[First Amendment]

Sentient beings means conscious or living, IOW not dead matter such as stones or dirt. Of course in dirt there are living beings but that can't be helped. A good way to explain it is the difference between a live tree and dead lumber. It doesn't have anything to do with how high the level of awareness is.
That would be the reason non-hypocritical Buddhists don't kill spiders or ants, they put them outside.
Jains also have this rule. And Hindus should and often do.

[Djarum]

It doesn't have anything to do with how high the level of awareness is.

Then why is it acceptable to take a plant's life for food but not a cow's? That was my point.