Eating habits: a few questions

[Guest guest]

I refer alos to the previous post re. eggs; I was not brought up vegetarian but as soon as I lived on my own, I started eating essentially fruit and vegetables and no meat/fish. However, eggs, fish eggs (a.k.a. caviar), milk, ice-cream, goose liver (a.k.a, foie gras) ... yes.

 

Now, is it nor recommendable to eat eggs, caviar or anything that is related to an animal ?

 

Please, kindly answer from a Hinduist point of view. I know that some hindus do not even drink milk. What is the "right" way ?

[yasodanandana 0]

we know that we are souls in different kind of bodies and that if we see bodies moving and acting it is surely there a soul inside otherwise that body would be died

 

so when we kill an animal to eat him we are disturbing the life and destiny of a soul, and the soul is not animal, vegetal, mineral or human

 

the soul is a soul, so every living being is our brother.. the body does not matter, if we are brothers the dress is not so important

 

so a religious person is concerned to make less damage possible to the nature and living beings to not take the karma and have to suffer in the future the bad things that he is doing now to others

 

the next thing is that a religious person.. hindu, vaishnava, shaivite, advaitin and so on.. considers eating as another way to reach liberation. So he offers his food to the deity, or mentally to god, with prayers, before eating himself.

 

this food turns in prasadam, as we were eating the remnants of god.. but we know from many scriptures (for example the bhagavad gita) that god (in any manifestation) and his servants do not accept violence as an offering (as the bodies of poor animals) and dirty things like eggs or alcohol

 

milk is not violence and it is very liked by god, devotees and devatas, but many persons abstain also from this because it is part of the process of cow killing in slaughterhouses

 

i personally think that if one does not eat meat, eggs, fish and alcohol and other intoxicating foods and he offers vegetables, legumes, grains, honey, milk and milk products to god before eating (with plenty of recipes from the great indian vegetarian tradition.. but not only.. there's many vegetarian way of eating all over the world), this is a good thing and not only it does not give karma... but it washes all our sins

 

i hope to have helped

[Guest guest]

Yes, you have helped. I read that some hindus - the "warriors/hunters" - were allowed to eat meat, for instance; but the intellectuals - brahmanis - and another group the name of who I forgot were not, because their activity did not necessitate that kind of "animality".Anyway, I got your point. Thanks again.

[Guest guest]

so a religious person is concerned to make less damage possible to the nature

 

Observe nature and see how it works. Animals hunt. That is a fact of nature. If the balance of nature were to be upset, for example, if rats were not preyed upon, their overpopulation would cause them to starve and perhaps to over eat certain foods that would hurt other animals. So nature is a delicate balance, a design that requires hunting. Our bodies are constantly destroying invading organisms. Even the vegetarian must kill plants, eat bacteria, and have an effect on the natural cycle shared by all life on the planet. The sad fact is that in order to live, one must kill in some form or another, that is the natural law.

 

I was a vegetarian myself for many years because it is a noble idea to be as harmless as possible. The results of my vegetarianism were that my hair fell out. I suffered for years from suicidal depression, panic attacks, irritable bowel and constipation. I kept taking different herbs and vitamins and trying different vegetarian foods.

 

I noticed stories about how omega 3 fatty acids can be obtaind from fish. Fish must have been a staple of the proto human diet, when vitamin pills, etc were not available. I reasoned that if fish is so good for people (lowering depression, heart disease, etc), it must be a natural part of the human diet. Still I resisted and for years experimented with Omega 3 oils such as flax seed oil (which is very expensive and tastes rancid).

 

Finally during an ugly bout of suicidal depression, my energy level so low that I could hardly move (even fainted once)I realized that my body was crying-out in pain. So I broke down and ate some chicken. I started feeling better very soon afterwards, but still had this nagging depression. So a friend suggested that I try cod liver oil (loaded with omega 3). The cod liver oil soothed my nerves, and I have begun to feel a sense of peace. The depression is greatly reduced. Also, my scalp, which has been itchy ever since all my hair fell out, has stopped itching and there is a small regrowth of hair. My hair will not grow back however, because it is too late now. But my skin which was itchy and with red patches has also healed.

