目 录

导语

人类适宜于素食

肉食易导致疾病

肉类富集多种有害物质

素食营养“高大全”

素食令人年轻健康

素食可提高智慧

素食与低碳环保

佛教与素食

结 语

Table of Contents

Prologue

Human Body Is Designed For Vegetarian Diet

Meat Eating Is Prone To Disease

Multiple Toxic Substances Enriched In Meat

The Health Benefits of Vegetarian Diet

Vegetarian Diet Makes People Young and Healthy

Vegetarian Diet Can Improve Intelligence

Vegetarian Diet and Low-carbon Environment

Buddhism and Vegetarian Diet

Epilogue

导 语

素食的利益很多，短短的演讲，实在无法一一列举，今特将素食与肉食之利害，略举几条，愿供大家参考。

Prologue

There are so many benefits of vegetarian diet and it is impossible to elaborate them all in my short talk. Therefore, I will provide a brief comparison between vegetarian diet and non-vegetarian diet for your consideration.

人类适宜于素食

美国哥伦比亚大学的韩丁顿（G.S.Huntington）博士曾做了一项肠道的解剖分析，证明人类适宜于素食，而不适宜肉食。他说肉食动物的小肠短，大肠直而平滑；素食动物的小肠长，大肠亦长；吃肉亦吃素者的肠子比肉食者长，比素食者短。

Human Body Is Designed For Vegetarian Diet

As Dr. G.S Huntington of Columbia University showed in his intestine anatomy research, human body is designed for vegetarian diet, rather than eating meat. He pointed out that carnivores have short small intestines, but smooth and straight large intestine. In contrast, herbivores have both long small and large-intestines. Omnivores who eat both meat and vegetarian food have longer intestines than carnivores but shorter than herbivores.

人类的大肠约有两米左右长，并且来回排列；肠壁不平滑，而且重叠在一起。这样的肠道是适于素食而不宜肉食的。

因为肉类的纤维少，经过消化后剩下的残渣，在人类较长的肠子里停留过久会产生毒素，增加肝脏的负担；肝脏负担太重，会造成肝硬化及肝癌。

Human intestine is approximately two meters long, it folds back on itself many times and its wall is not smooth. Apparently, the structure of this type of intestine suggests it is suitable for digesting vegetarian food rather than meat.

Due to the low fiber content in meat, the meat debris after the digestion will stay in intestine for an over long period of time and produce meat toxins. These meat toxins will distribute to whole body and give liver extra burden. An overworked liver can develop cirrhosis and even liver cancer.

再者，肉类残渣在大肠中经过不必要的过度吸收，而肉类本身又缺乏纤维，易造成便秘，导致痔疮及直肠癌。

从人的生理发育来讲，人属于素食动物。大家看一看羊和驴，眼睛是柔和的。再看看狗和狼，眼睛一瞪，都吓人，冒着凶光。肉食动物和素食动物，情感都不一样。你要是想健康长寿、家庭幸福，就尽量少吃肉，吃长素。吃素照样能身体健康，照样能有力量。

Additionally, extra retention time of meat debris in large intestine leads to constipation, and causes rectal cancer or piles.  

From the perspective of human body physical development, human is one of the herbivorous animals. If you look into animals’ eyes you will notice the difference. For example, sheep and donkey have much softer eyes than dog and wolf. One could be terrified by dog or wolf when they are glaring at you with their fierce eyes. Not only the eyes, herbivores and carnivores also have very different emotions. For someone who wishes to have family happiness, health and longevity, eat less meat or fully convert to vegetarian will be the right way. Vegetarian do live healthy and have strength.

肉食易导致疾病

负面情绪产生肉毒

肉食会威胁你的健康。什么害处？容易发生肉毒中毒，肉毒在所有的毒素中是非常毒的一种，比吸烟的尼古丁还严重！就是动物在被宰杀的时候，它因为极端的愤怒和惊恐，出于本能，从它的脑垂体，松果体里面分泌出毒素来，在它血液凝固之前的短时间内，随着它血液的流动，迅速地遍布全身。你吃被宰杀动物的肉，等于在吃毒药，因为它产生肉毒。

Meat Eating Is Prone To Disease

Negative emotions produce toxins

Meat eating threatens your health. What is the harm? It is prone to meat toxins poisoning. The toxins produced by meat are among the most potent toxins. They are more toxic than nicotine. When animals are slaughtered, the extreme panic and anger they have will trigger the release of toxins from pituitary gland and pineal gland. These toxins rapidly distribute to their whole body through blood circulation, minutes before coagulation. Due to these reasons, eating meat is poisoning yourself.

