Question on the first precept...Meat eating

[Daitetsu]

Hi Shinzan,

Every breath I inhale some living thing. When does that incorporation become killing? Would I kill this body's cells by abstaining?

You are right, of course, (as I said myself above) it is not possible to completely avoid "killing" or avoid causing harm/suffering of others.
However, we can minimize suffering/killing.

Can I stop breathing in order to not inhale a living thing?
- No, I certainly cannot do this (at least not without killing myself).
Can I stop eating meat in order to spare the life of another living being that has nerve cells, a brain, sensory organs, and some degree of intelligence?
- Yes, I can do this, and quite easily so.

Not being able to avoid doing harm comletely does not mean that we cannot try to minimize it in ways we can.


@Troy:
Thanks for your link!

Gassho,

Daitetsu