Whether to eat meat
The rule in the Jīvaka Sutta, given to monks living on alms, is that meat is not to be eaten when it is seen, heard, or suspected to have been killed for them, and may be eaten otherwise. That is what this sutta says, and it supports neither the claim that Buddhists are vegetarian nor the claim that anything goes. The same sutta counts the animal's pain and distress, twice, among the wrongs of killing it for a monk. The first precept is argued from the plainest place: one's own wish to live, which every other being shares. The suttas do not rule on what a householder should buy, and they leave that to the reasoning the precept gives, and to you.
What the suttas say
In three cases I say that meat may not be eaten: it’s seen, heard, or suspected. These are three cases in which meat may not be eaten. In three cases I say that meat may be eaten: it’s not seen, heard, or suspected. These are three cases in which meat may be eaten.
This sutta's rule for monks offered meat — it supports neither the claim that Buddhists are vegetarian nor the claim that anything goes.
Where this stops: A rule for monastics receiving alms, not a ruling on what a lay person buys. The Vinaya has more on this, and the same sutta says that anyone who slaughters a creature specially for a monk does great wrong.
MN 55:5.1–5.6 · With Jīvaka
Tīhi kho ahaṁ, jīvaka, ṭhānehi maṁsaṁ aparibhoganti vadāmi. Diṭṭhaṁ, sutaṁ, parisaṅkitaṁ— imehi kho ahaṁ, jīvaka, tīhi ṭhānehi maṁsaṁ aparibhoganti vadāmi. Tīhi kho ahaṁ, jīvaka, ṭhānehi maṁsaṁ paribhoganti vadāmi. Adiṭṭhaṁ, asutaṁ, aparisaṅkitaṁ— imehi kho ahaṁ, jīvaka, tīhi ṭhānehi maṁsaṁ paribhoganti vadāmi.
It’s when a noble disciple reflects: ‘I want to live and don’t want to die; I want to be happy and recoil from pain. Since this is so, if someone were to take my life, I wouldn’t like that. But others also want to live and don’t want to die; they want to be happy and recoil from pain. So if I were to take the life of someone else, they wouldn’t like that either. The thing that is disliked by me is also disliked by others. Since I dislike this thing, how can I inflict it on someone else?’
The reasoning behind the first precept, given to householders who had just said plainly that they wanted pleasure, wealth, and a good rebirth — others mind the same harms one minds oneself.
Where this stops: A reflection to make for oneself, not an argument to win against someone else; the sutta goes on to apply the same reasoning to stealing, sex, and speech. Never offered as a ruling on whether to continue a pregnancy.
SN 55.7:4.2–4.7 · The People of Bamboo Gate
Idha, gahapatayo, ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘ahaṁ khosmi jīvitukāmo amaritukāmo sukhakāmo dukkhappaṭikūlo. Yo kho maṁ jīvitukāmaṁ amaritukāmaṁ sukhakāmaṁ dukkhappaṭikūlaṁ jīvitā voropeyya, na metaṁ assa piyaṁ manāpaṁ. Ahañceva kho pana paraṁ jīvitukāmaṁ amaritukāmaṁ sukhakāmaṁ dukkhappaṭikūlaṁ jīvitā voropeyyaṁ, parassapi taṁ assa appiyaṁ amanāpaṁ. Yo kho myāyaṁ dhammo appiyo amanāpo, parassa peso dhammo appiyo amanāpo. Yo kho myāyaṁ dhammo appiyo amanāpo, kathāhaṁ paraṁ tena saṁyojeyyan’ti.
“Jīvaka, anyone who slaughters a living creature specially for the Realized One or the Realized One’s disciple brims with much wickedness for five reasons. When they say: ‘Go, fetch that living creature,’ this is the first reason. When that living creature experiences pain and sadness as it’s led along by a collar, this is the second reason. When they say: ‘Go, slaughter that living creature,’ this is the third reason. When that living creature experiences pain and sadness as it’s being slaughtered, this is the fourth reason. When they serve the Realized One or the Realized One’s disciple with unallowable food, this is the fifth reason. Anyone who slaughters a living creature specially for the Realized One or the Realized One’s disciple brims with much wickedness for five reasons.”
The same sutta counts the animal's pain and distress, twice, among the wrongs of killing it for a monk.