曾经有人试验过，动物于愤怒或恐怖时，身体内部产生的这种毒质分泌物，如果用玻璃管吸取出来，只要一支香烟大小的毒素，就可以毒死一个人。这些毒素遍布全身，食肉相当于慢性中毒。不但畜生如此，人类亦然。人类因恐怖或愤怒，也同样会产生毒素，毒素随血液遍布全身。这种毒素对于哺乳期的妇女们，还会在乳汁里出现，若是被幼儿吸食，会有生命危险。

Studies showed that, only a cigarette size dose of meat toxins which produced by animal’s fear and anger is already enough to kill a person. These toxins present throughout animal body, therefore eating meat will develop chronic toxicity. This phenomenon is not only for animals, but also happens to human beings. Fear or anger produces similar potent toxins in human body. These toxins also appear in human milk during woman’s lactation. Feed infants with this type of milk are life-threatening.

这不是危言耸听，是实实在在的，食品生物化学能够解释的，这是食品生物化学研究的课题之一。肉毒的积累有一个过程，根据每个人的体质不同。有的人积累的时间要长一些才能发病，有的人积累的时间短就发病了。

高血压、动脉硬化、心脑血管疾病、糖尿病等等，绝大部分都是肉毒中毒引起的。当然还有一个遗传因素，那个另当别论，但是绝大部分所谓的富贵病，就是因为肉毒中毒引起的。

These are not alarmist stories. These are the facts which could be explained by food biochemistry, and they are almong the research areas within food biochemistry. The diseases caused by accumulation of toxins will take some time to develop in human body. This duration varies based on physical condition of each individual. Some might take longer time while others might have very fast onset.

Cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, as well as diabetes are mainly caused by meat toxins. Although genetics could play small role in developing these diseases, the dominant cause is still meat toxins.

◎ 母亲毒奶误杀两亲子

倓虚老和尚讲过一个事例。上世纪三十年代，上海法租界里，有一对法国的夫妇，生了一个小孩儿，没出满月死了。

过一段时间又怀孕了，又生了个小孩儿，没出满月又死了。

法国人讲科学的，什么东西都要试验试验，检查检查。在医院死掉了以后解剖，看看什么原因，找出死的原因来。

Two babies died due to Mom’s toxic breast milk

Venerable Master Tan Xu once shared a true story on this topic. In 1930’s, a French couple who lived in Shanghai French Concession had a baby. Unfortunately, the baby died within a month of birth.

The tragedy continued as their second baby died again within a month of birth.

This couple believed in science so they tried to investigate what were the causes.

一解剖发现中毒死亡，这就奇怪了。没出满月的小孩儿怎么会中毒死亡？

那可能是奶有问题了。结果化验这个小孩儿母亲的奶，发现她这个奶里头有毒素。是他的娘把儿子毒死的，而且毒死了两个，她冤枉啊！亲娘怎么会毒死自己的孩子呢？

什么原因呢？结果经过化验分析找出来，这一对法国夫妇啊，特别好打架、吵架、生气。一生气啊，翻江倒海、怒气冲天，母亲生气产生的毒素，毒死了自己的孩子。

The dissection results from hospital showed the cause of death was poison. This result raised another question, how did the babies get poisoned?

Breast milk became the suspect. After testing, toxins were discovered in breast milk. It was Mom’s milk which killed both babies. But how did these deadly toxins get into the milk?

The real cause revealed after investigation was shocking to everyone.  This couple was so used to fighting and arguing with each other, their anger typically escalated to outrage, these strong negative emotions produced toxins in Mom’s body and poisoned their own babies. 

其实我们中国，民间的老人家都知道这个常识，如果年轻人是风风火火从外面回来，就不让她马上给孩子喂奶。尤其是生了气，更不让喂奶的。生了气喂奶，小孩儿要得病的。

现代很多年轻人不知道，那今天你就知道了，等于传授给你们一个经验。哺乳期间，千万不要生气啊！生气会产生毒素，小孩要中毒的。

In China, it is a common sense which recognized by elderly people, immediately breastfeeding after young mom rush back home should be avoided, especially when this mom is angry. Breast feeding at this moment will make baby sick. 

