Vegetarianism - Plants have life too. (Seek Answers)

[Guest guest]

srImathE rAmAnujAya namaha

 

Original Q: Plants have life as well, so how do we justify killing the plant

(Eating Fruits & Grains etc)

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adiyEn received many wonderful points from many devotees (adiyEn thanks with all

for sharing)

 

some Qs were raised back, adiyEn would try to put the points (But the basic Qs

still remains, none of the Ans

have satisfied as to how we can kill and eat a living plant.

 

One devotee wanted to know where in the Vedas is Non-Veg Allowed:

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Indicated the practice of eating meats by Brahmins.

 

Smrithis like Yagnya Valkya Smrithi talk about the menus "Non Vegetarian"

to be served on Shradham days.

(With explicit details on the Animal and how to cook and feed them for

Brahmins.)

 

We also know about the Vathapi-Ilvalan-Agastya Story in Mahabharatha

Delicious meats served to Brahmins (With their knowledge) considered delicacy.

Story ends as: "Vathapi Jeerno Bhava" and the demon was killed in the stomach of

the Brahmin.

 

There are many many instances.

 

In Todays world, for all Vaishnavas - Vegetariansm is a Prerequisite and a must.

(And rightfully so, but how do we justify killing plants)

 

Brahmins and Vaishnavas asked by another devotee:

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:--Vegetarianism is One of the Basic Tenets of (Brahminism).

:--The Brahmins(the knowledge caste) have to remain vegetarian

 

THIS STATEMENT IS VERY INCORRECT

 

The word Brahmin is virtually non-appicable to 99% of the so called born

brahmins

(How many do Agnihotra (in grahastashrama), Samhita Danam (as a Brahmachari)

- Many would not even know what this is?

How many do BrahmaYagyam, and perform all the daily duties laid out for us.

 

(TriKala Sandhya, Vedas, Nityanushtanam is for all 3 Varnas, Not just Brahmins,

we should

strive to perform as much of the NityaAnushtanam as possible)

 

So lets just drop this Brahminism in public lists, and Stick to the Vaishnava

(Even this is a very Loaded term) but its is at least approachable/ attainable

by all.

 

Also another devotee's statement listed below is incorrect:

 

:-- Vaishnavism has nothing to do with vegetarianism

 

For all aspiring Vaishnavas, being a Vegetarian is a must (There is ample proof

in

from Ahara Niyamam, Dinacharyas etc). Almost all the current Madadhipathis, and

Acharya Purushas will request Strict Vegetariansm by default before

performing Samashreyanam.

 

As an aspiring Vaishanva (Please do not bring in any caste here)

We can discuss the Caste issue in another thread or seperately (off list if

needed)

 

We have to offer every thing we eat to the lord and then take it as prasadam.

We cannot offer (Non-vegetarian) Compraing to Guhan is not accepted as this is

the exception and

not the Norm. (Lord Krishna in Bhagawad Gita says: Offer Fruit, Flower or

leaf.....)

 

Vaishnavism is the final solution for all beings.

 

========End of Replies to Qs and points rasied ===========================

Original Qs: How can we justify killing and eating plants (Fruits with seeds &

Grains are alive when we eat it)

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Is there any other ans: Apart from No feeling of pain, no conciousness, & no

central nervous system for plants.

 

azhwAr emberumAnAr JeeyAr thiruvadigalE saranam

 

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

Mukundan Vangkipuram Pattangi

http://www.radioramanuja.com

[Guest guest]

srImathE rAmAnujAya namaha

srImadh varavara munayE namaha

 

Dear Members,

 

It is a well known fact that the plants have life too. Then how can we

justify eating the plants? This is the main question. The answer for this

is simple and two fold.

 

1. If we cannot eat even plant, what are we to eat. Just common sense

reasoning. The least disturbed consumable is the plant. So, may be this is

the reason that the vegetarians are allowed to eat the plant.

 

2. Please note that we are not killing any plant, if at all we follow the

AhAra niyamams set by our poorvAchAryAs, strictly. As per the A.N we are

supposed to eat only the vegetable portion and the fruit portion of a

plant, without cutting the plant in entirety (Even incase of plants like

spinach, though we cut the leaves, we are not to fully destroy the plants).

In this way, the plant remains, and we are only cutting the portion that we

are asked to. This could be the main reason why our A.N states that we

should not eat the roots of the planta as it grows underground, because it

will kill the entire plant. The most important point here is that if you

pluck the fruit or the vegetable, you are not killing it, but only cutting

of that portion which will go waste if it is not used. So it is permitted

 

In general to survive we need to eat something and as per the first point

above, eating of the plants is justified and as per the second point above,

we are not killing any living things.

 

The above are only what came into my mind. If there is anything wrong or

foolish in the above statements, please forgive me.

 

AzhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyar thiruvadigaLE saraNam

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

Thirumalai Vinjamoor Venkatesh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Dear devotees,

 

Vegetarianism

 

Another interesting way to look at this is to refer to the sloka in the

Bhagavat Gita where Lord Sri Krishna declares that He would accept patram,

pushpam, phalam ...

 

This resolves the issue at one level If we are to take only prasadam - what

is first offered with devotion and love to the Lord, we can only eat what

the Lord accepts So, patram, pushpam, phalam ie vegetarian items is what is

permitted

 

But that opens up another issue - can there be Karma or sin in eating

prasadam? I would like to think that there is definitely no karma in

prasadam on the contrary there are stories in the puranas that glorify the

potency and transcendental nature of prasadam

 

Now as for items that are vegetarian and not prasadam - that is a different

issue

 

I would like to hear from the many many wonderful other devotees in this

group on this matter

 

This is my first posting since the time I have been actively following this

group - as I am a part of a fairly active and large multi religious group

that promotes vegetarianism here and I hence felt the need to understand

more from a scriptural perspective

 

with all humility

varadakrishna