Eating Non vegetarian food

[yagna_narayana]

I heard from somewhere that Krishna and Rama ate non vegetarian food also. Being a traditional brahmin, I can not accept that Gods would eat non vegetarian food. Please clarify. Sorry I am very new to this Forums and excuse if it is a non sense question.

[Bishadi]

 

I heard from somewhere that Krishna and Rama ate non vegetarian food also. Being a traditional brahmin, I can not accept that Gods would eat non vegetarian food. Please clarify. Sorry I am very new to this Forums and excuse if it is a non sense question.

 

it's a ritual belief

 

a sort of over kill of compassionate ideals.

 

such that some people become ill from lack of nutrients by following that paradigm (see the dali lama)

 

but let's go back in time.... ever notice how the eyes of the eatern folk began? The reflections from the snow and ice.

 

Look up the inuit tribes of the arctic regions. They live the 'natural' beyond what many ever could; and many never even see a leaf.

 

simply i would trust the reality of life over a ritualistic belief. Just as i would trust nature and all of God's existence over the words of beliefs.

 

Even the greatest ideas within belief structures will fall under the observance of truth.

[chintaz]

To each his own. do not feel guilty for it. Ultimately it depends upon our spiritual and physical nneds.

[bhaktajan]

Non-veg food is for beasts! --that is the whole story regarding non-veg food.

 

You are what you eat. Your consciousness is expressed in the condition of your room, bank account, favorite books, clothing, type of favorite music and on and on.

 

Not every thing is the same qualitatively.

Everything is different qualitatively.

5 kilometres per hour over the speed limit? --Good enough to be restrained and questioned and fined--all in pursuit to 'following the law'.

Re-phrase it any ole way you'd like but the judge will proclaim what your next obligations will be.

 

Trust that the judge is a better 'worker' (honest & duty bound) than scoflaws--or else face the fact of "what goes around comes around"--if a law man wrongly accosts you, just remember that you have done the same in the past.

 

In future, remember that any wrongly commited act that is done onto you -- occurs so that you can reconcile 'why such acts should not be commited'.

 

If you do not accept Karma --then that proves that you do not know how Karma operates--if you do not know how karma operates, then you will be prone to inventing your own notions as to how the laws of physics transpire.

 

The Gita explains 5 Topics:

1 Karma

2 Kala

3 Prakriti

4 Isvara

5 Jiva

 

I bet you 'don't understand what I am talking' about here,

Bhaktajan

[Bishadi]

 

Non-veg food is for beasts! --that is the whole story regarding non-veg food.

such are the perpetuators of misunderstanding... in tamas

 

 

You are what you eat. Your consciousness is expressed in the condition of your room, bank account, favorite books, clothing, type of favorite music and on and on.

don't need any of it but food sustains life

 

 

Not every thing is the same qualitatively.

Everything is different qualitatively.

5 kilometres per hour over the speed limit? --Good enough to be restrained and questioned and fined--all in pursuit to 'following the law'.

speed limit is 'again' law of man....

 

 

Re-phrase it any ole way you'd like but the judge will proclaim what your next obligations will be.

only one; bhakti

 

 

Trust that the judge is a better 'worker' (honest & duty bound)

So one of truth over beliefs? Makes sense!

 

 

than scoflaws--or else face the fact of "what goes around comes around"--if a law man wrongly accosts you, just remember that you have done the same in the past.

are you experiencing something?

 

 

In future, remember that any wrongly commited act that is done onto you -- occurs so that you can reconcile 'why such acts should not be commited'.

as the posts shares; you judge and are being judged by what you commit, perpetuate and scoflawingly represent

 

 

If you do not accept Karma --then that proves that you do not know how Karma operates-

perhaps trust honor and duty (devotion) over the guise of beliefs; misunderstood

 

 

-if you do not know how karma operates, then you will be prone to inventing your own notions as to how the laws of physics transpire.

sounds like good karma; knowing the 'absolute' had yet to be born. Perhaps that commitment to give for that change is the greatest karma any could wish for?

 

 

The Gita explains 5 Topics:

1 Karma

2 Kala

3 Prakriti

4 Isvara

5 Jiva

 

I bet you 'don't understand what I am talking' about here,

Bhaktajan

who could be you...... ?

 

seems each is word, in which you define as you wish to preach.....

 

not interested in being you or changing you; you are you

 

bound to the karma of self; hence you judge in tamas

 

do you like to read?

 

allow the Gita to speak

 

 

Text 32

 

 

 

sri-bhagavan uvaca

 

 

 

kalo 'smi loka-ksaya-krt pravrddho

lokan samahartum iha pravrttah

rte 'pi tvam na bhavisyanti sarve

ye 'vasthitah pratyanikesu yodhah

 

 

 

 

Synonyms

 

sri-bhagavan uvaca--the Personality of Godhead said; kalah--time; asmi--I am; loka--of the worlds; ksaya-krt--the destroyer; pravrddhah--great; lokan--all people; samahartum--in destroying; iha--in this world; pravrttah--engaged; rte--without, except for; api--even; tvam--you; na--never; bhavisyanti--will be; sarve--all; ye--who; avasthitah--situated; prati-anikesu--on the opposite sides; yodhah--the soldiers.