Unfortunately, a lot of young people do not aware of this. Above examples teach us that do not get angry during lactation, otherwise the toxins will poison the babies.

那么动物在被宰杀的时候，它出于本能产生肉毒，人们吃了这个肉以后啊，发生肉毒中毒。

肉毒有个积累的过程，发病有早晚，腐肉的肉毒中毒发病最快，可致人死命。

还有，肉类含有动物蛋白，动物蛋白被人类吃了之后，经过生物化学反应，产生有毒有害的气体NH? (氨)，氨气随着血液进入大脑，会使大脑中毒，产生眩晕、昏迷、记忆力衰退、痴呆等症状，还容易诱发肝硬化、肝癌。

Animals will generate meat toxins when they are facing slaughter.  Human will be poisoned when we eat their meat. 

As mentioned previously, accumulation of these meat toxins will cause disease and the onset time varies. In general, rotten meat toxins develop the disease most rapidly, which could cause death.

Meat also contains animal protein. Animal proteins could release toxic ammonia (NH?) via biochemistry reaction in human body. When excessive amount of ammonia delivered to brain by blood circulation, the symptom of brain toxicity occur: dizziness, coma, memory loss, and dementia, etc. In addition, the abnormal blood ammonia level also tends to induce cirrhosis and even liver cancer.

尸毒加速肉类腐败

当动物被宰杀之后，尸体中的蛋白质就会凝结并且产生自我分解的酵素。很快地，一种名为“尸毒”的变性物质就形成了。

由于在死亡后就会立刻释放出这种尸毒，动物的肉、鱼类有一个共同的性质——很快地分解腐败。

当动物被屠杀之后，冷藏起来，然后运送到肉店，再被人买回家，冻起来，煮来吃，我们可以想象得到，这份晚餐已经腐坏到什么程度了。

Corpse poisons accelerates decomposition of meat

After animal being killed, the protein in the corpse will clot and produce self-decomposition enzyme. Rapidly, the denaturation of protein will form corpse poisons.

Since corpse poisons are released immediately after animal’s death, fast decomposition is a common feature shared in animal meat and fish meat. 

After animal are killed, their meat are first frozen and shipped to shops, then purchased by people, frozen again, cooked and consumed. One could imagine that how bad this dish could be.

尤其当这肉没有煮熟，或只是轻微加以烧烤，如众所周知的，它便会成为感染的来源。通常，有毒的微生物即使经过烹饪也不会消灭。嗜热性脂肪芽孢杆菌可以耐120 度的高温。

Especially when the meat is not fully cooked, or just lightly grilled, as everyone expected, this meat will turn into the source of infectious disease. In general, cooking could not destroy the toxic microorganism. Bacteria such as bacillus stearothermophilus could survive 120 degrees Celsius.

肉类富集多种有害物质

肉类留存高倍农药和杀虫剂

吃肉常被称为“吃食物链的末端”。所以人类就变成有毒杀虫剂高度结晶的最后吸收者。事实上，肉类中所包含的滴滴涕（DDT，著名农药和杀虫剂）比起蔬菜、水果、青菜中所包含的，要高出十三倍。美国爱荷华州立大学所做的实验显示，人类身体中的滴滴涕大多数都是来自肉类。

Multiple Toxic Substances Enriched In Meat

Meat retain high concentration of pesticide

Meat eating is often referred as “eating at the end of food chain”. Therefore, human is the last receiver of high concentration of pesticide. In fact, compare with vegetable and fruit, the DDT level (a well-known pesticide) in meat is thirteen fold higher. A research from Iowa State University showed the DDT in human body mainly comes from meat.

养殖的动物是“大药罐子”

为了得到较多的肉以求取最高的利润，为了加速牲畜的成长、肥胖和改进肉的色泽，动物们被强迫喂食、注射激素以刺激成长；吃开胃药，注射抗生素、镇定剂以及化学混合饲料。这些饲料有许多被认为会导致癌症，事实上，有许多动物，在它们被屠杀之前，都已经死于这些药物。

Farm raised animals are” big drug containers “

In order to achieve as much as possible profit, gain more meat, expedite the growth of animal, and improve the texture of the meat, farm raised animals are fed and/or injected hormones to stimulate their growth. Appetite-enhance drugs, antibiotics, sedatives, as well as chemical mixed animal feed are all given to animals. Many of them are carcinogenic. In fact, a lot of animals died of these feed before they are killed.

