hinduism and vegetarianism

[sentry]

heard that some people abstain from nonveg food on days, festivals which have religious significance, in order to show their devotion.
Why not stay veg permanently? why the drop in devotion?

a lot of hindus are meat eaters. Hindu gods are sometimes depicted with various animals and birds, showing that animals are respected.
How does a person go to a temple, bow down before an image possibly depicting animals, and then go to lunch and eat meat?

 

[Madhuri]

I am a vegetarian! I am not sure about the variety of Hindu beliefs concerning vegetarianism but based on the laws of karma and the understanding that animals are souls just like us (and sentient) I also am confused that so many Hindus eat meat.

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

heard that some people abstain from nonveg food on days, festivals which have religious significance, in order to show their devotion.
Why not stay veg permanently? why the drop in devotion?

A lot of hindus are meat eaters. Hindu gods are sometimes depicted with various animals and birds, showing that animals are respected.
How does a person go to a temple, bow down before an image possibly depicting animals, and then go to lunch and eat meat?

I am a vegetarian have been for years. I know many Hindu's that are have been vegetarian their whole lives. I think more Hindu's in modern times have taken up eating meat. Some sects of Hinduism insist on not eating meat. Still I do not believe it makes you a bad person if you eat meat. I do find the practice of Ahimsa in this area to be very rewarding. I have no desire to consume flesh. I think the world would be a better place if more people gave up meat.

 

[shubhamgarg1993]

Huinduism says that one should not eat meat for God has provided enough to survive for all in form of veg....

i heard somewhere that eating of meat is allowed only if there's question of sustaining means scarcity of food...but yet cow's meat beef is not allowed at any cost death is better that to eat beef..

though i myself am a vegetarian ,but know some relative who once in an accident broke his ribcage and doctors insisted on eating some non veg soup , so he had to but i dont find anything wrong in that....
i feel its like medicine in that case....

Hinduism - explained in correct way for new to faith

 

[kaisersose]

heard that some people abstain from nonveg food on days, festivals which have religious significance, in order to show their devotion.
Why not stay veg permanently? why the drop in devotion?

Why would you interpret that as drop in devotion? They do not interpret it that way.

a lot of hindus are meat eaters. Hindu gods are sometimes depicted with various animals and birds, showing that animals are respected.
How does a person go to a temple, bow down before an image possibly depicting animals, and then go to lunch and eat meat?

Easy for them as they do not make that connection. I know people who cannot watch a chicken being slaughtered, but yet eat lots of chicken. Eating meat is a personal lifestyle choice and I believe we should not sit in judgement of what people eat. I find some vegetarians (especially converted vegetarians) develop a holier-than-thou attitude towards meat-eaters.

Remember that vegetarians are a minority in the world - even in India. So, it would make more sense to question vegetarians instead - why are they deviating from the mainstream?

 

[sentry]

Why would you interpret that as drop in devotion? They do not interpret it that way.

I'm sure they interpret it in that way. Why else would they abstain from meat on those particular "auspicious" days?
they do it for that sake of god, right? so surely they can make the connection between "living in accordance with the gods" and "right living". The two go hand in hand.

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

I'm sure they interpret it in that way. Why else would they abstain from meat on those particular "auspicious" days?
they do it for that sake of god, right? so surely they can make the connection between "living in accordance with the gods" and "right living". The two go hand in hand.

Many people also fast only on auspicious days. It is very common to give up "stuff" on important days.

 

[sentry]

Many people also fast only on auspicious days. It is very common to give up "stuff" on important days.

I think the fasting bit, has come in from the yoga thing/philosopy
as a means to cleanse the system
so I don't think you can compare fasting to normal dietary habits

in other words,when you aren't fasting, why not eat the right thing?, you know, the cleanest alternative to eating nothing at all i.e. veg food

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

I think the fasting bit, has come in from the yoga thing/philosopy
as a means to cleanse the system
so I don't think you can compare fasting to normal dietary habits

in other words,when you aren't fasting, why not eat the right thing?, you know, the cleanest alternative to eating nothing at all i.e. veg food

One's sadhana is a personal practice. If someone feels like giving up meat for Navaratri I see it as a good thing.

