Nature of Non - Vegetarian diet and view of World Religons on the subject

The reasons why Hindu Dharma prohibits consumption of non-vegetarian food are

• Eating meat is a Tama-dominant act. That is why, it is prohibited in HinduDharma. The act of eating meat represents the Raja-Tama-dominant foreign culture.
• Hindu religious texts advise refraining from consuming non-vegetarian food.

It is said in Manusmruti,

न मांसभक्षणे दोषो न मद्ये न च मैथुने ।
प्रवृत्तिरेषा भूतानां निवृत्तिस्‍तु महाफला ।। – मनुस्‍मृति, अध्‍याय ५, श्‍लोक ५६

Meaning: Since man has a natural inclination towards consuming alcohol, meat and copulation, having a desire for them does not amount to sin. But being free from the three is beneficial.

Another shloka in Manusmruti advises giving up all consumption of non-vegetarian food by looking at the origin of meat, the shackling and slaughter of animals for meat. All points elucidated in these shlokas are advice to Hindus by the religious texts.

Subtle picture of meat indicates the following

• A covering of distressing energy exists around the meat.
  • Destroyer particles of negative energy are created in the meat and spread in it.
  • A covering of distressing energy is created around the meat and it keeps growing.
  • Due to slaughtering the animals and extracting their meat, centres of distressing energies are created in the meat and rings of distressing energy are emitted from every centre.
  • Waves of distressing energy, in the form of smell, are emitted into the environment.
  • Particles of distressing energy are also emitted into the environment.
• A flow of Akarshan-shakti (energy of attraction) is attracted to the meat and distressing energy in the environment is attracted to it.
• A ring of Illusory energy in a wheel-shaped form is created.
  • Illusory particles are also emitted.

The illusory vibrations emitted by the meat affect the mind of the person eating the meat.

3. Adverse effects of a

non-vegetarian diet as given in Hindu Dharmashastra

A. All people associated with meat are destructive / vicious in nature: It has been said in Manusmruti,

अनुमन्‍ता विशसिता निहन्‍ता क्रयविक्रयी ।
संस्‍कर्ता चोपहर्ता च खादकश्‍चेति घातका: ।। – मनुस्‍मृति ५.५१

Meaning: One who promotes or supports non-vegetarianism, the butcher, one who sells or purchases meat, the one who cooks it, serves it or consumes it, are all destructive / vicious in nature.

B. A person who has a non-vegetarian diet does not attain happiness:

य: अहिंसकानि भूतानि हिनस्‍ति आत्‍मसुखेच्‍छया ।
स जीवंश्‍च मृतश्‍चैव न क्‍वचित्‌ सुखमेधते ।। – मनुस्‍मृति ५.५४

Meaning: One who slaughters non-violent, helpless animals for his own happiness never attains happiness when alive and even after death.

Manusmruti also says that, if a person consumes an animal’s meat on Earth, then that animal will consume the person’s meat after his death / in the other world.

C. Due to a non-vegetarian diet, there is a greater possibility of the person suffering from various diseases: Due to the excess of proteins in non-vegetarian food, the person consuming it suffers from various diseases. By consuming non-vegetarian food, obstacles are created in the blood circulation and respiration. Eating meat adversely affects digestion. People who eat non-vegetarian food develop heart disease, cancer of the chest and stomach etc.

D. Due to the consumption of non-vegetarian food, it becomes easy for negative energies to enter a person’s body: Non-vegetarian food increases the Tamoguna in a person. With its consumption, a person becomes Tama-dominant and develops a demonic attitude. As a result, it becomes easy for the negative energies to enter the body of the person who is non-vegetarian, and create centres for themselves.

E. As a result of consuming non-vegetarian food, obstacles are created in a person’s spiritual progress and he gets trapped in the worldly cycle : With the consumption of non-vegetarian food, the Tamoguna present in the animal enters the person who eats the non-vegetarian food and his body becomes inactive. Due to this, obstacles are created in his spiritual progress, that is, the person moves away from God.

