Which diet are you?

[David N. Snyder]

Over at Dhamma Wheel (Theravada) we are surveying and discussing this, so thought it might be interesting to see how the percentages differ, if at all between Theravada and Mahayana practitioners.

1. Carnivore - meat only, no other food, no fruit, veggies, grains, or bread, etc.
2. Omnivore - (almost) anything goes, red meat, poultry, fish, veggies, etc.
3. Flexitarianism - A diet that consists primarily of vegetarian food, but includes occasional exceptions for some kinds of meat.
4. Pescetarianism - A diet that is mainly vegetarian but also includes fish and sometimes other seafood.
5. Pollotarianism - A diet that is mainly vegetarian but also includes poultry.
6. Lacto-ovo vegetarianism is a vegetarian diet that permits consumption of animal products such eggs, milk, and honey.
7. Veganism abstains from all animal flesh and animal products, including milk, honey, and eggs.
8. Organic veganism - only organic vegan foods.
9. Raw veganism is a diet of fresh and uncooked fruit, nuts, seeds, and vegetables.
10. Fruitarianism is a diet of only fruit, nuts, seeds, and other plant matter that can be gathered without harming the plant (many Jains follow this diet).

[David N. Snyder]

All posts discussing vegetarianism and meat eating have been move to the great vegetarian debate:

viewtopic.php?f=66&t=213

Make your poll choice here, but any comments in the great vegetarian debate thread. Thanks.

[ReasonAndRhyme]

Hi David,

would be nice if you could post a link to the survey at Dhamma Wheel for those of us who are not familiar with that site and would like to take a glimpse over to compare the results.

Bye,

R'n'R

[David N. Snyder]

Okay, here it is: http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=8095

Interesting that the poll numbers are fairly similar, with just little higher rate of vegetarianism here in the Mahayana forum.

[ReasonAndRhyme]

thx for the link. Yes, interesting, I had expected that significantly more people on the Theravada forum would be vegetarians than here.

[David N. Snyder]

thx for the link. Yes, interesting, I had expected that significantly more people on the Theravada forum would be vegetarians than here.

Most people think it is the other way around; that Mahayanists are more likely to be vegetarian than Theravadins, due to the anti-meat Lankavatara Sutra and other sutras in Mahayana and then the 3-fold rule in Theravada where monks and nuns graciously eat what is put in their bowl. In reality there are teachings in both schools that speak of not killing or causing to kill and also other teachings which permit the eating of meat in some instances.

[ReasonAndRhyme]

Really? Is there no rule against eating meat in the Theravada? I didn't know that. I had always thought the Theravadins were especially strict in that regard, and here, on the other hand in the Mahayana section, the Vajrayana followers would "outweigh" that. My guess would have been a 70%-30% ratio between the first 5 categories and the rest in the Mahayana section, and a 30%-70% ratio in the Theravada section.

[bunny]

I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian though I do appear to be naturally (slowly though) heading towards becoming a vegan. It's just an observation others around me have noticed.

I do not consume ice-cream, cow's milk or some cheeses. Although all these fit in with my diet they do not with my body.

[Blue Garuda]

Ahimsa - what I can realsitically do to cause least harm.

Well, it's better than the Diet of Worms!

[Kaji]

I suggest adding another poll asking whether people exclude from their diets parivyaya (garlic, onion, spring onion, chives, etc.), which Buddhists should avoid according to the Brahma's Net Sutra and the Lankāvatāra-sūtra.

[ratikala]

I suggest adding another poll asking whether people exclude from their diets parivyaya (garlic, onion, spring onion, chives, etc.), which Buddhists should avoid according to the Brahma's Net Sutra and the Lankāvatāra-sūtra.

namaskaram ,

yes I wondered where that option was ?