 

[sentry]

One's sadhana is a personal practice. If someone feels like giving up meat for Navaratri I see it as a good thing.

personal choice, yes.
but I think that a lot of hindus are not choosing vegetarianism because vegetarianism isn't stressed enough.
they are being told that visiting temples, rituals etc. are important.
they should also be told that vegetarianism is highly recommended in hinduism.

stress it hard enough, if he/she still rejects vegetarianism, fair enough.

non-violence is pretty important, isn't it?
I think that the teachings of hinduism aren't being clearly broadcast, and one such neglected teaching is about the importance of vegetarianism/non-violence towards animals.

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

personal choice, yes.
but I think that a lot of hindus are not choosing vegetarianism because vegetarianism isn't stressed enough.
they are being told that visiting temples, rituals etc. are important.
they should also be told that vegetarianism is highly recommended in hinduism.

stress it hard enough, if he/she still rejects vegetarianism, fair enough.

non-violence is pretty important, isn't it?
I think that the teachings of hinduism aren't being clearly broadcast, and one such neglected teaching is about the importance of vegetarianism/non-violence towards animals.

I agree and would also say that the world would be a better place if more non-Hindus gave up meat also.

 

[kaisersose]

Nature has been designed that way. One form of life lives off another.

If you believe in a creator God, then you have to also believe that it was his design that the Lion kills the deer for food and homo sapiens be omnivorous. If the creator had truly intended to create a vegetarian world, then neither the lion nor man would be able to digest meat and we would not be discussing this topic now. I also find it hard to believe that the diet habits of a small chunk of population from India is to be recommended for the entire world. Historically and even today, life expectancy in India is much lower than in developed countries. One may also argue that the meat eater is doing animals a benefit by sending them to heaven sooner, thereby accumulating Punya which is not available to the vegetarian!

It is my opinion that any posturing we do on the topic is based solely on our own individual preferences and nothing else.

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

I became a Vegetarian a year before I converted to Hinduism. The reason I became a vegetarian were political and environment. They have evolved over the years to include Ahimsa.

These are the facts about modern meat consumption:

-The UN has created a report that named meat consumption the #1 cause of global warming. In fact I have heard scientist say that giving up meat is better then buying a hybrid car for the environment.
Rearing cattle produces more greenhouse gases than driving cars, UN report warns

-There are also reports that show that all the game fish will be striped from all the oceans in 50 years due to the Human consumption of fish leaving the world oceans devoid of life.

-The American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada have stated that at all stages of life, a properly planned vegetarian diet is "healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provides health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases". Large-scale studies have shown that mortality from ischemic heart disease was 30% lower among vegetarian men and 20% lower among vegetarian women than in non vegetarians.

Vegetarianism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

-The British Medeal Journal Lancer showed a study of IQ tests of 8,179 people taken from 1970 the folks who were veggies (366) made much Higher IQs then the meat eaters. They dont know if being a veggie made them smarter or they were smarter thats why they were veggie.

-Vast amounts of food that people can eat are fed to livestock in America.
80% of the corn &95% of the oats in the US are eaten by livestock.
90 % of the protien is wasted by cycling grain through livestock.

1 acre of farmland can make

40,000 lbs of potatoes

or

250lbs of beef

1 hamberger takes 1000 gals of water to make.

56% of all U.S. farmland is used for beef production.

Just think how many more people could be feed with out sending the food into meat 1st.

Please don't think I am judging people who eat meat. I am just saying that giving up meat is a good thing. It's kind of like recycling your not a bad person if you don't do it. If you do recycle it is good for the world.

