As a Brahmin, is it wrong for me to try non veg?

[zebra16]

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Thats why personally I fast every Monday and Thursday from dawn to dusk..only have a predawn meal and post dusk meal and no food and water in between.

I remember to have read in some medical journals that as we are prone to sleep and very little physical activity at night, one should eat as little as possible at night. How does this post dusk meal (I would think it would be a full meal as you would be terribly hungry as you had the last food morsel before dawn) get squared with normal health suggestions of eating as little as possible at night.

Also about fasting on specific days in a week (like Monday and Thursday) you quoted, wont the body generate the necessary acids even on the fasting days. required to digest the food we usually consume on other days? What happens to those acids and wont we become more acidic?

 

[renuka]

I remember to have read in some medical journals that as we are prone to sleep and very little physical activity at night, one should eat as little as possible at night. How does this post dusk meal (I would think it would be a full meal as you would be terribly hungry as you had the last food morsel before dawn) get squared with normal health suggestions of eating as little as possible at night.

Also about fasting on specific days in a week (like Monday and Thursday) you quoted, wont the body generate the necessary acids even on the fasting days. required to digest the food we usually consume on other days? What happens to those acids and wont we become more acidic?

believe me its nothing like that.
The whole day I do not even think of water or food and had even gone hiking once yet felt no hunger or thirst when I was fasting sans water and food.

the enzymes only come out if there is something that stimulates the gastric mucosa either by drinks of food.

Thats why the fasts that allows water but no food makes one very hungry and gastric juices would be out cos liquids too stimulate the apetite.

If you go sans water and food from roughly 5.30am to 7.30pm you dont really feel hungry or thirsty.

Also its a good practice cos it trains your mind to control your body.
The mind decides "No food and water" and the body has to follow...hunger/thirst totally disappears...and one plus point is you wont feel like talking much..so its good for nagging wives and nagging husbands..they will shut up!LOL

the trick is to eat light for both meals..pre dawn and post dawn.
The body cant really eat much after it has fasted for 14 hours.

 

[vasuent]

Dear Sir,

Let me help you here from the medical point of view.

Sometimes when our bodies have strange cravings that too cravings that are not in accordance to our culture it could be an underlying medical issue.

When the body is low on Iron stores or there is occult(hidden) blood loss the body starts to crave high iron containing food especially meat.
Also if your Liver Function Tests shows Low Total Protein a person starts to crave non veg.

Low Thyroid functions too can cause food cravings to ramp up the Basal Metabolic Rate.
If you are diabetic and are in a state of catabolism..some crave non veg to prevent tissue wasting.

As a medical doctor I advise you to see a doctor and get yourself tested.

Dont worry about God ..I remember before someone had asked in Forum is God Veg or Non Veg and a member replied that "it depends if God is waiting outside an Udipi Hotel or Muniandi Vilas"

So just look into your health as soon as possible.

Food is only how practiced by the community and family. There is nothing like what you say as cravings. I am a doctor practicing successfully for 30 years. We can always justify what ever we do especially in the name of nutrition and health. This forum is about brahmins and their culture. Unfortunately the brahmins are apparently conservative but when it comes to change they change more drastically than other people. I remember when students who usually take mutton and chicken protested beef in the mess our boys were eating pork.( Similarly when there is honour killing between two Hindu communities our people celebrate marrying a negro,this another topic which also be justified by people like you)
In the reply to me you mentioned about my dynocer reference, we are not in discussion on history or orgin of life on Earth. It was not a jocular mention.
Turning vegetarians is the progressive thinking. World celebrities become vegetarians. More to vegens. I will find out and tell you about starting from snakes to frogs what should be taken various ailments as prescribed by lower levels of medical practitioners. Medicine has become commercial that we suggest tests for even healthy people. My father is 90 years old. He has a tomour of epigottis suggested radiotherapy,refused to take radiotherapy and lives normally for two years and four vessel block 6 years lives with out medications.
I have also deviated from our main topic. We can always justify everything quoting examples. I am sure you will support alcohol everyday is good for health. Our forum is to control if not bring back the traditional beliefs and habits.

Dear Sir,

Let me help you here from the medical point of view.

Sometimes when our bodies have strange cravings that too cravings that are not in accordance to our culture it could be an underlying medical issue.

When the body is low on Iron stores or there is occult(hidden) blood loss the body starts to crave high iron containing food especially meat.
Also if your Liver Function Tests shows Low Total Protein a person starts to crave non veg.

Low Thyroid functions too can cause food cravings to ramp up the Basal Metabolic Rate.
If you are diabetic and are in a state of catabolism..some crave non veg to prevent tissue wasting.

