vegetarianism

[Guest guest]

Om Namah Sivaya

 

 

When Sri Ramakrishna was asked whether sould one eat

what one gets. He said : " That depends upon the

spiritual state. When a Jnani eats, he offers the food

as an oblation in the fire of Kundalini. But for a

Bhakta, it is different. A Bhakta should eat only pure

food, such food as he can freely offer to his beloved

Lord. Animal food is NOT for a Bhata. At the same time

I must say that if a man loves God, even while living

upon pork, he is blessed; and wretched is he who lives

on milk and rice but whose mind is absorbed in woman

and gold. "

 

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami provides some evidence

regarding Noninjury from veda & other scriptures in

one of the chapter of Dancing with Siva book that he

wrote:

http://www.himalayanacademy.com/books/dws/M14.html

 

 

Sri Swami Sivananda provides both scientific and

spiritual reasons against eating non-vegetarian food.

He was a Medical Doctor before he became a monk.

 

http://www.thedivinelifesociety.org/download/may_ianswer.htm#202

 

http://www.thedivinelifesociety.org/download/may_ianswer.htm#28

 

http://www.thedivinelifesociety.org/download/brahmacharya.htm#_Toc441557002

 

 

In my opinion,a plant has only one sense, whereas an

animal body has five senses just like us, so there

would be greater suffering when we kill an animal for

food than a plant.In many cases we don't actually have

to kill a plant to obtain vegetable. We may accumulate

much greater Karma by eating meat than eating

vegetables.

 

Selva

 

Sri Ramakrishnaya Namah

Vivekananda Centre London

http://www.vivekananda.co.uk

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Further to the discussion of vegetarianism, one might ponder how the

meat-producing industry squanders land that could more productively

feed humans rather than animals for slaughter. I recall reading

(rainforest action network site, I believe) that owing to the large

demand for beef in the US, the rainforest is being destroyed to raise

additional beef. (The destruction of the rainforest results in the

extinction of numerous plant and animal species, impacts the

societies in those countries, and the planet generally).

 

If my memory serves me, I read something to the effect that each

rainforest hamburger equated with approximately 55 square feet of

destroyed forest. In addition to the spiritual and physical toxcicity

we may experience from eating meat, are we not also harming ourselves

when we contribute to the demise/extinction of plants, insects, and

animal species so that people can feast on meat?

 

The animal cruelty that pervades the meat industry is another aspect

that we can't ignore, although most meat-eaters have rationalized

this for their own comfort. If we buy animals for our consumption,

we support an industry that is imbued with cruelty. For most of us,

meat-eating is not mandatory for survival.

 

Respectfully, ew

[Guest guest]

It seems that this discussion on vegetarina/non-vegetarian diets has

become an annual feature of this list.

 

From " Lectures from Colombo to Almora "

" Give up all those old discussions, old fights about things which are

meaningless, which are nonsensical in their very nature. Think of the

last six hundred or seven hundred years of degradation when grown-up

men by hundreds have been discussing for years whether we should drink

a glass of water with the right hand or the left, whether the hand

should be washed three times or four times, whether we should gargle

five or six times. What can you expect from men who pass their lives

in discussing such momentous questions as these and writing most

learned philosophies on them! There is a danger of our religion

getting into the kitchen. We are neither Vedantists, most of us now,

nor Paurânics, nor Tântrics. We are just " Don't-touchists " . Our

religion is in the kitchen. Our God is the cooking-pot, and our

religion is, " Don't touch me, I am holy " . If this goes on for another

century, every one of us will be in a lunatic asylum. It is a sure

sign of softening of the brain when the mind cannot grasp the higher

problems of life; all originality is lost, the mind has lost all its

strength, its activity, and its power of thought, and just tries to go

round and round the smallest curve it can find. This state of things

has first to be thrown overboard, and then we must stand up, be active

and strong; and then we shall recognise our heritage to that infinite

treasure, the treasure our forefathers have left for us, a treasure

that the whole world requires today. "

http://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/vivekananda/volume_3/lectures_from_colomb\

o_to_almora/reply_to_the_address_of_welcome_at_shivaganga_and_manamadura.htm

[Guest guest]

Dear Girish,

 

You have a very valid point here. All trivial matters must be dropped from our

thinking if we are to focus our atention into bigger things in life. How we

could be better devotees, how we could improve our sense of philosophy and

thoughts, how we could save millions of souls from tamasic thoughts and how

could we offer our right hand of fellowship to suffering millions world over!!

All we care about is " touch me not ism " and non sensical eating habits etc. A

really spiritual person does not bother much about the path one follows. Every

path lead to the same summit. I have also noticed that the same people keep

talking about things and not many seem to participate. Let us improve the level

of spiritual discussion, about such issues as how could we improve ourselves in

terms of aquiring good habits and so no. Thank you Girish. Thanks a million for

your contribution. May God bless your soul. Om tat sat.

 

Asis Bagchi

 

 

 

 

 

Vote for the stars of 's next ad campaign!

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi!!

Thanks for the inputs. Was a very informative. I agree tht killing is bad

and I quit eating non-veg when I imagined my self being cut by somebody in

other words I saw the act of cutting from the perspective of an animal, I

released the animals plight gave up non veg..Still one question that ligers

in mind is, kuran is a holy book for a big mass similarly bible..

And was written by one of the most holly people. Why dint they think this

aspect of life . If it was bad will they say eat non veg. I am not bring in

the availability issue here( as most muslims live in deserts areas should be

the solution to this) .. What is the point we are missing out here .

