"For the sake of love of purity, the bodhisattva should refrain from eating flesh...
For fear of causing terror to living beings, let the bodhisattva, who is disciplining
himself to attain compassion, refrain from eating flesh... It is not true that meat
is proper food and permissible when the animal was not killed by himself, when he did
not order others to kill it, when it was not specifically meant for him... Again,
there may be some people in the future who... being under the influence of the taste
of meat will string together in various ways many sophisticated arguments to defend
meat-eating... But meat-eating in any form, in any manner, and in any place is
unconditionally, and once and for all, prohibited... Meat-eating I have not permitted
to anyone, I do not permit, and will not permit."
- Buddha
Here are some articles I found interesting about vegetarianism.
These articles made me realize that being vegetarian is actually better for me as a healthy indivual, an athlete and a resident of the earth. I'm not really a hippie, but I think everybody would be better off if they eliminated some if not all animal products from their lifestyle (see the McDonalds thing above for a painfully obvious example).
It's Kind
Notice I said lifestyle, not diet. This is because being vegetarian can translate into a more bio-friendly attitude and way of life. It's a fairly well know fact (that many choose to ignore) that most animals raised for consumtion are raised in unsanitary, cramped quarters and pumped full of antibiotics and hormones to ward off the diseases that are a product of their stressful environment. Chickens raised outside don't lay salmonella infected eggs. I don't know the numbers off the top of my head, but many more people could be fed by using the water, grain, and land used to raise cattle for farming instead.
It's Healthy
Then there's the health factor. Many people say they can't be vegetarian because they're afraid of being deficient in calcium, iron, protein, B12 or any number of other nutrients available in meat. However, these are entirely myths, according to every source I've ever read. If all you eat are chips and pop - while technically vegetarian - you'll get sick pretty fast. The key to a nutritional diet is to eat a wide variety of foods, especially leafy greens (calcium, iron), legumes (protein), and fruits (vitamins). It's nearly impossible to not get enough of these things if you eat right. In addition to nutrition, being vegetarian also fends off many types of disease and cancer. As for athletes, by eating less meat, you have more room for carbs, which your body stores as glucose, quick burning fuel.
The Types
Most vegans, who eat absolutely no animal products, also choose not to use cosmetic products made with or tested on animals or clothes made from animals (furs, leather, shell, skin). Then there are the octo-lavo vegetarians (like me), who choose to eat dairy (milk, eggs) but not animal flesh. There are people who claim to be vegetarians, but eat fish (something to do with Jesus, I don't know). I don't know how legit this is; Are fish vegetables? Then there are people who don't eat much meat but just can't give up that philly cheese steak and make the switch. To each their own, I suppose. According to The Simpsons, a level nine vegetarian doesn't eat anything that castes a shadow.
So there you have it, now I would recommend going and hugging a tree to make your day complete.
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