Translation

 

 

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds, and I have come here to destroy all people. With the exception of you [the Pandavas], all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain.

 

 

 

Purport

 

 

Although Arjuna knew that Krsna was his friend and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he was puzzled by the various forms exhibited by Krsna. Therefore he asked further about the actual mission of this devastating force. It is written in the Vedas that the Supreme Truth destroys everything, even the brahmanas. As stated in the Katha Upanisad (1.2.25),

 

 

 

yasya brahma ca ksatram ca

 

 

 

ubhe bhavata odanah

mrtyur yasyopasecanam

ka ittha veda yatra sah

 

 

Eventually all the brahmanas, ksatriyas and everyone else are devoured like a meal by the Supreme. This form of the Supreme Lord is the all-devouring giant, and here Krsna presents Himself in that form of all-devouring time. Except for a few Pandavas, everyone who was present on that battlefield would be devoured by Him. Arjuna was not in favor of the fight, and he thought it was better not to fight; then there would be no frustration. In reply, the Lord is saying that even if he did not fight, every one of them would be destroyed, for that was His plan. If Arjuna stopped fighting, they would die in another way. Death could not be checked, even if he did not fight. In fact, they were already dead. Time is destruction, and all manifestations are to be vanquished by the desire of the Supreme Lord. That is the law of nature.

 

 

 

or anothers

 

 

The word kalo means time and includes containing and terminating as well as the embodiment of eternal wisdom and the perennial principles of the resplendent Supreme Lord Krishna. The word kalo has as its root the word kala which is described as container, a binder, an integrator, as wisdom and as a provider of all desires. This same word is utilised to refer to the Supreme Lord. In the Moksa Dharma or Mahabharata there is a conversation between Bali Maharaja and Indra as follows: O Indra you are praising yourself before one who is bound by the shackles of time which is verily the power of the Supreme Lord Krishna who is of dark, lustrous hue and who binds the beings of this world and once having bound them directs their coming and goings by His intrepid potency of time. The Bhagavat Purana states: Lord Krishna synonymous with time draws the minds of all beings to Himself. The word pravriddho meaning great denotes completeness in its entirety since the beginning. The Bhagavat Purana states: From the Supreme Lord Himself the eternal cosmic truth manifested and this is the great eternal event from ancient antiquity. Pra in pravriddho refers to the Supreme Lord and propitiation to Him is eulogising His holy names. The Bhagavat Purana states that the Supreme Lord is never born nor does He ever die. Neither is He subject to growing up or any other modifications as He is complete in all respects. The Moksa Dharma states: The rupa or form of the Supreme Lord is completely transcendental and divine, never subject to dimunition and expansion. If the Supreme Lord is never modified by the performance of any action how can there possibly be on His part any self- endeavour? The Supreme Lord is capable without any effort, in a blink of an eye of loka-ksaya-krt or destruction of all the worlds. The word api is used to convey the message that accept for Arjuna's brothers and a few others all the warriors of the Kauravas and the Pandavas will be annihilated by each other. The word pratyanikesu means the opposing armies on both sides and that is why it is spoken in the plural sense.

 

Now begins the summation.

 

The Varaha Purana states: Since the Supreme Lord Krishna is inherently endowed with complete attributes fully able to destroy all the worlds and because He is the creator, knower and controller of all, He is known as kala. By use of the word api Arjuna is assured that He and the other four Pandavas are excluded from the annihilation of both armies

 

 

so we had another (car) wreck..... what lesson did you learn bhaktajan?

 

 

i posted to this thread to share a true reality that many of mankind can not survive as vegitarians. As the fact shares there are children NOW at peace with nature, whom live in complete contrast to the opinion of a religious belief.

 

Truth was the intent as to be absolute, then observance and compassion for the inquiry exceeds your belief structure.

 

A question was asked, an answer was given to allow the minds of others to comprehend themselves.

 

'working on that karma'

 

 

[bija]

 

I heard from somewhere that Krishna and Rama ate non vegetarian food also. Being a traditional brahmin, I can not accept that Gods would eat non vegetarian food. Please clarify. Sorry I am very new to this Forums and excuse if it is a non sense question.

Its a good question. I heard from one source that God is absolute and not bound by any regulation. In this relative world we are bound by good and bad.

 

 

Although Arjuna knew that Krsna was his friend and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he was puzzled by the various forms exhibited by Krsna. Therefore he asked further about the actual mission of this devastating force. It is written in the Vedas that the Supreme Truth destroys everything, even the brahmanas. As stated in the Katha Upanisad (1.2.25),

 

 

 

yasya brahma ca ksatram ca

 

 

ubhe bhavata odanah

mrtyur yasyopasecanam

ka ittha veda yatra sah

 

 

Eventually all the brahmanas, ksatriyas and everyone else are devoured like a meal by the Supreme. This form of the Supreme Lord is the all-devouring giant, and here Krsna presents Himself in that form of all-devouring time. quoted by bishadi

God is eating all things at the time of dissolution too as Bishadi well points out.

