Cultured meat fit for Buddhist cuisine?
A food consultant in Japan speculates how Japanese and broader Asian Buddhist philosophy relates to cultured meat in the near future
◆Would cultured meat qualify for use in Shojin ryori, the (Japanese) Buddhist cuisine? From Buddhist point of view, the answer is probably “no”.
In Japan, Shojin ryori exists to contribute to Sadhana, the Buddhist spiritual search through ascetic life. This is expressly described in a script written by the founder of Soto School (曹洞宗) of Zen Buddhistm. (The name of script is Tenzo (典座教訓) and the founder of Soto School is Dogen (道元)). In the script, Dogen places cooking as one of the daily obligations of Sadhana, and there is no obvious purpose reason why cultured meat would contribute to Sadhana.
Including Shojin ryori, “Buddhist cuisine” in broader sense exists throughout Asia. However, the only common trait among these cuisines is that “Sadhana-practicing ascetic himself or herself does not engage in animal slaughter.”
Despite common beliefs in the West, Buddhist cuisine can have animal meat. In Theravada Buddhist countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, sometimes it is permissible for a Buddhist ascetic to consume animal meat as long as the animal is not slaughtered specifically for the ascetic. Therefore it is permissible for a Buddhist ascetic to consume meat that is initially intended for consumption by common people. Therefore in these countries, cultured meat may qualify as ingredient for Buddhist cuisine. (Whether cultured meat becomes socially or politically accepted is a different matter)
If cultured meat is to be accepted as Shojin ryori ingredient in Japan, the argument for cultured meat contributing to Sadhana way of life, must reach certain level of common acceptance.
This debate would boil down to how modern context and circumstances shape “contribution to the Sadhana way of life”. What should be consumed and not consumed must be decided under contemporary economic, political and cultural circumstances.
Shojin ryori is designed for Buddhist ascetic life, and use of cultured meat in Shojin ryori introduces modern social and political elements that were traditionally not part of Buddhist tradition and philosophy. Therefore, the question of cultured meat in Shojin ryori equals the fundamental question of how Buddhist philosophy views modern society and how food should be in general.
Written by Kyogoku Nanchumon (P.N)
Kyogoku Nanchumon is a consultant in product development and public relations for restaurants industry.