 

[sentry]

If the creator had truly intended to create a vegetarian world, then neither the lion nor man would be able to digest meat and we would not be discussing this topic now.

the fact that we are able to digest meat indicates that we were meant to eat meat, the way lions do?
in other words, you're saying "be all you can be, if you have the ability, make use of it"
well, we also have the ability to empathise, an ability lacking in animals, at least to our level of capability
we have the ability to understand that animals are going through hell,and we have the ability to make choices based on our understanding
we have the ability to transcend our animal nature
who is a sage but someone who has conquered himself?

life expectancy in India is much lower than in developed countries

the standard of living in other countries is much higher.
plenty of exercise, much less pollution of all kinds, less stress both mental and physical, plenty of food compared to how many starving people there are in India, better health care, sanitation etc.
I believe that a vegetarian diet is more healthy than a nonveg one
ancient teachers of ayurveda have recommended it, yogis have recommended it, and yogis are embodiments of good health
even modern science is beginning to acknowledge the benefits of a vegetarian diet

 

[Madhuri]

Nature has been designed that way. One form of life lives off another.

If you believe in a creator God, then you have to also believe that it was his design that the Lion kills the deer for food and homo sapiens be omnivorous. If the creator had truly intended to create a vegetarian world, then neither the lion nor man would be able to digest meat and we would not be discussing this topic now. I also find it hard to believe that the diet habits of a small chunk of population from India is to be recommended for the entire world. Historically and even today, life expectancy in India is much lower than in developed countries. One may also argue that the meat eater is doing animals a benefit by sending them to heaven sooner, thereby accumulating Punya which is not available to the vegetarian!

It is my opinion that any posturing we do on the topic is based solely on our own individual preferences and nothing else.

Yes, God created a world that functions on the laws of karma. So there is inevitable suffering and rebirth. The Hindu lives to be liberated from the material nature. Hence limiting the suffering and killing of others, which results in more and more births. That is why it confuses me that any Hindu would think that eating meat is compatible with the path to Realisation.

 

[nameless]

If you believe in a creator God, then you have to also believe that it was his design that the Lion kills the deer for food and homo sapiens be omnivorous. If the creator had truly intended to create a vegetarian world, then neither the lion nor man would be able to digest meat and we would not be discussing this topic now.

my belief is that creationism is just a myth, and even if creationism is true it does not mean humans are to be omnivorous.

Human intestine is about 8 times the length of our body, like herbivores.
Omnivores' are 4-6 times the length of their body. Why? Because meat cannot be in the digestive tract as long.
The time taken for digestion of meat (even if they are cooked) is more than the naturally allowed digesting time, and this can result to cancer.

It is possible that herbivorous could become omnivorous if they dont get enough food.
Omnivorous Cow
[youtube]eC5Bp5-_rnc[/youtube]
YouTube - Cow eating a rabbit

the process is gradual, and later they could become omnivours like humans. Unlike other omnivorous animals, human animals are not capable to digest unprocessed meat.

I also find it hard to believe that the diet habits of a small chunk of population from India is to be recommended for the entire world.

it is duty that to recommend to others everything those are good.

Historically and even today, life expectancy in India is much lower than in developed countries.

did not knew it was vegetarian diet responsible for that, thanks for the information.

One may also argue that the meat eater is doing animals a benefit by sending them to heaven sooner, thereby accumulating Punya which is not available to the vegetarian!

there is no such deed, pls quote the source.

It is my opinion that any posturing we do on the topic is based solely on our own individual preferences and nothing else.

true, nothing wrong in it. Same manner, You reap what you sow.

 

[Arav]

heard that some people abstain from nonveg food on days, festivals which have religious significance, in order to show their devotion.
Why not stay veg permanently? why the drop in devotion?

a lot of hindus are meat eaters. Hindu gods are sometimes depicted with various animals and birds, showing that animals are respected.
How does a person go to a temple, bow down before an image possibly depicting animals, and then go to lunch and eat meat?