 

Maybe someone else can clarify.

[bhaktajan]

Bisahdi's statements have been and continue to be un-mitigated cacaphonic prattle.

 

Bishadi's statements are evidence of what people, were capable of intellectually, before the great world wars --leading up to the present day ship of harlequinns.

 

Point in question:

"mankind can not survive as vegitarians" --man has and will continue to bring ruination as flesh eaters will always do.

[bija]

I would have to disagree with Bishadi there. People can live with good health as a vegetarian, as long as they approach it well.

 

 

such that some people become ill from lack of nutrients by following that paradigm (see the dali lama) by bishadi

The Dalai Lama actually eats meat, as do most Tibetan Buddhists. There is one Tibetan Society near where I live and their cookbook is full of real 'meaty' meat recipes. All them stomach parts!

 

Tibet is very arid land area, and to survive many of the mountain people must has survived on their animal stock during the bleak winters.

 

Bishadi my dog is a full vegetarian. In the wolf pack the head wolf lays claim to the kills stomach. Ripping it open and eating the grass matter. The rest of the carcass is left to the wolf's in the lower order.

 

My dog glows with good health and shiny coat. This dog is so fortunate, he takes the remnants from the Lord's plate, I take the rest from the pot.

 

What is essential for good health as a vegetarian is a balanced rotated diet. Not the same old vegetables every meal, but a rotation of varieties. Along with protein sources.

 

For example, rice and yoghurt (mixed with lentils) increases the protein absorption manifold, much more so than lentils just by themselves. Combination diets. Learning to combine elements of food.

 

People in arid cold climates, in poverty (or close to it)...do not have such a luxury. And I believe God does not condemn them for that. I firmly hold the ideal, that affluent society does afford that luxury, and is accountable for that freedom.

 

Also, look at India. It has one of the highest heart disease rates in all of the world. Why? Can it be the high consumption of products like ghee.

 

Any rational Hare Krsna devotee knows that all that ghee fried prasadam, will not give you long life;). But prasadam taken wisely will not only bring eternity, but moderation also while living in this world.

 

Here is the vego dog, and his owner (me).

 

[ATTACH]1854[/ATTACH]

[Svarupa]

 

 

 

 

 

 

So this is Bishadi the expansion of bija

 

 

[bija]

 

looks like the pooch is about to get up to old tricks....kittty better hide>>>>>>>>>>>

[thehat]

 

I heard from somewhere that Krishna and Rama ate non vegetarian food also. Being a traditional brahmin, I can not accept that Gods would eat non vegetarian food. Please clarify. Sorry I am very new to this Forums and excuse if it is a non sense question.

 

Hi I share your belief in that I can not accept the possible notion that Krishna or Rama ate flesh.

And can these claims of the Lord eating flesh be backed up by any shastric evidence? If not than I will continue to hold the very idea of the Lord eating flesh as bullshit.

So far, we find many evidence throughout Shastra that supports the notion that flesh foods are prohibited and plain wrong, but however - flesh foods can be eaten under exceptional circumstances - nevertheless much emphasis is placed on the very act of eating flesh as a negative thing.

 

I once had asked a pandit this very same question. He didn't have much time to fully deliberate on the question, but he had simply said "No, that would be quite contradictory to many ideals He set in place for mankind to observe. I have never even heard such a thing that Bhagavan ate flesh".

 

So yeah, maybe the idea that the Lord ate flesh was just concocted by people who wanted to eat flesh. Like for example, when you point out to Christians how Lord Jesus said "Thou shall not kill" and how this law includes all living beings, which essentially means you cannot eat meat. They say "Oh no, but Jesus ate fish, so we can eat meat". People have rationalized this very act of meat eating just to support their desire to eat flesh without having a guilty conscience afterwards. Nevermind, they may be completely cheating on the pretext of their religious code - they don't care. They just go on rationalizing their activities - completely evading scriptual injunctions + regulations, and more so consistent with their own personal wishes of what they'd like to do, eat etc.

 

However, I agree with the others here in saying that yes, the Lord can certainly eat flesh if he wishes to. But I don't believe Krishna has eaten flesh as there is no shastric evidence I have personally seen to support this claim.

[Bishadi]

 

Hi I share your belief in that I can not accept the possible notion that Krishna or Rama ate flesh.

Is the tiger a creation of God?

 

Does that child and rendition of pure nature (God) eat flesh?

 

 

 

And can these claims of the Lord eating flesh be backed up by any shastric evidence?

so words created by men are what governs your reality of nature? Why not experience reality and find what is true between you and Him?

 

Man can fib; nature doesn't.

