Mindful Choices for Clarity Following Buddhist principles often involves conscious dietary choices, including avoiding certain foods to cultivate compassion and a clear mind.
Meat Avoiding harm to sentient beings is a core principle for many, leading to the exclusion of meat from the diet.
Poultry Similar to meat, poultry is typically avoided in a vegetarian or plant-based Buddhist diet to align with the principle of non-violence.
Fish Fish and seafood are also generally excluded by those following a Buddhist-inspired vegetarian or vegan diet for ethical reasons.
Eggs In many Buddhist traditions, eggs are considered non-vegetarian and are avoided, even if unfertilized.
Dairy While some traditions follow a lacto-vegetarian diet including dairy, stricter interpretations and vegan Buddhists avoid dairy products.
Pungent Spices Garlic, onion, chives, leeks, and shallots are often avoided. These are believed to affect one's spiritual state and can be disruptive in monastic settings.
Alcohol Intoxicating substances like alcohol are typically avoided as they can cloud the mind and hinder mindfulness and meditation practices.
Processed Foods & Excess Sugar While not always a strict traditional rule, avoiding heavily processed foods and excessive sugar aligns with the principle of simple, wholesome eating that supports physical and mental balance.
Aligning Diet with Practice These avoidances are conscious choices aimed at supporting a life of mindfulness, compassion, and clarity, central to the Buddhist path.