Vegetarian Vs. Sattvic Food

[Guest guest]

namo narayana

 

Respected Savithriji,

 

It is very true moksham can be attained only by freeing ourselves from the karmic cycles and hence vegetarianism is imperative for any true spiritual advancement leading to moksham.

 

However I want to bring put an important point that, just plain vegetarianism is not going to be sufficient, the vegetarian food must be sattvic in nature and that it MUST be offered to Lord Krishna before eating it, there are several reasons for this

 

1. The food eaten (even if it vegetarian) must be obtained with minimum suffering to other living beings, furthermore it should promote well being of the body, mind and soul, and such a food is considered to be Sattvic in nature as said by Sri Krishna in Gita.

 

2. Even then such sattvic food needs to be offered to Sri Krishna before hand and then accepted as His prasadam and eaten as food for sustenance. Such sattvic prasadam does not cause any karmic repercussions in the consumer, but actually elevates the mind, calms and purifies the person making him amenable to bhakti and dhyana and thus helping achieve the ultimate goal of moksha. Sri Kirshna Himself says this in Gita, that those who eat food only for themselves eat only sin, whereas those who offer their food first in yagna (Sri Krishna) are freed

from the Karmic reactions.

 

3. Completely vegetarian food eaten for the sole purpose of sense gratification called as “Pleasure foodsâ€, sometimes obtained from great cruelty to animals such as factory produced milk products even though considered to be "vegetarian" are not Sattvic but very tamasic in nature and result is that the person who consumes this food incur the burden of Karma.

The person who consumes food obtained by exploitation just to gratify his cravings of the tongue, pays the price in this life by numerous diseases such as diabetes, high blodd pressure etc. and in the next life, the same animals which he exploited will give the same pain to him.

 

4. Hence let all of us devotees of Lord Guruvayoorappan shun milk products, eggs and other tamasic food which cause untold sufferings and miserable death for countless innocent animals. Especially the pain of young calves is heart rendering and needs to be stopped; we can especially help if we limit/eliminate the consumption of such cruel products.

 

Let is truly worship our cows by refusing to exploit her for milk, leather and meat and thereby not get entangled in karmic repurcussions.

 

Out of the eight “flowers†which pleases Lord Vishnu, the second is “Indriya Nigraha†or “control of our sensesâ€, if we can control our tongue for addictions for “pleasure foodsâ€, we will save the needless sufferings of so many innocent animals and truly please our Lord.

 

Sincerely,

 

Kamlesh

 

--- On Wed, 9/2/09, Savitri Puram <savitriopuram wrote:

Savitri Puram <savitriopuramRe: [Guruvayur] Ethum ente keralamo ennu samshyam thonnunnuguruvayur Date: Wednesday, September 2, 2009, 8:58 AM

 

Dear Panickerji and all Gurudevs,

 

I happened to read the following article about Vegetarianism. I want to share this with all. There are some insignificant spelling mistakes and confusing sentences. But idea is expressed clearly.

 

Regards and prayers

 

Savitri

 

 

 

Info: Does Hinduism require one to be a vegetarian?

Wed, 30 Nov 1994 08:09:43 -0500

K. Sadananda <sadananda (AT) anvil (DOT) nrl.navy. mil>

Sub: Does Hinduism require one to be a vegetarian

Recently two questions were asked - Does Hinduism require one to believe

in God? Does Hinduism require one to be a vegetarian? In a recent article,

I have addressed the first question. Here I will provides some thoughts

for the second question.

In relation to the first question, I have discussed what Hinduism stands

for and who is truly a Hindu. In essence, Hinduism is Sanatana Dharma,

and that Dharma is from time immemorial - it involves pursuit for Moksha.

Therefore the one who is seeking for Moksha is a true Hindu, irrespective

of the nationality, caste, creed or gender. With that catholic

understanding, one can see that Hinduism becomes a way of life because the

pursuit of the essential purpose of life is the goal of the Hindu life.

With that perspective, it is easier to analyze all other questions

including whether Hinduism requires one to be a vegetarian. Since the

purpose of life is securing liberation or Moksha, until we reach that we

need to live. Only death is the death of the ego that happens in the

spiritual awakening. Hence, keeping the body alive by nourishment is the

our Dharma. That means one has to eat to live (not the other way - living

for eating sake!)

Life lives on life. That is the law of nature. Whether I eat an animal or

plant I am destroying a life. Among all life forms Man is different from

the rest of the life kingdom. He has the capability to discriminate the

right from wrong. That also gives him the freedom of choice. Plants have

just body and perhaps a rudimentary mind. Animals have both body and mind

to express feelings and suffering, but rudimentary intellect. Man has not

only body, mind but also well developed intellect to discriminate, decide

and to choose. He always has three choices - Karthum sakhyam, akartum

sakhyam and anyathA karthum sakhyam - he can choose to do, not to do and

do it other way. For animals and plants there is no freedom of choice.

