Guest guest Posted January 9, 2001 Report Share Posted January 9, 2001 Dear All, Pranaamam I have a doubt regarding the eating habits of the Hindu's. I am a pure vegetarian being a Srivaishnava. I am in Germany for quite some time. I have been asked by many people why do you not eat meat. Though I told them some reasons, I would like to know in detail where (which Upanishad or which VEda) has this reference and in what context it is mentioned. Please educate me in this regard. Thank you regards raghu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 9, 2001 Report Share Posted January 9, 2001 Dear Sri Raghu, Here is my understanding. In Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna deals with the three gunAs (characteristics) of prakriti (mind and matter) - sattva, rajas, and tamas - while answering Arjuna's query about the state of those who go against the scriptures. He touches on the topic of food as well. The sattva guna basically reflects a balanced nature and all things good - humane, non-injury, altruistic, intelligent, God loving - and promotes knowledge and happiness. rajas reflects a relatively more harsh nature involving greed, unrest, longing, hyperactivity and promotes attachment to sensual pleasures and sorrow. The tamas reflects evil, inactivity, negligence and causes ignorance and delusion. These three gunAs are present in every person and the prevalence of one over the other determines our nature (at any given time). All these gunAs are nourished by the food we consume. Food that is balanced, mild, and healthy promotes the sattvic nature. Food that is bitter, too- spicy, and not agreeable promotes rajasic nature. Food that is stale, impure and prepared from living / dead creatures promotes the tamasic gunA. What we consume is important, should promote righteousness and has to be respected. aNEna prAna:| prAnayr balam | balEna tapas | tapasA sraddhA | sraddhayA mEdhA | mEdhayA manIsA:| manIshayA manO | manasA shAnthi: | shAnthayA siddhan | siddhEna smRti | smRityA smAram | smArEna vignyAnam | vignyAnEnAthmAnam vEdayathi | tasmA-taNan tatan | sarvAnyE thAni tathAthi || [sri nArayana Upanishad] Food->Life; Life->Strength; Strength-> Religious Austerity; R.Austerity->Intellect; Intellect->Wisdom; Wisdom->Mind; Mind->Peace; Peace->Fulfillment; Fulfillment->Success; Success->Recollection; Recollection->Knowledge; Knowledge->Self Realization (Atman) (My translation could be erroneous due to lack of Sanskrit knowledge. I request the members to correct). Food we consume influences our behavior in every way. Modern Science concurs with this thought. Aside from not hurting other creatures, being a vegetarian is the most natural and sensible way to live. Recent incidences underscore this truth, quite convincingly. There are several more references (direct and indirect) in the vEdic scriptures. Other members may be able to explain more. Regards, Sriram srimushnam raghu [sri_raghu] Tuesday, January 09, 2001 11:25 AM bhakti-list Re: vegetarian and srivaishnava Dear All, Pranaamam I have a doubt regarding the eating habits of the Hindu's. I am a pure vegetarian being a Srivaishnava. I am in Germany for quite some time. I have been asked by many people why do you not eat meat. Though I told them some reasons, I would like to know in detail where (which Upanishad or which VEda) has this reference and in what context it is mentioned. Please educate me in this regard. Thank you regards raghu ----------------------------- - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH - To Post a message, send it to: bhakti-list (AT) eGroups (DOT) com Search archives at http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/index.html#SEARCH Manage your subscription at /mygroups Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2001 Report Share Posted January 10, 2001 This is a very interesting explanation but I would like to know more --- Sriram Ranganathan <srirangan wrote: > Dear Sri Raghu, > > Here is my understanding. > [rest deleted in the interests of space] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2001 Report Share Posted January 10, 2001 Dear friend: This very subject has been discussed in great detail in "Chapter 15 Triguna and the Dietary Regimen" of my book "Hinduism Rediscovered". This has been archived at "Srivaishnava.org/sgati". Click on Issues and then Table of Contents (TOC) of SDDS (Pre Saranagathi) volume 2. You will find them in Issues bearing # 2.11, 2.12, 2.13 dated 3/2/97 and 2.14 dated 4/2/97. If you have any questions after reading them, please feel free to contact me. Hope this helps. Dasoham Anbil Ramaswamy ====================================================================== >"Sriram Ranganathan" <srirangan >"srimushnam raghu" <sri_raghu >CC: "Bhakti" <bhakti-list > >RE: vegetarian and srivaishnava >Wed, 10 Jan 2001 01:53:32 -0500 > >Dear Sri Raghu, > >Here is my understanding. > >In Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna deals with the three gunAs (characteristics) >of prakriti (mind and matter) - sattva, rajas, and tamas - while answering >Arjuna's query about the state of those who go against the scriptures. He >touches on the topic of food as well. > >The sattva guna basically reflects a balanced nature and all things good - >humane, non-injury, altruistic, intelligent, God loving - and promotes >knowledge and happiness. rajas reflects a relatively more harsh nature >involving greed, unrest, longing, hyperactivity and promotes attachment to >sensual pleasures and sorrow. The tamas reflects evil, inactivity, >negligence and causes ignorance and delusion. > >These three gunAs are present in every person and the prevalence of one >over >the other determines our nature (at any given time). All these gunAs are >nourished by the food we consume. > >Food that is balanced, mild, and healthy promotes the sattvic nature. Food >that is bitter, too- spicy, and not agreeable promotes rajasic nature. Food >that is stale, impure and prepared from living / dead creatures promotes >the >tamasic