Being Vegetarian

[kunjuppu]

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gana

i was reminded of 'கொன்றால் பாவம் தின்றால் தீரும்'.

eating meat or alcohol appears to be the trend of times. or perhaps, it was always there, and there is less inhibition in TB doing all this in the open?

i have know folks, who used to swear by beefsteak years ago, who on reaching middle age, have turned themselves into munis.

i also know of TB in their seventies, who enjoy a well cooked chicken and scotch.

these are personal habits, which is best ignored. i do not think the society should meddle in the personal culinary habits of people, whether be it, in the name of religion or sin.

thank you.

 

[ambes]

non vegetarians are turning vegetarian but on the other hand vegetarians have become meat eaters. many in our community have become meat eaters

 

[vijisesh]

Interestingly , some of the people who call themselves vegetarians have their dependence on the antibiotics / other allopathy medicines , which could have a wide range of non vegetarian foods coming right from the animals !!

What say ! Resort to ayurveda / homeopath ??

And another important thing that may add value to this topic .. if there's any dietician in this forum , could he highlight the PROTEIN requirements for a CHILD and how much channa and kidney beans could compensate on par with FISH or other non veg products !

GOD has given one life , to stay healthy , eat what you like , any creature moving in land , swimming across the seas or rivers or flying in the open sky !

But do your prayers before and after eating the poor creature !-- prayers like " May the soul of the poor creature rest in peace and the you can rest the remains of the creature in your dish amidst peas "

 

[GopalaswamyShridharan]

Shree Vijisesh,

This prayer Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba has asked devotees to say before one eats annam;Thank You !.

The meaning of Brahmaarpanam Mantra. It is as under:

Brahmaarpanam Brahma Havir
Brahmaagnau Brahmanaa Hutam
Brahmaiva Tena Gantavyam
Brahma Karma Samaadhinaha

The whole creation being the gross projection of Bramham, the Cosmic Consciousness itself; the food too is Bramham, the process of offering it is Bramhan; it is being offered in the fire of Brahman. He who thus sees Brahman is action, reaches Bramham alone.

Aham Vaishvaanaro Bhutva
Praaninaam Dehamaashritha
Praanaapaana Samaa Yuktaha
Pachaamyannam Chatur Vidam

I, the Supreme Spirit, abiding in the body of living beings as the Fire (Vaiswanara) in their stomach I am associated with their Praana and Apaana, digest the four type of foods (solids, fluids, semi-fluid and liquid) which they eat.

Reference: Daily Prayers to Bhagwan compiled by Smt. Kausalya Rani Raghwan.

gopal.

 

[vijisesh]

Sorry Mr.gopal , don't get me wrong !

I feel this prayer would be too long and i fear losing concentration and devotion as the first look at the food will make the mouth water and the brain will be given the command to jump into action -- so a short prayer like " Thank GOD would suffice !"

After all there's a true belief that " Dhaney Dhaney pe likha hai khaney waley ka naam " implying that GOD has decided to atmost precision "Which Grain has to go to whom !" and if one keeps praying and thankgiving all the all time to GOD , when does he have the time to ENJOY LIFE , the Great gift of GOD ??
We better go by our logic sense rather than copy paste someone's thoughts !
Anyway opinions differ and it's a free world for one to chose what he desires !

I don't really think GOD would be such a dictator , expecting you to say Thanks and Sorry all the time , he should be more like a mother , providing you with LOVE and affection , without any great expectations - only reciprocation or sharing love with all fellow beings !!

 

[pbkhema]

The original Vedic Brahmins were eating non veg items.As I have saidin my earlier post the Grihya Sutras give along list of items that is forbidden and should not be eaten.From the lengthy negative list you can certainly conclude they were not strice vegetarians.Notonly Saraswat Brahmins but many other communities are also not strict vegetarian

 

[sadasivam.sridharan]

Why non vegetarian food?

