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Paul McCartney has written a personal letter to His Holiness The Dalai Lama, the spiritual and political leader of Tibetan Buddhism, urging him not to eat meat. Buddhists believe in reincarnation and in compassion for all living beings. One of the five precepts of Buddhism is “do not kill,” which is explained “One must not deliberately kill any living creatures, either by committing the act oneself, instructing others to kill, or approving of or participating in act of killing.” Buddhism does allow for personal choice and exceptions when it comes to the precepts, and they are not set in stone, but many Buddhists interpret that precept as a call to vegetarianism.
The Dalai Lama, however, continues to eat meat at the insistence of his doctors. Paul McCartney told him that they’re wrong and he doesn’t need meat, which inevitably causes suffering:
SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY tried to turn the DALAI LAMA vegetarian, insisting the famed Buddhist was “wrong” to eat meat.
The Beatles legend wrote to the spiritual leader to point out that meat-eaters contribute to the suffering of animals, contradicting his statement that Buddhists “believe in not causing suffering to any sentient beings”.
And the Hey Jude hitmaker even disagreed when the Dalai Lama insisted he ate meat for health reasons.
In an interview with Prospect magazine, MCCartney says, “I found out he was not a vegetarian, so I wrote to him saying ‘Forgive me for pointing this out, but if you eat animals then there is some suffering somewhere along the line’.
“He replied saying that his doctors had told him he needed it, so I wrote back saying they were wrong.”
[From Contact Music, thanks to vdantev for the tip]
I’m a meat-eater, but my dad and brother are vegetarians and I understand the choice. It’s something that people chose to do for personal reasons, and many site the intense environmental cost of meat production. You can get the same protein and nutritional benefits from a non-meat diet, but it’s not as easy and requires planning. It’s surprising to me that the Dalai Lama would eat meat given his personal philosophy, but he also seems like the type who follows his own path and isn’t one to let rock stars tell him how to live his life. Rock stars that have their own vegetarian food line I might add, not that it makes McCartney’s commitment to animal rights any less genuine.
Written by Celebitchy
Posted in Dalai Lama, Paul McCartney, Vegetarianism
38 Responses to “Paul McCartney tells Dalai Lama he’s wrong to eat meat”
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NOW do people believe me about Paul McCartney’s intensely-irritating “smug vegetarian” attitude?
(I am (lacto-ovo) vegetarian.)
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Yeah the most enlightened man on the planet doesn’t have anything on an aging former Beatle.
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What in the world makes Paul McCartney qualified to a)offer medical opinions or b) question the Dalai freaking Lama on Buddhist practice?
How unbelievably arrogant.
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Okay - First of all - I’ve been a vegetarian for 23 years. I neither care how people feel about me eating meat or whether others do. It is a completely personal choice.
I have NEVER cared for Paul McCartney’s behavior when it comes to other people’s choices about eating meat. And, I especially don’t care for the fact that he sent this letter to His Holiness. As a matter of fact it has left me a bit pissed off!!
The Dalai Lama is a great compassionate man and I figure he has enough intelligence, insight, and experience to let him make meat decisions on his own. Paul McCartney is not the Dalai Lama’s personal physician and doesn’t know his medical issues first hand; therefore, he has no right to decide that the doctor does not know what he is talking about.
Paul: Back Off! Live and Let Live…
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Oh Yeah - Aaaarrrrgggghhhhhhhh!
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Since when did being able to sing a catchy little tune make you an expert on anything except singing catchy little tunes? Next thing you know he’ll be calling his expert nutritionist/life coach Fishsticks Paltrow to teach his holiness about how to find his center and to figure out why he doesn’t care enough to lose those last three pounds. What a pretentious ass.
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Paul married roadkill.
He knows that spoiled meat is no treat LOLUrmmmmm Paul, shhhhhhhhhhhhh shhhhhhhhhhhhh you just hush now sweet old pepaw. Have a werthers original. It will make you feel better.
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Threatening to sue McDs because they have a pic of him on their premises, now this. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I’m begining to thaw slightly towards Heather Mills.
