Page 155 - Dhamma Practice

say that making merits with noble people are highly meritorious hence people with wisdom try to choose whom to make merits with. In any case, the Buddha said that making offerings to the Sangha (sanghadana) is highly meritorious, as it benefits a group of people and, in this case, a group of noble people.
Practitioner: The First Precept states that we should not kill any living beings. Some of my friends like to make merits by releasing cows, buffalos, birds, fish, and so forth. But, I think we could gain more merits by refraining from eating meat. I would like to ask Phra Arjan whether eating meat is sinful.
Phra Arjan: Sinful or not depends on our intention—do we have intention to kill? This is difficult to answer. Once Devadatta asked the Buddha to declare that all monks should be vegetarians, but he declined. If anyone is able to be a vegetarian that is fine—it is his/ her merit. But, there are also those who need to eat meat to maintain their health.
Practitioner: In a book, it is written that dhamma is a superb blessing. We should not pine for our maleness or our femaleness. I do not understand the term “pine” here.
Phra Arjan: Pine in a sense of giving importance to. Try this—when we make our mind empty and unburdened, does it proclaim itself to be female or male?
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