As a medical doctor I advise you to see a doctor and get yourself tested.

Dont worry about God ..I remember before someone had asked in Forum is God Veg or Non Veg and a member replied that "it depends if God is waiting outside an Udipi Hotel or Muniandi Vilas"

So just look into your health as soon as possible.

 

[vasuent]

I think it is a dangerous urge.
What if you develop an urge to taste Potassium Cyanide. or cobra venom, or exposure to locomotive hitting you head-on at full speed?

Apt reply

 

[vasuent]

Hello everyone, I am Eshwaran and just joined this community, there's something that I have always wanted to do but because of my beliefs I haven't been able to. I have a small urge to TRY non veg food just for me to be able to get a taste of it and have an experience. I follow Kanchi mahaperiyava's teaching, but will trying non veg make me be rejected by god? Is it wrong to just try for an experience?

I have wishes to god and everything is going smoothly and very thankful to that, but if I try non veg, will my prayers not be answered by god? Will he stop fulfilling my wishes? Will he forcefully take me to a path that will lead me to be a failure than the path he chose for me to be successful if I try non veg?

Please let me know, thank you.

Even if you are not a Brahmin don't try non veg. Just joking. Many have given good reply. Please don't take non vegetarian food.

 

[vasuent]

I

Dear Sir,

Dinosaurs existed before humans and become extinct much before humans came into existence.
Doctors do not tell to avoid non veg...mostly doctors go along cultural practices...so you would find docs in India or from Indian heritage saying to avoid non veg for some conditions but the same wont be said by docs of other cultures although a soft diet is always recommended.

In Malaysia the Chinese belief that during a fever one should avoid rice and eat wheat products instead.
Logically this doesnt jive in countries that only eat rice..so it could just be a traditional belief..so when my Chinese patients ask me "can i eat rice when I am having fever"...I just play the placebo effect and tell him/her that "well, you can follow traditional beliefs too if that helps you heal faster"

I dont tell him/her that eating rice or wheat makes no difference during a fever cos if I can get his/her mind to believe that he/she would heal faster half my battle is won.

If you read Ayurveda treatment at times for some ailments meat soup is recommended for some ailments.

So it always depends on the ailment and local beliefs.

When we are sick we generally eat less and appetite becos the body focuses of healing rather than digestion but not many people want to understand this and panic like hell when a person who is unwell doesnt eat as much and pump a sick person with all sorts of liquid food/drinks/soups.

If we observe animals we see that they do not eat during sickness and some cats even eat grass during sickness...animals listen to their bodies but we humans seldom want to listen to our bodies partly cos of the fear of losing weight.

From my personal experience I have seen patients from India always want a good appetite and wants all sorts of "tonics" and vitamins and an over attachment to food.

Thats why personally I fast every Monday and Thursday from dawn to dusk..only have a predawn meal and post dusk meal and no food and water in between.

When we fix our mind that our food and water would only be pre dawn and post dusk and do not think of water and food the whole day..we actually get so many things done and lessen our attachment to food.

A lot of ailments are related to over attachment to food...if we could lessen this attachment at least 2x a week you would see your health improve

BTW Jews have won the most nobel prizes and Jew are mostly not vegetarians and eat Kosher meat.

Japanese too eat lots of fish and they are such an advanced nation now with refined thinking and ethics and cleanliness.

So its hard to fully link food with intelligence.

I have replied separately. It isn't a discussion on medicine and health. It is to maintain our culture and tradition. Your examples are from various other countries which have different up bringing. Our people ask for tonics only because of our doctors have sensitized them about nutrition. Vegetarian food has everything when taken by our traditional methods not missing out many old habits. Dianocer is a joke,you are teaching me on paleontology.

 

[MEJV]

Hello everyone, I am Eshwaran and just joined this community, there's something that I have always wanted to do but because of my beliefs I haven't been able to. I have a small urge to TRY non veg food just for me to be able to get a taste of it and have an experience. I follow Kanchi mahaperiyava's teaching, but will trying non veg make me be rejected by god? Is it wrong to just try for an experience?

I have wishes to god and everything is going smoothly and very thankful to that, but if I try non veg, will my prayers not be answered by god? Will he stop fulfilling my wishes? Will he forcefully take me to a path that will lead me to be a failure than the path he chose for me to be successful if I try non veg?

Please let me know, thank you.

