Eating of meat and beef in the Hindu tradition
The Buddha states in the Dhammapada 26.409, “Him I call a Brahmana who lays aside the rod, who neither kills nor causes the death of creatures, moving or non-moving (animals or plants).”
The same type of statements are very common in Hindu literature and in Yoga texts. Non-Violence and a vegetarian diet have long been part of India’s spiritual traditions Hindu, Buddhist and Jain, so much so that they are often the main things that people think about as characterizing these teachings.
September 25th, 2006 at 7:08 am
Mahabhrata has enough examples that meat eating was prevalent in those times. But it is not clear ewhether beef was eaten or only the hunted meat. It appears that a debate arose whether yajnas should have animal sacrifice or not. Opinion seems to have developed with time against animal sacrifice and that the earlier practices should be replaced by offerings of farm products including use of black gram. But even then horse sacrifice continued. There is an instance in the life of King Mitrasah or Saudas of solar dynasty that his servant who was a hidden enemy replace ordinary meat by human flesh in the food served to Vasishtha during a yajan and the Rishi gotangry and cursed the king that he would be a Brahmarakashasa foir twelve years. That shows that even Brahmins ate meat.
But that is all past. times have changed and thee is noreason wy we should go by the practices of a few thousand years ago, If a religion has to be strong then it must adjust itself to changing environmemtal conditions. We must stop feeling superior and blaming the western people because they eat meat. It was an environmental need and it is only rcently, after transport of fresh vegetables has been made possible that people can eat vegetables in plenty in all seasons.
You cannot look down upon residents of Actic region because they are noveg. They have to be and one must expect that.
Even we have stories of how Vishwamitra had to eat stale meat in case of drought. In similar circumstances, arswat Brahmins, who lived on the banks of sarsawati river kept Vedas alive in spite of a draought and to do that they had to survive nmeat. Thus you find that Saraswat Brahmins in Kashmir and Goa are nonvegetarians and are permitted to be so.
Hindu is a religion of diversity and therefore strong. It is high time small groups feeling themselves superior start criticising them and creare problems. It isbecause of this that people at lower strata of society embracd Christianity while the rst of the Hindu world remaind smug watching them.
September 25th, 2006 at 8:11 am
One diference between Europe and India as regards eating meat of cattle, is that India does not have European-type cold dark winters. In old times in winter in northern Europe, there was no grazing for cattle for several months, and it was too cold for cattle to be outside, and at the start of winter the larmers had to decide how many of their livestock could survive until spring on the hay that they had, and kill the rest and salt the meat away to eat over the winter.
September 25th, 2006 at 10:58 am
Very good article.
What I like is that true definition of Hindu religion here.
Hindu core practice may be of non-violance and not killing animals for food, but considering the fact that this religion is practiced by diverse cultural groups and communities, it was left upto them to decide what they believe they can practice and not practice.
This freedom is difficult to find in other religions.
I am vegetarian but I never criticised a non-veg person. As far as they respect my choice of being vegetarian and respect my practice of not killing a living creature to fill in my stomach, thats fine.
September 25th, 2006 at 5:46 pm
Rgarding Buddhism, I recently attended a 10-day Vipaasanaa Meditation camp which was great and one of the rules was “no violence” and food served was pure vegetarian and vegan. I got interested in Buddhism and started reading books on Buddhism and here are some excerpts from the book “The Life of the Buddha” by Bhikkhu Nanamoli:
(1) Buddha says “I have allowed (bhikkhus to eat) meat and fish that is pure in the three aspects - when it is not seen or heard or suspected to have been killed for one personally” (page 266).
(2) In the noble eightfold path, Right Intention consists of, among others, “intention of non-cruelty” (page 237).
(3) There is an incident on the last meal of Buddha’s life here he was served “hog’s mincemeat” but the opinion on that is divided as to whether it was meat, or leaves tramples by hog or mushrooms and so on.
My point is that even Buddha, according to Tipittika, allowed meat-eating for followers who were of that persuasion but these are the only 3 references that I could come across in hundreds of pages so I agree with the general theme of this article that to do larger good for the Bhikkhus and to get them in the fold of Dhamma, Budddha relaxed the rules but the overwhelming emphasis was on being a vegetarian. I think the Budhist monks eating meat take solace in the (1) above whereas (1) is meant as an exception, to be reduced and eliminated as soon as possible. Further, thre were no mass meat-factories in Buddha’s time either and perhaps animals were killed as required.