Where this stops: About killing an animal specially for a monk; it is not a ruling on what a lay person buys, though it shows plainly whose pain the sutta has in view.
MN 55:12.1–12.9 · With Jīvaka
“Yo kho, jīvaka, tathāgataṁ vā tathāgatasāvakaṁ vā uddissa pāṇaṁ ārabhati so pañcahi ṭhānehi bahuṁ apuññaṁ pasavati. Yampi so, gahapati, evamāha: ‘gacchatha, amukaṁ nāma pāṇaṁ ānethā’ti, iminā paṭhamena ṭhānena bahuṁ apuññaṁ pasavati. Yampi so pāṇo galappaveṭhakena ānīyamāno dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti, iminā dutiyena ṭhānena bahuṁ apuññaṁ pasavati. Yampi so evamāha: ‘gacchatha imaṁ pāṇaṁ ārabhathā’ti, iminā tatiyena ṭhānena bahuṁ apuññaṁ pasavati. Yampi so pāṇo ārabhiyamāno dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti, iminā catutthena ṭhānena bahuṁ apuññaṁ pasavati. Yampi so tathāgataṁ vā tathāgatasāvakaṁ vā akappiyena āsādeti, iminā pañcamena ṭhānena bahuṁ apuññaṁ pasavati. Yo kho, jīvaka, tathāgataṁ vā tathāgatasāvakaṁ vā uddissa pāṇaṁ ārabhati so imehi pañcahi ṭhānehi bahuṁ apuññaṁ pasavatī”ti.
Mendicants, these five gifts are great, primordial, long-standing, customary, and traditional. They are uncorrupted, as they have been since the beginning. They’re not being corrupted now nor will they be. Sensible ascetics and brahmins don’t look down on them. What five? Firstly, a noble disciple gives up killing living creatures. By so doing they give to countless sentient beings the gift of freedom from fear, enmity, and ill will. And they themselves also enjoy unlimited freedom from fear, enmity, and ill will.
The precepts described as gifts — keeping one gives countless beings safety from fear, hostility, and ill will, and the one who keeps it shares in that safety.
Where this stops: The sutta counts the precepts among kinds of merit that lead to heaven; carry the picture of a precept as a gift, not the accounting. Never offered as a ruling on whether to continue a pregnancy.
AN 8.39:3.3–3.7 · Overflowing Merit
Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, dānāni mahādānāni aggaññāni rattaññāni vaṁsaññāni porāṇāni asaṅkiṇṇāni asaṅkiṇṇapubbāni, na saṅkiyanti na saṅkiyissanti, appaṭikuṭṭhāni samaṇehi brāhmaṇehi viññūhi. Katamāni pañca? Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako pāṇātipātaṁ pahāya pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti. Pāṇātipātā paṭivirato, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako aparimāṇānaṁ sattānaṁ abhayaṁ deti, averaṁ deti, abyābajjhaṁ deti. Aparimāṇānaṁ sattānaṁ abhayaṁ datvā averaṁ datvā abyābajjhaṁ datvā aparimāṇassa abhayassa averassa abyābajjhassa bhāgī hoti.
Even as a mother would protect with her life her child, her only child, so too for all creatures unfold a boundless heart. With love for the whole world, unfold a boundless heart: above, below, all round, unconstricted, without enmity or foe. When standing, walking, sitting, or lying down while yet unweary, keep this ever in mind; for this, they say, is a divine meditation in this life.
The Metta Sutta's central image, in the canon's own words.
Where this stops: The verses are an ideal of the practitioner; the opening lines describing a skilled and honest person are a description, not a prerequisite for beginning. Never use it to quiet anger that has something to say, and never present it as a recitation that protects anyone. The mother guarding her only child is not for someone after a pregnancy loss.
Kp 9:7.1–9.4 · The Discourse on Love
Mātā yathā niyaṁ puttam Āyusā ekaputtamanurakkhe; Evampi sabbabhūtesu, Mānasaṁ bhāvaye aparimāṇaṁ. Mettañca sabbalokasmi, Mānasaṁ bhāvaye aparimāṇaṁ; Uddhaṁ adho ca tiriyañca, Asambādhaṁ averamasapattaṁ. Tiṭṭhaṁ caraṁ nisinno va, Sayāno yāvatāssa vitamiddho; Etaṁ satiṁ adhiṭṭheyya, Brahmametaṁ vihāramidhamāhu.