Ask yourself, if your conscience will permit and if you can live with yourself. If the answer is yes, go right ahead. We all set our own boundaries, and just have to be honest with ourselves. The policeman is within us, not imposed. Kanchi mahaperiyavals recommend and suggest what would help all of us, but its upto us to follow or not. Mahaperiyaval gave darshan even to a murderer once. God is always merciful and forgiving, but your Karma will determine the impact to you. Again, that is if you even believe in this concept. This is personal and everyone will have their own limits on what is permissible. We have varying degrees of Brahminism.

 

[v.s.rajamani]

It is not a question of Brahmin or Non Brahmin. No one should eat non veg. Vallalar the great saint lamented at withering plants. Mankind has no right to kill animals for eating. What harm have they done to you. Non veg eaters are eating the deadbody. When we have lot of vegetables, why go for non veg. Please propogate vegism. It is good for the body, mind and the soul.

 

[MEJV]

Agreed ... Instinctively we all know what is right or does not feel right. For those of us who travel the world and live overseas, the temptations are way too many. Every day our values and traditions get challenged, and it takes a lot more discipline and will power to not deviate. Harder still to instill our values and traditions within our children. We're rowing the boat against the currents, the environmental pressures are too strong. Through forums such as this one and building a strong support system, hopefully we can do the right thing. I'm speaking for myself.

 

[koottalai]

There are several reasons for avoiding non vegetarian food. Gunas are of three types -Satwa, Rajas and Tamas.
Tamas id darkness which does not see the light of God.It is like the black hole. Man gets the gunas through the food he intakes. ( of course due to inherited karma the bad gunas do exist in our mind).By being a vegetarian one can reduce the impact of bad gunas and increase Satwa which shows him the light of God called Ananda or True happiness. Its a free choice.One can remain ignorant and continue to be born in the 84 lakh yonis again and again.Its by fluke he gets one chance ass birth of human being in which he can try to attain NITYANANDA".IF he chooses to forego this rare opportunity it is his choice and no one else's fault.

 

[koottalai]

The gunas of the creature which was killed to make food do exist in that food and eater trends to react accordingly.If u observe the world and people carefully u can see the nature of all types of animals which a human eats. Atheism is nothing but ignorance of the true happiness There is no need to prove God because he is beyond human mind. What should be realized through the mind cannot be found out by physical experience. The story of King Trishanku is an example of this fact. Imagine he is still hanging there unable to redeem himself !

 

[LC Venkatrangan]

Hello everyone, I am Eshwaran and just joined this community, there's something that I have always wanted to do but because of my beliefs I haven't been able to. I have a small urge to TRY non veg food just for me to be able to get a taste of it and have an experience. I follow Kanchi mahaperiyava's teaching, but will trying non veg make me be rejected by god? Is it wrong to just try for an experience?

I have wishes to god and everything is going smoothly and very thankful to that, but if I try non veg, will my prayers not be answered by god? Will he stop fulfilling my wishes? Will he forcefully take me to a path that will lead me to be a failure than the path he chose for me to be successful if I try non veg?

Please let me know, thank you.

 

[Yadhunath]

Hi Eashwaran -

I think a certain perspective is needed here. A person should live by his consciousness....one's own consciousness guides him to what to do in life and what not to do. Your question can be answered from multiples levels, medically, pranic and yogic science-wise and religious ethics-wise.

Imagine there's a monk who chose to renounce everything and wears a saffron cloth in line with monk tradition and lives in a quiet place, let's say in the middle of forest. When he closes his eyes, a beautiful woman's frame appears every time and this proves to be a big distraction. The monk has renounced everything in physical terms, but mentally he's not renounced yet. Will you call him a true monk? Forget about what others call him. Is he at peace with himself? If he's not at peace with himself, what use he will be to himself and the society. It's best that a person renounces everything and once ready becomes a monk for otherwise it would become a torture.

It's best that you avoid eating non-veg, but then it's going to be a torture harbouring a wish and not going after it. Typically, our desires in this janma arise from vasanas (traits and tendencies) we carried in our previous birth. So, there are certain compulsive tendencies, which are pulling you or holding you back strongly.

The problem with Brahmin community especially these days is that everything is optional and it's up to the individual to decide. This freedom to decide is both a privilege and a pain depending on where you are in the journey and maturity scale. A brahmin by definition should do Sandhya Vandanam and mentally chant Gayatri at least once daily, if not twice. Once a man starts following that rule faithfully, the Brahmin tendencies will gradually take over and self-restraint develops gradually. The problem in today's society is that being Brahmin has become a license or privilege and people are content doing annual Avani Avittam and Gayatri,

Lastly, your contention of God not forgiving you or granting wishes is really silly, sorry to say so. Stop looking at God as some wish-fulfilling tree.