现在的很多养猪场、养鸡场，饲料里边添加激素。往饲料里边添加激素，让动物长得快！长得快好卖钱啊！结果人吃了这些有激素的肉，激素在身体内存留。小孩发育得快，人也老得快。现在都讲经济效益！以前猪要三年才能长成，现在五个月就出栏，快得很。小鸡，几十天就出栏，就长到一公斤了。靠什么？靠激素。母猪给它喂雄性激素，好长瘦肉啊！女人吃了含雄性激素的肉，那就有问题了。那还幸福吗？男人吃了雄性激素，短时间内觉得精神焕发，时间长了，老得快。所以奉劝大家，要少吃肉，最好是不吃肉，吃素。吃素能使人健康长寿。

Nowadays, many farms would like to add hormones into feed to accelerate the animal growth. The faster the animal growth, the faster farm could make money. Consumers, who eat this kind of meat, retain hormones in their body. As a result, children mature more rapidly and adults grow older faster. In current time period, economic benefits trump everything else. In this environment, it only takes five months for pigs to grow to a size that previously requires three years. Similar scenario happens in chicken farms. It takes less than 100 days for a chick to grow to one kilogram. How could these farms achieve this? Hormone is the answer. Male hormones are feed to female pigs to let them grow lean muscle. As the downstream effect, women who eat these meats will have obvious problem. Man who consumes these meats will feel energetic at first, as a consequence, they also aged faster.  Therefore, it is better to eat less or no meat. Vegetarian diet will provide health and longevity.

餐桌上的病死动物肉制品

当农田被改成动物饲养场时，许多动物就从来没见过阳光，它们的一生就在局促而冷酷的环境中度过，最后的结局是凄惨的死亡。

芝加哥论坛曾经报导过高效率养鸡场的情形。在最上一层是用来孵鸡蛋的；然后小鸡接受剌激成长、服药、强迫喂食；它们在小小的笼子里狼吞虎咽，从来没有运动或吸收过新鲜空气。当它们长大些，就迁移到底下一层的笼子里，如此一层层下去，当到达最底下一层时，它们就被宰杀。像这种不自然的方法，不但把体内的化学平衡破坏，同时也摧毁了天然的习性，而更不幸的是，恶性肿瘤以及畸形的产生势必在所难免。

Meat products which made from animals die of disease on the dinner table.

When traditional farmland converts to factory farms, majority of animals never see sunshine. They suffer their whole life in narrow, cold and cruel environment. Their final destiny is the miserable death. 

Chicago Tribune once reported a layout in a high efficacy chicken factory farm. The top level cages are places for hatching. Right after birth, chicks are forced to eat, dosed with drugs, stimulated to grow faster. They are packed in the tiny cage, eating like crazy. They have never do exercise or breathe fresh air. When grow bigger, they are moved to the lower level of cages. This process repeats for several times and when they are moved to the lowest level of cages, they will be slaughtered. This unnatural raise method not only destroys the chemical balance in chicken body, but also ruins the natural habits of chicken. And even worse, under this circumstance, cancer and deformity are inevitable to occur.

因此，肉食者所面临的另一项危险就是动物经常会感染一些疾病，而这些病往往是肉商或检验员没有察觉或忽视的。经常是当动物的身体某一部分长了癌症或肿瘤之后，有病的部分被切掉，剩余的部分还是拿去卖掉。更糟的是，有些长瘤的部分混在肉里做成“热狗”等食品(或加工成肉米)。美国人曾调查统计，人身的绦虫病，有十分之八是由牛肉传染得来，而霍乱便是由猪肉传染来的了。

Therefore, another risk that meat eaters are facing is that the animals might carry some diseases which could not be detected or might be neglected by inspectors or meat dealers. It often happens that when animals develop cancer, the tumor tissue will be removed and left over parts will be sold. Even worse, meat contains tumor tissue sometimes is used to make products like hot dogs or processed to ground meat. An investigation in USA showed that, 80% of taeniasis in human is caused by beef, and cholera is caused by pork.