 

 

So far, we find many evidence throughout Shastra that supports the notion that flesh foods are prohibited and plain wrong, but however - flesh foods can be eaten under exceptional circumstances - nevertheless much emphasis is placed on the very act of eating flesh as a negative thing.

So one minute it is absolutely wrong, the next we on 'however'...... makes for a fine misunderstanding!

 

How quaint?

 

 

So yeah, maybe the idea that the Lord ate flesh

Is the Lion of our Lord?

 

 

People have rationalized this very act of meat eating just to support their desire to eat flesh without having a guilty conscience afterwards.

 

do you bath? Killing bacteria?

 

Shall we call you a murderer or do you stink?

 

i.e... how pure is your conscious? Perhaps what fits your need to be accepted?

 

 

However, I agree with the others here

that is what choice is all about.

 

Not debating the motive but the judgment.

 

 

the Lord can certainly eat flesh if he wishes to.

So avoid the jungle.

 

 

But I don't believe Krishna has eaten flesh as there is no shastric evidence I have personally seen to support this claim.

 

Perhaps when the eyes are open to reality versus allowing interpretations of men control your 'beliefs', then the truth will have a life within your heart.

 

Nothing is existence is sharing that killing is good. Such that nothing in nature shares you to bath and murder all that microscopic life (billions of them) but common sense shares the 'good' of the act.

 

So the choices being made are based on where the learned tollerance are.

 

Some are absolute with truth, some are following the ideas of others.

 

It's common..... but have fun telling the whole world that God said they can't eat meat. and find many more will call you a liar, than just me.

[Bishadi]

Let’s Gita to the words of another

 

Text 12

 

 

 

istan bhogan hi vo deva

 

 

 

dasyante yajna-bhavitah

tair dattan apradayaibhyo

yo bhunkte stena eva sah

 

 

 

 

Synonyms

 

istan--desired; bhogan--necessities of life; hi--certainly; vah--unto you; devah--the demigods; dasyante--will award; yajna-bhavitah--being satisfied by the performance of sacrifices; taih--by them; dattan--things given; apradaya--without offering; ebhyah--to these demigods; yah--he who; bhunkte--enjoys; stenah--thief; eva--certainly; sah--he.

Translation

 

 

 

In charge of the various necessities of life, the demigods, being satisfied by the performance of yajna [sacrifice], will supply all necessities to you. But he who enjoys such gifts without offering them to the demigods in return is certainly a thief.

Appreciate the sustenance; say thanks for the life’s sacrifice.

 

Text 13

 

 

 

yajna-sistasinah santo

 

 

 

mucyante sarva-kilbisaih

bhunjate te tv agham papa

ye pacanty atma-karanat

 

 

 

 

Synonyms

 

yajna-sista--of food taken after performance of yajna; asinah--eaters; santah--the devotees; mucyante--get relief; sarva--all kinds of; kilbisaih--from sins; bhunjate--enjoy; te--they; tu--but; agham--grievous sins; papah--sinners; ye--who; pacanti--prepare food; atma-karanat--for sense enjoyment.

Translation

 

 

 

The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.

 

Makes sense; appreciate the sustenance.

 

One should know, however, that all the necessities of life that the human society requires are supplied by the demigod agents of the Lord. No one can manufacture anything. Take, for example, all the eatables of human society. These eatables include grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, sugar, etc., for the persons in the mode of goodness, and also eatables for the nonvegetarians, like meats, none of which can be manufactured by men.

sustenance of food stuff is required as nourishment is from Lord (existence). To comprehend that each nutrient is not only presented by Lord but the process and consumption rules, guidelines and allotments are represented by Lord (nature)

Use your eyes, mind and experience to comprehend the truth; words by men can mislead.

Be honest with reality; forget the brahmanas…

 

Therefore he asked further about the actual mission of this devastating force. It is written in the Vedas that the Supreme Truth destroys everything, even the brahmanas.

 

Kali yuga controls them of worded deception; the truth is absolute!

 

The truth destroys the deception.

[Amlesh]

I just somewhat agree with Bishadi and Bhaktajan in synthesis.

True it is that "You are what you eat". You qualified non-vegans as beast.

I might accept but being vegan and non vegan is not the gauge for Mukti.

 

Garuda and Bhima are not vegan but they are certainly liberated souls... they eat because their nature is so and not for pleasure.

 

Prahlada and Bali are from the demon race but are considered as Mahajanas.

 

The Sweet Lord is perfect in his judgment... He sees things in the right perspective.

 

I myself is a vegan but even then I agree with Bishadi when he says,

"Look up the inuit tribes of the arctic regions. They live the 'natural' beyond what many ever could; and many never even see a leaf."

But for my case I would say I'm just like the Lion who prefers to die than eat leaves; I prefer to die than eat meat, though I don't despise Non-Vegans.

