Are meat and bhaang disallowed in Dharmic religion?

[ronki23]

Vegetarianism is extolled for reasons of ahimsa or non-violence . Fresh vegetarian food is also considered rich in prana and sattvic, and hence ideal for creating a calm mind.

As a saying in the Bhagavad Gita goes...

Yoga is equanimity of mind.

Non-vegetarian food is rajasic and creates desires and tendency for action. It naturally results in a restless mind and hence is not ideal for meditation. Thus vegetarian food is extolled in Hinduism.

You can experiment yourself with vegetarian and non-vegetarian food and see whether you become calmer or more restless in the process.

Similarly practice of brahmacharya or celibacy is easier if you take vegetarian food as opposed to non-vegetarian food.

Calmness is beneficial in terms of clear thinking and better decision making as one is not subject to the vacillations of a turbulent mind full of desires and cravings/aversions.

@SomeRandom @Aupmanyav

Rama hunted a Golden deer but Buddha said you shouldn't kill animals. So why is it so few Buddhists are vegetarian (China, Korea, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand) yet India (an 83% Hindu and 3% Sikh country) has 1 in 4 people who are vegetarian???

 

[Aupmanyav]

Buddha was an Avatar of Vishnu but I think this wasn't an accepted theory until after the Hindus reclaimed India from the Buddhists.

Any proof of when Hindus accepted Buddha as an avatara? Before or after. People must have been thinking that way much before the scriptures accepted it.

While I do believe Buddha was an avatar, I don't understand how because Hindus believe in Kalki Avatar yet Buddha said he is the final avatar (I think Jesus was Kalki). @Aupmanyav ???

I do not know if you are a Hindu, since your knowledge of Hinduism does not indicate it. However, the explanation is simple. Buddha is the ninth avatara of Lord Vishnu for Hindus and Kalki avatara will appear only after 425,000 from now (Therefore Jesus is not Kalki. Jesus is past, Kalki is future). However, the first is a nice image of Lord Buddha.

Rama hunted a Golden deer but Buddha said you shouldn't kill animals. So why is it so few Buddhists are vegetarian (China, Korea, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand) yet India (an 83% Hindu and 3% Sikh country) has 1 in 4 people who are vegetarian???

Hunting is not prohibited for Kshatriyas (as Rama was) and the scriptures ask brahmins to be vegetarian (however, some brahmin communities are traditonally non-vegetarian). It is not a compulsory requirement for people other than brahmins, though being a vegetarian is appreciated by all. We take non-vegetarian food basically because we are ruled by tongue/taste, otherwise vegetarian diet is equally nutritive and also better for health.

 

[ronki23]

Any proof of when Hindus accepted Buddha as an avatara? Before or after. People must have been thinking that way much before the scriptures accepted it.I do not know if you are a Hindu, since your knowledge of Hinduism does not indicate it. However, the explanation is simple. Buddha is the ninth avatara of Lord Vishnu for Hindus and Kalki avatara will appear only after 425,000 from now (Therefore Jesus is not Kalki. Jesus is past, Kalki is future). However, the first is a nice image of Lord Buddha.Hunting is not prohibited for Kshatriyas (as Rama was) and the scriptures ask brahmins to be vegetarian (however, some brahmin communities are traditonally non-vegetarian). It is not a compulsory requirement for people other than brahmins, though being a vegetarian is appreciated by all. We take non-vegetarian food basically because we are ruled by tongue/taste, otherwise vegetarian diet is equally nutritive and also better for health.

Jesus will appear again, his return will be as Kalki avatar. Both ride white horses.

I am a Kshatriya, a Lohana. 60% of my family is vegetarian and my grandparents and the generations before them don't even eat egg. Most of the meat eaters are from my generation. So why are 60% of Lohanas vegetarian if we can eat meat (unless Vedas say your supposed to be vegetarian)? I eat all meat except cow and snake.

 

[ronki23]

Which is to say, it is a Hindu view, not a Buddhist one.




Buddha did not say such a thing, at least not in the Buddhist tradition that I know of.

@Rinchen Samphel @ajay0

The major Buddhist countries are below and they are heavy meat consumers:

Thailand- eat bugs
Vietnam- eat bugs
Cambodia- eat bugs
Laos- eat bugs
Myanmar- eat bugs
China- eat dogs
Korea- eat dogs
Japan- overfish the seas

Maybe Sri Lanka is the only Buddhist country that has a lot of vegetarians

Did Buddha not know that if there's a demand for meat there will be supply? Does this mean the hunters and butchers will go to hell but not the consumers who demanded it?