食用肉食之后，这些不健康的毒素被人体吸收，并积累起来，导致多种疾病。根据每个人的体质不同。有的人积累的时间要长一些才能发病，有的人积累的时间短就发病了。如：高血压、动脉硬化、心脑血管、肾病、糖尿病、癌症等等，绝大部分都是这些毒素中毒引起的。

After consuming meat, meat toxins are absorbed and accumulated in human body, leading to multiple diseases. The onsets of these diseases vary based on body condition of each individual. Some people need longer time while others only need very short period of time. Diseases such as: high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases, diabetes, cancers are mainly due to meat toxins. 

素食营养“高大全”

当人们想到吃素食，往往会担心一个问题：“如果我不吃肉，我能得到充分的营养吗？蛋白质够吗？”我们一直都误信，为了健康，吃肉是必要的。实际上这是一种误区。

◎ 哈佛的研究试验

1954 年，科学家在哈佛做了一项详细研究发现，只要把蔬菜、谷类及其它农产品做合理搭配就可得到全面的营养。

The Health Benefits of Vegetarian Diet

When people think of vegetarian diet, they are usually concerned with one issue, “If I do not consume meat, would I get adequate nutrition? Is there enough protein?” We used to wrongly believe that it is necessary to eat meat for the sake of health, which is actually a misunderstanding.

◎A Research Experiment Conducted in Harvard University

In 1954, scientists did a comprehensive research in Harvard and they discovered that as long as they make sensible arrangement of vegetables, cereals and other farming products, they can get all the necessary nutrients.

花生、豆类有大量蛋白质和脂肪；

香菇、蘑菇、海带、木耳、紫菜、豆腐干等所含的蛋白质更高得惊人。

蔬菜中苋（xiàn）菜、菠菜、胡萝卜，紫菜等维生素A都在30 mg/100g以上，甜辣椒、豇豆、荠菜、马铃薯、萝卜汁等维生素D 都在30 mg/100g 以上。

素食还能治疗各种疾病，如芹菜治高血压，海带治甲状腺，金针菜利尿、止血、消肿、安神等等举不胜举。

素食种类繁多，营养丰富，滋味鲜美，又清洁卫生，素食者少疾病、得长寿是必然的结果。

Peanuts and beans have large quantities of protein and fat.

Mushrooms, kelp, agaric, nori and dried beancurd are amazingly rich in protein.

Vitamin A level in edible amaranth, spinach, carrots is higher than 30 mg/100g. And vitamin D level in sweet pepper, cowpea, sheperd' s purse, potatoes and carrot juice is higher than 30 mg/100g.

Vegetables can cure various diseases as well; for instance, celery can be used to treat high blood pressure, kelp can be used to treat thyroid, and day lily has the effects of diuresis, hemostasis, detumescence and soothing the nerves.

There are different varieties of vegetarian diets, which are nutritious, tasty and clean; vegetarians enjoy the natural benefits of few diseases and longevity.

素食令人年轻健康

精力充沛、脑力敏捷、皮肤润泽，这是青春少年的现象，反之，身体疲劳、神志不清、皮肤粗糙，便是衰老的象征。今以此三者为准，将肉食与素食作一比较。

肉类被食用消化以后，产生酸，食品生物化学和医学上称酸性食物。大部分蔬菜水果食用消化后，呈碱性，称碱性食物。

Vegetarian Diet Makes People Young and Healthy

Teenagers are usually dynamic, sharp-minded and have moist skin; in contrast, the signs of senility is tiredness, obnubilation and coarse skin. A comparison is to be made between meat eating and non-meat eating habits according to those three standards.

When meat is consumed and digested, acid would be produced; therefore, it is called acidic food in food biochemistry and medical science. Most vegetables and fruit show alkalinity after being eaten and processed in the stomach, and they are called alkaline food.

多食肉类，会使血液呈酸性（血液混浊），其原因是血清蛋白凝固所致。要中和此酸性时，血中的钙质必大量消耗；其钙量消耗，细胞即行老化；人体则易疲劳，无耐力，易神志不清与衰老。

而多食青菜、水果这些碱性食物，可使血液保持碱性（血液清），使人清爽，精力充沛，脑力敏捷，并可长寿。

Eating too much meat will make blood acidic (thick blood), which is due to the coagulation of serum protein. In order to neutralize the acidity of blood, calcium in the blood has to be consumed, which can cause cell senescence. That way, people will feel tired very easily, lack stamina, and suffer from obnubilation and aging issues.