 

[Bishadi]

 

Text 16

 

karmanah sukrtasyahuh

sattvikam nirmalam phalam

rajasas tu phalam duhkham

ajnanam tamasah phalam

 

Synonyms

 

karmanah--of work; su-krtasya--pious; ahuh--is said; sattvikam--in the mode of goodness; nirmalam--purified; phalam--the result; rajasah--of the mode of passion; tu--but; phalam--the result; duhkham--misery; ajnanam--nonsense; tamasah--of the mode of ignorance; phalam--the result.

 

Translation

The result of pious action is pure and is said to be in the mode of goodness. But action done in the mode of passion results in misery, and action performed in the mode of ignorance results in foolishness.

 

not much needs to be said............

 

i.e... not debating the motive but the judgment (often made in ignorance)

 

such that to not comprehend that much of what the body requires creates isolations from nature (pure foolishness)

 

 

this is a subject, that is not good to debate as often it is like suggesting Jesus is not Lord to Christians.

 

the religious right are bound and often nothing can assist the abused

 

sad but true

[Bishadi]

 

I just somewhat agree with Bishadi and Bhaktajan in synthesis.

True it is that "You are what you eat". You qualified non-vegans as beast.

I might accept but being vegan and non vegan is not the gauge for Mukti.

 

Garuda and Bhima are not vegan but they are certainly liberated souls... they eat because their nature is so and not for pleasure.

 

Prahlada and Bali are from the demon race but are considered as Mahajanas.

 

The Sweet Lord is perfect in his judgment... He sees things in the right perspective.

 

I myself is a vegan but even then I agree with Bishadi when he says,

"Look up the inuit tribes of the arctic regions. They live the 'natural' beyond what many ever could; and many never even see a leaf."

But for my case I would say I'm just like the Lion who prefers to die than eat leaves; I prefer to die than eat meat, though I don't despise Non-Vegans.

 

 

honest opinion!

 

fair

 

kind

 

and making your point

 

sound evidence of true compassion!

[bija]

Here is some talk at Audarya about Lord Rama and the meat issue.

 

http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/iskcon-internal/245743-meat-eating-rama.html

[Ravindran Kesavan]

 

I heard from somewhere that Krishna and Rama ate non vegetarian food also. Being a traditional brahmin, I can not accept that Gods would eat non vegetarian food. Please clarify. Sorry I am very new to this Forums and excuse if it is a non sense question.

 

(1) Both Krishna and Rama were Kshatriyas and not Brahmins. Meat eating is alowed As Kashtriya darma. You cannot judge them by Your dharma.

 

(2) Vegitarianism of the Brahmins is relatively a recent reformation. In vedic period there was no such restriction and I am told Brahmins - that is priests - ate non vegitarian diat regularly. ( I am told . I might be wrong on this) In any case Vadic Rictuals refer to animal sacrifices and Devas are supposed to be fond of such animal offering. (For example Indra is supposed to be very fonfd of Hor's head) .

 

One cannot judge others from our concept of dharma.

 

Regards,

K.Ravindran

[rajasanthi]

Is Eating Meat Wrong?

 

In spiritualism we often come across this fundamental question. Why should any one eat only vegetarian food? There are arguments and counter arguments about what we should and should not eat. Some people argue that it does not matter what you eat as long as you are leading a pure life and do not have craving for a particular kind of food. They cite the lives of prophets like Jesus and the Buddha who had no like or dislike for any food. Others argue that the prophets were above human and we should not compare ourselves with them. Even though the Buddha did seem to have no particular preference for any food, the Buddhist monastic discipline clearly specifies certain food as forbidden for the monks. Hindu religious law books also specify certain types of food as forbidden for consumption unless ones life is in danger because of starvation.

 

Is meat eating really bad? Is it acceptable if one eats meat as long as one is not directly killing the animal? To answer these question from a spiritual perspective we have to answer other questions that are equally relevant and important. Some of these questions are:

 

* Whom do you want to feed within yourself?

* Do you want to feed the animal, or the human or the divine in you?

* Whom do you want to keep awake in you? Whom do you want to energize in you?

* Do you like the company of gods or do you like the company of demons?

* Which one do you want to prevail ultimately in your inner world, gods or demons?

* What do you want to achieve in your life? Material rewards or self realization?

 

If your aim is to feed the animal in you so that you can gain extraordinary physical strength and vigor, as was the aim of some warriors in ancient India, animal food would be perhaps the appropriate choice. If your purpose is to feed the human in you so that you may develop an extraordinary mind, perhaps you may have to choose the food that is conducive to the development of the mind and the body in a balanced way. May be certain types of meat, fruit and vegetables would be appropriate for a rational disposition. On the contrary, if you want to feed the divine in you and grow spiritually identifying yourself with the spirit rather than with the body and the mind, you would perhaps prefer only that which would be approved by your inner deity or your higher self. It is not that God Himself would have any choice, for He is beyond all desires and wants, but what God might approve for your own spiritual growth and inner purification that would lead to your final liberation.

