Interesting philosophy of eating veges and karma

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Laws Ordaining Food

Nature's law is that one living being exists by eating another. The

scriptures give regulations for human life and set aside certain foods

for human beings. That quota is divided into six categories, namely

vegetables, fruits, milk products, grains, sugar and nuts. With these

six ingredients we can maintain our health very well, far better than

meat eaters maintain their health. Vegetarians are more healthy than

meat eaters, and their endurance is greater, although they may not have

brute strength. Just consider that the elephant is a powerful animal,

yet he never eats even a scrap of meat.

 

Principle of Non-violence

The Bible says, " Thou shalt not kill, " but everywhere people are

slaughtering animals and eating them. All religious scriptures promote

non-violence as the first principle of religious life. Whatever we see

is created by God. No one has the right to kill anything or anyone,

because no one can create anything. We cannot create an animal. We

cannot create even a mosquito, so we should not kill even a mosquito.

Spiritual life means non-violence. Animals should be protected. This is

confirmed in the Bible:

 

 

Whatever you do unto the least of my brothers, you do it unto me.

(Matthew 25:40)

You shall not eat the fat of any ox or sheep or goat. Although the fat

of an animal that has died naturally or was killed by wild beasts may be

used in any other way, you may under no circumstances eat it. For

whoever eats the fat of an animal offered as a sacrifice to the Lord, he

shall be cut off from his people. Moreover, wherever you dwell, you

shall not eat any blood, whether of bird or animal. Whoever eats any

blood shall be cut off from his people. (Leviticus 7:22-27)

 

And God said, " See, I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of

the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit to be your food.

And to all the animals of the land, birds of the air, and living things

which crawl on the ground, I give them all green plants as food. " Then

God looked at everything He had made and found it to be good. (Genesis

1:29-31)

 

To kill an ox is like slaying a man; sacrificing a lamb, like breaking a

dog's neck. (Isaiah 66:3-4)

 

Exceptions to the Rule

GUEST: Jesus himself ate fish and drank wine and called it his own

blood.

 

HANSADUTTA: Jesus did not eat ordinary fish. With two fish and seven

loaves of bread he fed five thousand people, and afterwards there were

seven basketfuls left over. These were not ordinary activities. We

should follow Jesus's instructions--not imitate his activities. Jesus

walked on the water, but we cannot do that. On the coast of the Sea of

Galilee in the desert of Palestine, there was not anything else to eat.

They ate fish out of necessity. However, we are not in that situation.

We have so many fruits, vegetables, grains, milk, sugar and nuts. If it

is a matter of survival, we can eat anything. But if the situation is

plentiful, we have to follow the order of the scriptures. Even in civil

law, if it is a matter of saving someone from danger, we may do

something illegal. We may break the speed limit or go down a one-way

street. We may even break into another man's house to wake him up or to

get something to put out a fire. That is an emergency. Under normal

conditions, we have to accept the scriptural injunctions.

 

 

Karmic Reactions

There is also the problem of karma. The Bible confirms: " As you sow, so

shall you reap. " The Lord is not pleased with people who are so

heartless as to directly or indirectly slaughter innocent animals. The

Lord said:

 

 

Of what use are all your sacrifices to Me? I have had enough of the

roasted carcasses of rams and of the fat of fattened beasts. I take no

pleasure in the blood of calves, lambs and goats . . . When you spread

out your hands, I close My eyes to you; despite however much you pray, I

will not listen. Your hands are full of blood! Wash yourselves clean!

Put away your misdeeds from before My eyes and stop doing evil. (Isaiah

1:11, 1:15-16)

How can anyone say animals have no soul? It is such people who have no

soul.

 

First Offer to God

In order to eat something, we have to kill it, but the Lord is so kind

that He gives us certain types of foodstuffs to prepare, and if we offer

them to Him, there will be no reaction. Even a vegetarian is sinful,

because he has to kill a cauliflower or a lettuce plant, which is also

living. If he kills it and eats it without offering it to Krishna, he

has to take the sinful reaction. He is stealing, because the

cauliflower, lettuce and potatoes belong to Krishna. Everything belongs

to the Lord. Since every living being lives by eating another living

being, Krishna has set aside certain foodstuffs: " These you may eat. You

may prepare them, offer them to Me and then you may take. " There will be

no reaction--in fact, you will receive spiritual benefit!

 

GUEST: If a person can eat without actually killing the roots, isn't

that better? Isn't it better to eat the fruit of a tree or the leaves of

a plant without killing it?

 

HANSADUTTA: Even within that fruit and leaf there are living cells.

First of all, the fruit belongs to Krishna. It does not belong to you.

You cannot create an orange, a mango or a potato. You can only water the

root of the tree; you cannot create the water. You cannot create

anything; you can only combine what is already created, and by the mercy

of the Lord, you may get wonderful results. Krishna consciousness means

being positively convinced that everything is the Lord's property. As

tenants, we have to pay the Landlord Krishna His dues. If you follow

this principle, your life will be successful, both materially and

spiritually.

 

People often say, " He is very pious, because he is vegetarian. "

Vegetarianism is not a sign of piety. The sign of piety is preparing

food for the satisfaction of Krishna and then, after offering it,

partaking of the remnants. Bhagavad-gita says: