Japan is a country with a culture heavily influenced by Buddhism, but it is hard to live there as a vegetarian and/or a temperate. Being both of them is associated with the original teachings of the religion. However, in Japan, vegetarian or vegan options are just recently beginning to be introduced for overseas visitors and almost every social occasion involves drinking - so called nomination, a portmanteau of nomi, "drinking" in Japanese, plus communication.
With varying degrees of dualism with the indigenous spiritual belief, Shintoism, the teachings of Buddhism in Japan, especially of Zen schools, are believed as those of living in accordance with the natural consequences of life which are inherently apathetic to human dispositions. Thus the custom of vegetarianism and temperance has only been practised by monks following strict schools of Buddhism, although several rulers have tried to enforce it throughout history and left some influence in Japanese cultures.
Having said that, enjoying great BBQs and nice wines and beers on a beautiful summer day is a natural consequence of living in New Zealand, Aotearoa. In particular, we regard foods as precious gifts of life for us whatever lifeforms they would come from. It is interesting that the ingenious culture of Aotearoa, Māori, gives special respects to foods and has protocols and taboos that have a lot in common with those of Japanese.
So when you do barbies and boozes in a Zen way, you should not forget appreciating all the lifeforms, respecting the ways they exist as they should do and calibrating yourself into harmony with them. Also, you should eat and drink responsibly because their natural consequences would always catch up with you.
No comments:
Post a Comment