I cannot understand why people who are supposed to be vegetarians clamour for non vegetarian stuff when the vegetarian food gives same amount of nutrients.Is it that they want to show off they are different from rest of the vegetarians and revolutionaries?
S.Sridharan

 

[RVR]

Vegetarianism is practiced not only by our community but also by several other communities. Parents are the route cause of the problem. Certain parents of our community are deliberately making their children eat non-vegetarian citing reasons that if they go abroad they will have problems. On the contrary, gujarathis, marvadis and jains are following their traditions strictly and they don't touch even onion, garlic etc.

It is hightime, awareness is created among our community that we are not inferior to anybody just because we are eating vegetarian diet.

எண்ணாயிரம் ஆண்டு யோகம் இருப்பினும் கண்ணார் அமுதனை கண்டறிவாரில்லை உள் நாடி ஒளி பெற உள்ளே நோக்கினார் கண்ணாடி போல கலந்து நின்றானே

 

[kunjuppu]

I cannot understand why people who are supposed to be vegetarians clamour for non vegetarian stuff when the vegetarian food gives same amount of nutrients.Is it that they want to show off they are different from rest of the vegetarians and revolutionaries?
S.Sridharan

sri,

not sure what you mean by 'people who are supposed to be vegetarians'.

don't we chant vedas which are ageless. is there not enough evidence and included in the chants about meat eating?

so, the current day, TBS have selectively given up meat eating but have clung on to the vedas, in selective instances.

i am quite sure, you would not want the details of an aswamedha yaagam. not very pleasing to our current sensitivites.

if you do not wish to eat meat, that is ok. if someone else wants to do so, it is their business.

vegetarianism has its own followers among the ex-meat eaters for various reasons, mostly due to health or ethics.

i have also found, that many TB meat eaters when young, appear to have a change of heart when they reach their fifties. i attribute it solely to the ticking clock before curtain time and perhaps the fear of meeting our ultimate Judge.

Thank You.

 

[GopalaswamyShridharan]

re

vijisesh,

I have not mis-understood you sir.A prayer is a prayer,as long or as short,if the intent is gratitude towards god the all compassionate one,it does not matter.Thank You !

gopal.

 

[Brahmanyan]

Without going into the merits and demerits of the Vegetarianism I wish to express my opinion on the subject, Whether Brahmins were eating meat and drank intoxicants? The answer is simple "Yes". All the four major Gruhya sutras, Manu smrithi andsome other scriptures mention in detail the dos and don'ts in selection of animals for meat.

Dealing on the subject "Is Sacrificial Killing Justified?" Sri Kanchi Paramacharya explains in detail on the importance of Yagnas mentions " One is enjoined to perform twenty one sacrifices. These are three types Pakayajna, haviryajna and Soma yajna. In each catagory there are seven subdivisions. In all the seven Pakayajnas as well as in the first five haviryajnas there is no animal sacrifice. It is only from the sixth haviryajnas onwards (it is called "nirudhapasubandha") that animals are sacrified."

But the advent of Jainism from North and the Saivism or Saiva Sidhanta from South must have had their social impact to change the food habits of Brahmins considerably. It is common to see the word Saiva is attached to the high Castes like Vellalas, Mudalis and Pillaimar who are strict vegetarians.

Culture is continuous refinement, that happens in the Society we live which includes food habits also. During the course of change in food habit Brahmins must have understood the importance of Vegetarianism and adopted it.

By the way it is refreshing to see posts of Sri Vijisesh after a period of silence.

Regards,
Brahmanyan.

 

[kunjuppu]

By the way it is refreshing to see posts of to Sri Vijisesh after a period of silence.

Regards,
Brahmanyan.

...ooops i forgot my manners.

welcome back viji and hope your posts here will many more than rain drops in chennai during november

 

[sadasivam.sridharan]

People supposed to be vegetarians are the ones who have never touched meat for generations even if their fore fathers had been eating this kind of stuff hundreds of years ago.I only feel that there is no need to start afresh meat eating, as Shri.R.Venkataramani has put it, by encouraging the youngsters to take up non vegetarian stuff eating for the reason that they may not face any difficulty when they go abroad.There is absolutely no difficulty on this score,if one is determined to be vegetarian and convinced about this.I have seen myself many youngsters in the US who remain pure vegetarians, healthy and happy.
S.Sridharan

 

[narayanancdm]

Dear,

The GUNAS (character, etc..) are decided through the intake of foods....