Thanks

Muthu

[Guest guest]

Shri Hari!!

 

 

 

Hello,

 

I whole heartedly agree what Mr.Girish has said and congratulate him for giving

such a great answer. Indded Swamiji has also told in " To The Youth Of India "

 

" We speak many things, parrot-like, but never do them; speaking and not doing

has become a habit with us. What is the cause of that? Physical weakness. This

sort of weak brain is not able to do anything; we must strengthen it. ......

 

You will be nearer to Heaven throuh gootball than through the study of Gita.

These are bold words, but I have to say them, for I love you. I know where the

shoe pinches. I have gained a little experience. You will understand the Gita

better with your biceps, your muscles a little stronger. You will understand the

mighty genius and the mighty strength of Krishna better with a little strong

blood in you. You will understand the Upanishads better and the glory of the

Atman, when your body stands firm upon your feet, and you feel yourselves as

men. Thus we have to apply these to our needs. "

 

Thanks Girish for giving such a bold answer.

 

- Shri Ramkrishna Arpana Mastu

 

- Vikshuk

 

India Careers: Over 65,000 jobsonline.

 

 

[Guest guest]

vegetarianism

 

Gluttony is considered one of the seven deadly sins. There is no reason to take

the life of an animal and eat it, except that you enjoy the taste or texture of

its flesh. What is truly more important: a passing pleasure, or the life of a

fellow being?

The Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine advocates veganism as the

healthiest diet. Vegans have far less incidence of heart disease, diabetes,

obesity, cancer, and osteoporosis than consumers of meat and dairy. In fact,

according to Dr. Neil Barnard, PCRM President, The beef industry has contributed

to more American deaths than all the wars of this century, all natural

disasters, and all automobile accidents combined.

Our bodies produce all the cholesterol we need. Animals makes cholesterol too,

which is why we add to our own whenever we eat them. In countries that ingest a

lot of cholesterol, like the United States, heart disease is the number one

cause of death. If you are worried about getting enough protein for strength,

just think of gorillas; they only eat plants! Plants high in protein include

beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and all soy products like soy milk, soy protein

powder, and tofu.

A vegan diet is not only good for animals and your own longevity, it is also

good for the environment. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization

released a document in 2006 entitled Livestock's Long Shadow. This scientific

study revealed that animal agriculture causes 18 percent of greenhouse gas

emissions, more than all of the world's transportation combined. Writer Kathy

Freston coined the phrase: Vegetarianism is the new Prius because it takes very

little land and water to produce a pound of soybeans, but it takes an

unbelievable amount of land, water, and plant-based food to produce a pound of

beef. In this way, meat addicts use up far more than their fair share of the

world's food resources.

The organization Farm Sanctuary, with locations in California and New York, is a

place where you can meet farm animals face to face. Once you've met and petted

turkeys and witnessed how they enjoy affection and attention, you will NOT want

to consume one that's been slaughtered for your temporary eating pleasure.

In recent weeks, Fox News online aired an undercover PETA video where pigs were

being brutally abused at a factory farm in North Carolina. A male supervisor is

heard boasting about beating the animals and women employees laugh as they cut

the testicles off of one piglet after another without anesthesia. When we reduce

animals to commodities, some people act accordingly.

Cows' milk is for calves, but most mother cows do not get to suckle their

babies; instead, they grieve as their babies are taken away to be raised as

veal. Human beings then use machines to confiscate the milk intended for her

child, and human beings keep her chronically pregnant to keep her breast milk

flowing.

Real men protect; they don't use or abuse. There are many such knights in our

midst. Vegetarians include spiritual leaders such as The Dalai Lama, who said,

Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants happiness

and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures.

Statesman and philosopher Mahatma Gandhi declared, The greatness of a nation and

its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.

Krishnamurti, Yogananda, and Deepak Chopra are spiritual leaders on the

vegetarian roll-call. The current Pope (Benedict XVI) also spoke of farm animals

when he said, We can see that they are given into our care, that we cannot just

do whatever we want with them. Animals, too, are God's creatures...degrading

living creatures to a commodity seems to me in fact to contradict the

relationship of mutuality that comes across in the Bible.

Artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci believed that the time will come when men

such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of

men. Spiritual physicist Albert Einstein proclaimed, Our task must be to free

ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures.

Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on

earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.

Finally, I think this quote from Old McDonald's Factory Farm by C. David Coats

says it all:

Isn't man an amazing animal? He kills wildlife by the millions in order to

protect his domestic animals and their feed. Then he kills domestic animals by

the billions and eats them. This in turn kills man by the millions, because

eating all those animals leads to degenerative and fatal health conditions like

heart disease, kidney disease, and cancer. So then man tortures and kills

millions more animals to look for cures for these diseases. Elsewhere, millions

of other human beings are being killed by hunger and malnutrition because food

they could eat is being used to fatten domestic animals. Meanwhile, some people

are dying of sad laughter at the absurdity of man, who kills so easily and so

violently and once a year sends out cards praying for Peace on Earth.

I challenge my readers to eat a little less meat and dairy. You will improve

your health, help our environment, and personally reduce a lot of suffering for

our animal friends. When you ingest animals who were not raised under humane

conditions, you are absorbing cruelty, selfishness (evil), violence and

tremendous suffering. Are those really things you want to take in and make an

integral part of you and your life? Our physical practices should enhance and

support our spiritual practices; only in this way can we live lives of clarity,

integrity and wholeness.