Q: Does being a vegetarian or not affect our progress on the path?

H.H. Karmapa:  Yes and no.  Yes it is effective as it can inspire individuals to be decent and honourable or noble.  It can inspire others due to the way one’s conditioned mind works, so in that case it is effective.  On the other hand, no, as the fact is you are still harming sentient beings equally.  The advice is that one can eat meat where the animal died naturally and one also avoids killing animals.  However, planting vegetables means you kill countless insects for example.  So it depends on one’s point of view.  There are some things in life that are unavoidable, so when it comes to that then one should try and take things positively.  What Buddha has taught in the Vinaya, is also for everyone and not just monks. 

The advice is that we do have to eat.  If we don’t we will not survive and will lose this precious opportunity and will not be able to benefit sentient beings.  So we do have to eat but there is a right way to eat.  It’s not always easy but we do it for a reason and never change from that reason.  We do it so we can sustain the body so we can do lots of positive things.  We are not eating because we enjoy it – but because we want to sustain the body.  Of course it’s hard to take away the enjoyment, but one can get used to it - gradually!

Q: Is it ok for students of the Karma Kagyu to attend teachings of the Drikung Kagyu?

H.H. Karmapa: To observe knowledge is always fine, but if it concerns following a path, one should stick to what one has already begun.   Both paths are equally great and get to the destination but you cannot be on both.

Q: Why do we get Bodhisattva names? How can we find out the deeper meaning of the names we receive?

H.H. Karmapa: They are auspicious names.  If one keeps the Bodhisattva promise intact, then normally the first name that one gets is the name you will be recognised as when you become a future Buddha.