Buddha didn't even eat pork anyway, he ate truffles

 

[LuisDantas]

@Rinchen Samphel @ajay0

The major Buddhist countries are below and they are heavy meat consumers:

Thailand- eat bugs
Vietnam- eat bugs
Cambodia- eat bugs
Laos- eat bugs
Myanmar- eat bugs
China- eat dogs
Korea- eat dogs
Japan- overfish the seas

Maybe Sri Lanka is the only Buddhist country that has a lot of vegetarians

That is true enough, but does not relate to what I said.

In any case, Buddhism encourages vegetarianism, but not emphatically so. Simple as that.

Did Buddha not know that if there's a demand for meat there will be supply? Does this mean the hunters and butchers will go to hell but not the consumers who demanded it?

Buddha didn't even eat pork anyway, he ate truffles

Are you asking? I'm really not sure.

Most people agree that Buddhism is not supposed to involve many forbiddances. Not everyone is suited to be a vegetarian, and not everyone is ready to benefit from attempting to become one. Higher priorities may easily exist.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Jesus will appear again, his return will be as Kalki avatar. Both ride white horses.

I am a Kshatriya, a Lohana. 60% of my family is vegetarian and my grandparents and the generations before them don't even eat egg. Most of the meat eaters are from my generation. So why are 60% of Lohanas vegetarian if we can eat meat (unless Vedas say your supposed to be vegetarian)? I eat all meat except cow and snake.

I do not know if people will even remember Jesus at the time Kalki comes, i.e., 425,000 years from now. By that time a thousand other prophets will appear in the Abrahamic world. After Jesus many have come - Mohammad, Bahaullah, Joseph Smith, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, etc. The Arahamic God always needs corrections of his laws. He cannot even write a correct sentence. It is Lohanas who should answer why they eat non-vegetarian food? Of course, those whose ancestors converted to Islam are not bound by any Hindu rule.

 

[Valjean]

Dharmic religion isn't big on forbidding things, rather, it discourages adharma. The question should be: "Are meat and bhang part of your personal dharma?"

 

[Stormcry]

Dharmic religion isn't big on forbidding things, rather, it discourages adharma.

Dharmik religions do have some restrictions and prohibitions. Adharma is what you should NOT do.

 

[Stormcry]

Jesus will appear again, his return will be as Kalki avatar. Both ride white horses.

Are you sure?

According to scriptures, Kalki avatara will be born as Brahmana at the end of Kaliyuga and he will battle Buddhists, yavanas/chinese, Mlechhas(followers of Abrahamic faiths) and Shudra kings, and will establish Vedic religion on earth.

References are there in Kalki Puran and other Puranas like Vishnu Purana.

 

[Valjean]

Dharmik religions do have some restrictions and prohibitions. Adharma is what you should NOT do.

Yes, but everyone has his own dharma; his own restrictions. A tiger's dharma mandates meat. Arjun's dharma was to kill his friends and relatives. Everyone's different.

 

[SomeRandom]

@SomeRandom @Aupmanyav

Rama hunted a Golden deer but Buddha said you shouldn't kill animals. So why is it so few Buddhists are vegetarian (China, Korea, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand) yet India (an 83% Hindu and 3% Sikh country) has 1 in 4 people who are vegetarian???

I dunno. Ask Buddhists.

 

[Shantanu]

Yes, but everyone has his own dharma; his own restrictions. A tiger's dharma mandates meat. Arjun's dharma was to kill his friends and relatives. Everyone's different.

So we need someone to tell us whose dharma is better. Better in what respects would then be the question.

 

[ronki23]

I do not know if people will even remember Jesus at the time Kalki comes, i.e., 425,000 years from now. By that time a thousand other prophets will appear in the Abrahamic world. After Jesus many have come - Mohammad, Bahaullah, Joseph Smith, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, etc. The Arahamic God always needs corrections of his laws. He cannot even write a correct sentence. It is Lohanas who should answer why they eat non-vegetarian food? Of course, those whose ancestors converted to Islam are not bound by any Hindu rule.

Jesus will come again. Jesus and Kalki are one in the same

 

[ronki23]

Are you sure?

According to scriptures, Kalki avatara will be born as Brahmana at the end of Kaliyuga and he will battle Buddhists, yavanas/chinese, Mlechhas(followers of Abrahamic faiths) and Shudra kings, and will establish Vedic religion on earth.

