WAS LORD BUDDHA A VEGETARIAN

There are many schools of thought formed by different individuals that some are of the opinion that Lord Buddha was not a vegetarian and others who are of the opinion that Lord Buddha was a total vegetarian. In certain Buddhist chronicles it is stated that Lord Buddha passed away after partaking of a meal consisting of pork. Others say that the meal consisted of a variety of mushroom which was called Sukara majja or something closely resembling that name, where Sukera means pig.
Whatever may be, a person who was advocating as his main theme maithree or compassion towards all living beings consuming flesh of any kind is unthinkable and I am convinced these stories were concocted by individuals who were non vegetarians and wished to clear themselves of feeling guilty for eating flesh by adding Lord Buddha to the category of non vegetarians.
I dare say that a Buddhist can remain a Buddhist and there is no hard and fast rule that to be a Buddhist a person has to be a vegetarian and Lord Buddha has never laid down such a condition to be a Buddhist. to be continued......