As against this, Manusmruti says about those not consuming non-vegetarian food:

यो बंधनवधक्‍लेशान्‍प्राणिनां न चिकीर्षति ।
स सर्वस्‍य हितप्रेप्‍सु: सुखम्‌ अत्‍यंतम्‌ अश्‍नुते ।। – मनुस्‍मृति ५.४६

Meaning: One who does not have a desire to shackle and slaughter animals, becomes the well-wisher of animals and acquires infinite happiness.

4. Adverse effects on man of the

Tama-dominant waves in non-vegetarian diet

        One of the tenets of Dharma is – ‘A diet made from slaughtering another being destroys all the virtues in the person consuming it.’ Due to the adverse effects of the Tama-predominant waves in non-vegetarian diet, the Sattva guna in the person is destroyed. Consequently, his benevolent thoughts are also destroyed and Tama-dominant, indiscretionary, violent thoughts originate or surface.

8. Examples of great men opposing non-vegetarian diet

        The great statesman Arya Chanakya says, ‘Those who consume non-vegetarian diet and alcohol are a burden on Mother Earth’. Saints and Ascetics like Maharshi Vyas, Kapimuni, Adya Shankaracharya etc. have strongly opposed non-vegetarian diet.

While elucidating the meaning of a quote from the Mahabharat, ‘Ahimsa Parmodharma’, Raman Maharishi says, ‘Non-violence is the supreme Dharma.’

While describing a person who is a non-vegetarian, George Bernard Shaw says, ‘People who consume non-vegetarian diet are akin to corpses of slaughtered animals !’ When George Bernard Shaw was on deathbed, his doctors gave him meat as a medicine. Doctors told him, “You will die if you do not consume non-vegetarian diet.” Shaw replied, “Instead of eating non-vegetarian diet, I would prefer to embrace death. If I remain alive without taking this prescribed non-vegetarian diet, then my doctors will also turn vegetarian.” Thereafter, he remained alive despite not consuming non-vegetarian diet.

9. Why are the various rules devised by

authors of the Scriptures for destroying the inclination towards non-vegetarian diet?

        Despite being instructed about the adverse effects of consuming non-vegetarian diet and advised on refraining from it, some people continue to be non-vegetarian. To destroy the inclination of such people towards non-vegetarianism, authors of the Scriptures have devised certain rules about it. For example, prohibiting the consumption of or even looking at non-vegetarian diet on certain days and during specific time periods.

This means that we get engrossed in whatever we see. Its impressions are formed on the mind. On the other hand, when scenes, thoughts or actions are removed from our vision, mind or memory, their intensity diminishes. Abiding by the rules of not consuming non-vegetarian diet too has similar results.

World Religons on Vegetarianism

Hinduism

Hinduism’s encourages a vegetarian diet, though not all Hindus are vegetarian.  Hindus almost universally avoid beef since they consider the cow sacred. Hinduism’s vast scriptures contain thousands of passages recommending vegetarianism based on the profound link between ahimsa (nonviolence) and spirituality.  For example, the Yajur Vedasays, “You must not use your God-given body for killing God’s creatures, whether they be human, animals, or whatever.” (12.32) Mahatma Gandhi, however, took Hindu vegetarian observance one step further by declaring, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be measured by the way in which its animals are treated.” 

While the violence of slaughter wrongs animals, it also harms those who consume animals.  Causing unnecessary pain and death produces bad karma (ill-effects on oneself as a consequence of ill-treatment of others).  Belief in the sacredness of life, reincarnation, nonviolence, and the law of karma are central, inter-related features of the Hinduism’s “spiritual ecology.” While Hinduism’s basis for vegetarianism is deeply spiritual, its practical merit has also been confirmed by science.  For example, the prohibition against harming or killing cows frequently benefits nutrition in India. Cattle contribute milk and dairy foods, labor, transportation, and dung fuel.