I have ben a life-long vegetarian and intend to remain so.
September 25th, 2006 at 10:46 pm
If i am right…. there exist a temple in north india called “Shakumbri devi” somewhere 50km or 40 km from Haridwar… where Godess Shakumbri devi (a Incarnation of Godess Durga) has appeared and helped people to convert to vegitarian diet, it is said, that she helped people to shift completely to veg diet at that place, during a period of drought in north india….
Perhaps this can be a nice place to explore out the real stuff…. as it is considered as the changing time…. when hindus in north india have seen wave of vegitarianism
September 26th, 2006 at 5:34 am
A very informative and beautiful article. Those Hindus who are vegetarians are so by choice not by rule. No where in Hindu texts is meat eating proscribed. Even Lord Krishna in His Bhagavat Gita only offers an advice to practice vegetarianism to individuals who are going to take up the practice of different forms of Yoga and advanced meditation. Meat eating does not in any way make a person inferior to those who are vegetarians. Vegetarianism will in the long run make a person Satvik and to shed off Rajasik and tamasik tendencies. It is mentioned that one of the Yogis in Mithila Kingdom of King Janaka was Dharmavyadha a butcher. We need not make vegetarianism a virtue. It is only one of the requirements for studentd of advanced Yoga.
September 26th, 2006 at 9:51 pm
I don’t know of any reference of animal sacrifices in the Rig Veda (or any other Vedas) as mentioned by Mr. David Frawley. To me, it is only the wrong interpretation of the mantras. Please provide me the references to the mantras and I will send the explainations.
September 27th, 2006 at 4:29 am
Japanese Buddhists monks are vegetarian; however Japanese eat fish. Meat( i.e beef) eating was introduced by the Americans in 1870s only. Even during the early years of 20th century very few people used to eat beef in Japan. Pork eating was introduced much later. Even today Japanese do not eat normally lamb or goat meat, these are not available in the market. However, fish eating, like in Eastern India and along the coast lines in India, is very popular in Japan. Rice and fish are the common diet for every Japanese.
I was told by the Thais, that they never used to eat meat before 1950, but they always eat fish.
September 27th, 2006 at 4:34 am
Sri Krishna said clearly in Bhagwat Gita that one should eat food by which one can get energy and feel light. Acidic food, food left overnight and those which makes people heavy after eating, implying meat, should not be consumed. ( Ch 17, verses 8-10)
September 29th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
The question is: is the eating of vegetables are spiritual rule? Any one who know practicing Hindus realizes the problem. In Hinduism what does a spiritual rule mean? It is a yagya, a scrifice that we chose so that we can be better (at what one might ask). We use yagya to advance. Eventually we even sacrifice the image of the divine so that we can be free of our images (and imagination).
But, we are part of this world. In this world, we do find things that harm us and help us. For some people exercise is down right dangerous (people with muscle diseases) for the vast majority the lack of exercise is dangerous. What is the rule - you must exercise? Our religion is quite a bit more practical than such black and white rules.
hariaum nkv
October 1st, 2006 at 2:15 pm
Ch 17, Verse 8-10 in the Bhagwat Gita define what food should be eaten and what should not be eaten. It depends on the charater of the person, whether he wants to be Pure or impure. Those who are impure eat food which are ” acidic and sharp, saltry and dry, which brings heaviness and sickness and pain.” ” .. which is stale, tasteless, rotten and left overnight, impure, unfit for holy offerings”
Krishna also said, that a true follower of him must have love for all creatures.
Thus, one should not eat anything that may cause gross violence. Absolute non-violence is not possible, because even the vegetarians are causing violence to the plants and vegetables. Thus, I think vegetarian food is the ideal, but those cannot afford it ( for examples in Siberia where there is no vegetables or in the coastal areas of any country particularly in India, where it is easy to catch fish than to have agriculture) some exceptions like eating fish may be allowed.
October 2nd, 2006 at 7:43 pm
why fish?
October 5th, 2006 at 10:50 pm
^^ I presume that what he meant is that if you are living in a coastal area and there is a shortage of food - then eating fish is obviously an eminently sensible thing to do.
