My opinion here is that the message is that it's not the action in-and-of-itself that leads to enlightenment. It's the intention behind the action. Not eating meat without paired intention won't bring the same benefits.

Just like sitting down isn't meditation and one can meditate while chopping wood and carrying water. It's the intention.

The Buddha in these passages wasn't saying to eat meat "as long as your intention is pure". I believe he was attempting to clarify the reason and intention for not doing so.

@reddust There are many plant foods that contain iron. The iron you get from eating animals those animals got from plants...

All nutrients necessary to thrive can be found (in more abundance and in more bio-available form) in a variety of non-animal sources.

Problem is, our society only uses but a dozen plants which doesn't provide the diversity required. So, people who "try vegetarian or vegan" than replace meat with highly processed nutrient void-shit. So, it's no surprise that they get sick and go back to meat (which was at least providing some nutrients over the society standard).

Call it anecdotal, I get routine blood-work (cause I'm a health fanatic) and haven't eaten animal products for nearly two years and my tests are routinely optimal. My cuts heal faster, I feel better than I ever did eating meat and I'm able to recover from my workouts quicker.

@sift666.

Seriously? Veganism is meant to make people infertile? Maybe if animal products are simply replaced by GMO soy (that is known to effect hormones, along with the majority of industrial meat...).

It's a lovely idea to go out and hunt wild animals to get "quality meat". The only problem is, if all humans did that we would quickly and efficiently kill every animal on the planet.

Further, when it comes to hunters...

Hunters typically go after the "biggest and the best game" with their guns. This degrades the health of the species as the stronger and healthier animals are routinely taken out of the gene pool. While in natural settings predators generally take out the weaker animals, thus strengthening the gene-pool.

So, in this respect human hunting today has literally the opposite effect as natural predator hunting.

All this is to say that I find any argument supporting the eating of meat to be a dangerous one. Why? Because it directly impacts my quality of life. How?

Well, industrial animal agriculture is destroying our globes forests (which I would love to see some day, and happen to like breathing oxygen). Causing dead zones in our oceans (oceans I would enjoy seeing fish in, and swimming in). Destroying the natural systems that maintain a stable climate, which is now threatening my plant production which I need to live...

For this reason and more I am personally invested in other people not eating meat as well.

I tend to not tell people what not to do as I find it doesn't generally inspire change.

So, I like sharing how life could be much more beautiful when you opt for the diversity in plant kingdom over the monotony of meat.

Anyway, this has gone on long enough. Just figured this needed a alternative perspective for would be readers.