 

Hindu texts remind us constantly that man is made in the mold of God. Man is a microcosm made in the manner of Brahman or Purusha or the macrocosm. If that be so, we possess in our individual microcosms all that exist in the macrocosm including all the celestial deities and divine energies as well as all the demons and negative energies. These deities and energies are active or inactive, latent or manifest, depending upon where we stand on the spiritual path individually.

 

Our inner cosmic order is constantly shaped by our actions and aspirations. Each and every minute either we are evolving or devolving. If we strive for spiritual awakening and do the needed practice, we awaken the deities and divine energies who would assist us to progress further on the path. On the contrary if we are driven by our egoistic nature and aim to satisfy our lower needs, we might awaken the demons and the negative energies who might assist us in achieving our worldly goals but also delude us and wean us away from the spiritual path. It is therefore karma guided by the buddhi, or the discriminating intelligence, which plays a crucial role in deciding which path one would choose in life and what would happen eventually.

 

Much depend upon what the deities would prefer and what cosmic order you would like to establish in your consciousness. If you want higher energies to work through you and manifest in yourself, you need to make your body and mind suitable for their activity. If you want to keep the demons away, you need to do things that would not let them establish themselves in you and become stronger. You would not feed them with the food of their preference that would eventually over power and silence the deities.

 

As you can see it is not just food, but the over all discipline that plays a crucial role in your spiritual evolution and what you manifest in your being. The purpose of such discipline is purification of the mind and the body. Food is a crucial aspect of this purification process. Till you become adept in harnessing other forms of energy, it is through food that you channel your energies to your inner cosmic order.

 

To know what food is appropriate and what is not is in a given situation is not always easy. The knowledge that we gain through the mind may not be always helpful. The mind is fed by the senses and the senses are not reliable in matters concerning the spirit that is beyond the mind and the senses. So in spiritual matters we can rely but little upon our learned and conditioned minds. To know what is appropriate we have to enter God's consciousness and know what God would actually prefer His devotees to do. This is not easy. We are not that fortunate like Neale Donald Walsch* to whom God would speak on every trivial matter and help him write books and make money. So, if we want to find a reliable answer about the nature of food that is appropriate for a spiritual aspirant, either we have to rely upon a learned master or guru for guidance or we have to look for definite clues in scriptures to distinguish the appropriate from the inappropriate.

 

For the purpose of this article we refer to the Bhagavadgita, which is considered to be a revelation of Lord Krishna to his closest devotee Arjuna.

 

The Bhagavadgita speaks of three primary qualities or gunas which are present in different proportions in the whole nature including the human beings. The permutations and combination of these gunas and the predominance of one over the other is responsible for our behavior and internal disposition. Thus when sattiv guna is predominant, a person would behave in a soft and pure manner with love and compassion. When rajo guna is predominant the same person would behave in an egoistic and self centered manner with little concern for others. When tamo guna is predominant the same person would behave in a lethargic, cruel and crude manner without showing any niceties of human behavior.

 

Having enumerated the qualities of the three gunas and how to distinguish them, Lord Krishna speaks of three different types of food (ch17:7-10).

 

1. Sattvic food is juicy (rasya), oily(snigdhah), stable or wholesome (sthirah) and pleasing to the heart. It promotes longevity (aayu), purity (sattva), strength (balam), health (aarogyam), happiness (sukham) and satisfaction (priti).

2. Rajasic food is bitter (katu), sour (amla), salty (lavana), very hot (ati ushna), pungent (tikshana), dry (ruksa), over cooked (vidahina), It causes pain, discomfort and diseases

3. Tamasic food is not fresh (yata yamam), tepid (gata rasam), putrid (puti), left over (ucchistam) and impure (amedhyam). This food promotes tamasic nature.

 

As you can see, meat or non vegetarian food usually falls into the rajasic and tamasic categories. Of the three gunas sattvic nature is the best, especially if your aim in life is to transform your lower nature and become united with your inner self. While it may not be possible for all human beings to suppress completely the qualities of rajas and tamas, it is possible to strengthen sattvic nature through devotion and self discipline and eating only that food which will promote the sattvic qualities.

 

One may argue that it is possible to cook meat in a sattvic way without adding too much salt or spices or without letting the meat rot or burnt. Perhaps it is possible. But if ones aim in life is to attain inner purity and self realization, then why take risks and follow questionable and debatable methods?

 

The Bhagavadgita also tells us that in this world we should live with our minds focused on God, offering our actions to God, with a sense of detachment and without the desire for the fruit of our actions. We have to follow the same advice in matters concerning food also. Before we start eating, we have to offer God whatever food we want to eat, and eat it with detachment, without preference and desire and without worrying about the consequences. The general belief is if food is offered to your personal deity, it would be blessed by the deity and purified so that any negative energy that may exist in the food would become neutralized.

 

In conclusion we can say we have to choose carefully what we eat for the following reasons:

 

1. To purify our bodies and prepare ourselves for inner awakening.

2. To make the body receptive to certain higher forms of energies and vibrations that would awaken as we move into the realm of the higher consciousness.