October 9th, 2006 at 8:41 pm
OK now challenge the concept further. Eating is consumption for our benefit. And here harm becomes to consume while causing gross violence. How about the marketplace. When we participate in the market we consume resources that cause gross harm to somebody - if we increase the demand for food (by eating more) we drive up the price of food and those less fortunate than us starve. Or as we consume medications that prolong life we are creating a market force that increases the consumption of animals for research puposes. Or we live in countries that kill people for the interest of those countries (India, UK, USA, Pakistan…) do we then, by participating in those countries, consume people causing gross harm?
I think all of these are true. Now what can I do? I must simplify my life style and attempt to make my country more peaceful, use medications wisely… but it does not mean that I stop consuming. Every action i make will result in “good” and “bad” karma. As I see it, all we can do is minimize it or treanscend it. But perhaps our scriptures can guide us on medical research, the absolute avoidance of war, economics etc, without causing gross harm. I think the distinctions become in our mind and our level of taking responsibility for what is happening in our world. This makes it a psycho-socio-logical issue based on ignorance - which has great value in guiding us - but not a eternal damnation type rule.
hariaum
October 12th, 2006 at 9:36 am
Fish eating is equally taboo, if not more, as it has been stated, “Eater of the fish is All-Consumer. By just eating fish, one has eaten everything; because fish eats everything found in water - from insects, animals to even human carcass (Manu and other Smritis).” In that way, he is a cannibal too!
Not only Hindu religious books but even Guru Granth Saheb, the Sikh holy book, prohibits it. We should understand that a religion is not what some adherents do or do not do. It is what its teachings are. Irreligious people do irreligious things. That does not make them part of that religion. So, if some coastal people partake fish, it does not become Hindu food.
Guru Granth Saheb says: One who consumes meat, fish and does sura-paan (alcohol drinking), all of his religious acts eg. tirath, vratt and niyams go waste.
‘Kabira maans maachhali sura paan,
jo jo praani khaaye;
Tirath nema vratt sab
Rasaatal jaaye.’
Also:
‘Peer paighambar auliya
Sab marane ko aayaa;
Naahak jee na maariyai,
Poshan ko kaaya.’
October 20th, 2006 at 9:14 am
I have never seen a Vegetarian Sikh. Sikhs eat meat, fish, eggs - thus they are not Sikh????
Where exactly in the ManuSmriti it says Fish eating is bad? However, Manusmriti is not Hindu religion, it is the law book of ancient India. Law varies from year to year. It was perfectly alright in Manusmirti to have eight or nine wives, it is illegal now. It was legal according to Manusmriti to discriminate against lower caste Hindus. It is illegal now.
Every fish does not eat everything, Human being also eat insects like prawn, srimps, lobbster. Fish does not eat human remains unless you consider Sharks or Whale as fish. One can cultivate fish in lakes, as they do in India and control their diet. Except for the people in the coastal areas Hindus normally do not eat fish from the sea.
Bhagwat Gita does not say explicitly what one should not eat. Anyting which is not acidic, not left over night, which gives energy, one would not feel heavy after eating can be considered for food. Meat is acidic and one feel heavy after eating. also, the meat from the supermarkets are at least 7 to 8 days old, sometime much older. thus, one should not eat meat or anything which is not fresh.
November 1st, 2006 at 10:04 pm
MEAT DIET / VEG - DON’T LET THEM LEAN ON IT!
Far too many Hindus consider tthemselves “Faith Right” because they do not eat meat. I say remove their crutch. This meat issue is a crutch used by too many so-called Hindus. We should all say forget about what you have eaten or not eaten, “Now what have you done for his faith, today?”
Have you been charitable? Have you worked and given earnings to a priest in good faith for him to educate our young? How much will you give to this faith annually? Will you give your time in research? The Soma is the most important offering to the Gods do we have an answer? All these matters and more call your attention not what you eat. Eat anything and eat well but serve this faith.
Pandit D Sharma
May Vayu lift you and Indra Hold the Road Ahead
December 13th, 2006 at 7:19 am
When I read Dr.V.V.Shirvaikar’s post, I was surprised that someone had finally said it. But the following posts, excepting a few were quite disheartening. Why do we indians still cling to outdated ideologies. Just because we have a long history and culture does not make it right. I have read the vedas(some), koran, bible,etc. and have come to the same conclusion about all of them. They are all equally intellectually primitive. Of course, there are some philosophical ideologies that I’ve found to be incredibly nice. But nothing that any philosophical person of today, cannot write. Perhaps this is why Indians have been backward for centuries. This eagerness to preserve our heritage/culture which has put human needs last. Culture and heritage should always develop. We can preserve it in museums not in our homes.
