It’s customary in Hangzhou to offer sacrifices to the deities at the end of the year. Grand offerings involved slaughtering sheep or steaming whole pigs, while lesser ones consisted of offering pig heads, chickens, and fish. Before I became a monk, I observed the precept of no-killing and offered only veggies and fruits.
My entire family, including even young children, were uneasy about it. So, holding lit incense and candles, I respectfully addressed the deities aloud: “I uphold the precept against killing and so I offer vegan food. If I were to sacrifice animals, I would be breaking my precepts, and it would bring no true benefits for the deities either. Yet, this decision is mine alone and has nothing to do with my family – they would rather offer animals. Should the deities be displeased, let any calamity or misfortune be inflicted upon me alone; it would not be the act of a wise and upright spirit to harm the innocent.”
My family remained anxious and fearful afterwards. Yet as it turns out, we all spent the whole year safe and sound; and the practice became an established custom.
by Grand Master Lian Chi (蓮池大師), the Eighth Patriarch of Pure Land Buddhism
祀神不用牲 – 錄自明末蓮池大師《竹窗隨筆》(初筆)
杭俗歲暮祀神，大則刲羊蒸豚，次則用豬首雞魚之屬。予未出家時，持不殺戒，乃易以蔬果; 家人雖三尺童子無不愕然，以為必不可。予燃香秉燭，高聲白神云:「某甲奉戒不殺。殺生以祭，不惟某甲之過，亦非神之福。然此意某一人獨斷，其餘皆欲用牲，倘神不悅，凡有殃咎宜加予身; 若濫無辜，非所謂聰明正直者。」家人猶為予危之。終歲合宅無恙，遂為例。
Buddha Mind 