Tag: Buddhist vegetarianism

Long before modern vegetarianism, a 2025 study on Australopithecus fossils revealed our distant hominin ancestors lived almost entirely on a plant-based diet. Beyond these early origins, several ancient civilizations and philosophical movements incorporated meat-free diets for ethical, spiritual, and philosophical reasons.

While many people assume all monks follow a strict vegetarian diet, the reality is far more complex and varied across different traditions. Do all monks avoid eating meat? The answer depends heavily on the specific Buddhist school, geographic location, and monastic rules they observe.

While most people associate Buddhism with vegetarianism, dietary practices differ significantly across its traditions. The question of whether Buddhists can have chicken, therefore, has no single answer, instead depending on an individual's tradition, personal circumstances, and interpretation of core Buddhist principles like *ahimsa* (non-harming).

Over 500 million people worldwide practice Buddhism, and while the principle of non-harming is universal, the application of dietary rules, such as eating chicken, varies dramatically across different traditions and geographical regions.

While a precise global figure is elusive, one US-based study of Buddhists found that only 7% identified as strictly vegan, with a higher percentage adopting a vegetarian diet. The answer is far from simple, as dietary practices vary significantly depending on the Buddhist school, geographical location, and individual commitment.

Not all Buddhists avoid onions, but for those who do, the reasoning is deeply tied to spiritual practice. Specifically, certain Mahayana traditions abstain from what they call the 'five pungent roots,' which includes onions, believing they can disrupt mental clarity and hinder meditation.

According to a 2021 Pew Research Center study, 72% of Hindus in India state that a person cannot be Hindu if they eat beef. This deep-seated aversion is just one example of what culture eats no beef, rooted in ancient religious texts, spiritual beliefs, and agricultural practices across the globe.