Foods

[Guest guest]

Rationalization for vegetarianism:

-

Killing cannot be the reason for avoiding meats for two

reasons, (i) plants and trees were recognized as living

entities even during vEdic times (please correct me if I

am wrong), and (ii) under this premise, animals that die

of natural causes must be fair game, an unacceptable

situation.

 

Ahimsai is also not logical. The same problems persist.

The pain and suffering that plants undergo is not apparent

when we pluck fruits and vegetables or even fell plants

and trees. But can we be sure? Further, ahimsai

will not stand in the way of consuming animals that have

died due to natural causes. Also, if we accept ahimsai

theory, then we have to forget much of the allopathic

medicine we have come to depend upon.

 

The only reason left is the separation of saathveega and

thamasic foods. Animal flesh is thamasic and must be

avoided. Eggs being animal flesh in subtle form must be

avoided also. Its essential thamasic nature remains

unaltered, IMHO, whether or not it is fertilized.

 

Swami Sri dEsikan's aagaaran^iyamum lists the foods

that must be avoided and the foods that are acceptable.

Some of these rules seem trivial, some seem strange, and

some seem downright unpalatable! I shall simply

present my own clumsy translation of the verses and

leave it to the readers to figure out the import. The

translation is based upon the commentary by sri upa.

vangeepuram navan^eetham sriraamadEsikaachaar

swaami, published by The Little Flower Co. aagaara

niyamam follows in a separate mail.

 

 

 

-- Dileepan

[Guest guest]

I must disagree with the following assessment:

 

Parthasarati Dileepan writes:

> Rationalization for vegetarianism:

> -

> Killing cannot be the reason for avoiding meats [...]

> Ahimsai is also not logical. The same problems persist.

> The pain and suffering that plants undergo is not apparent

> when we pluck fruits and vegetables or even fell plants

> and trees. [...]

>From my understanding, the *fundamental* reason for not

eating meat is ahimsa, and to prevent killing of animals.

Ahimsa has long been the doctrinal basis for vegetarianism --

even works like Manusmriti argue from this point of view.

 

The Mahabharata, for example, is replete with admonitions

to avoid consuming animal flesh out of concern for the poor

creatures. ``What about plants -- do they not feel pain?''

is of course the obvious follow-on question.

 

Well, perhaps plants do feel pain, but each one of us must

draw a line somewhere. It is easy, nay, trivial, for most of

us to eat heartily without eating meat or meat by-products.

I cannot criticize the eskimo too much for eating fish --

he has nought else from which to choose, but we who live

in these conditions must try to lead as cruelty-free an

existence as we can.

 

We all attach different degrees of importance to different

life forms -- those who eat meat most likely would not

consider killing and eating humans. So vegetarians

draw the ahimsa line somewhat arbitrarily at the animal/plant

boundary. Some go further, and do not eat root vegetables

out of concern for the plant; this is even more laudable,

but not practicable for all. [indeed this is the recommended

way for true renunciates, such as sannyaasis, etc., which

only makes sense if ahimsa is the motivating factor behind

the injunction.]

 

As Vaishnavas, ahimsa is our primary ethic. A verse that

appears in Sri Nadadhoor AmmaaL's "Prapanna Parijata" says:

 

ahimsaa prathamam pushpam pushpam indriyanigrahaH

sarvabhUtadayaa pushpam kshamaa pushpam tathaiva hi |

dhyaanam pushpam tapaH pushpam pushpam jnaanam pushpam eva ca

satyam ashTavidham pushpam vishnoH prItikaro bhavet ||

 

Noninjury (ahmisa) is the primary flower, the next

one being Control of the senses;

Kindness to all creatures a flower,

with Forgiveness an especially important one.

Meditation a flower, Austerity a flower,

Wisdom a flower as well;

Truth is the last of these eight flowers

which are extremely dear to Vishnu.

 

[Nadadhoor AmmaaL is the paramaguru of Sri Vedanta Desika.

This verse is probably a quotation from a much older work.

I may have gotten some of the less important words wrong

in the sloka.]

> The only reason left is the separation of saathveega and

> thamasic foods. Animal flesh is thamasic and must be

> avoided.

 

This is also a reason, but since most people do not do "dhyaanam"

or any other kind of meditation, it is irrelevant whether they

eat taamasic or saatvic food. We avoid animal flesh out of

concern for the animal.

 

Mani

 

P.S. As for Desika's "aahaara niyamam", it is clearly a

product of his time period and should be seen in that

light. We should always look for higher principles (the forest)

among and instead of the many Pharisaic injunctions (the trees)

that previous teachers have left us. If not, what to do

about foods that Desika had no knowledge of, such as potatoes,

tomatoes, peanuts, etc?