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Vegetarianism is formally linked to three religions in this atlas: Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism, all three links carrying no further comment at the religion level. Its own description differentiates them anyway, not by giving each religion a different practice but by giving each one a different depth of the same restraint and a different reason for keeping it.

Strict, Compassionate, and Widely but Not Universally Kept

"Jains hold to a strict vegetarian diet to avoid harming any creature," stated as simply what the tradition keeps, without qualification. Hindu practice is stated more narrowly: "many Hindus avoid meat, especially beef, in keeping with ahimsa and ritual purity," a widely kept but not universal practice, grounded as much in ritual purity as in non harm. Buddhist practice is narrower again and grounded differently still: "many Buddhists abstain from meat out of compassion," a moral rather than a purity based reason, and again not stated as universal. Three religions, one restraint, three different combinations of how widely it is kept and why.

Where To Read More

• VegetarianismDietary PracticesThe restraint itself; three religions counted, each keeping it to a different degree and for a different reason
• JainismDharmicKept strictly and without qualification, to avoid harming any creature
• BuddhismDharmic (Nontheistic)Kept by many, not stated as universal, grounded in compassion
• HinduismDharmic (Polytheistic)Kept by many, not stated as universal, grounded in ahimsa and ritual purity