Why one should be a Vegitarian?

[Guest guest]

This is the article I wrote in response to someone's question in alt.hindu

several years ago. Because of the expressed interest in Ramakrishna list on

this topic I am posting it.

Hari Om!

Sadananda

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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 meaning 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 quite, it keep 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 needs 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 the 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 the 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

Bhuuta HitErathAH. 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 compassion.

 

There are many two legged animals in human form with rudimentary intellect.

They behave like animals, as we heard a case recently in Michigan of

man-eating humans keeping them in the refrigerator. But in the evolutionary

ladder one develops subtler and subtler intellect, then it is advisable to

be a vegetarian - only taking from nature what one 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 the intellect

directing you one way and your mind wants some baser pleasure 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. Swadharma in a nut shell

is what your intellect or conscious believes in.

 

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 do not overemphasize the doos and

don'ts, as commandments, 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 too much. All it wants is for

you to pursue the path towards the Sanatanadharma. It asks you to follow

correct value system or dharma, so that you are at peace with yourself. 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,

or suffering, it is by willful Sadhana (your efforts) 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 only what you need. I do not think you can

justify eating meat comes under as your essential need. In fact it could

even be harmful for your body if not to the mind. Lord has provided abundent

vegitables and fruits. Why kill an innocent animal because of your greed?

 

Hari Om - Sadananda

 

 

 

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