In no other culture in the world food is given so much importance as in Hindus. I like the way ISKCON spreads awareness of vegetarian food worldwide by distributing veg food in several places across the world. Upanishad says Annam is Brahman. We - our body and our mind - are made of what we eat. Vegetarian food is full of natural prana thanks to photosynthesis and chlorophyll process. Our tendencies, our thought process and eventually our Karma in this birth are all a fall-out of what we eat in a big way. I am not saying that's the only thing, but it plays a substantial role.

You have gathered enough responses now and I am sure you'll decide what is suitable to you.

 

[rbsridhar]

Hello everyone, I am Eshwaran and just joined this community, there's something that I have always wanted to do but because of my beliefs I haven't been able to. I have a small urge to TRY non veg food just for me to be able to get a taste of it and have an experience. I follow Kanchi mahaperiyava's teaching, but will trying non veg make me be rejected by god? Is it wrong to just try for an experience?

I have wishes to god and everything is going smoothly and very thankful to that, but if I try non veg, will my prayers not be answered by god? Will he stop fulfilling my wishes? Will he forcefully take me to a path that will lead me to be a failure than the path he chose for me to be successful if I try non veg?

Please let me know, thank you.

Here in earth every soul has a right to live. When you are not in a position to create a soul you have no right to destroy. Who can define eatable. It can be decided only by you. If I think faeces are eatable I can do so. No body has the right to prevent me from eating human faeces. It is my decision, I have a strong faith that it gives me good health, so I am doing it so. Nothing prevent me in eating anything and everything. But as per the brought up and teaching of my parents and ancestors I am just avoiding those and eat only pure vegetarian things. But none have the right to deny or prevent me from eating whatever I prefer.

 

[Mur61]

Hello everyone, I am Eshwaran and just joined this community, there's something that I have always wanted to do but because of my beliefs I haven't been able to. I have a small urge to TRY non veg food just for me to be able to get a taste of it and have an experience. I follow Kanchi mahaperiyava's teaching, but will trying non veg make me be rejected by god? Is it wrong to just try for an experience?

I have wishes to god and everything is going smoothly and very thankful to that, but if I try non veg, will my prayers not be answered by god? Will he stop fulfilling my wishes? Will he forcefully take me to a path that will lead me to be a failure than the path he chose for me to be successful if I try non veg?

Please let me know, thank you.

dear Eshwaran,
You might have heard of Kannappa Nainar who is a forest dweller and a tribal man and who lives by hunting and eating animals of forest. Even God was merciful to him and gave him darshan and moksha.. God tests only pure hearty and bakhthi and not the eating habits. But one thing you should note, Kannapa Nainar was not a brahmin by birth and had he born a brahmin, I assume he would not have resorted to killing and becoming a vegetarian.. Now coming to your question what makes you to yearn for non vegetarian food, Is it a taste or something you have not tried and want to try? My simple answer is if you feel guilty by eating that non vegetarian food, do not attempt.. After all I am a strict believer that peace of mind is what all that matters... If your peace of mind is shatterred by taking non vegetarian food do not attempt.. God do not come into picture at all.

 

[Brahmanyan]

The phrase "Ahimsa Paramo Dharma" is mentioned several times in the Mahabharata.
अहिंसा परमो धर्मः
धर्म हिंसा तथीव च
Non-violence is the ultimate dharma. So too is violence in service of Dharma.

The following extract is narrated by Sauti Muni talking about Rishi Sahasrapat telling Rishi Ruru about the characteristics of a Brahmana.
Verily the highest virtue of man is sparing the life of others. Therefore a Brahmana should never take the life of any creature.
A Brahmana should be versed in the Vedas and Vedangas, and should inspire all creatures with belief in God.
He should be benevolent to all creatures, truthful, and forgiving, even as it is his paramount duty to retain the Vedas in his memory.

The duties of the Kshatriya are not thine. To be stern, to wield the sceptre and to rule the subjects properly are the duties of the Kshatriya.

In the Anusasana Parva, Yudhisthira is asked by Lord Krishna to ask Bhishma any questions he may have as this will be his last opportunity to do so. Yudhisthira states that Bhishma has told him that 'ahimsa paramo dharma' and is asking about it in the context of conducting Sraddha in which meat is offered.

Yudhisthira asks how can killing be avoided if meat is to be offered in offering sraddha in honor of ancestors?
Bhishma answers by stating that absention from eating meat is a great sacrifice (yagnya) and provides many benefits. He goes on to state that numerous benefits of Ahimsa.
Here ahimsa is translated as abstention from cruelty in relation to killing for the sake of eating the flesh of the killed animal for personal pleasure. In essence, Bhishma is stating that it is very beneficial to be vegetarian because thereby there is no cruelty to animals.
(Edited from an article in Hindupedia .)