In contrast, by eating more vegetable, fruit and other alkaline food, people can keep their blood alkaline (clear blood), feel refreshed and invigorated, and have an agile mind and enjoying longevity.

动物性脂肪为饱和脂肪酸，含胆固醇量多，易引起血管硬化、高血压、心脏病，亦会促使癌细胞繁殖。

植物性脂肪主要是非饱和脂肪酸，能促进胆汁酸的排泄增加，使胆固醇降低，可避免心脏病和各种心脑血管疾病。

素食者食用植物油，实为健身驻颜一大要素。

例如唐朝高僧赵州和尚从谂（shěn）活了一百五十岁，现代高僧虚云老和尚活到一百二十岁，而且耳聪目明，这便是素食健康长寿的现实证明。

Animal fat is saturated fatty acid, containing too much cholesterol, which can cause angiosclerosis, high blood pressure, heart disease and the reproduction of cancer cells.

Vegetable fat is mainly unsaturated fatty acid, which can facilitate more excretion of bile acid, reducing cholesterol, thus avoiding the attack of heart disease and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders.

The vegetable oil consumed by vegetarians is the essential factor to keep fit and beautiful.

For example, the eminent monk of Tang Dynasty, Zhaozhou Congshen lived for 150 years, and revered monk in modern times Xu Yun lived for 120 years, with great eyesight and hearing, which are all the actual evidences of the fact that vegetarian diet can provide health and longevity.

◎上海八五医院的研究报告

上海八五医院内三科在1985 年对上海苏州两地一百名素食者和一百名荤食者，作了全面体格检查。结果荤食者血粘度大大高出素食者。

一百名素食者中，患心血管疾病者只有18人，荤食者却有67 人。一百名素食者无疾病者57 人，一百名荤食者无疾病者只有8 人。

◎ A Research Report from Shanghai No. Eighty-five Hospital

In 1985, the department of internal medicine of Shanghai No. Eighty-five Hospital conducted a comprehensive physical exam of one hundred vegetarians and one hundred meat eaters in Shanghai and Suzhou with the result that meat consumers had much high blood viscosity than their vegetarian counterparts.

Among one hundred vegetarians, only 18 of them suffered from cardiovascular diseases, while 67 of meat consumers had the same problem. 57 out of 100 vegetarians had no health issues while only 8 of meat eaters enjoyed sound health.

这次检查的对象都是六十岁以上的老人，证明素食的人，不会因为年龄增高而使血液粘度上升。血液粘度高，是冠心病和各种慢性疾病发生的基本条件和原因。

2009 年，山东省老干部康复中心对仁炟做身体检测，发现被检测的几千人中，仁炟的身体非常好。该康复中心主任陈教授惊叹，没想到吃素的人身体这么好，她也开始吃素。

The objects in the survey were all above 60 years old. It revealed that blood viscosity would not increase with age for vegetarians. High blood viscosity is the basis and cause of coronary heart disease and various chronic diseases.

In 2009, Shandong Veteran Cadres Rehabilitation Center had Ren Da been physically checked and discovered my health situation was very ideal among thousands of people. The director of this rehabilitation center Professor Chen marveled at the health of vegetarians and she began to eat a vegetarian diet as well.

素食可提高智慧

《大戴礼记》云：“食肉勇敢而悍，食谷智慧而巧。”这是素食可提高智慧之说，见于我国最早之古代典籍。此说对年青的知识分子，非常重要。

近代日本国立公众卫生院平山雄博士，以研究学术的眼光，曾发现“素食者嗜欲淡，肉食者嗜欲浓；素食者神志清，肉食者神志浊；素食者脑力敏捷，肉食者神经迟钝。”他这种发现与我国古人素食多智之说不谋而合。

Vegetarian Diet Can Improve Intelligence

It is stated in The Book of Da Dai Rites that those who consumed meat tend to be brave and fierce, while those who eat grains tend to be wise and dexterous, which is the oldest record that proves the fact that vegetarian food can improve one’s intelligence. This statement is vitally important for young scholars.

Dr. Hirayama from the National Public Health Institute of Japan, from the academic perspective, had found that vegetarians have a light appetite while meatarians have a heavy one. Vegetarians always keep a clear state of mind, while meatarians are easy to be dazed. Vegetarians think promptly , while meatarians react slowly. This finding coincides with the theory of more wits for vegetarians in ancient China.

