DID YOU KNOW: The Buddha himself was not a vegetarian, according to Pali scholar Peter Masefield. This is a surprising and controversial point to many people. For a discussion of this, see Peter Masefield's commentary on Cartoon Episode Two, and also the Vegetarian Buddhist Perspective by Bodhipaksa, and also check the strictly vegetarian Hindu Point Of View on this subject.

INTOXICANTS

WHAT IS AN INTOXICANT?

A MalaysianBuddhist monk, Venerable Mahinda, explained to me that in the Pali canon the precept is substance-specific, translated literally as "do not take alcohol." However, many modern interpreters prefer to use the broader concept of "intoxicant," in which case it becomes necessary to define the term. The most useful definition I am aware of, again from Ven Mahinda, is "any substance which weakens your control over your mental processes."

Another translation of the Pali canon, by Peter Masefield, says, "intoxicants which cause heedlessness," indicating heedlessness as the defining element of intoxication.

This is a controversial point. Many monks who observe the precepts in a rigorous manner might argue that taking even a tiny sip of alcohol is technically against the rules and therefore inappropriate. Others might argue that up to a certain point the alcohol does not weaken your mental control, so up to that point it is not an "intoxicant" and thus does not violate the spirit of the precept. . . . Over to you. As the Buddha said, you must find the truth for yourself from your own experience.

DIET -- MEAT v VEGETABLES

* Ethical, Moral, Health & Environmental Issues from the Hindu Perspective [a comprehensive article]
* The Baha'i Perspective on Vegetarianism
* Vegetarian Recipes
* Macrobiotic Recipes
* Recipes from Eastern Cooking Classes
* On The Lighter Side of Food coming soon

VEGETARIAN RECIPES

 

1. MINESTRONE WITH A DIFFERENCE
The Best I’ve Tasted!

Ingredients: 2 large brown onions 2 large carrots, diced 250 gr potatoes, diced ½ kumera (sweet potato) 2 zucchini, cut 100 gr fresh green beans, cut 300 gr corn kernels 250 gr chopped cabbage (optional) 2 bay leaves ½ cup olive oil 45 gr butter 7 cups water (or more, to taste) 2 table spoons shiru miso paste 2 x 400 gr cans of peeled tomatoes 1 can of 4-bean mix (with its liquid) salt, pepper, fresh chilli, & garlic to taste

2. REAL GUACAMOLE
Bodhi's own recipe!

3. A SALAD DRESSING / MARINADE / ALL-PURPOSE SAUCE
Simple But Devastating!

Mix 1 cup olive oil with 1/4 cup sesame oil. Press in 1-3 garlic cloves (to taste). Add Soy sauce or low-salt Tamari to taste (1-5 tablespoons). Optional extras: lemon juice, chopped fresh coriander, wasabe, chilli paste, chopped spring onions, brown sugar.

4. CHILLI SAUCE
For rice, potatoes, vegie dishes etc
splash some spice on -- goes with any bland dish

Mix 4 tablespoons fish sauce with 1 tablespoon water. Press in 1 garlic clove. Chop 1 or 2 birdseye chillies (these are the small red ones, dangerously hot -- you might want to experiment with how much to add), or use a tiny bit of chilli paste. Add chopped fresh coriander and spring onion. This will be hottest when first made, and will lose its heat if kept for a couple of days -- but then the chopped coriander won't be good for more than a day or two anyway, so that's why the recipe is for a small amount. Alternatively, you could add the fresh green ingredients each time you use it, and that way the sauce keeps a little longer.

MACROBIOTIC RECIPES
from Zen Shiatsu Master Andrzej Gospodarczyk
"Food provides the physical foundation out of which man's mind and spirit grow and develop" -- Lima Oshawa

1. Corn Soup
ingreients

Method: Combine corn cobs (not kernels yet), kombu, salt and 7 cups water. Bring to a boil, simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Add 2 cups water to cooled corn-meal, allow to stand until water is absorbed. Heat skillet, coat with ol, and saute the leek and herbs for 5 minutes. Remove cobs and kombu from water, put in the corn kernels. Simmer 7 minutes. Blend most of the corb bits in a blender, then put back into the soup. Add tamari (or shoyu), soaked corn meal and kombu. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sauteed vegetables and herbs simmer 3 minutes. Garnish and serve.