Jainism

Vegetarianism is expected practice among Jains, who hold that it is wrong to kill or harm any living being.  Jain traditions respectahimsa (nonviolence), aparigraha (non-acquision), asteya (respect for other’s rights) and satya (truth).  While Jains comprise less than 1% of India’s population, they contribute more than half of all the money donated in India to provide medical and other social assistance to India’s poor people.

Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, was a Hindu who accepted many of Hinduism’s core doctrines, such as karma.  His life and teachings offered special insights into how to address problems of human existence, and he explicitly taught vegetarianism as a component of his general instruction to be mindful and compassionate.

The Buddha in certain Mahayana sutras strongly denounces the eating of meat. In the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra, the Buddha states that "the eating of meat extinguishes the seed of great compassion", adding that all and every kind of meat and fish consumption (even of animals already found dead) is prohibited by him. The Buddha also predicts in this sutra that later monks will "hold spurious writings to be the authentic Dharma" and will concoct in the Lankavatara Sutra their own sutras and mendaciously claim that the Buddha allows the eating of meat, whereas in fact (he says) he does not. A long passage shows the Buddha weighing strongly in favor of vegetarianism, since the eating of the flesh of fellow sentient beings is said by him to be incompatible with the compassion a Bodhisattva should strive to cultivate. Several other Mahayana sutras also emphatically prohibit the consumption of meat.

Taoism

The Chinese religion of Taoism holds nature as sacred, and this view also favors vegetarianism.  Taoism teaches that yin and yang are the two fundamental energies in the world, and Taoists have always “taken the accomplishments of yin [the non-violent, non-aggressive approach] and rescue of creatures as their priority.” (Journal of the Academy of Religion, 54: no. 1, 1987)  For example, the famous Taoist Master Li Han-Kung explicitly prohibited “those who consume meat” from his holy mountain. 

Judaism

The Torah (Hebrew Scriptures) describes vegetarianism as an ideal.  In the Garden of Eden, Adam, Eve, and all creatures were instructed to eat plant foods. (Genesis 1:29-30)  The prophet Isaiah had a utopian vision in which everyone will once again be vegetarian: “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb … the lion shall eat straw like the ox … They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain” (Isaiah 11:6-9).

Judaism forbids tsa’ar ba’alei chayim, inflicting unnecessary pain on animals.  For example, Exodus 23:5 requires that one relieve the burden of an overloaded animal, and the Fourth Commandment includes the instruction that Jews must allow livestock to rest on the Sabbath.  The parameters of such laws are discussed in the Talmud and codified in theShulchan Arukh (Code of Jewish Law).  The revered medieval legal authority/philosopher Moses Maimonides wrote that we should show mercy to all living creatures.  The 16^th Century mystic Rabbi Moses Cordovero and 19^thCentury thinker Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch expressed similar sentiments.  By contrast, factory farms routinely confine animals in cramped spaces; often drug and mutilate animals; and deny animals fresh air, sunlight, exercise, and any opportunity to satisfy their natural instincts.  In response to this, former Chief Rabbi of Ireland Rabbi David Rosen has written, “The current treatment of animals in the livestock trade definitely renders the consumption of meat as halachically unacceptable [not kosher].”  Other rabbis, while agreeing that animals should be raised and slaughtered in humane ways, do not agree that such meat is forbidden.

Other Jewish values favor vegetarianism.  Judaism advocates treating the environment respectfully, while animal agriculture squanders water, energy, land, and other resources.  Judaism holds that human life is sacred, and we should diligently care for our health.  Since animal-based foods can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers, we should move towards a plant-based diet.  Judaism encourages us to share our bread with hungry people.  Yet, the inefficiencies of animal agriculture waste grains and lands that could be used for staple crops, thereby depriving hungry people of food.  In summary, although Judaism does not mandate vegetarianism, many Jewish teachings support the diet.

Christianity

Christianity, based on Judaism, prohibits cruelty to animals.  Jesus’ central teachings involved love, compassion, and mercy, and it is hard to imagine Jesus looking upon contemporary factory farms and slaughterhouses and then happily consuming flesh.