As per yogic practice there are three classification as SATVIC, THAMASIC, RAJASIC DIET.

Through yoga, they adviced to follow SATVIC DIET which means "well balanced easily digestable foods".

Having THAMASIC foods leads to lazyness...

And about RAJASIC foods which is equal to FOOD OF KING like leads to the mental modification like a dominant, ruler, adament qualities...

Mostly having of SATVIC (e.g., fruits, fresh green leaves, fresh vegetables, nuts,....) does not interfere our physical as well as psychological states....

So, being a vegetarian is not a problem for anyone, i think.

Regards....

:first:

Narayanan

 

[RVR]

There are certain animals which are by nature vegetarian. Cow, Elephant, Monkey are all vegetarian and we worship them as equivalent to God.

There is nothing wrong in being vegetarian.

எண்ணாயிரம் ஆண்டு யோகம் இருப்பினும் கண்ணார் அமுதனை கண்டறிவாரில்லை உள் நாடி ஒளி பெற உள்ளே நோக்கினார் கண்ணாடி போல கலந்து நின்றானே

 

[sadasivam.sridharan]

It is sad to see the aversion shown by such animals like monkey.elephant and cow towards meat is absent with some of us in our community.With firm conviction and determination, I don't think it will be difficult to shun the habit of meat eating.
S.Sridharan

 

[kunjuppu]

folks,

i cannot but help noticing the creeping sense of intolerance shown against meat eaters.

particularly towards the nonveggies come of our community, there appears to be a sense of betrayal and outrage.

atleast that is the feeling i get from reading some of the posts.

i agree that the vegetarian alternative is a good form of healthy living. we can balance our diet and eat nutritious yet tasty foods.

in fact, north america, that i know, is perhaps the mecca for vegetarians. not only can we get our own indian food varieties, but there are other legumes and fruits unknown to india.

also, there are other schools of tasty veggie cooking like mexican, italian, spanish, chinese or simple salads/sandwiches.

having said that, i think, if someone wants to partake of dead animals, let him or do so. we cannot approach someone else' s food habits with a righteousness born out of intolerance.

how can we expect others to tolerate our idiosyncracies if we don't do likewise to others.

live and let live, i say.

i think that there is no evidence to foods causing ill health.

my own immediate family has known all the diseases and ills of modern times. all of them parisudha vegetarians (no eggs either) and teetotalers.

ills are the lotteries of life. if you have good health, appreciate it as a gift.

i think one should not take a holier than thou attitude towards folks who are unlike us, especially when it comes to food and religion.

not only is it a bad attitude, but such commissions will come back haunt us another time.

thank you.

 

[KRS]

Sorry Sri S. Sridharan Ji. Of the three species of animals you have mentioned, only the elephant is herbivore. Even a cow is not a confirmed 'vegetarian'. Monkeys as a species are omnivores, so are the humans.

I don't understand the 'morality' attached to being a vegetarian. While it is agreed that foods can be classified according to three gunas, even within vegetarian diet, there are items that would produce either Rajasic or Tamasic guna influences. It can not be said that all vegetarian diet is Sattvic.

One has to view diet as ones own choice. I do not attach any 'morality' to it.

Regards,
KRS

 

[RVR]

Food habits change with changing times and places. We cannot have hard and fast rules. For example, when I was in village, Suraikai (Bottle guard) was never touched by our community in the whole village. However my wife (origin - Delhi) started including it in our dishes and I have no other option:laugh: but to accept it.

I don't know why Suraikai is not used by our community since it is only a vegetable.

எண்ணாயிரம் ஆண்டு யோகம் இருப்பினும் கண்ணார் அமுதனை கண்டறிவாரில்லை உள் நாடி ஒளி பெற உள்ளே நோக்கினார் கண்ணாடி போல கலந்து நின்றானே

 

[sadasivam.sridharan]

Morality or absence of it in meat eating lies in what one thinks about killing an innocent animal just satisfy one's palate.

