Formation of Chinese Buddhist Vegetarian Tradition

Abstract

There have been some studies dealing with some aspects of the formation of vegetarian practice in Chinese Buddhism, but a comprehensive research especially into the cultural elements that helped the formation of this religious practice is still in need. This paper aims to investigate into the various causes contributing to the early development of the existing tradition through demonstrating the closely similar concepts and beliefs relating to vegetarianism in both Chinese and Indian Buddhist texts, identifying the key concept or practice that linked the Indian and Chinese vegetarian cultures, how Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty forcibly made the practice into an injunction for Sangha members, and how this injunction finally turned into a tradition that is still practiced today. This study presents as a typical case of how Buddhism was sinicized.