They are instinctively driven. Cow does not sit down before meals, and

inquire whether it should be a vegetarian or non-vegetarian. So is a

tiger. For a Man the discriminative intellect is very evolved. Plants and

animals do not commit sin in their actions because there is no will

involved in their actions. For a human, the story is different. You may

wonder why I brought sin in the argument. Let me explain.

Sin is nothing but agitations in the mind. It is these agitations that

prevent me in my journey to Moksha. Mind has to be pure (meaning

un-agitated) for me to see the truth as the truth. (Bible also says

Blessed are those whose minds are pure). To define sin more

scientifically - it is the divergence between the mind and intellect.

Intellect knows right from wrong - but we feel like doing things even

though we know they are wrong - that is, the intellect says something, but

mind which should be subservient to intellect rebels and does whatever it

feels like. This divergence is sin. After the action is performed -

there is a guilt feeling, because intellect, although was overruled, does

not keep quiet, it keeps prodding " I told you it is wrong. Why did you do

it?" With peace of mind gone Man goes through a "Hell". Man is not

punished for the sin, he is punished by the sin! - Think about it.

All yogas, if you analyze clearly, are bringing this integration between

the body, mind and intellect. For a Yogi - What he thinks, what he speaks

and what he does are in perfect harmony or alignment (Manasaa vAcha

karmana). In our case, we think something but have no guts to say what we

think, our lips says something different from what are thinking - if you

watch the lips and the actions that follow, they are again different! -

There is no integration any where. We live a chaotic life. Besides

deceiving others, most pathetic is we deceive ourselves, and the worst

thing is we don't even realize that.

Now, when a tiger kills and eats, it does not commit a sin. Because its

intellect is rudimentary, and it does not go through any analysis before

it kills - should I kill or not to kill - Should I be a non-vegetarian or

should I be vegetarian?". When it is hungry, to fill the natures demand,

it kills it pray and eats what it nees and leaves the rest when it is

full. It is not greedy either. That is its Swadharma. It follows a

beautiful ecological system.

It is only man who destroys the ecology by being greedy. "Should I be a

vegetarian or non-vegetarian?" is asked only by a man. Why that question

comes? Because man has discriminative intellect, and he does not want to

hurt others to fill his belly. He learns what `hurt' means because he

surely does not want others to hurt him. Plants are life forms too, should

one hurt them?. You may ask. If one can live without hurting any life

forms that is the best, but that is not possible. Life lives on life -

that is the law of nature. My role as a human being with discriminative

intellect is to do the least damage to the nature for keeping myself

alive. At least, I am not consciously aware of suffering of the plants.

That is why eating to live and not living to eat is the determining

factor.

In Bhagawad Geeta, Krishna emphatically says that a Sadhaka (one who is in

pursuit of Moksha) should have a compassion for all forms of life - Sarva

Bhuta HitErathAha. In the spiritual growth, one develops subtler and

subtler intellect (Sukshma Bhuddhi in contrast to TeeKshna Buddhi, i.e.

sharper intellect). That is, the mind is becoming quieter, calmer and

self-contended. Your sensitivity to suffering of others also grows. Hence

it is advisable to be a vegetarian.

Even the traditional non-vegetarians repel against eating dogs and cats or

other human beings! Why? Meat is a meat after all! But with familiarity

grows a compassion.

There are many two legged animals in human form with rudimentary

intellect. They behave like animals. But in the evolutionary ladder one

develops subtler and subtler intellect, then it is advisable to be a

vegetarian - only taking from nature what it needs to keep the body going.

One should not hurt any life forms to satisfy the craving of ones tongue.

Should Hindu be a vegetarian? Since such a question already arose in your

mind, you have a degree of sensitivity not to hurt other living forms to

satisfy your belly. Then you may be better off not eating meat and you

will be at peace with yourself. Since you are sensitive to this your

intellect directing you one way and your mind wants some baser pleasures

and directing you the other way. When you go against your own intellect

you commit sin. That is against your SWADHARMA as Krishna puts it.

Besides, now, even the traditional non-vegetarians are choosing

vegetarianism not because of any compassion to other animals but they are

recognizing that it is not good for their health.

I have already mentioned that Hinduism has no doos and don'ts, but you

determine your own doos and don'ts based on your intellectual values,

culture, education and primary goal in life. You will find that following

your Swadharma makes you comfortable with yourself. It is not others to

judge, it is for you to judge. If you are agitated, that means you are

loosing peace of mind for these and that is a sin! Imagine your self that

chicken or cow that you are eating. Would you not advice the guy who is

eating you to be a vegetarian instead and spare its life. Do not say you

are not killing the animal yourself, and killing will go on whether you

eat or not. If you don't eat, one animal is spared. This is the demand

and supply. I may not be stealing my self, but if I buy the stolen

property knowing that it was stolen, it is a crime! Is it not? Now there

are imitation meats too - so why the crave for a dead meet. Why do you

want your stomach to be a burial ground for a dead animal.

