若受佛戒者，应护佛戒，如念一子、如事父母，不可毁破。
— 释迦牟尼佛
《梵网菩萨戒本》If there are those who have received the Buddha’s [Bodhisattva] Precepts, they should protect the Buddha’s Precepts, like being mindful of their only one child, like serving their fathers and mothers, they must not be destroyed and broken.
— Śākyamuni Buddha
(Brahma Net Sūtra)
In the ‘Thirty-Fourth (Light) Precept’ (第三十四戒) in the Brahma Net Sūtra’s Bodhisattva Precepts’ Text《梵网菩萨戒本》, the Buddha taught that, ‘If as Buddhas’ [Bodhisattva] disciples, protect and uphold these Prohibitive Precepts, when walking, standing, sitting and lying down, in day and night’s six periods, study and recite these Precepts. Similar to vajra, like carrying and grasping a floating bag, desiring to cross the great ocean, like the grass tied Bhikṣus…’ (若佛子！护持禁戒，行住坐卧，日夜六时，读诵是戒。犹如金刚，如带持浮囊，欲度大海，如草系比丘。…)
In other words, there should be keeping of the Bodhisattva Precepts in all postures, at all times deepening understanding and mindfulness of them. As vajra is indestructible, these Precepts should be likewise, never broken. These Precepts are like a floating bag, for hanging on to for safety, for crossing the great ocean of birth and death. As for the grass tied Bhikṣus (monks) to emulate, there is an inspiring incident.
According to the Great Adornment Sūtra’s Commentary《大庄严经论》, in the Buddha’s time, there were many monks travelling in the wilderness, who were robbed of their robes as they had nothing valuable. Worried that the King might be informed, the robbers thought of killing them. A robber who knew the Monastic Precepts said there is no need to kill them, that they only need to use grass to bind their hands and legs. Since a Precept teaches not to harm grass and trees, they will not move.
Without clothes, they were exposed to the wind and sun in day, bitten by mosquitoes and leeches, and heard wild beasts at night. However, an Elder monk encouraged all the young monks, saying that, ‘As human life is impermanent, and all must die, do not now destroy your Precepts.’ (人命无常，要必当死，今莫毁戒。)
At dawn, when the King was hunting, suspecting there were birds and beasts in the grass, they were discovered. He asked why they were tied by grass, not even turning to their sides, when they were strong and not sick. The monk replied, ‘As this grass is extremely weak and fragile, to break it, how difficult can it be? However, for the Buddha, the World-Honoured One, we are by his Vajra Precepts those regulated (or restricted).’ (此草甚微脆，断之岂有难。但为佛世尊，金刚戒所制。)
Hearing this, the King was joyful, released and praised them, gave them new robes and invited them to the palace for offerings. He also became a Buddhist thereafter. This public case is an example of guarding the Precepts steadfastly, even in the face of death. These Bodhisattva Precepts for guiding one and all to Buddhahood should be upheld thus.
In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra’s Section On Four Kinds Of Clear And Definitive Instructions On Purity’s Second Heavy Precept (《楞严经》四种决定清净明诲章：第二重戒), in a somewhat related teaching, the Buddha also taught that, ‘Pure Bhikṣus and all Bodhisattvas, at diverging roads walking, do not step on living grass, moreover with their hands pluck them. How can those with great compassion, take many sentient beings’ blood and meat to fill themselves as food?’ (清净比丘及诸菩萨，于岐路行，不踏生草，况以手拔？云何大悲，取诸众生血肉充食？)
Diverging roads are where there are forks in the road, with grass patches in a ‘V’ shape between, that should not be walked across, perhaps as a shortcut from one road to the other. Although plants are non-sentient beings (无情众生), they should still be respected and not carelessly desecrated, as sentient beings (有情众生) depend on them for survival in the web of life, for food and shelter. As such, even grass should not be trampled on, what more pulled out. There might be small animals and insects living among the grass too.
To practise greater compassion, even harm of non-sentient lifeforms (i.e. plants) should be avoided (or minimised), what more sentient beings, whose bodies should not be harmed, exploited and eaten. On how the vegan diet furthers the practice of compassion, it minimises harm of humans, animals, insects, plants and the environment, as vegans consume the lowest on the food chain.
A heavy meat diet however, maximises harm as many insects are killed while producing many plants, that are killed to fatten many animals, who are killed to satisfy relatively fewer meat-eaters, while many poorer humans starve due to inability to afford meat. For example, it takes 14 kilograms of plants, along with many other resources such as much land and water, to produce 1 kilogram of beef for only 1 meat-eater, while many vegans and the poor can consume the 14 kilograms of plants directly.
Production of meat and animal products are also among the leading causes of the climate crisis, which affects all sentient beings adversely. Among other major interconnected problems, this generates about 18% of all human-related greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than that from all motor vehicles in the world combined.
如我所说，名为佛说。不如此说，即波旬说。
— 释迦牟尼佛
《楞严经》Such that I have spoken, is named as Buddhas’ speech. Not such as spoken, is Pāpīyāms’ [Mara] speech.
— Śākyamuni Buddha
(Śūraṅgama Sūtra)
Related Sūtras:
《梵网菩萨戒本》
Brahma Net Sūtra’s Bodhisattva Precepts’ Text
https://purelanders.com/pusa
《楞严经》四种决定清净明诲章
Śūraṅgama Sūtra’s Section On Four Kinds Of Clear And Definitive Instructions
https://purelanders.com/minghuizhang
Related Article:
上求佛道者应当如何饮食？
How Should All Aspiring For Buddhahood Eat And Drink?
https://TheDailyEnlightenment.com/veg
