From what I understand the above quoted text says,
if one raises a pig and kill it in order to sell its meat, that means that person engages in business in meat which is considered wrong livelihood.
But what if you own a restaurant and you just simply buy meat and then cook it and sell it, is this considered wrong livelihood? Some people say it’s wrong livelihood but some disagree. Does anyone have any thoughts? What is the accurate translation of above sutta, what does trading/business in flesh mean? Thanks.
You’d have to look at whether your buying of meat constituted ordering someone to kill. Some higher end “farm to table” restaurants the connection between the buyer and the killing of animals is very close. Others, with “ready” meat would not be. But as ERose said, there would be requirements perhaps even legally which would require you to handle pest control and kill insects, mice, or other pests.
“Trading in flesh” I would say would refer to a vendor of meat by trade (the butcher). If you run a restaurant, you are selling cooked foods, some of which are meat, but I’m not sure it constitutes the “trade”. This is sort of a borderline wrong livelihood I would say.