肉食和素食，两相比照，可知素菜食品所含之矿物质及维生素B，皆超过肉类食品，且素菜之种类繁多，来源弥广，又无毒素，可安心食用，足证素食胜于肉食。

It can be seen from the comparison between meat and vegetarian diet that minerals and vitamin B levels in vegetarian diet are higher than in meat. And one can feel safe to enjoy a large variety of vegetarian dishes from different sources without the threats of toxins, which fully proves the theory that the vegetarian diet is better than its counterpart.

素食与低碳环保

根据联合国粮农组织（FAO）2006 年环境问题的报告：

一氧化氮的温室效应是二氧化碳的296倍;甲烷的温室效应是二氧化碳的23 倍;

人类活动所产生的一氧化氮有65% 来自肉食；人类活动所产生的甲烷有37% 来自肉食；

近年来，全球气候暖化受到世界各国高度关注。据有关资料显示，地球上的二氧化碳浓度已逼近警戒线。

联合国气候变迁小组主席帕乔里在2008 年1月的记者会上提出，不吃肉、不开车（骑脚踏车）、少消费，是遏止全球暖化的三大要点。

Vegetarian Diet and Low-carbon Environment

According to the report on environmental issues in 2006 from Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO):

The greenhouse effect from nitric oxide is 296 times that of carbon dioxide; while the greenhouse effect of methane is 23 times higher that of carbon dioxide.

65% of nitric oxide which is produced by human activity is from meat products, which also accounts for 37% of methane release.

In recent years, global warming has attracted close attention from different countries in the world. Relevant data has revealed that the concentration of carbon dioxide on the earth has reached the warning limit.

Pacioli, chairman of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), pointed out on a press conference in January 2008 that three key points of curbing global warming is to consume no meat, drive no car and ride a bicycle, as well as consume less.

以前谈起素食，也许多数人想到的是虔诚的佛教信徒。但是，在这个养生和低碳生活成为时尚的今天，当素食与养生、低碳、环保汇合时，越来越被大众所认同，不少人已加入素食的行列。

爱因斯坦说：“我认为素食者的人生态度，乃是出自极单纯的生理上的平衡状态，因此对于人类的影响应是有所裨(bì)益的。”托尔斯泰说：“当我们的身体是被宰杀动物的坟场时，我们怎能期望这个世界能有理想的境地？”

In the past, when vegetarian diet is mentioned, perhaps most people would think of pious buddhist disciples. However, in the modern times when preservation of health and low carbon life has been in vogue, when vegetarian food coincides with nourishment of the body, low-carbon lifestyle and environmental protection, it gradually wins the approval of the general public and many people have joined the group who commit to vegetarian diet.

Einstein said that, “I believe the life attitude of vegetarians are derived from the pure physiologically balanced state; thus, it has beneficial effects on mankind.” Tolstoy remarked that, “When our bodies become the burying place of slaughtered animals, how can we expect the world can reach the ideal state?”

佛教与素食

戒杀食素

佛教要求弟子们戒杀食素。杀生和食肉，这两个都是恶业，有的只造一种，如食肉者未必杀生，杀生者不喜食肉；有的兼而有之，如杀生的屠夫喜欢食肉。

有一种俗话，做屠夫的把这杀生罪推给食肉的人，每当宰猪之时，他就念念有词：“猪呀猪呀你莫怪，你是人间一道菜，他不吃来我不宰，你向吃肉的人去讨债。”

Buddhism and Vegetarian Diet

Stop killing and have a vegetarian diet

Buddhists are required to stop killing and eat vegetarian food. Both killing and consuming meat are bad karma. Some people only perform one bad action; for example, those meat eaters may not kill the animals, and those butchers dislike eating meat; the others may take both of the actions; for example butchers like consuming meat.

There is a common saying that the butchers attribute the sin of destroying lives of animals to those meat eaters; whenever the butcher kills a pig, he would mutter incantations:” Pig do not blame me for killing you as you are a dish in the world; if people do not want to eat you I’d never have to kill you; just go and get justice from those eaters.”

可是食肉的人，却把罪过推给屠夫，说什么：“他不卖，我不买，他不杀，我不食。”又说“他不是专为我而宰的”等语，彼此互相推卸罪责。平心而论，二者都难辞其咎。

However, those meat consumers thought the butchers are sinful by arguing that:” If he does not sell meat I would not have bought it; if he doesn’t kill, I would not have eaten the meat.” And they may add that the butchers do not kill the livestock and poultry for me, etc. Both sides try to shirk their responsibility for the offense. To give the devil his due, they can hardly absolve themselves from the blame.