Perhaps it is the inferiority complex of having been conquered by other nations throughout history that makes us so. I think we really want our culture to be different due to this inferiority complex. We should change with the times. The middle ages are gone.
And please please please,…stop quoting the “holy” books like they’re the word of….er..”GOD”. If he/she wanted us to really follow what these holy books said, there would only be one religion in the world. These books were written by men.
Eat whatever you want. This is the circle of life. What makes you think that eating curries with ground vegetables is less violent than killing a cow in a coupla seconds and eating it’s meat?
Anyway,please stop being such hard-asses and just enjoy life. It’s too short for these stupid restrictions.
December 14th, 2006 at 3:40 am
“Anyway,please stop being such hard-asses and just enjoy life.”
Obviously you are not a Hindu.
March 25th, 2007 at 9:02 am
Jose thomas ..I am able to understnd your desperate state of mind to make people eat beef ….. and your conclusion that to enjoy life eat what ever you want ……..For hindus life is not just to enjoy by their sensual capabilities ..Hindu seers talked about much higher enjoyment ( for this purpose they even defind a unit of
happines)…..and if you think eating stuff does not make chage in thinking i wish you go back to your physics classes The whole universe is a unit and here veery thing affects everything …food has to regualted and to be violance free to enjoy a peaceful and happy life …anything you consume will carry memories of the past …..there is no point in expalining you the benifits of the vegiterian food..all that i sujest you is just try to meditate on jesus and meditate and mediate ..by chance if you are able to go to a elavated state you yur self will know two importantthings one is food afects state of mind ..second is there is much more to enjoy that food it self ….. only i wish lord help you get some elvated experince …then you seldom recomend food of any animal origin ……and about the otther countries attacking us its just circle of time ……most cruel man Hitler was a vegiterian …..
May 19th, 2007 at 11:37 am
I was brought up in a strictly Brahmin vegetarian home,in Mombasa .Kenya,where my Grandmother,late Laadkur Ba,of Jamnagar,wouldnt allow even eggs in our house.
However,some of the men in the family would eat meat out in restaurants or picnics.But the ladies,the sisters,mothers,aunts,daughters,Grand father,some of the uncles,remained true to the Hindu Dharma of Vegetarianism.
However,when we were displaced form Kenya,Zanzibar,Uganda by idi Amin,by Africanisation,and also labelled as Asian Jews,as most of the bussiness and commerce was in Asian ownership,many of the Hindus became meat eaters in UK,as the lads came on thier own,without the family and couldnt cook Gujerati food.However,when the Asians,came enmasse to UK,like the Ugandan exodus,they brought the whole families,which has led to availibility of vegetarian foods ,spicy and tasty at that in UK supermarkets.hence,it is a blessing for UK communities that the good Gospel of Ahmisa,preached and practiced by Organsiations,such Young Indian Vegetarians,VIVA,PETA and all can thrive and share the Hindu sacred texts,spirituality and humanity and make a difference to a violent and cruel world to become humane.Indeed, I got an invitation to a presentation to Mahaveer awards,by Nitin Mehta,a noble Jain,with MBE to the House of Commons,to His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shanker.I hope Hindu and caring sites all over the world would show the event and photos.I also have recieved an Invitation to a talk by an eminenet American Doctor Micheal Greger on the impending Bird Flu,which kill millions of people at home and abroad.please see,www.viva.org.uk.Hence, as Hindus or Jains or as part of the civilsed caring world,we ought to play a mediating and caring and an educational role in civilsing society to go an extra mile for animal brtherens and sisters,as we work towards,a Meat free England by 2021.If Hindus or that matter Indians,degenerate into cruelty,then our ancient Shastras are meanigless and the sacrifice of Ghnadjis,saint Vinoba Bhave and all the Satyagrahis( follower of Truth) are down the pan and desecrated as all the leaders were vegetarians and caring.My Mother,Saraswati ,teacher of Hindi and Sanskrit,a strict vegetarian,took part in Satyagrah with Ghandiji,my gran read the Ramayana,Mahabharta and sang Hymns and all to all the Hindu ladies,Parekhs,Patels and all so they may share the “Word” or Words of God and Goddesses with thier offsprings and care on the Hindu lienage.However,the sad state of affairs in India,which has become a cruel country,and a large meat exporter and cruelty is rife,in its labs and all,with tortue and rendition of animals,one begs the Question;what was it all about,the Indian Independence? was it worth it,when Hindu values,mores and spirituality has been trashed and tarnished and even the so called celebs,more like a lower spirtual beings,pipes up,after being let off from Big Borther,that she was missing Chicken Curry.
