tom32 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 28, 2022 2:26 pm
Hello, most people would consider yeast vegan and would consider worrying about microorganisms to be a bit extreme. However, here's the first precept:
"I undertake the training-precept to abstain from onslaught on breathing beings." (Pali: Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.)
Yeast clearly breathes, this is why it's added to bread, so that its breath causes the bread to rise.
The only question then is are they 'beings', I don't know what the definition of 'being' is in Buddhism, could anyone help with this? Otherwise I'm considering that perhaps the killing of yeast through the process of bread-making is breaking the first precept.
In buddhism, it has to be a living, breathing sentient being (I don't have a reference off the top of my head right now). The buddhist cosmology (31 planes of existence) does not include plants, fungi, bacteria, etc. The planes of existence includes some woeful states, deva realms, humans and animals. So since yeast is not an animal (not a member of Animal Kingdom), it is okay to kill and eat, according to buddhism.
Jainism considers these other life forms as beings that even undergo rebirth (samsara), but they have to eat, so they are vegetarian, but try to avoid foods heavy in bacteria, fungi, etc. (root vegetables, fermented foods)