References are there in Kalki Puran and other Puranas like Vishnu Purana.

Why would Kalki battle Buddhists if Buddha is an incarnation of Vishnu?

Also, Mlecchans also believe Jesus will come again and battle the idol worshippers.

So I guess if both believe the other is wrong then Kalki/Jesus will come to judge the righteous from the sinners

 

[Jainarayan]

Buddha did not say such a thing, at least not in the Buddhist tradition that I know of.

Indeed, Buddha denied being a god.

 

[Jainarayan]

Therefore Jesus is not Kalki. Jesus is past, Kalki is future

However, Jesus is predicted to return, pass judgement and usher in a new world order of peace. Just like Kalki. Personally I think the Jesus story(ies) are lifted directly from Hinduism... too much of his life stories and teachings smacks of Sri Krishna's to be original.

 

[Jainarayan]

Hunting is not prohibited for Kshatriyas (as Rama was) and the scriptures ask brahmins to be vegetarian (however, some brahmin communities are traditonally non-vegetarian). It is not a compulsory requirement for people other than brahmins, though being a vegetarian is appreciated by all. We take non-vegetarian food basically because we are ruled by tongue/taste, otherwise vegetarian diet is equally nutritive and also better for health.

Yes, but everyone has his own dharma; his own restrictions. A tiger's dharma mandates meat. Arjun's dharma was to kill his friends and relatives. Everyone's different.

Without using this as a cop-out or endorsement of eating meat, or doing or condoning anything generally regarded as contrary to dharma, I've been thinking about this:

śreyān sva-dharmo viguṇaḥ
para-dharmāt sv-anuṣṭhitāt
svabhāva-niyataḿ karma
kurvan nāpnoti kilbiṣam

"It is better to engage in one’s own duty, even though one may perform it imperfectly, than to accept another’s duty and perform it perfectly. Duties prescribed according to one’s nature are never affected by sinful reactions." Bhagavad Gita 18.47

Like anything in scripture, it can be interpreted narrowly or broadly. Personally I take the broad approach and read it as "Be yourself and not try to be someone else". As @Valjean said, a tiger eats meat because a tiger is a tiger. A tiger fed a vegetarian diet will die. An elephant fed a meat diet will die.

While it's true that humans are quite different than tigers and elephants, and we believe a vegetarian diet is better regarding ahimsa, even humans have their limitations; each has his own path in life and dharma. One person's dharma may be to be completely vegetarian, another's may be to struggle with it. What good is it for someone to struggle trying to be vegetarian, and let all other aspects of dharma fly away? I think there's no good in that. One size dharma does not fit all.

 

[Valjean]

So we need someone to tell us whose dharma is better. Better in what respects would then be the question.

Dharma is the optimum path of 'spiritual progress', for a specific individual, spiritual progress being mind expansion and the eventual, sudden "quantum shifts" to new levels of consciousness.

As for who's dharma is better, the question is meaningless. The blueprint for your life is ideal for your life. The blueprint for your sister's, your neighbor's or your dog's life will be ideal for theirs. Everyone's dharma is different, though they may share certain aspects.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Why would Kalki battle Buddhists if Buddha is an incarnation of Vishnu?
Also, Mlecchans also believe Jesus will come again and battle the idol worshippers.
So I guess if both believe the other is wrong then Kalki/Jesus will come to judge the righteous from the sinners

In such cases we would not consider the passage authentic but an interpolation and reject it. Kalki will not battle Buddhists. Kali will not battle even Abrahamics if they are foll/wing their own dharma (illustrated by a verse from Gita above). If Jesus will battle idol worshipers then the world will reject him. Already so many Christians reject Jesus. The mlechchas should understand that the world is changing fast and should not stick to false beliefs. I am a strong atheist, I give two hoots for judgments. I am my own judge.

 

[ronki23]

The only restriction to Sikh diet is that amritdhari Sikhs can't eat meat slaughtered in the Muslim way (ref Sikh Rehat Maryada section on Amrit Sanchar).

I don't know why so many Sikhs are vegetarians.

I'm not aware of SGGSJ explicitly prohibiting alcohol or drugs. Nihang Sikhs have a tradition of using bhang; I understand initially it was used as pain relief during war.

Langar must be vegetarian so (most?) Hindus and Muslims can eat it. I don't know about the hola mollah food.

The Gurdwaras always have signs saying no alcohol or tobacco which implies taking intoxicants is forbidden so why do Nihangs take Bhaang and slaughters goats to the prayers of Chandi Di Vaar?