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE OF: DRUGS

Here is a bemused look at Self-Delusion, which usually accompanies our cravings -- in this case it's about alcoholism.
Source: this was posted and broadcast on the internet.

SIGNS THAT YOU HAVE A DRINKING PROBLEM:
Your job is interfering with your drinking.
You lose arguments with inanimate objects.
Your doctor finds traces of blood in your alcohol stream.
You sincerely believe alcohol to be the elusive 5th food group.
Your idea of cutting back is less salt.
Hey, 5 beers has just as many calories as a burger – who needs dinner!
24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case -- coincidence?? I think not!

HUMANE PEST CONTROL

"HUMANE" v "NATURAL:" Be aware of the distinction between "natural" pest control as opposed to "humane" pest control. The former approach kills the animals, albeit with "natural" means (meaning without use of synthetic chemicals), while humane methods avoid the taking of life. An example of this is the popular "roach motel," which traps cockroaches. While it uses no toxic substances, it still kills the creatures by giving them a slow, suffering death by starvation.

On the other hand, synthetic chemical poisons (ie,"unnatural") are to be avoided, not only because they kill, but also because being poison, they themselves introduce poisonous ingredients into the environment, sometimes creating worse problems than the pests do.

For example, people who spread roach killer around the kitchen floor fail to consider that after the cockroaches step into the poison they will then deposit some of that poison on all the surfaces they walk on, including the cutlery, plates and bowls, cups, counter tops etc. Also, many people are fastidious about soaking and washing their dishes in detergent, but then they are not so fastidious in rinsing them off, so a thin film of dirt-laden detergent dries on the dishes. This can not only cause a microbe & bacteria problem, but it is also known that a build-up of these minute amounts of detergent can, after many years, cause perforations in the intestinal walls. So even even a mild vegetable-based detergent is a "chemical" which must be dealt with mindfully.

HOUSEHOLD PESTS: Ants, cockroaches, compost dwellers, fleas, flies, mice, mites, mosquitos, moths, weevils & food moths, and the diversity of biting insects can introduce unhealthy ingredients into the home environment. An important question for many householders, particularly those with children, is how to maintain a healthy, hygienic pest-free home and still avoid breaking the precept against killing.

Here are four general rules of thumb for humane and healthy household pest control:

a) remove all things that attract the pests (rubbish, food scraps, dirty dishes dirty counter-tops, underneath the toaster & blender, etc).
b) install things that repel the pests (certain native plants, flyscreens, scented oils, incense or powders, electrical and mechanical devices).
c) physically relocate pests (trap them or collect them by hand and release them in the bush well away from the home).
d) then, if you are faced with less than a total victory, exercise tolerance and compassion,
remembering that your karma will come back to you!

Tips For Making Your House An Unattractive Place For Pests.

• store all food in airtight containers.
• wipe down counters, stove and other surfaces last thing at night – particularly underneath such things as the toaster, blender, jug etc.
• don’t leave dirty dishes unwashed overnight.
• empty rubbish bins frequently and hose them out if necessary.
• don’t allow stagnant puddles or pools of water to collect anywhere nearby.
• install sliding screens on windows and doors if necessary.
• manage your compost heap properly (see "compost dwellers" below).

SPECIFIC MEASURES TO TAKE AGAINST SPECIFIC PESTS:

ANTS: Find their trail, which leads between their nest and your house, and obliterate it with mint, sodium bicarbonate or aromatic oils. The idea is to keep destroying their signposts that lead to your house.

COCKROACHES: The only way to discourage cockroaches without trapping and killing them is to keep your environment spotlessly clean and fresh as possible, inside and out. But even then you may still host a small population. Further measures include catching them (go into the dark kitchen late at night and switch the lights on) and then relocating them, or else using an electrical device which plugs into the wall and emits a pulsing current that travels through the walls and distresses them. If they are breeding in the compost, see the "Compost Dwellers" section below. Also, contact your local Environmental Centre for more information and resources. Also click our "Books & Videos" .button on the panel along the bottom of the screen to access audio and visual resources on the subject.