I was just waiting for bus near a butchers shop. I could not but notice a customer asking for a fresh chicken.After the bargain,the butcher picked up a caged chicken which was sleepy unaware of its doomed fate.He took it inside despite its meek protest. Immediately I could hear its frantic cries of pain and torture for 2 minutes and then followed the silence of death.The shop man handed over the chicken in a pocket to the waiting customer for his consumption.

Though I could not bear the sight,unfortunately I could move out of the place as the bus was expected any time.

Though the sight was haunting me, I consoled myself thinking that the chicken must have been a customer in its poorva janma for a chicken which is now its customer.

S.Sridharan

 

[KRS]

Dear Sri Sridharan Ji,

You raise an excellent point that is being discussed widely, mainly driven by vegetarians and animal rights activists. But whether killing an animal for food (captive or hunted) by humans is immoral as defined by standards we live by today, when discussed has the following points:

The points against killing is based on the principle of 'ahimsa' alone, a concept that treats all living beings as 'equals' and therefore does not permit killing, and also the notion that since vegetarianism provides all the nutrients why one should 'unnecessarily' kill.

The points for not treating the killing for food as 'immoral' are based on the following points:

1. Man is omnivorous from the beginning (with the requisite teeth and digestive systems) and therefore, meat is part of the natural diet. So, the right to 'taste' and enjoy the meat (and the like) is natural. In fact almost all cultures have developed various ways of cooking such meats, just to enjoy a very important aspect of food - taste.

2. Animals, therefore are there to be eaten along with other vegetarian fare in every culture.

3. Killing of an animal for food should be distinguished from killing of an animal for other reasons (sports etc.).

4. While we can see the animal's anguish while dying, we do not see or hear a vegetable's death or the anguish of the microbes we kill every time we breathe, because we are not equipped to do so.

As a society then, we need to understand that a right was given to man from the beginning to hunt and eat. So, if someone does not want to eat animals, it is one's personal choice, not connected to any of society's morality. It may even be a 'religious' belief, but no broad 'immorality' can be claimed.

This is why, in a diverse country where there are beef eating people exist, no one has the right to deny such people the supply of beef, based on someone's religious notion of protecting the cows, for example.

Hope this explains.

Regards,
KRS

 

[GopalaswamyShridharan]

re

Best info by Shree KRS.Whether being non-vegetarian or vegetarian,is totally left to individuals and each vedantik schools norms.Thank you.

gopal.

 

[sadasivam.sridharan]

Dear KRS ji
Thanks for your valuable explanation. My concern is not about the people who are habituated to eating meat.They can not change their habit unless some miracle happens to give up the same as it has happened to many people in India and abroad.I only wish the elders who are vegetarians do not encourage their siblings to take up this habit, whatever may be the reason .
S.Sridharan

 

[GopalaswamyShridharan]

re

Dear KRS ji
Thanks for your valuable explanation. My concern is not about the people who are habituated to eating meat.They can not change their habit unless some miracle happens to give up the same as it has happened to many people in India and abroad.I only wish the elders who are vegetarians do not encourage their siblings to take up this habit, whatever may be the reason .
S.Sridharan

Shree Sridharan,

Many people are vegetarians in the world.I do not think our elders are encouraging youngsters to eat meat.Because of peer pressure youngster are indulging and also the notion being its'modern' to be hip.To rebel against established norms,culture,is yet another.Best thing is to encourage the plus points of vegetarianism.Its impractical for humans to be fully vegetarians,in my perspective.Otherwise animals will lord over us and we have to run helter skelter..

gopal.

 

[RVR]

Environmentalists are advocating vegetarianism to prevent global warming. Dr.Pachauri, Nobel prize winner has published lot of articles stating that vegetarianism prevents global warming.

http://www.ivu.org/members/globalwarming.html

The above website has lot of information on global warming and how to prevent it by advocating vegetarian diet