>From Hinduism point, it does not really care. All it wants is for you to

pursue the path towards the Sanatanadharma. So do what is needful to keep

your mind calm and un-agitated. Purification of the mind is the means for

attaining salvation, and that is the goal of human life. Since by willful

actions we got ourselves into this mess of Samsar, it is by willful

Sadhana only we can get out of it. Lord has given us the intelligence to

accomplish this - Krishna declares - you are better off following your

swadharma than paradharma. Swadharma (is not just what caste you belong

or what religion you belong) in the final analysis it is what your

intellect or conscious dictates. Because, after the action is performed,

it is your mind that has to settle accounts with your intellect.

Do yourself a favor - eat what#you need and discard what you really donot

need it. That way your make your life simple, peaceful and healthy with

low cholesteral. Hari Om and Tat Sat. - Sadananda

It is only a fool who does not take life seriously.

It is intelligent who seriously takes life seriously.

It is wise who seriously does not take life seriously. For him the life is an

enchanting sport to be played to the best! Win or loose, it is a fun to play.

------------ ------

Dr. K. Sadananda Voice:(202)767- 2117

Code 6323 FAX: (202)767-2623

Naval Research Laboratory E-Mail:sadananda@ anvil.nrl. navy.mil

Washington, D.C. 20375

On Tue, Sep 1, 2009 at 9:46 PM, Udayabhanu Panickar <udhayabhanupanickar @> wrote:

 

 

[Attachment(s) from Udayabhanu Panickar included below]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Ramachadra Menon and others,It is not just 10 crores it is 34 this year. Please look at the attached news report. Drinking alcohol, using other intoxicating substances like drugs and most of all eating flesh is the cause of the largest killer in the world. More than that, the flesh eating creates the biggest environmental problem for the world. Our beloved Keralam and bhAratham is adopting this culture. The solution is in our purANam, Ithihasam, Vedah, and upanishads. Every one of spiritual masters has advised us not to use any of this. But still our people do this. Let us hope things will turn for the better.

 

Thanks

Sincerely,

Udayabhanu Panickaraum namaH Shivaaya

The vow not to kill is great indeed, and greater still is non-eating of the flesh; there would be no butcher, if there is non to eat; in eating thus abides the cruder ill, as she/he is the reason for the killing.--- On Tue, 9/1/09, ramachandra menon <ramachandramenon@ > wrote:

ramachandra menon <ramachandramenon@ >Re: [Guruvayur] Ethum ente keralamo ennu samshyam thonnunnuguruvayur@grou ps.comTuesday, September 1, 2009, 2:22 AM

 

 

 

 

 

Just for the sake of statistics, let me say that the liquor sales from the Beverages Corporation( state run) during Onam season is for Rs.10 crores. Total population of Keralites is supposed to be around 3 crores. Very small percentage of women may be indulging in drinking. Children may not drink at all. Men folk who comprise about 50% of the population consume liquor worth Rs.10 crores perday. There may be long queue in front of the Beverages corp. counters today for stocking for tomorrow. Liquor is part and parcel of our life. Recently a prominent marxist leader openly declared that the households should make liquor a permanent part of daily menu. All the family members should sit together and drink.

Perhaps when you visit Kerala next you may find this scene of all the familymembers sitting together and drinking. --- On Mon, 31/8/09, balagopal ramakrishnan <rbalpal (AT) (DOT) co.in> wrote:

balagopal ramakrishnan <rbalpal (AT) (DOT) co.in>Re: [Guruvayur] Ethum ente keralamo ennu samshyam thonnunnuguruvayur@grou ps.comMonday, 31 August, 2009, 11:08 AM

 

 

 

 

 

HARI AUM

 

Dear Panickarji,

 

During every visit to Kerala one important thing I notice - people are materially more well off than any time in history. No youngster asks for any kind of employment. Money flows like water. Even small hamlets are flush with high end bakeries, jewellery shops (souks), saree emporiums, well run hospitals, hotels and restaurents and non stop TV entertainment. Consumption is the king. Let's wait for the Onam sales figure of liquors. Not a bad show for 'prabhudha keralam' !

 

Regards

 

Balagopal

 

NARAYANA NARAYANA NARAYANA

PS: Attended a marriage last week at Thiruvanathapuram - the hall rent ( empty hall with some platic chairs and a/c for 4 hours) was a meagre Rs95,000/-. Also was aghast to see all guests - both groom's and bride's sides - rushing for food the second the 'thali kettu' was over. Maybe some TV serial is awaiting them !

 

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