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It’s possible the doctors have told him to eat meat. It’s also possible to obtain meat in a compassionate manner, Jews have been doing it for centuries.
At any rate, it’s none of McCartney’s business what the Dalai Lama eats or doesn’t eat. He needs to worry over his own sins and omissions and let others take care of their own. Not everyone functions well on a vegetarian lifestyle. Not everyone even wants to.
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Am I the only one in the universe that feels this guy is THE most pompus ass? And where did I read the other day that this pompus ass said HE was the political one out of him and Lennon??? Say say say what!
Go away and feast on your macaronie shaped turkey!!!!! I can’t stand anything about this guy, and that annoying gene has certainly been passed down to that Stella.
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Hi Syko,
Not true in the case of kosher slaughter. I don’t know if many are aware of the federal raid on Agriprocessors in Iowa. The company is the largest kosher meat facility in the U.S. and in addition to numerous workers rights violations including underage workers, there were animal cruelty issues as well. There’s nothing compassionate involved in mechanized kosher slaughter. There’s a clip in Earthlings on it as well as elsewhere I’m sure. Here’s an NY Times article on Agriprocessors for anyone interested:http://fiegefilms.com/2008/07/27/new-york-times-article-on-agriprocessors-raid-in-iowa/
On another note, Paul McCartney has said he was the political Beatle, not John Lennon:
‘The Associated Press
LONDON–Paul McCartney claims that he was the real politicized figure in The Beatles, not John Lennon, according to an interview published Sunday.
McCartney was quoted as saying it was he who first raised concerns over the Vietnam war within the group and advocated their anti-war stance.
Fans have long regarded Lennon, who wrote songs such as “Revolution” and – in later years – “Give Peace a Chance,” as the group’s authentic political voice.
But McCartney claimed that his meeting with philosopher Bertrand Russell in the mid-1960s sparked his own – and eventually Lennon’s – curiosity about world affairs.
Following his talk with Russell, McCartney said he told “the guys, particularly John (Lennon), about this meeting and saying what a bad war this was,” The Sunday Times quoted McCartney as saying in the interview.
The newspaper said McCartney was interviewed in Britain’s Prospect magazine, which is published on Wednesday. McCartney’s publicist Stuart Bell was not immediately available to confirm the comments.
According to the newspaper, McCartney said he believes his stance has inspired the work against African poverty carried out in recent years by Bob Geldof and U2’s Bono.’
So yes Cara, he’s a pompous ass indeed.
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What an arrogant dickweed.
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What a dickweed.
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Gee, thanks for the 2nd opin, Dr. McCartney.
I don’t know but I’d put my money on the Dali Lama’s piety & judgment over self serving Paul. One only has to recall that Sir Paul actually married Heather Mills.
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Yes, Paul. The Dalai Lama is iron- and protein-deficient, and you look like an old lesbian. We can’t all be perfect.
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I’ve been studying Buddhism for a very long time. I can see a point where I might become vegetarian or vegan due to my beliefs, but I’d never push them on another person. I don’t eat veal by choice and many other things don’t sit with my system. That’s my choice.
Paul makes me ashamed that I ever liked him as a child. Remember when he was trying to rewrite all of the credits on the Beatles songs he and John wrote? I’m glad Yoko blocked it.
He will never escape John’s shadow and his actions look pathetic. I agree with most of the posters here. He’s a massive tool. Paul has seemed for a very long time to be very full of himself. I haven’t heard anything of consequence from him since the 80’s in terms of his body of work.
I can’t decide if this is a famewhore who can’t go gently into that dark night, or a pompous ass trying to deride someone he can’t touch for depth of true humanitarian work and compassion. I think it’s beyond the pale that he would use an open letter to try to accomplish this. Hmm funny — why didn’t he try this on the head of the Anglican church, the pope, or many other heads of other religions who are probably also carnivores? Oh yeah that’s right, they’ll probably put hand his ass to him. And there would be a real outcry from their followers.
Hmm Paul, instead of attacking others, why don’t you put your multi-millionaire mouth and actions to feeding the hungry or actually DOING something? I’m not a Bono fanatic, but in terms of his 3rd World debt relief campaign at least he’s walking the walk. I don’t think Paul has really influenced anyone and that’s the reason for the open letter and revisionist history.