gunA. > >What we consume is important, should promote righteousness and has to be >respected. > >aNEna prAna:| prAnayr balam | balEna tapas | tapasA sraddhA | sraddhayA >mEdhA | mEdhayA manIsA:| manIshayA manO | manasA shAnthi: | shAnthayA >siddhan | siddhEna smRti | smRityA smAram | smArEna vignyAnam | >vignyAnEnAthmAnam vEdayathi | tasmA-taNan tatan | sarvAnyE thAni tathAthi >|| >[sri nArayana Upanishad] > >Food->Life; Life->Strength; Strength-> Religious Austerity; >R.Austerity->Intellect; Intellect->Wisdom; Wisdom->Mind; Mind->Peace; >Peace->Fulfillment; Fulfillment->Success; Success->Recollection; >Recollection->Knowledge; Knowledge->Self Realization (Atman) > >(My translation could be erroneous due to lack of Sanskrit knowledge. I >request the members to correct). > >Food we consume influences our behavior in every way. Modern Science >concurs >with this thought. Aside from not hurting other creatures, being a >vegetarian is the most natural and sensible way to live. Recent incidences >underscore this truth, quite convincingly. > >There are several more references (direct and indirect) in the vEdic >scriptures. Other members may be able to explain more. > >Regards, >Sriram > > > >srimushnam raghu [sri_raghu] >Tuesday, January 09, 2001 11:25 AM >bhakti-list >Re: vegetarian and srivaishnava > >Dear All, > Pranaamam >I have a doubt regarding the eating habits of the >Hindu's. >I am a pure vegetarian being a Srivaishnava. >I am in Germany for quite some time. I have been asked >by many people why do you not eat meat. >Though I told them some reasons, I would like to know >in detail where (which Upanishad or which VEda) has >this reference and in what context it is mentioned. > >Please educate me in this regard. >Thank you >regards >raghu > > >----------------------------- > - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH - >To Post a message, send it to: bhakti-list (AT) eGroups (DOT) com >Search archives at http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/index.html#SEARCH >Manage your subscription at /mygroups > > >----------------------------- > - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH - >To Post a message, send it to: bhakti-list (AT) eGroups (DOT) com >Search archives at http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/index.html#SEARCH >Manage your subscription at /mygroups > _______________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2001 Report Share Posted January 11, 2001 Hi Well its a simple understanding !!! Every living entity on this earth has a Jeevathma and it's against the religious code of conduct to kill any jeevathma to satisfy our taste buds. Well in that case even killing vegetables is also sin, but we take that sin out by offering it to God and taking it as his mercy. Well if thats the case then one can say why not I kill an animal and cook it and offer it to God, and take it as mercy... Well we cannot do that coz there are some religious principles and one should abide by that. Years ago, (during Sri Rama's Time) Even Lord Rama ate Deer's meat, thats because that was that Yuga's dharma, people use to live for 100,000 years and at their last stages they use to perform 10,000 years of tapasya to attain moksham. Well in this age, the max we could live is like 100 years and one has to full fill all his dharmas to attain vaikuntam and the best way is to live by the religious principles and surrender to the lord and attain the moksham eazily in just 100 years, thats the beauty of the Human life that we only get 100 years to live and yet attain moksham easily by surrenderance to the Supreme Lord and attain Moksham, by following some religious principles and pure surrendarance. Well also one last explanation, when King parikshit was going around the forest in his last days he saw a Sin personified chasing a one leg cow to kill the cow... well imagine how horrible it is, a cow with one leg running to save it self, Well its then Parikshit maharaj asked the guy who is chasing and what it is, then the Sin personified told him that he has no where to go and so chasing the cow, and also a cow's four legs are represents the dharma and its already lost 3 and only one left and even if thats is lost then the kaliyuga would end.. so thats when king Parikshit said that may the Sin go and live where ever there is Meat eating, or killing of animals and may the sin go and live where ever there is Gambling and Prostitution and may the sin go and live where ever there is Alcohol and other harmful substances like drugs, etc that harms the life span of a Human, may the sin go and live there, and these are the main reasons where the sin personified is blessed to live in and thats an other main reason why we dont eat meat. Well i hope this explanation helps. Still not cleared let me know, i can dig out some vedic explanations like Annam Prabramhaswaroopam etc... Well we can go on and on and on, but I am just trying to put in Laymen terms, !!! Well the bottom line is Once we take this human birth we are given a chance to realize the Parabrahman and try to attain him back. The food and other activities in life, is just a tool that helps us to attain and customize our minds towards the tuning of that Supreme lord Sriman Narayana and Sri Mahalakshmi. Take care and let me know what you think. Krishna. --- srimushnam raghu <sri_raghu wrote: > This is a very interesting explanation > but I would like to know more > > --- Sriram Ranganathan <srirangan > wrote: > > Dear Sri Raghu, > > > > Here is my understanding. > > [rest deleted in the interests of space] > > > ----------------------------- > - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH - > To Post a message, send it to: > bhakti-list (AT) eGroups (DOT) com > Search archives at > http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/index.html#SEARCH > Manage your subscription at > /mygroups > Photos - Share your holiday photos online! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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