For fear of causing terror to living beings, Mahamati, let the Bodhisattva who is disciplining himself to attain compassion, refrain from eating flesh.

The food of the wise, Mahamati, is what is eaten by the Rishis; it does not consist of meat and blood.

Now, Mahamati, the food I have permitted [my disciples to take] is gratifying to all wise people but is avoided by the unwise; it is productive of many merits, it keeps away many evils
… how can I permit my disciples, Mahamati, to eat food consisting of flesh and blood, which is gratifying to the unwise but is abhorred by the wise, which brings many evils and keeps away many merits; and which was not offered to the Rishis and is altogether unsuitable?; and it has been prescribed by the ancient Rishis.

It comprises rice, barley, wheat, kidney beans, beans, lentils, etc., clarified butter, oil, honey, molasses, treacle, sugar cane, coarse sugar, etc.; food prepared with these is proper food.

Mahamati, there may be some irrational people in the future who will discriminate and establish new rules of moral discipline, and who, under the influence of the habit-energy belonging to the carnivorous races, will greedily desire the taste [of meat]: it is not for these people that the above food is prescribed.

Mahamati, this is the food I urge for the Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas who have made offerings to the previous Buddhas, who have planted roots of goodness, who are possessed of faith, devoid of discrimination, who are all men and women belonging to the Śākya family, who are sons and daughters of good family, who have no attachment to body, life, and property, who do not covet delicacies, are not at all greedy, who being compassionate desire to embrace all living beings as their own person, and who regard all beings with affection as if they were an only child.

If, Mahamati, meat is not eaten by anybody for any reason, there will be no destroyer of life.

Again, Mahamati, there may be some unwitted people in the future time, who, beginning to lead the homeless life according to my teaching, are acknowledged as sons of the Shakya, and carry the Kashaya robe about them as a badge, but who are in thought evilly affected by erroneous reasonings.

They may talk about various discriminations which they make in their moral discipline, being addicted to the view of a personal soul.

Being under the influence of the thirst for [meat-] taste, they will string together in various ways some sophistic arguments to defend meat-eating.

fThey think they are giving me an unprecedented calumny when they discriminate and talk about facts that are capable of various interpretations. Imagining that this fact allows this interpretation, [they conclude that] the Blessed One permits meat as proper ood, and that it is mentioned among permitted foods and that probably the Tathagata himself partook of it.

But, Mahāmati, nowhere in the sutras is meat permitted as something enjoyable, nor it is referred to as proper among the foods prescribed [for the Buddha's followers].

… all [meat-eating] in any form, in any manner, and in any place, is unconditionally and once for all, prohibited for all.

Thus, Mahamati, meat-eating I have not permitted to 

anyone, I do not permit, I will not permit.

Meat-eating, I tell you, Mahamati, is not proper for homeless monks.

From eating [meat] arrogance is born, from arrogance erroneous imaginations issue, and from imagination is born greed; and for this reason refrain from eating [meat].

There is no meat to be regarded as pure in three ways: not premeditated, not asked for, and not impelled; therefore, refrain from eating meat.

Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (or Nirvana Sutra)

As translated from the Chinese by Kosho Yamamoto (1973) and revised by Tony Page (2007). Full text online.

From now on, I do not permit my sravaka disciples to eat meat. … One who eats meat kills the seed of great compassion. … I, from now on, tell my disciples to refrain from eating any kind of meat.

O Kasyapa! When one eats meat, this gives out the smell of meat while one is walking, standing, sitting or reclining.

People smell this and become fearful. This is as when one comes near a lion. One sees and smells the lion, and fear arises.

O good man! When one eats garlic, the dirty smell is unbearable. … It is the same with one who eats meat. It is a similar situation with all people who, on smelling the meat, become afraid and entertain the thought of death.

All living things in the water, on land and in the sky desert such a person and run away. They say that this person is their enemy.

Chapter Seven: On the Four Aspects

Surangama Sūtra

As translated from the Chinese by the Buddhist Text Translation Society (2009). 

After my nirvana, how will people who eat the flesh of beings deserve to be called disciples of Shakyamuni?

You should understand that these people who eat flesh may gain some modicum of mental awakening while practicing samadhi, but they are all great rakshasas who in the end must fall into the sea of death and rebirth.

They are not disciples of the Buddha.

Such people kill and devour each other, feeding on each other in an endless cycle. How could they possibly get out of the three realms? When you teach people in the world to practice samādhi, teach them to renounce all killing.

Part VII, Chapter 2: On Killing

How then can it be compassionate to gorge on other beings’ blood and flesh?

Monks who will not wear silks from the East, whether coarse or fine; who will not wear shoes or boots of leather, nor furs, nor birds’ down from our own country; and who will not consume milk, curds, or ghee, have truly freed themselves from the world.

Part VII, Chapter 2: On Killing

I can affirm that a person who neither eats the flesh of other beings nor wears any part of the bodies of other beings, nor even thinks of eating or wearing these things, is a person who will gain liberation.¨

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