Animal sacrafice in Hinduism

[Satsangi]

The post above by .lava - his religion appears to be Islam and that is the reason he raised the question as they do thank the animal and sacrifice it and then eat it. I agree with the answers given to his post by other members that meat is not sattvic and we can only explain that from view point of Hinduism/ Sanatana Dharma only; I am not really sure if there is a concept of Gunas in Islam.

As to the post by Riverwolf attributing the Devas to the Gunas; yes it is mentioned in the Sanatan Dharma, but it is explained or taken in a wrong way. My understanding- the Trinity is manifestation of One God only and are in reality just One. But they are the LORD of these Gunas. By meditating or worshipping Lord Brahma you transcend Rajas guna with his help, by meditating/worshipping Lord Vishnu you transcend Sattva and by meditating/worshipping Lord Shiva you transcend Tamas i.e He destroys the ignorance or Maya in you. After transcending the three gunas you become Atma swarup or Chidanandroop. It is then only that one acquires the real right of doing "Para Bhakti" to the Supreme as per Bhagvad Geeta.

Regards,

 

[Riverwolf]

The post above by .lava - his religion appears to be Islam and that is the reason he raised the question as they do thank the animal and sacrifice it and then eat it. I agree with the answers given to his post by other members that meat is not sattvic and we can only explain that from view point of Hinduism/ Sanatana Dharma only; I am not really sure if there is a concept of Gunas in Islam.

As to the post by Riverwolf attributing the Devas to the Gunas; yes it is mentioned in the Sanatan Dharma, but it is explained or taken in a wrong way. My understanding- the Trinity is manifestation of One God only and are in reality just One. But they are the LORD of these Gunas. By meditating or worshipping Lord Brahma you transcend Rajas guna with his help, by meditating/worshipping Lord Vishnu you transcend Sattva and by meditating/worshipping Lord Shiva you transcend Tamas i.e He destroys the ignorance or Maya in you. After transcending the three gunas you become Atma swarup or Chidanandroop. It is then only that one acquires the real right of doing "Para Bhakti" to the Supreme as per Bhagvad Geeta.

Regards,

So, based on that explanation, a person would start off as a devotee of Shiva to dispel ignorance, then devote himself to Brahma to dispel passion, then Vishnu to transcend goodness?

To be honest, this was the feeling I keep getting whenever I think of the idea of Shiva being lord of Tamas, Brahma being lord of Rajas, and Vishnu being lord of Sattva.

 

[Satsangi]

Friend Riverwolf,

The concept u have presented above is partly true, but not entirely true. All of the humans have three gunas in them, but in each person, one of the guna is predominant without any help from the environment i.e by his Svabhava or by his Karma Vasana in the past births.

For example, Asuras have predominence of rajas and tamas. These Asuras have traditionally worshipped either Lord Brahma or Lord Shiva. Whereas the Devatas which are supposed to be more predominently sattvic, have worshipped Lord Vishnu. These three are the form of God that would suit the devotee's mind's Gunas and hence are more likely to absorb them on a spiritual path. This does NOT mean that the three Gods themselves are afflicted by these Gunas.

If u start with Lord Shiva and by His grace your ignorance (Avidya or Maya)is destroyed, then u have reached the end point of your spiritual Sadhana; nothing else remains to be done.
Regards,

 

[zenzero]

Friends,

If u start with Lord Shiva and by His grace your ignorance (Avidya or Maya)is destroyed, then u have reached the end point of your spiritual Sadhana; nothing else remains to be done.

Then one becomes a MAD MAN!

nothing else remains to be done

As the mad man allows existence or consciousnesses to do his own karma as per his own dharma! [the individual is no more but just a vehicle for existence / consciousness to be its medium]
Love & rgds

 

[Metempsychosis]

Well, I think the idea of attributing the Great Gods to the gunas came from Vaishnavites.

No need to mention that riverwolf.Its obvious.

 

[nameless]

sacrifice

this smiley will definitely cause me nightmare.

 

[Valjean]

How did this discussion of the wanton slaughter of a quarter million animals "to please God" become a discussion of Hindu dietary theory?