六道轮回苦

“古古怪！怪怪古！孙子娶祖母。女食母之肉，子打父皮鼓。猪羊坑上坐，六亲锅里煮。众人来贺喜，我看真是苦。”梁武帝时期，志公和尚看到一个俗家人娶媳妇，这新娘原是他的老祖母转世，同时再看到坐在筵席上饮酒食肉的来宾，原是过去他家里的牛马，而锅里的猪羊鱼肉，都是他们家的六亲眷属转生。

大师看了，可怜六道凡夫众生，不明因果，颠倒妄为，不禁悲从心起，号啕大哭，唱出了上面这个偈子。

The Sufferings of the Six Paths Reincarnation

 “Oddly bizarre, bizarrely odd! The grandson has got married to his grandmother. The daughter eats her mother’s meat while the son hits the drum made of his father’s skin. The pig and sheep sit on the kang while one’s kin is being boiled in the wok. People congratulate the host on the happy occasion, while I think it is really painful.” In the reign of Emperor Liangwu, Monk Zhigong saw the occasion when an atheist got married to his wife who was the reincarnation of his old grandmother; meanwhile all the guests sat at the table were the former oxen and horses of his family and the pork, mutton, fish which were cooked in the wok were the transmigration of their six relations.

Seeing the scene, the master took pity on all mortal beings in the Six Paths Reincarnation, who are ignorant of karma, confused and did absurd deeds; he was overcome by feeling of sorrow and cried loudly with abandon, singing the above-mentioned Buddhist chant.

不信佛教的人，也许会巧辩，这是佛教徒劝人食素，假造出来的故事，可是事实胜于雄辩，我国历史上人死为畜的记录不少。我国历朝史家执笔记事，皆尚翔实，决不虚诞，故我国之史书，号称信史。史书中屡有记载：齐公子彭生死变大猪报仇，见于《左传》。赵王如意死化苍犬，扑杀吕后以报仇，见《诸汉史》。宋世宗之母化为鳖，宣骞之老母化为鳌，见于《晋书》。

Those people who do not believe in Buddhism may think this is glib. And it is a yarn spun by Buddhist disciples to persuade people to have vegetarian diet. However, facts speak louder than words. There are quite many records of people who turned into animals after death. Historians of different dynasties in our country all valued accurate and detailed data rather than fictional and absurd stories; therefore our history is called trustworthy historical facts. It is frequently recorded in historical books that Pengsheng, the son of feudal prince in kingdom Qi became a big pig to take his revenge after death, which can be read in the Commentary of Zuo. Ruyi, the emperor of kingdom Zhao became a black dog after death to kill empress Lv for revenge, which can be seen in the History of Han Dynasties. The mother of the Emperor Song Shizong became a soft-shelled turtle, while Xuanqian’ s old mother became a huge turtle, which can be seen in The Book of Jin.

希望大家能戒杀放生，若是大家都戒杀食素，就无“人死为羊，羊死为人”之因果循环，人世间也就永无“六亲锅内煮”之业报了。

I hope that everyone of us can stop killing and even free the captive animals. If we all avoid killing and have vegetarian diet, then there is no more cycle of karma for people to become sheep after death and vice versa and in the human world there is no more karmic retribution of boiling one’s kin in the wok.

结 语

戒杀食素可提高修行人的慈悲心，祛除修行上的障碍，对于福德智慧的增长非常重要。并使人获得健康长寿的福报，使每个家庭幸福美满，平安吉祥，希望大家都能够戒杀食素。

（根据2010 年10 月，仁炟法师在博山正觉寺的讲座录音整理）

Epilogue

Stopping killing and having vegetarian diet can help with Buddhists’ compassion and get rid of obstacles on the path of practicing Buddhism, and it is vitally important for the acquisition of blessings and wisdom. And it also enables people to reap the rewards of having good health and longevity, making each family happy, contented, peaceful and auspicious. I hope that all of us can stop killing and have vegetarian diet.

(Compiled according to the recording of the lecture given by Ven. Ren Da in Boshan Zhengjue Monastery in October 2010)