Introduction

Buddhism is widely known to advocate a stance of total pacifism towards all sentient beings, and because of this, it is often thought that Buddhist doctrine would stipulate that non-violent food practices, such as vegetarianism, be mandatory. The Buddha insists that a good Buddhist should try and persuade others to give up acts of violence and help build a society free of conflict. There are other subtle moral implications that follow from the Buddha's teachings. The Vinaya, the Buddha's instruction manual for monks, requires that monks not build their huts from mud due to the fear that insects might be killed in the construction process. Buddhaghosa, a fifth-century Indian Buddhist monk who resided for some time in Sri Lanka, wrote in his Atthasalini (The Expositor) that a good Buddhist is required to engage in acts of protest that might even end in the destruction of private property.