The frog expressed its
gratitude for the freedom as mentioned - All that lives will
press palms together in prayerful adoration of those who refuse to
slaughter and savor meat. Tirukural
260
Why Hindus Don't Eat
Meat
Besides being an expression of compassion for animals,
vegetarianism is followed for ecological and health rationales
Reasons
In the past fifty years, millions of meat-eaters -- Hindus and
non-Hindus -- have made the personal decision to stop eating the
flesh of other creatures. There are five major motivations for such
a decision:
1. The Dharmic Law Reason
Ahinsa, the law of noninjury, is the Hindu's first duty in
fulfilling religious obligations to God and God's creation as
defined by Vedic scripture.
2. The Karmic Consequences Reason
All of our actions, including our choice of food, have Karmic
consequences. By involving oneself in the cycle of inflicting
injury, pain and death, even indirectly by eating other creatures,
one must in the future experience in equal measure the suffering
caused.
3. The Spiritual Reason
Food is the source of the body's chemistry, and what we ingest
affects our consciousnes, emotions and experiential patterns. If
one wants to live in higher consciousness, in peace and happiness
and love for all creatures, then he cannot eat meat, fish,
shellfish, fowl or eggs. By ingesting the grosser chemistries of
animal foods, one introduces into the body and mind anger,
jealousy, anxiety, suspicion and a terrible fear of death, all of
which are locked into the the flesh of the butchered creatures. For
these reasons, vegetarians live in higher consciousness and
meat-eaters abide in lower consciousness.
4. The Health Reason
Medical studies prove that a vegetarian diet is easier to digest,
provides a wider ranger of nutrients and imposes fewer burdens and
impurities on the body. Vegetarians are less susceptible to all the
major diseases that afflict contemporary humanity, and thus live
longer, healthier, more productive lives. They have fewer physical
complaints, less frequent visits to the doctor, fewer dental
problems and smaller medical bills. Their immune system is
stronger, their bodies are purer, more refined and skin more
beautiful.
5. The Ecological Reason
Planet Earth is suffereing. In large measure, the escalating loss
of species, destruction of ancient rainforests to create pasture
lands for live stock, loss of topsoils and the consequent increase
of water impurities and air pollution have all been traced to the
single fact of meat in the human diet. No decision that we can make
as individuals or as a race can have such a dramatic effect on the
improvement of our planetary ecology as the decision not to eat
meat.
History
The book Food for the Spirit, Vegetarianism and the World
Religions, observes, "Despite popular knowledge of
meat-eating's adverse effects, the nonvegetarian diet became
increasingly widespread among the Hindus after the two major
invasions by foreign powers, first the Muslims and later the
British. With them came the desire to be `civilized,' to eat as did
the Saheeb. Those atually trained in Vedic knowledge, however,
never adopted a meat-oriented diet, and the pious Hindu still
observes vegetarian principles as a matter of religious duty.
"That vegetarianism has always been widespread in India is clear
from the earliest Vedic texts. This was observed by the ancient
traveler Megasthenes and also by Fa-Hsien, a Chinese Buddhist monk
who, in the fifth century, traveled to India in order to obtain
authentic copies of the scriptures.
"These scriptures unambiguously support the meatless way of
life. In the Mahabharat, for instance, the great warrior
Bheeshm explains to Yuddhishtira, eldest of the Paandav princes,
that the meat of animals is like the flesh of one's own son.
Similarly, the Manusmriti declares that one should
`refrain from eating all kinds of meat,' for such eating involves
killing and and leads to Karmic bondage (Bandh) [5.49]. Elsewhere
in the Vedic literature, the last of the great Vedic kings,
Maharaja Parikshit, is quoted as saying that `only the
animal-killer cannot relish the message of the Absolute Truth
[Shrimad Bhagvatam 10.1.4].'"
Scripture
He who desires to augment his own flesh by eating the flesh of
other creatures lives in misery in whatever species he may take his
birth. Mahabharat 115.47
Those high-souled persons who desire beauty, faultlessness of
limbs, long life, understanding, mental and physical strength and
memory should abstain from acts of injury. Mahabharat
18.115.8
The very name of cow is Aghnya ["not to be killed"], indicating
that they should never be slaughtered. Who, then could slay them?
Surely, one who kills a cow or a bull commits a heinous crime.
Mahabharat, Shantiparv 262.47
The purchaser of flesh performs Hinsa (violence) by his wealth;
he who eats flesh does so by enjoying its taste; the killer does
Hinsa by actually tying and killing the animal. Thus, there are
three forms of killing: he who brings flesh or sends for it, he who
cuts off the limbs of an animal, and he who purchases, sells or
cooks flesh and eats it -- all of these are to be considered
meat-eaters. Mahabharat, Anu 115.40
He who sees that the Lord of all is ever the same in all that is
-- immortal in the field of mortality -- he sees the truth. And
when a man sees that the God in himself is the same God in all that
is, he hurts not himself by hurting others. Then he goes, indeed,
to the highest path. Bhagvad Geeta 13.27-28
Ahinsa is the highest Dharm. Ahinsa is the best Tapas. Ahinsa is
the greatest gift. Ahinsa is the highest self-control. Ahinsa is
the highest sacrifice. Ahinsa is the highest power. Ahinsa is the
highest friend. Ahinsa is the highest truth. Ahinsa is the highest
teaching. Mahabharat 18.116.37-41
What is the good way? It is the path that reflects on how it may
avoid killing any creature. Tirukural 324
All that lives will press palms together in prayerful adoration
of those who refuse to slaughter and savor meat. Tirukural
260
What is virtuous conduct? It is never destroting life, for
killing leads to every other sin. Tirukural 312, 321
Goodness is never one with the minds of these two: one who
wields a weapon and one who feasts on a creature's flesh.
Tirukural 253
