The Dalai Lama walks into a pizza shop...

[Swede]

[HopeHoops]

1. It was a cute joke, but didn't translate well. Besides, the Dalai Lama doesn't eat meat.

[Orrex]

2. Actually, he does.

I'll have to dig for it, but I believe that I have a link to an article detailing how he has eaten veal at a feast in his honor at the Milwaukee Club, of all things.

[HopeHoops]

3. I'm skeptical. He's a vegetarian.

I wouldn't touch veal even if I STILL ate meat. That's tortured meat.

[Orrex]

4. I know. I was surprised to hear it myself

Got into a pretty heated argument about it and about the DL back on DU2.

[siligut]

5. I totally agree, veal is cruel, no way around that

I cringe when the chefs on the food channel use it. Rachel Ray's cheery smile and voice when she cooks with it particularly gets to me. At any rate, I would believe the Dalai Lama ate veal at a dinner that honored him, even though he is considered a vegetarian. Apparently Buddhists can eat meat, but they aren't supposed to have any part in killing the animal.

[HopeHoops]

8. Then there's the REAL joke - The only kind of meat a priest can eat on Friday is nun.

- Courtesy of "Up In Smoke".

[FloridaJudy]

6. Most Tibetans eat meat, even the devout

It's marginal farmland, but more is suitable for grazing, so it would be difficult to follow a strict vegetarian diet there. From what I've read, Tibetan cuisine is heavily yak-milk based, so even if one avoided meat, it would be nearly impossible to be a vegan.

I've never been there, but it's on my bucket list.

[dynasaw]

7. The Dalai Lama Has Been Known to Eat Meat

Monastics receive their food through the gift of others and they regard it as uncharitable not to accept what is given or the kindness of others. You are right, most Tibetans are not vegetarians and eating meat, i.e the killing of animals, as "regrettable necessity." As may be imagined, growing vegetables in Tibet isn't easy where the average temperature is 29 degrees!