3. To establish control over our lower nature and the desires and impulses that are predominant in its field of activity.

 

Regards,

Raja Santhi.

[yagna_narayana]

 

Is Eating Meat Wrong?

 

In spiritualism we often come across this fundamental question. Why should any one eat only vegetarian food? There are arguments and counter arguments about what we should and should not eat. Some people argue that it does not matter what you eat as long as you are leading a pure life and do not have craving for a particular kind of food. They cite the lives of prophets like Jesus and the Buddha who had no like or dislike for any food. Others argue that the prophets were above human and we should not compare ourselves with them. Even though the Buddha did seem to have no particular preference for any food, the Buddhist monastic discipline clearly specifies certain food as forbidden for the monks. Hindu religious law books also specify certain types of food as forbidden for consumption unless ones life is in danger because of starvation.

 

Is meat eating really bad? Is it acceptable if one eats meat as long as one is not directly killing the animal? To answer these question from a spiritual perspective we have to answer other questions that are equally relevant and important. Some of these questions are:

 

* Whom do you want to feed within yourself?

* Do you want to feed the animal, or the human or the divine in you?

* Whom do you want to keep awake in you? Whom do you want to energize in you?

* Do you like the company of gods or do you like the company of demons?

* Which one do you want to prevail ultimately in your inner world, gods or demons?

* What do you want to achieve in your life? Material rewards or self realization?

 

If your aim is to feed the animal in you so that you can gain extraordinary physical strength and vigor, as was the aim of some warriors in ancient India, animal food would be perhaps the appropriate choice. If your purpose is to feed the human in you so that you may develop an extraordinary mind, perhaps you may have to choose the food that is conducive to the development of the mind and the body in a balanced way. May be certain types of meat, fruit and vegetables would be appropriate for a rational disposition. On the contrary, if you want to feed the divine in you and grow spiritually identifying yourself with the spirit rather than with the body and the mind, you would perhaps prefer only that which would be approved by your inner deity or your higher self. It is not that God Himself would have any choice, for He is beyond all desires and wants, but what God might approve for your own spiritual growth and inner purification that would lead to your final liberation.

 

Hindu texts remind us constantly that man is made in the mold of God. Man is a microcosm made in the manner of Brahman or Purusha or the macrocosm. If that be so, we possess in our individual microcosms all that exist in the macrocosm including all the celestial deities and divine energies as well as all the demons and negative energies. These deities and energies are active or inactive, latent or manifest, depending upon where we stand on the spiritual path individually.

 

Our inner cosmic order is constantly shaped by our actions and aspirations. Each and every minute either we are evolving or devolving. If we strive for spiritual awakening and do the needed practice, we awaken the deities and divine energies who would assist us to progress further on the path. On the contrary if we are driven by our egoistic nature and aim to satisfy our lower needs, we might awaken the demons and the negative energies who might assist us in achieving our worldly goals but also delude us and wean us away from the spiritual path. It is therefore karma guided by the buddhi, or the discriminating intelligence, which plays a crucial role in deciding which path one would choose in life and what would happen eventually.

 

Much depend upon what the deities would prefer and what cosmic order you would like to establish in your consciousness. If you want higher energies to work through you and manifest in yourself, you need to make your body and mind suitable for their activity. If you want to keep the demons away, you need to do things that would not let them establish themselves in you and become stronger. You would not feed them with the food of their preference that would eventually over power and silence the deities.

 

As you can see it is not just food, but the over all discipline that plays a crucial role in your spiritual evolution and what you manifest in your being. The purpose of such discipline is purification of the mind and the body. Food is a crucial aspect of this purification process. Till you become adept in harnessing other forms of energy, it is through food that you channel your energies to your inner cosmic order.

 

To know what food is appropriate and what is not is in a given situation is not always easy. The knowledge that we gain through the mind may not be always helpful. The mind is fed by the senses and the senses are not reliable in matters concerning the spirit that is beyond the mind and the senses. So in spiritual matters we can rely but little upon our learned and conditioned minds. To know what is appropriate we have to enter God's consciousness and know what God would actually prefer His devotees to do. This is not easy. We are not that fortunate like Neale Donald Walsch* to whom God would speak on every trivial matter and help him write books and make money. So, if we want to find a reliable answer about the nature of food that is appropriate for a spiritual aspirant, either we have to rely upon a learned master or guru for guidance or we have to look for definite clues in scriptures to distinguish the appropriate from the inappropriate.

 

For the purpose of this article we refer to the Bhagavadgita, which is considered to be a revelation of Lord Krishna to his closest devotee Arjuna.

 

The Bhagavadgita speaks of three primary qualities or gunas which are present in different proportions in the whole nature including the human beings. The permutations and combination of these gunas and the predominance of one over the other is responsible for our behavior and internal disposition. Thus when sattiv guna is predominant, a person would behave in a soft and pure manner with love and compassion. When rajo guna is predominant the same person would behave in an egoistic and self centered manner with little concern for others. When tamo guna is predominant the same person would behave in a lethargic, cruel and crude manner without showing any niceties of human behavior.

