This thesis is a study of the controversial aspects of Tibetan vegetarianism, based on a wide range of pre-modern Tibetan textual resources as well as anthropological fieldwork in contemporary Tibet. I examine the spread of vegetarianism in Tibetan society, exploring arguments from both pro-vegetarianism and meat-defending standpoints, as well as changing religious and social perspectives towards the issue. I begin by arguing that Tibetan vegetarianism has its root in Indian Buddhism, where vegetarianism has remained an unsettled issue since the Buddha’s time. Along with the debates around vegetarianism in Indian Buddhism, it was widely debated by Tibetan religious leaders at least from the fifteenth century, which is when I argue that vegetarianism started to feature in sectarian debates within Tibetan Buddhism. Regarding this sectarian nature of Tibetan vegetarianism, given the strength of arguments between pro-vegetarianism and meat-defenders, I then demonstrate that while vegetarianism has been practiced by Tibetan Buddhist schools since the eleventh century, it gained new significance in the fifteenth century. Especially, vegetarianism seems very limited among Geluk Pa (Tib: dge lugs pa), due to the Geluk Pa emphasizing the study of theories rather than practice, as well as the legitimization of meat eating in its canonical texts.Given the importance of vegetarianism in Tibetan Buddhist practices, yet the lack of vegetarianism during some specific time and places, I then turn to an analysis of why vegetarianism has spread to some places but not others. I highlight two vital reasons for this: sectarian debates around Tibetan vegetarianism from the fifteenth century, and the political limits to the spread of vegetarianism in contemporary Tibet. Finally, I conclude that due to sectarian features, Tibetan vegetarianism in pre-modern times was severally limited in monastic contexts, until its revitalization in contemporary Tibet, where vegetarianism started to gain new significance and to be practiced by lay communities, thus leading to the controversy of vegetarianism to have a new scope. Apart from religious debates, the arising of secular debates, like political limits, makes the practice and discourses of vegetarianism in Tibetan society more complex.

This thesis is a study of the controversial aspects of Tibetan vegetarianism, based on a wide range of pre-modern Tibetan textual resources as well as anthropological fieldwork in contemporary Tibet. I examine the spread of vegetarianism in Tibetan society, exploring arguments from both pro-vegetarianism and meat-defending standpoints, as well as changing religious and social perspectives towards the issue. I begin by arguing that Tibetan vegetarianism has its root in Indian Buddhism, where vegetarianism has remained an unsettled issue since the Buddha’s time. Along with the debates around vegetarianism in Indian Buddhism, it was widely debated by Tibetan religious leaders at least from the fifteenth century, which is when I argue that vegetarianism started to feature in sectarian debates within Tibetan Buddhism. Regarding this sectarian nature of Tibetan vegetarianism, given the strength of arguments between pro-vegetarianism and meat-defenders, I then demonstrate that while vegetarianism has been practiced by Tibetan Buddhist schools since the eleventh century, it gained new significance in the fifteenth century. Especially, vegetarianism seems very limited among Geluk Pa (Tib: dge lugs pa), due to the Geluk Pa emphasizing the study of theories rather than practice, as well as the legitimization of meat eating in its canonical texts.Given the importance of vegetarianism in Tibetan Buddhist practices, yet the lack of vegetarianism during some specific time and places, I then turn to an analysis of why vegetarianism has spread to some places but not others. I highlight two vital reasons for this: sectarian debates around Tibetan vegetarianism from the fifteenth century, and the political limits to the spread of vegetarianism in contemporary Tibet. Finally, I conclude that due to sectarian features, Tibetan vegetarianism in pre-modern times was severally limited in monastic contexts, until its revitalization in contemporary Tibet, where vegetarianism started to gain new significance and to be practiced by lay communities, thus leading to the controversy of vegetarianism to have a new scope. Apart from religious debates, the arising of secular debates, like political limits, makes the practice and discourses of vegetarianism in Tibetan society more complex.