So,I urge Hindus and non,to go an extra mile to be a vegan and persuade others to do so and work with groups who care and give donations for a good and genuine and noble cause,of respect for life,soul and spirit of all Living beings in UK ,a nation of animal lovers and the world.with best wishes,Ravi
p.s one can debate about religious justification or non but a rational being,with reason,logic and a heart and soul,ought to know right from wrong.The Bible was written by colourfull Palestinian Jews,fourty years after the crucifxition of Jesus Christ.There are some things not agrreable to many a vegetarians including the sacrificing of a Bull.hence,todays Christians and none,wouldnt even flinch an eye lid,in the slaughter of Blessed Nandi Bull at Skandavale Hindu temple,in Carmenthshire.hence, Hindus, should make Hinduism as the main State Relgion of India,with respect and tolerance for other faiths,just as UK has the state religion of Church of England,and Saudis have Islam and the Isrealis have Judaism.Only,if Hindus rise to the challenge and assert themsleves as Hindu values,would the Glory days of King Emperor Ashokas reign may be re incarnated.After 1,300 years subjugation and serfdom,it is time that true Hindu Aryan values,of respect for Mother Cow,Ones own Mother,Mother Earth and all that is noble and decent in life and living is re asserted and re inforced
August 15th, 2007 at 8:49 am
I would like to say that, meat eating people gradually loose temper in their life, it become very difficult for them to know or establish thier spiritual relation & faith in the Supreme God “Krishna”..
In the scheme of this discourse, the Lord first of all explains that Shraddhaa is of three kinds, according to the nature of the temperament (gunas) which the individual entertains in himself. The three classifications under which the temperaments fall are (1) balanced joy (Sattwa), (2) ambitious and feverish activities (Rajas), (3) vegetative existence and heedlessness (Tamas). Earlier this topic of the three gunas governing and controlling the mental and intellectual life of men was exhaustively dealt with. How men, under the influence of these gunas in varying proportions, would come to live the religious values, and strive for spiritual unfoldment is now being discussed. From a close study of this discourse, we can direct our activities away from the influence of the lower urges and guide our spiritual practices consistently on the royal path of sure success.
August 17th, 2007 at 9:33 am
I am not sure if the Vedas forbid meat eating. Hindu religion is from the Vedas, but today’s form of Hinduism is a result of culture and also foreign rule - Mughals who settled in India and more importantly the British who plundered India for 300 years, took away the rights of the people, destroyed industry only to create the industrial revolution in Britain, destroyed Indian econology and forests etc etc - list is long - which took us from being a country that had one fourth to one third of the world’s wealth to a third world country. People lost a desire to live in peace mental harmony in those 300 years and developed a negative way of thinking due to contiunous fear and belittlement. A lot of our customs developed during such time were developed under duress with the ability to think rationally undergoing serious deterioration and being embedded in our genes. Eventually culture whether it was before the invaders or during and after- culture changed religion and changed the very definition of Hinduism- bringing evils like the caste system which was advocated as a good system of division of labour where one’s profession was defined by one’s Karma at Birth and not though Heredity. But what happenned was people made profession hereditary. The idea was for the a child to grow into adulthood indentifying his/her God given talents(by oneself and through wise advise) and then developing them for the betterment of soceity- like what is practiced in the West in THIS PARTICULAR ASPECT.
Taking without reason and saying that God means only spiritual things and is opposed to development is NONSENSE. God is the single most sophisticated being whom we are trying to emulate and grow. Only God can create for exampe the human nervous system where the brain precisely controls all parts of the body as and how we want. Thats sophistication. God wont create everything for us- God has given us a brain to look at his marvely and get inspired carry out our own development(God wont come and build an apollo spacecraft for us- hats our job). Spirituality is good- but saying spirituality opposes sophistication and that if we believe in God we will try not to be sophisticated is NONSENSE. By LOGIC which is a process that the Great God has gifted us with(and a process we can find in anything what God has created)- such ridiculous things dont hold water. Its just passionate talk. We were created not to be passionate, but to be objective.