What I think is worse is that some Hindus who live in the western hemisphere are now starting to eat Beef!!!! Now that I am a Gaudiya Vaishnava I have not given up all meat, but I do not eat Beef. Maybe Cows are not as holy as I take them any more. But, I would say that at a minimum a Hindu should not eat Cow.

 

[kaisersose]

my belief is that creationism is just a myth, and even if creationism is true it does not mean humans are to be omnivorous.
Human intestine is about 8 times the length of our body, like herbivores.
Omnivores' are 4-6 times the length of their body. Why? Because meat cannot be in the digestive tract as long.
The time taken for digestion of meat (even if they are cooked) is more than the naturally allowed digesting time, and this can result to cancer.

And yet, the meat eating caucasian lives longer than the vegetarian South Asian. Reportedly, the South Asian body is six times more prone to diabetes than the Caucasian.

In any event, this is a digression. We are not talking about vegetarianism for health or social reasons. This is about religion.

the process is gradual, and later they could become omnivours like humans. Unlike other omnivorous animals, human animals are not capable to digest unprocessed meat.

Humans can and do live on raw meat. There was a whole study to analysse the "raw meat" diet after noticing that that the Inuit did not have many of the common diesases. But again, this is a digression.

it is duty that to recommend to others everything those are good.

So now are we recommending this diet beause it is "good" or because it is part of my personal religion? The two are completely different reasons. The original poster was saying Hindus should be vegetarian for religious reasons - not to avoid cancer.

there is no such deed, pls quote the source.

When animals are slaughtered for food or sacrifice, there is a prayer to send it straight to heaven. And that can be argued to be Punya. In fact, the Lokayatikas criticized Brahmanas for their animal sacrifices using the same logic - if you really believe that the animal you are killing is going to heaven, then why don't you sacrifice your father?

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

And yet, the meat eating caucasian lives longer than the vegetarian South Asian. Reportedly, the South Asian body is six times more prone to diabetes than the Caucasian.

The biggest indicator of life expectancy is in door plumbing. All north American Caucasians have it many South Asians dont

Also Berkeley California has a life expediency of 83 years old, much higher then most of America. I heard a doctor say that it was due to a healthy life style that includes eating less meat. It's a very liberal area with lots of Vegetarians and many Vegetarian only places to eat.

About the diabetes

Scientists have found a positive association between the amount of red meat consumed and a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. And if you think that's easily explained away by the higher fat intake, forget it.

In the study, researchers made statistical adjustments to rule out the effects of certain factors--age, body mass index, total energy intake, exercise, alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, dietary fiber, magnesium, glycemic load, total dietary fat and family history of diabetes.

In the final analysis, a greater quantity of red meat--and especially of processed meat--in the diet was still significantly related to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

The almost-9-year study was published in the September 2004 issue of Diabetes Care, and it involved 37, 309 women over age 45.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FKA/is_12_66/ai_n7576823/

I am not telling anybody to give up meat. At the same time meat eaters should not tell me vegetarianism is a useless endeavor.

 

[kaisersose]

Yes, God created a world that functions on the laws of karma. So there is inevitable suffering and rebirth. The Hindu lives to be liberated from the material nature. Hence limiting the suffering and killing of others, which results in more and more births. That is why it confuses me that any Hindu would think that eating meat is compatible with the path to Realisation.

There is no indication that meat-eating will result in more births.

The Jains take a lot of pains to not kill insects and smaller forms of life. For this reason, they prefer not to eat root vegetables - least the process of digging these vegetables out will result in the deaths of several forms of life.

But even the most devout vegetarian Hindu/Vaishnava does not share this concern. They are just not as interested as Jains in saving souls. Now if you believe the Jain will have fewer births than the HIndu, then it would be better to become a Jain. Either way, you can see how the vegetarian Hindu does not have a one-up over a meat-eating Hindu.

I would say diet and time required for liberation are not connected at all.