 

[Madhuri]

How did this discussion of the wanton slaughter of a quarter million animals "to please God" become a discussion of Hindu dietary theory?

Discussions evolve naturally.

 

[zenzero]

Friends,

Discussions evolve naturally.

And evolution has been, is and will continue even if discussion cease to be in existence along with humans in future.
Love & rgds

 

[Satsangi]

Friends,



Then one becomes a MAD MAN!


As the mad man allows existence or consciousnesses to do his own karma as per his own dharma! [the individual is no more but just a vehicle for existence / consciousness to be its medium]
Love & rgds

'


Shri Adi Shankara said "Brahman satya Jagat Mithya". When with the God's grace Avidya is gone, one realises "Jagat Mithya". But if u fail to realize "Brahman Satyam", then u are in a bottomless void.

One may or may not become mad when Avidya disappears; many such great Saints in the past appeared as mad to common person e.g JadBharat. But it is entirely possible to stay sane and understand that Maya in short is the thought of "myself and mine."

Regards,

 

[zenzero]

Friend Satsangi,

probably, you take the term literally.
Mad man in the sense that he is no more an *ego* but a living BEING!
and amongst *EGOS* appears different or some may label *MAD*.

Love & rgds

 

[Satsangi]

Friend Satsangi,

probably, you take the term literally.
Mad man in the sense that he is no more an *ego* but a living BEING!
and amongst *EGOS* appears different or some may label *MAD*.

Love & rgds

Friend Zenzero,

I agree with above

Regards,

 

[Satsangi]

Going back to the original question of the thread - the animal sacrifices have been described or done in almost all major religions- Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism. I am not sure about Buddhism , Shikhism. Jainism for sure prohibits animal sacrifices. Within Hinduism, the Vaisnavites and most Shaivites do not perform animal sacrifices. It is done by few sub sects of Shaktism and possibly Tantra.

Any thoughts on the above?

 

[zenzero]

Friends,
Personal understand as had mentioned earlier:
Sacrifice was initially a sign of sacrificing one's loved ones as a sign of sacrificing the greatest attachment one has in life to be free of it like their own sons then it got corrupted to children being sacrificed [many stories in India too] which with evolution got transferred to animals but evolution of religion and human consciousness is on its way to move this animal sacrifice too but eating of meat? that will surely be next which is through our past karma and instinct since our animal days. The way all animals are getting extinct and even fishes getting finished won't be late when we survive on air through cylinders and all vital minerals and nourishments in capsule forms so that we can relax with even cooking will not be required. What appears fiction today are facts of tomorrow.
Love & rgds

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

Having read the above article, it says that over 250,000 animals will be killed as a sacrifice to the gods in Hinduism. Is this Vedantic teaching or man man deviation?

EDIT: I cannot post the link since i Do no have 15 posts yet. This is a summary of the article from the Gurdian paper in the UK:

The world's biggest animal sacrifice began in Nepal today with the killing of the first of more than 250,000 animals as part of a Hindu festival in the village of Bariyapur, near the border with India.

Many of the same people who are shocked by animal sacrifice eat meat . I don't eat meat. I have no desire to eat meat. I have been to temples that have animal sacrifice. The animals are well taken care of they are loved and the center of village life. They are killed quickly with out pain. In many traditions in India the only way an orthodox Hindu can eat meat is prasid from a temple. Some eat it only once a year.

This village in Nepal it's very hard to say whats going on. In Nepal sometimes I can't tell who is Hindu and who is Buddhist they go to the same Temples. There are many tribal groups that are called Hindu but they don't even follow the Hindu scriptures.

I just find it funny how meat eaters get so up in arms over animal sacrifice. Every 5 years this temple kill's 250,000 animals. I hate this this mass killing. What I hate more is the over 10 Billion animals that die in america every 5 years. Not only do many of them die but the some of them only leave their cage is to walk to the Slaughterhouse.

 

[comradesoul]

Animal sacrifice to please some gods or God and to try and atone for ones sins is in the mode of ignorance, barbaric.

Although not a Buddhist I am one with Buddha on this one.