COMPOST DWELLERS: A healthy compost heap should have lots of insects and larvae in it to help the process of decomposing – that is perfectly natural and okay. But if your compost becomes a breeding ground for cockroaches or mice, you can do two things. First, add a little garden lime to your heap each time you add your kitchen scraps, to reduce the acidity. Secondly, you can add manure and aerate the heap with a pitchfork each time you add to it, to build up the nitrogen and oxygen levels for faster, hotter decomposing, and this drives off the unwanted species like cockroaches, rats and mice. These three species in particular are attracted to meat, chicken and fish scraps, so keep those to a minimum in your heap. For more information, you can get "The Complete Guide To Compost" on video with a companion booklet, or go to your local Environmental shop.

FLEAS: To remove fleas and their eggs, use a powerful vacuum cleaner frequently, and empty the bag well out in the bush. To make a pet’s environment less attractive to fleas, scent it with pennyroyal or lavender. Line your pet’s sleeping area with plain newspaper, which won’t promote fleas breeding, and which you can easily change each day. You can even rub a little lavender or pennyroyal scented vegetable oil into your pet’s skin. A flea comb can also be used to collect fleas and relocate them.

FLIES: Keep your compost bin well away from the house, and see the "Compost Dwellers" article (above). Keep your rubbish bins emptied and cleaned regularly. Mint, pennyroyal and rue are herbs that can be placed near windows and doors, either as cut sprigs or growing plants. Finally, use fly screens on doors and windows.

MICE: Firstly, see the "Compost Dwellers" section above if you have a compost heap. Mint and tansy are two herbs mice don’t like the smell of. Put tight lids on all food storage and rubbish bins. You could try to plug up all the holes in your environmental sieve, but it might be more practical to just keep your environment fastidiously clean so there is nothing to attract them or nourish them.

MITES: Dusting and vacuuming regularly keeps the mite population under control. Also, if you keep birds, keep their cages clean!

MOSQUITOS: Garden ponds and pools should be far away from the house if they are still or stale enough to allow mosquitos to breed. Herbs that repel them are citronella, pennyroyal, pyrethrum, basil, mint, chamomile and tansy.

MOTHS: Moths recoil from the smell of lavender, natural camphor, cloves, mint, sage, wormwood and rosemary. Moths like to breed in dusty conditions, so clean all bedding & clothes before storing. Rid clothes of moth eggs by hanging them in the sun or putting them in a drier.

WEEVILS & FOOD MOTHS: Small moths in your cupboard usually indicate weevils or food moths. Check dried food for eggs & larvae. Place a bay leaf in your dry food containers (flour, rice, pulses) to discourage food moths from laying their eggs.

BITING INSECTS: You can apply the following natural substances onto your skin to repel most biting insects: vinegar (diluted), oil of citronella, vegetable oil with pennyroyal, and Australian tea-tree oil.

GARDEN PESTS: 3 BASIC RULES FOR HUMANELY CONTROLLING THEM:

1. HEALTHY SOIL: The healthier your soil is, the healthier your plants are, and in most cases healthy plants don't attract pests. You will usually find pests on plants that have some deficiency in the soil, root system or general vitality. Really good soil starts with making your own compost, and that alone will help a lot with the pests in your garden. If you develop an interest in composting, look into worm farming as well -- it makes an especially nice hobby for kids, and a great school project. See "The Complete Guide To Compost," or your local Environmental Centre.

2. BIOLOGICAL CONTROLS (Bugs for bugs): Some would consider this a grey area in terms of karma, but if you wish you can encourage predatory birds and insects into your garden to control the destructive ones. "Encouragement" consists of providing the kinds of trees and shrubs that attract the desired creatures, plus planting some that repel the unwanted ones. A full list of garden helpers is available from your local Environmental Centre. For example, aphids are controlled by birds, frogs, toads, and ladybird bugs. Ladybirds also control scales, mealy-bug, thrip, and mites. Biological controls are often available through the agriculture departments of your major universities.

3. COMPANION PLANTING: coming soon!