to a vegan diet. The book explores the role of eating meat, dairy, fish and eggs in relation to the five Buddhist Precepts on ethical behavior as well as myths and stories non-vegan and non-vegetarian Buddhists tell themselves sanctioning them to eat as they always have. These myths and stories are the same ones the author told himself, in many cases, but after careful reflection he found that his eating habits contradicted his Buddhist practice and training. The book concludes with a vegan perspective on the four powers, a Buddhist practice designed to transform ourselves and change our karma.

Incorporating systems theory, teachings from mythology and religions, and the human sciences, The World Peace Diet presents the outlines of a more empowering understanding of our world, based on a comprehension of the far-reaching implications of our food choices and the worldview those choices reflect and mandate. The author offers a set of universal principles for all people of conscience, from any religious tradition, that they can follow to reconnect with what we are eating, what was required to get it on our plate, and what happens after it leaves our plates.

75+ easy, comforting, and oh-so-delicious vegan recipes for every home cook—from the bestselling author of The Buddhist Chef. Jean-Philippe Cyr—vegan chef, blogger, and bestselling cookbook author—is back with even more delicious vegan recipes. Inspired by the comfort foods he enjoyed cooking with his grandmother while growing up, his classical culinary training, as well as his travels around the world, The Buddhist Chef’s Vegan Comfort Cooking will become your go-to vegan cookbook for every day of the week. Whether you are a long-time vegan or just looking to add more meat- and dairy-free meals to your rotation, these veganized-classic recipes are ones you’ll return to time and again. Start your day right with vegan Frittatas. Snack on some hearty No-Crab Cakes or Lentil-Stuffed Buns. Enjoy nostalgic favorites like Vegan Cheese Fondue, French Onion Soup, or Tofu Ham with Pineapple. Transform tempeh into delicious Tempeh Burgers, munch on a Vegan Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich, or simplify family classics with the One-Pot Lasagna. You can even treat yourself to veganized Crème Brûlée, Upside-Down Pear Cake, or Brownies. With recipes perfect for a quick weeknight family dinner or an impressive weekend spread for your vegan and non-vegan friends alike, The Buddhist Chef’s Vegan Comfort Cooking will satisfy any mealtime craving.

Fresh out of college, Gesshin Claire Greenwood found her way to a Buddhist monastery in Japan and was ordained as a Buddhist nun. Zen appealed to Greenwood because of its all-encompassing approach to life and how to live it, its willingness to face life’s big questions, and its radically simple yet profound emphasis on presence, reality, the now. At the monastery, she also discovered an affinity for working in the kitchen, especially the practice of creating delicious, satisfying meals using whatever was at hand — even when what was at hand was bamboo. Based on the philosophy of oryoki, or “just enough,” this book combines stories with recipes. From perfect rice, potatoes, and broths to hearty stews, colorful stir-fries, hot and cold noodles, and delicate sorbet, Greenwood shows food to be a direct, daily way to understand Zen practice. With eloquent prose, she takes readers into monasteries and markets, messy kitchens and predawn meditation rooms, and offers food for thought that nourishes and delights body, mind, and spirit.

Based on the teachings of the Buddha, this book offers the most compelling and impassioned indictment of meat-eating to be found in Tibetan literature and is pertinent to anyone interested in vegetarianism as a moral or spiritual issue. The Buddha's teachings show how destructive habits can be examined and transformed gradually from within. The aim is not to repress one's desire for meat and animal products by force of will, but to develop heartfelt compassion and sensitivity to the suffering of animals, so that the desire to exploit and feed on them naturally dissolves. There are two texts presented here. One is an excerpt from Shabkar's Book of Marvels, consisting of quotations from the Buddhist scriptures and the teachings of masters of Tibetan Buddhism that argue against the consumption of meat, with Shabkar's commentary. The second, the Nectar of Immortality , is Shabkar's discourse on the importance of developing compassion for animals.

Vegetarianism is a hotly debated topic within Buddhist circles. This book provides a valuable new contribution to the discussion with translations of thirteen Tibetan texts focused on the ethical problems associated with eating meat, coming from a wide variety of perspectives and lineages. Should all Buddhists be vegetarian? Vegetarianism is an important topic of debate in Buddhist circles—some argue that Buddhists should avoid meat entirely while others suggest that it is acceptable. For the most part, however, this ethical query has been conducted in the West without consulting traditional literature on the subject. The Faults of Meat brings together for the first time a collection of rich and intricate explorations of authoritative Tibetan views on eating meat. These fourteen nuanced texts, ranging from scholastic treatises to poetic verse, reveal vegetarianism as a significant, ongoing issue of debate for Tibetans across time and traditions, with a wide variety of voices marshaled against meat, and a few in favor. Authors include many important Tibetan teachers: Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen (1292–1361) Khedrup Jé (1385–1438) The eighth Karmapa, Mikyö Dorjé (1507–1554) Shabkar Tsokdrük Rangdröl (1781–1851) Khenpo Tsultrim Lodrö (1961– ) and many more. These Buddhist teachers recognize both the ethical problems that surround meat eating and the practical challenges of maintaining a vegetarian diet; their skilled arguments are illuminated further by the translators’ introductions to each work. The perspectives in The Faults of Meat are strikingly relevant to our discussions of vegetarianism today; they introduce us to new approaches and solutions to a contentious issue for Buddhists.