In today's world very few will fit in to define strictly as "Brahmana". But any one can follow the path of Ahimsa by abstaining from cruelty of killing an innocent life for the sake of personal pleasure.

Brahmanyan
Bangalore.

 

[seeker]

Hello everyone, I am Eshwaran and just joined this community, there's something that I have always wanted to do but because of my beliefs I haven't been able to. I have a small urge to TRY non veg food just for me to be able to get a taste of it and have an experience. I follow Kanchi mahaperiyava's teaching, but will trying non veg make me be rejected by god? Is it wrong to just try for an experience?

I have wishes to god and everything is going smoothly and very thankful to that, but if I try non veg, will my prayers not be answered by god? Will he stop fulfilling my wishes? Will he forcefully take me to a path that will lead me to be a failure than the path he chose for me to be successful if I try non veg?

Please let me know, thank you.

don't eat non veg as animals suffer when they die. develop compassion and u will know how non veg is bad for another sentient being.

 

[arya]

sri Mohankumar from Coimbatore has put it nicely. I do not think craving for something has anything to do with haemoglobin or serum electrolytes

 

[GNANA SUNYAM]

Jesus Christ ate fish.

Mohammed ate meat.

Sidhartha, a kshatriya who turned buddha, ate meat.

Vardhamana, a kshatriya who turned Mahaveera, ate meat.

Vishwamitra who was a kshatriya prior to becoming a brahma rishi, in all probability ate meat when he was king.

All the above people are now revered and venerated.

No TB now is a match for any of the above in divinity.

I wonder how meat eating would render one unholy and subject one to condemnation by God.

 

[GNANA SUNYAM]

I read written in a book that whatever goes inside through the mouth does not defile the body since whatever goes inside through the mouth comes out of the belly.

But whatever comes out through the mouth defiles the body for whatever comes out from the mouth comes from the heart viz blasphemy, lies, evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses and these defile a man.

 

[GNANA SUNYAM]

Brahmins of bygone era abstained from meat because they lived as brahmins performing the karma mandated by the dharma for brahmins. such lifestyle necessitated abstaining from meat.

Is there any brahmin of current times who can rightfully claim that he/she lives the life of a brahmin as prescribed in the scriptures?

 

[Mur61]

pp

Jesus Christ ate fish.

Mohammed ate meat.

Sidhartha, a kshatriya who turned buddha, ate meat.

Vardhamana, a kshatriya who turned Mahaveera, ate meat.

Vishwamitra who was a kshatriya prior to becoming a brahma rishi, in all probability ate meat when he was king.

All the above people are now revered and venerated.

No TB now is a match for any of the above in divinity.

I wonder how meat eating would render one unholy and subject one to condemnation by God.

Reply : The answer lies in your statement itself... They were meat eaters prior to become vegetarians and holy men... Hope you have understood my answer in a correct manner...

 

[a-TB]

Brahmins of bygone era abstained from meat because they lived as brahmins performing the karma mandated by the dharma for brahmins. such lifestyle necessitated abstaining from meat.

Is there any brahmin of current times who can rightfully claim that he/she lives the life of a brahmin as prescribed in the scriptures?

Not sure what your agenda is

 

[zebra16]

But whatever comes out through the mouth defiles the body for whatever comes out from the mouth comes from the heart viz blasphemy, lies, evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses and these defile a man.

So, when a person recites a slOkA, when he does veda pArAyaNam, when he/she reads Bhagwat Geeta or when he/she sings a Bhajan or Bhakti Sangeet, he /she defiles the entire body?

One should be careful of taking an absolutist position especially when it pertains to the area of God, Almighty or Universe etc. which are not fully known to the human kind. Also comparisons and abstracts given by someone cannot be applied mutatis mutandis to all situations.

 

[GNANA SUNYAM]

So, when a person recites a slOkA, when he does veda pArAyaNam, when he/she reads Bhagwat Geeta or when he/she sings a Bhajan or Bhakti Sangeet, he /she defiles the entire body?

One should be careful of taking an absolutist position especially when it pertains to the area of God, Almighty or Universe etc. which are not fully known to the human kind. Also comparisons and abstracts given by someone cannot be applied mutatis mutandis to all situations.

this is the problem here, mis understanding.

please read carefully. those vices mentioned in the list in my post defile the body. not everything that comes out.

both good and bad come out of the mouth. the bad defiles the body. the good sanctifies the body.