It almost makes me feel bad for Heather Mills, but maybe it’s a case of bird of a feather…
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Thanks for the link Baho..!
Touche’ Phat girl, Touche’. (it’s not like he’s R.N.Marley, for godsakes)
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Every vegetarian knows that proteins from meat and proteins from veggies are two different things… definitely NOT the same, otherwise it would be fine to just substitute 1 gr of vegetable protein for 1 gr of meat protein and it wouldn’t even be a hassle.
If the Dalai Lama had a condition for which he either needs more proteins - in which case having to eat so many vegetable proteins could overload his system - or less proteins - in which case he could only eat essential aminoacids, he would be mandated to eat meat, period.
And btw since when McCartney has a BSc in Nutrition????
“Say, say, say what you want,
But dont play games with my affection.
Take, take, take what you need,
But dont leave me with no direction.” -
Just when you think you’ve reached your peak at utterly disliking this self-righteous bastard…..he does something like this.
For some people’s bodies, meat is necessary. That’s just a medical fact. There are things that meats provide that plants simply cannot. It is why in the wild there are omnivores and carnivores.
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Traditional tibetan cuisine relies heavily on sheep and yak meat and clarified yak butter (ghee). The growing season there is just too short for a fully veggie diet. So clearly their branch of buddhism allows for a mutton burger every once in a while, despite the call to alleviate suffering in all living creatures.
@ Ling - LOL about the aging lesbian comment. My husband and I have a running joke about the strong resemblance between Sir Paul and my mom (not a lesbian - or at least not out).
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Passerby said it perfectly:
“What in the world makes Paul McCartney qualified to a)offer medical opinions or b) question the Dalai freaking Lama on Buddhist practice?How unbelievably arrogant.”
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I have to admit - I’m a little taken aback by the fact the Dalai Lama eats meat, but I can completely understand that sometimes your health impacts your diet, instead of vice-versa. (I’ve been ordered to eat fish at least once a week, and it makes a huge difference in my psycho-somatic functioning.) Perhaps it is selfish of me to say, but the words, wisdom and essence of the Dalai are so valuable, that I’d happily slaughter, clean and cook an animal if it would prolong his joyous life.
Like fellow vegetarians posting here, I’m really put off by Paul’s self-righteousness. He has a good point every now and again, but bullying people to reevaluate their dietary choices isn’t going to win anyone over. His pompous behavior only serves to undermine his cause.
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True kosher meat IS killed in a humane fashion. To be kosher, the animal cannot suffer, and no blood must touch the flesh - any plant that labels itself as kosher and doesn’t abide by the most fundamental laws in judaism cannot be labeled Kosher, no matter how many rabbis claim it is so. I’ve seen the video of these slaughterhouses… that ain’t kosher.
Paul - I love you. I do. Only a senile, lonely old man like yourself would think it perfectly acceptable to discuss choices and wrong and right with the Dalai Lama after marrying that three legged coffee table, Heather Mills. Focus on your own choices, please, because if you had just chosen to buy a whore, we might have all been spared the trash that is your ex-wife.
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Jaundice. I hear you - I know I would benefit greatly from even a small amount of fish per week, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. If I was in any way self disciplined I’d take flax oil (better than nowt) - but, meh.
Geronimo - I believe that I called it months ago when I said that he and Heather were well met.
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Everyone has said it so well here…when I saw the thread my mouth dropped open… The Dalai Lama has said that if it is possible abstaining from meat is preferable but that it is understandable if people cannot for a variety of reasons. And he alluded to the cultural dietary habits of Tibetan’s as someone else pointed out.
I had the pleasure of hearing His Holiness speak in Wellington, New Zealand and it was a wonderful experience. Someone asked me if he said anything profound and I said no it was all quite common sensical actually but it was the sheer compassion and kindness of spirit that emanates from him that made the day so wonderful…an amazing being he is.
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Paul McCartney is an absolute a**hole for daring to speak to his Holiness in that crappy condescending manner - such an idiot aaarrghhhhh! Self righteous and smug as always.. well done Paul McCartney. Say it again.. moronic dickweed!