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

Animal sacrifice to please some gods or God and to try and atone for ones sins is in the mode of ignorance, barbaric.

Although not a Buddhist I am one with Buddha on this one.

Hindu's do not have any concept of origenal sin. We don't believe in Atonement' its a Christian concept.

For small numbers of Hindu's who do believe in sacrificing Animal it is a representation of the death of the ego. Then the animal is eaten. The one group of people that I spent time with who engaged in the above behavior. They eat meat twice a year. You must see Americans who eat meat 3xs a day in a much worse light. We keep our pigs in such small cages that the one time they get to walk some of them drop dead their heart stops. Now thats barbaric. The meat industry is also the biggest cause of Global warming.

Do you eat meat ?

I do not but I try not to judge the folks who do. I frankly see it no different then the Jews or Muslim who have religious rituals around the killing of food. Some native Americans after they kill an Animal they offer it tobacco in a religious ritual. Are they barbaric ? I see it as kind of beautiful. If you must kill things to eat its flesh why not make a ritual around it. My biggest concern about the Hindu Temple Nepal is that how can they treat the Animals with respect if they kill 250'000 of them at a time. They are no better then an American Slaughterhouse in fact I bet they do it in a very inhumane dirty way.

I also believe that giving up meat is a help in the spiritual life.

 

[comradesoul]

Hindu's do not have any concept of origenal sin. We don't believe in Atonement' its a Christian concept.

Well however the Christians may conceive of atonement there is the karma-khandha section of the vedas which prescribe activities to counteract impious deeds done. These are there in the dharma-sastras.

For small numbers of Hindu's who do believe in sacrificing Animal it is a representation of the death of the ego. Then the animal is eaten. The one group of people that I spent time with who engaged in the above behavior. They eat meat twice a year.

Well maybe some have some idea of killing the ego or whatever but I hardly think all. Even so it strikes me as barbaric.

You must see Americans who eat meat 3xs a day in a much worse light. We keep our pigs in such small cages that the one time they get to walk some of them drop dead their heart stops. Now thats barbaric. The meat industry is also the biggest cause of Global warming.

Do you eat meat ?

No I do not. I have been veg/vegan since 1971 when I quit high school and moved into a Radha Krishna temple run by Swami Prabhupada's disciples. That is where I learned about cow suffering for meat, a concept that had never occurred to me previously.

Sometime time later (after I realized I couldn't handle such an austere lifestyle ) I learned the connection between milk consumption and cow slaughter and became a firm vegan. I have been advocating the necessity for devotees to boycott commercial milk from unprotected cows even in their offerings to Gopala.

I do not but I try not to judge the folks who do.

Well all persons are spiritsoul so who is there left to judge. But we make distinctions based behavior. Unnecessary slaughter of animals for any reason needs to be given up.

I frankly see it no different then the Jews or Muslim who have religious rituals around the killing of food. Some native Americans after they kill an Animal they offer it tobacco in a religious ritual. Are they barbaric ? I see it as kind of beautiful.

Yes some acknowledgment of God or a higher power is better than none. The acknowledgment is beautiful but the animal's death is not IMO.

If you must kill things to eat its flesh why not make a ritual around it. My biggest concern about the Hindu Temple Nepal is that how can they treat the Animals with respect if they kill 250'000 of them at a time. They are no better then an American Slaughterhouse in fact I bet they do it in a very inhumane dirty way.

Yes, often times the ritual becomes just a means of making one's mind feel better over the viciousness of the killing.

I also believe that giving up meat is a help in the spiritual life.

Me too. I don't believe there can be any true religion without compassion for other living beings.

I think we are very much on the same page here Wannabe Yogi

Hare Krishna

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

I think we are very much on the same page here Wannabe Yogi

I agree.

Yes, often times the ritual becomes just a means of making one's mind feel better over the viciousness of the killing.

The human mind uses both religion and it's rituals to rationalize bad behavior there is just no denying this fact.

There is also traditions that use the ritual to overcome the bad behavior.

IE

Like Saints telling alcoholics that they should chant the name of God while they are drinking. If they do this all the time they will have to stop drinking.