Spirit of a Vegetarian

- Inspired by lunch/dinner table discussions

Almost at all lunch/dinner table, this is the most frequent discussion that I find myself engaged into- a subject I sincerely feel for and want to work for in future – the right of animals to live on our planet. Should we be a vegetarian adhering to what shastra calls satvik bhojan or should we satify our taste buds by chopping animals. I try to bring out my thoughts here with the help of key findings from some research reports and anecdotal evidences. I have also tried to compliment thee findings with some of the religious beliefs that are embedded into their respective spiritual fabric.

Let me begin this with an anecdote - Once George Bernard Shaw was very ill and the doctors said that unless he started taking meat and meat soup, he would die. As he was a strict vegetarian, he refused to follow the doctor’s advice. Medical experts warned him that there was no guarantee that he would survive the illness if he would not take their advice on a suitable diet. Shaw called his personal secretary and in the presence of his doctors, dictated his will – “I solemnly declare that it is my last wish that when I’m no longer a captive of this physical body, my coffin when carried to the graveyard be accompanies by mourners of the following categories: first birds, second sheep, lambs and cows and other animals of the kind, third, live fish in an aquarium. Each of these mourners should carry a placard bearing the inscription “O Lord! Be gracious to our benefactor, G B Shaw, who gave his life for saving ours.”

I am a proud Indian and a proud Hindu. Hinduism has always had a way to deal with all aspects of life – be it through the four tier societal system or the stages of life and the orientation to life in all the respective ages. Most major paths of Hinduism hold vegetarianism as an ideal. The three main reasons for this are : the principle of nonviolence (ahimsa) applied to animals; the intention to offer only "pure" (vegetarian) food to a deity and then to receive it back as prasad and the conviction that non-vegetarian food is detrimental for the mind and for spiritual development.

Jainism is one religious idea that has vociferously appealed to all in favor of a vegetarian diet. Followers of Jainism believe that everything from animals to inanimate objects have life in different degree and they go to great lengths to minimise any harm to it. Most Jains are lacto-vegetarians but more devout Jains do not eat root vegetables because this would involve the killing of plants. Instead they focus on eating beans and fruits, whose cultivation do not involve killing of plants. No products obtained from dead animals are allowed. Jains hold self termination from starvation as the ideal state and some dedicated monks do perform this act of self annihilation. This is for them an indispensable condition for spiritual progress. Some particularly dedicated individuals are fruitarians. Honey is forbidden, because its collection is seen as violence against the bees. Some Jains do not consume plant parts that grow underground such as roots and bulbs, because tiny animals may be killed when the plants are pulled up. This is a sublime thought of highest degree.

Those were the religious aspects (which I strongly believe have had scientific rationale attached to them). However, to those who would want to delve into the realm of what they would call “real” and “modern” science let me try to cover this subject. While science teaches that all matter is composed of various combinations of chemical elements of the periodic table, the ancient scriptures of the East introduce a further dimension of knowledge. They tell of a life force within the various life forms - man, animal, bird, reptile, and plant. The least life force is found in the plants. To explain this, the scriptures speak of five creative and component qualities which are water, earth, fire, air, and ether.

Man's body is said to contain all five qualities, and he is considered to be the highest and most valued in creation. The killing of one's fellow man is regarded as the most heinous crime and in history it has merited capital punishment. The next in value are the quadrupeds and beasts which have four qualities, with ether being absent, or forming a negligible portion. According to most laws, killing of an animal usually entails a penalty equal to the price of the animal in question. The third category includes birds which have three active qualities in them - water, fire, and air. If someone kills a stray bird, he usually goes scot-free, and if a "protected" bird is killed the hunter may have to pay a small penalty for it. Lesser still is the value of reptiles, worms, and insects which have only two active qualities, earth and fire as the other three qualities exist in a dormant form. The death of this species of life does not involve any penalty according to most of the laws in this world. The least value is placed on roots, vegetables, and fruits which contain only the quality of water in an active state.

Thus, ethically speaking, the vegetarian or fruitarian diet is least pain producing, and by adopting it, man contracts the least karmic debt. Sarmad, a seventeenth century Sufi of Jewish origin, expressed the same truth in the simplest of words: "The Light of Life, which is the Lord, is dormant in the mineral world, is in the dream-state in the vegetable world, awakens in the animal world, and comes to full consciousness in man."

A major report published by the World Cancer Research Fund in 1997 recommended we lower our risk of cancer by choosing predominantly plant-based diets rich in a variety of vegetables and fruits, legumes and minimally processed starchy staple foods, and to limit the intake of grilled, cured and smoked meats and fish. Over 200 studies have revealed that a regular consumption of fruits and vegetables provides significant protection against cancer at many sites.

I somehow cannot understand the hypocritical nature of those who eat animals and at the same time would love reading/watching animated animal videos with exclamatory remarks of “How cute!” They probably find it cuter as a prospective diner. What goes through their minds all the time – Delicacy? A friend of mine has a dog who she claims she loves more than…well almost everyone, however, non vegetarian diet forms an important part of her daily life ( perhaps barring the religious day of Tuesday – here also, either you believe in religious preaching or you do not. Consistency would either want you to eat them on any day or not at all).Her ‘love for animals’ is but a lie – she is conditioned to loving the canine by virtue of it living under the same roof.

You cannot love birds and slurp at the sight of a marinated chicken at the same time! Empathy is a long lost virtue – an aspect that gave additional meaning to us being Human (a superior species). One of the shows on Discovery was showing how an animal on his voyage to a distant land came across a corpse of his ancestor – and instead of continuing with the journey, he paid his homage before leaving. Many instances show how well these animals lead their community life with friends and families – we take that away from them; their right to enjoy their mother’s warmth, to live with their brothers & sisters, to hug their father on a certain feat. Try to fill their shoes, try and imagine how would you feel – you wake up on a pleasant morning to be guillotined or see your loved ones go under knife. We screamed watching Hannibal; they scream daily. There are many atrocities committed on these innocent animals – hunting for fun , killing for fur and other economic ‘necessities’ ; let us for a start not indulge in killing them for our tummy’s sake.