If the Vedas do not forbit us to eat meat or cow meat(this if we believe in Hinduism)- then there is nothing wrong in it. Nothing right about no eating it either. Dont say that culture we developed on our own is what the Vedas preach.
November 9th, 2007 at 10:09 am
Thank you for your excellent, thoughtful and thought provoking write up on meet and beef eating among the Hindus. As you have rightly pointed out many people, with vested interest to denigrate any thing Hindu, high light the meet eating practices among some Hindu sects which are prevalent even today, such as
1. Eating of Yak meet in the North East and the Himalayan regions,
2. Eating of Buffalo meet particularly during the sacrifical rites, and
3. Eating beef by a few castes dealing with the carcas of the dead cattle.
However the fact remains that beef eating is strictly prohibited and vegeterianism is highly encouraged in Hinduism. The exceptions only strengthen the general law.
November 13th, 2007 at 12:01 am
I am a bit dissapointed your article did not deal in greater detail with the scientific reasons for a vegetarian diet since its is one of the key fundamentals undelying the Vedas on this issue. Also, it would have also been helpful for you to have mentioned a few suggestions in dealing with the various criticisms you identified that are level against hindus. Its easy to say explore the texts a bit more for answers.
Narvan
November 13th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
is ravi sharma the nut back? i knew this article ought to have brought back that loonie
November 13th, 2007 at 11:19 pm
the ppl who talk about greatness of vegetrianism r usually the pakora gassers who smell like greasy samosas.
November 19th, 2007 at 11:00 am
Mr Dipak Bose - All Namdhari Sikhs are veg. (or should be) They are over a million in number.
Puranic literature, particularly the Shrimad Bhagawatam, speaks out against meat consumption.
November 19th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
And Suvarna Sinh, maybe you haven’t heard, a lot of mainstream sikhs consider Namdharis to be “heretics” for still having a Guru.
Also what does some Purana speaking out against meat mean, Bhagawatam is not relevant for many Shaivas. Shaktas etc.
Use your own mind when making decisions not blindly follow some scripture without thinking.
November 24th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Dear friends,
I first quote Porumannana,
“Use your own mind when making decisions not blindly follow some scripture without thinking. ”
This is what my mind tells me,
As human race progressed from hunter gatherers to farmers, it became possible for man to include in his diet things which he did not kill or gather.
Vegetarianism is a natural stage in man’s evolution.
There are some who need to kill to survive, even in the 21st century, there were others who lived long ago who considered being human meant respecting the right to live of other life forms as well, animals being the ones with the more obvious signs of life in them. Some developed themselves to such a level that they felt they could do without even lower life forms such as sprouted pulses. (Practicing Jains will understand this)
We can communicate across half the world via the internet using email and we call that progress.
There are quite a few who consider net access or cars per capita, safe water availability as bench marks of progress, there are others like the undersigned who feel that the ability to live without violence against all life forms as high as possible an indication of a progress.
If not why differentiate between a goat bheja fry and a human one. Other than taste of-course.
Yogesh
November 24th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
To make the comment of human bheja fry clearer here is a quote from Swift’s essay A Modest Proposal: For Preventing The Children of Poor People in Ireland From Being A burden to Their Parents or Country, and For Making Them Beneficial to The Public
I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled …”
For the entire essay go to http://art-bin.com/art/omodest.html
Yogesh
December 2nd, 2007 at 4:40 am
You don’t have to believe in a religion to be a vegetarian; you just need the ability to empathise with creatures that feel pain when they are being killed to satisfied our insatiable appetite for the taste of their flesh. In my view it is wrong (despite what any “holy” book says on the matter) to cause pain and suffering to another creature. I am aware of the argument that says “plant” has feelings too, but I doubt whether it’s feeling is of the same intensity and since we have to eat food to stay alive, it is the best option. It is a credit to Hinduism that the food eaten at most of its religious function is vegetarian.
December 3rd, 2007 at 10:14 am
Mr Lall & other Pro Veg Faction.
You speak of pain via death.
a) Here’s a question. If yourself & other Veg folks were God. How could you sit there and watch billions of your creation die daily. In pain. Ever seen someone in a Heart Attack? A Stroke? Leprosy? They are simply dying, no other purpose. Your position and that of the general body of misguided Hindu Vegetarians is to say that you are more compassionate than God. Think about it. Hindu vegetarians are trying to show more compassion than God! This is wrong.
b) Your sensationalist language lacks Aryan truth. …”our insatiable appetite for the taste of their flesh”. The world inculding Europe & America is 90% vegetarian in consumption. Even a Big Mac meal is 86% Vegetarian. So please let’s approach this matter with intelligent Brahmin input. Computations Please.