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@drm Doesn’t hearing the Lama just bring you incredible joy? I like how he laughs at his own jokes - big, HUGE belly laughs - the most. Ha ha ha haaaaaaa!
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I love the responses on here.
Pompous ass! hahaha.Who the hell does PM think he is?
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Let us be honest here, I have never met a veg that did not have some smart ass thing to say about eating meat. I eat meat and I have never made fun of people who don’t nor have I ever tried to ruin ones meal because they are eating something I wont eat,but I have had this happen time and time again. Right up to letting me know that the eggs I am eating have been fertilized and blah blah blah. Paul needs to be quiet and let people live their own way of life. It is not up to any of us to go after a person because of their eating preference (unless they are canibals) lol.
I enjoy pauls music but he needs to keeo his personal choices to himself. Look what he married for cripes sake. -
love the dalai lama. and yes, debbi, his belly laughs are the best! as for paul…i’m mystified. also, is he a buddhist? i don’t think he is.
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Judy, you’re not meeting the right people. I don’t eat meat, and I can tell you, the couple of “holier than thou” vegetarians/vegans that i’ve met are off-putting to me too.
It’s a personal choice for me, I haven’t eaten meat in ten years, nor do I want to. Sure, if someone asks me my reasons, i’ll tell them, but I don’t offer it up or make “smart ass comments”. But I don’t go around soapboxing or gagging when someone else at the table eats a steak. Heck, i’d even cook you one if i really liked you, and you wanted one.
Stuff like this makes me want to see PM stranded on an ice floe with a bunch of angry seals. To make a “well your doctors are wrong” statement is ignorant..what is he, privy to his medical records? give me a break.
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I was watching a documentary on the Dalai Lama which claimed that His Holiness can be quite the wise ass when he does not take someone seriously, so perhaps the “doctor’s orders” comment was a sarcastic curveball thrown a wee bit too high over Sir Paul’s head.
This is how it breaks down with the Fab Four:
John WAS the political Beatle.
George was the spiritual Beatle.
Ringo was the party Beatle.
And Paul was the tool Beatle.
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On that food line note, I don’t understand why he can’t make a vegetarian fast food chain instead of randomly attacking big names whether they be businesses or people. If he wants more people to adopt the lifestyle and he has “beef” (so to say) with McDonald’s, why not start his own soy burger empire? If he wanted to make a way of life look more appealing, it would make more sense to make it easily accessible to the working masses that buy his CDs than yapping about contradictions in religious doctrine. Bashing a religion or spiritual way of life tends to alienate people.
And I don’t think he should become a rival to the Dalai Lama. Good spiritual leaders are usually sought for advice. They don’t do the seeking of those that need enlightened… unless they’re bad spiritual leaders who need publicity and/or money. Maybe he should become a nutritionist… It obviously interests him but people won’t take him seriously without the proper qualifications.
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phat gir, right on!
simply have yourself a wonderful christmas tme. jingle, jingle
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I just wanted to add that I just Love the Dalai Lama’s smile. I can just look at a picture of him and feel happy. I am very envious of those who have had the privilege of hearing him speak and/or meeting him. He is such an awesome guy!
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Paul has prooved that he is genius so many times before.
Dalai Lama has proved that he is only Dalai Salami.. -
I applaud Paul McCartney for his suggestion that the Dalia Lama stop eating meat. The dalia lama eats veal and other cruely raised meat in massive quantities.He is unable to control his desires to be in acordance with the basic tenent of doing no living creature harm. He is analogous to catholic priests who have sex with choir boys. He is a hypocritical religous celebrity. Eating meat is vain, egotistical an unsustainable. Karma:heart attack and colon cancer for the Dalia Lama! He is a disgusting fraudulent glutton!!1
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Is the Dalai Lama anemic? I wonder what sort of condition he has.
I’m a vegetarian, too, and I think it’s kinda odd that His Holiness eats meat, but I’m ALSO kinda inclined to give him a free pass on this one.
Lay off, Paul. You’ve got worthier targets, doncha think?
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