 

Having enumerated the qualities of the three gunas and how to distinguish them, Lord Krishna speaks of three different types of food (ch17:7-10).

 

1. Sattvic food is juicy (rasya), oily(snigdhah), stable or wholesome (sthirah) and pleasing to the heart. It promotes longevity (aayu), purity (sattva), strength (balam), health (aarogyam), happiness (sukham) and satisfaction (priti).

2. Rajasic food is bitter (katu), sour (amla), salty (lavana), very hot (ati ushna), pungent (tikshana), dry (ruksa), over cooked (vidahina), It causes pain, discomfort and diseases

3. Tamasic food is not fresh (yata yamam), tepid (gata rasam), putrid (puti), left over (ucchistam) and impure (amedhyam). This food promotes tamasic nature.

 

As you can see, meat or non vegetarian food usually falls into the rajasic and tamasic categories. Of the three gunas sattvic nature is the best, especially if your aim in life is to transform your lower nature and become united with your inner self. While it may not be possible for all human beings to suppress completely the qualities of rajas and tamas, it is possible to strengthen sattvic nature through devotion and self discipline and eating only that food which will promote the sattvic qualities.

 

One may argue that it is possible to cook meat in a sattvic way without adding too much salt or spices or without letting the meat rot or burnt. Perhaps it is possible. But if ones aim in life is to attain inner purity and self realization, then why take risks and follow questionable and debatable methods?

 

The Bhagavadgita also tells us that in this world we should live with our minds focused on God, offering our actions to God, with a sense of detachment and without the desire for the fruit of our actions. We have to follow the same advice in matters concerning food also. Before we start eating, we have to offer God whatever food we want to eat, and eat it with detachment, without preference and desire and without worrying about the consequences. The general belief is if food is offered to your personal deity, it would be blessed by the deity and purified so that any negative energy that may exist in the food would become neutralized.

 

In conclusion we can say we have to choose carefully what we eat for the following reasons:

 

1. To purify our bodies and prepare ourselves for inner awakening.

2. To make the body receptive to certain higher forms of energies and vibrations that would awaken as we move into the realm of the higher consciousness.

3. To establish control over our lower nature and the desires and impulses that are predominant in its field of activity.

 

Regards,

Raja Santhi.

 

 

A very well and clear reply from Mr/Mrs Raja Santhi. I really admired it a lot. You gave the reply in a clear language without going into Complex language sucha as Sanskrit.

[kimfelix]

I have been vegetarian all my life but that is not much to do with blind faith in scripture or Brahmins.

 

This is an argument for vegetarian diet that convinces me I should not eat meat.

 

1. Human beings do not need to eat meat to live; statistics seem to show that vegetarians have a longer life expectancy.

2. Therefore if I choose to eat meat the choice is motivated by my desire to enjoy food of that type. It is a pleasure and not a necessity.

3. In order for me to enjoy those foods animals will have to be killed in a cruel manner.

4. Therefore if I eat meat I am saying that my enjoyment of certain types of food is more important than the suffering of the animals.

 

It seems morally unacceptable to cause suffering and death simply to provide myself with pleasure. Of course few of us live up to our own moral standards and I have no wish to condemn those who eat meat. I do many things that fall short of my own moral standards so I am not in much of a position to condemn others.

 

However, the moral argument in favour of vegetarian diet appears unassailable, even if Rama or Krishna did eat meat.

[bhaktajan]

I have been vegetarian all my life but that is not much to do with blind faith in scripture or Brahmins.

 

This is an argument for vegetarian diet that convinces me I should not eat meat.

 

1. Human beings do not need to eat meat to live; statistics seem to show that vegetarians have a longer life expectancy.

2. Therefore if I choose to eat meat the choice is motivated by my desire to enjoy food of that type. It is a pleasure and not a necessity.

3. In order for me to enjoy those foods animals will have to be killed in a cruel manner.

4. Therefore if I eat meat I am saying that my enjoyment of certain types of food is more important than the suffering of the animals.

 

It seems morally unacceptable to cause suffering and death simply to provide myself with pleasure. Of course few of us live up to our own moral standards and I have no wish to condemn those who eat meat. I do many things that fall short of my own moral standards so I am not in much of a position to condemn others.

 

Wonderfully said!

 

{Warning: The picture below is not of calfs --but I'm sure you can discern that without help.}

[Milly]

I am wondering if milk registers as meat considering how cows are treated in the industry.

[Ravindran Kesavan]

Milk should not be treated as meat. However there should be a public movement that milk should be obtained only from Spiritual Cow Asramas where cow is treated with reverence and protected.

 

That could act as a motivation for cow protection.

 

K.Ravindran

[Amlesh]

 

Milk should not be treated as meat. However there should be a public movement that milk should be obtained only from Spiritual Cow Asramas where cow is treated with reverence and protected.

 

That could act as a motivation for cow protection.

 

K.Ravindran