In summary Eat Well Aryans. Do not shackle yourselves with such trivia as food. Your Dharm - The Dharm of the Aryawarth - The Kanvas is greater than this.
Veda Shakti!
December 5th, 2007 at 11:05 am
Dear deeno sharma
Your arguments are flawed.
A)Just because god watches millions die everyday doesnt mean he wants us or doesnt mind us killing. He instructs us to be commpassionate.
God watches millions of rapes, murders, crimes etc does that mean that if we restrain from such things we are trying to be better than god?
God teaches us to restrain from acts that cause harm to any living creature unneccessarily.
B) Everything should be analyzed including what we eat, thats why the scriptures talk about different types of foods and encourages us to eat food that helps spiritual advancement.
December 6th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
Dear friends,
First a small but important correction
The following paragraph contains correction in upper case
There are quite a few who consider net access or cars per capita, safe water availability as bench marks of progress, there are others like the undersigned who feel that the ability to live without violence against all life forms as LOW as possible an indication of a progress.
Mr. Lall says it well when he writes and I quote
“…In my view it is wrong (despite what any “holy” book says on the matter) to cause pain and suffering to another creature. ”
Reading Deeno vindicates my view that the process of conversion from a savage to a vegetarian is nothing short of evolution.
Yogesh
December 18th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
my view is that if mandirs do not serve meat (there must be a reason for this) then why should we eat it at all
December 21st, 2007 at 1:47 pm
The Hindu voice here seems to be well outspoken, but a little less than technical about the issue of meat eating, especially cow killing for meat. I would like to contribute a few opening statements to the members of the current discussion:
Firstly, let us understand the place of meat eating in Hindu tradition (sanatan dharma): the only scenario where meat eating is justified is where one has to save a human life at the cost of animal life and it cannot be taken as a license to kill for pleasure of the tongue. One can easily survive on grains and vegetables.
Secondly, killing of cow is as unacceptable in Hinduism as killing of the mother, whatever may be the emergency, it is unacceptable.
Thirdly, if you read the scriptures, there is a clear probition of any kind of animal sacrifice especially in the current age (kali yuga), not even in the name of religion with the aid of mantras or rituals (that was a provision only for a purpose of elevating the animal into the human species).
Lastly, if someone is already a non-vegetarian, as a Hindu we have a simple request: “Please spare the cow, who is a milk-providing mother”.
Thank you,
Om tat sat.
January 21st, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Fishes will eat human flesh if it dropped into the water.
fishes also eat their own faeces and other smaller fish , is this not enough to give up eating of fish.
The egg embreyo start to develop 2 days after laying. the chick may be formed when you break it open , you take this risk every time you crack the egg open.
To eat an embreyo is bad as you have not even given that animal life. you have stopped the child from growing. fishes have toxins of the flesh and faeces inside it which you take into your body
this is for veggies that continue to eat eggs and fish.
ravi
January 21st, 2008 at 7:42 pm
could anyone describe the dividing line between meat and vegetable?
hariaum
January 22nd, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Ravi Sharma, so when have you been let out of the asylum?
Have you gone to Gurudwara and freeloaded on the langar yet?
May 13th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
This all seems pretty confusing. I think that in the circle of life everything as a purpose with regards to their existence on this earth and in the hereafter. I agree with Pundit D. Sharma. The message here, folks, is to serve your fellowmen because of it is only in giving of your personal sacrifice, that you gain. This is the golden rule taught as taught in many religions which in turn imply some emphasis of personal this sacrifice.
Many who have had near death experiences have come back with one common message, and that is to serve others. Help the needy and lose yourselves in the service of others. Don’t do it because of institutional obligations where you are forced to do it or when there a special occasion to do so, because true faith comes only when we do it with real intent from the heart. Do it regardless, and make it a personal part of our existence on earth. We understand that we all have busy lives and family obligations, but that should not deter us from doing small good deeds from day to day.
Don’t let food and caste-systems hedge up the way … its not all that important. The end result and the power lies within you.
The path back to spiritual exaltation was not intended to be governed by organizational, institutional or religious efficacy, but by true individual effort. You are the captain of your ship, you are the steward of your destiny, so use common sense and determine the path that you can take.