 

In summary, my experiment proved that my body requires certain animal products for me to live a healthy and happy life. I eat as little animal products as necessary for my to thrive. I don't eat beef, only a little chicken, fish, eggs, mand milk, along with the vegetarian fare. When I wake up in the morning, I take a teaspoon of cod liver oil along with yogurt. The yogurt has friendly gut bacteria that kills the bad bacteria in the gut and makes digestion more effecient. I feel so much better!

 

Yes I've heard the vegetarian arguements that all necessary foods can be obtained from veggies alone, but it did not work for me. It is humiliating for me, but I must obey the wisdom of my body. It is interesting to note what I read, that most Indians, a predominatly Hindu country, are not vegetarians. It is like self torture to suffer the malnutrition and associated depression associated with vegetarian malnutrition. So don't forget to be kind to yourself and the soul within your own body!

 

But that's just me. If you can happily thrive on a vegetarian diet, then more power to you. I wish I could, but I can't.

[yasodanandana 0]

Observe nature and see how it works. Animals hunt. That is a fact of nature. If the balance of nature were to be upset, for example, if rats were not preyed upon, their overpopulation would cause them to starve and perhaps to over eat certain foods that would hurt other animals

__the fact that we can have sometimes emergences does not authorize us to have a not human behaviour when it is possible. So now it is very possible that almost all the world avoid to eat animals and avoid to hurt them if not in cases of personal defence. And also in these cases we take reactions, everything that happens to use, even animals giving problems to us, is our fault.

 

Even the vegetarian must kill plants, eat bacteria, and have an effect on the natural cycle shared by all life on the planet

__as i have said.. "less damage possible"

 

The sad fact is that in order to live, one must kill in some form or another, that is the natural law.

__everyone can understand the difference in kiling a child or a calf, in killing a calf or a tomato.. everyone sees these killings as completely different(notice that i put milk under non violent foods..)

 

The results of my vegetarianism were that my hair fell out. I suffered for years from suicidal depression, panic attacks, irritable bowel and constipation.

___and this is a very unfortunate situation, but honestly not the average, belonging to hare krsna movement from more than twenty years i have seen hundreds of people becoming vegetarian with no particular efforts and problems, and i have seen maybe ten people coming back eating animals and never for health problems. I am not a doctor and i will not suggest easy remedies, but please do not stop to search a cure to solve your problems and to avoid useless violence. In the between feel yourself free to cultivate spiritual consciousness. God is in control of everything.

 

It is interesting to note what I read, that most Indians, a predominatly Hindu country, are not vegetarians.

__i think that "most" is a little too much, but it does not change things, we have to judge using principles not following the majority

 

It is like self torture to suffer the malnutrition and associated depression associated with vegetarian malnutrition.

__that it is false, no one at any level, scientific, biologic, medical level links vegetarianism or veg+milk (that it is the classic hindu diet) with malnutrition.. i am sorry that you have some problems, but it is not necessary to search justifications, you have a problem, i can have other problems and so on.. this is a world of problems, let us not change reality to feel ourselves in the right side (i have seen malnutrition in india, the problem is not that they have a good and healty vegetarian meal but they need also a little hamburger or some fish.. the problem is that who is in malnutrition eat something like one or two chapati in a day without fruit and milk, an hamburger or a sausage would not solve problems, but it would increase them)

 

So don't forget to be kind to yourself and the soul within your own body!

___yes, vegetarianism is a way to be respectiful of our soul, especially of our soul. Our body and the animal's bodies have to die one day or another, but soul lives, and the problems will follow her in the next lifes

 

But that's just me. If you can happily thrive on a vegetarian diet, then more power to you. I wish I could, but I can't.

___let us hope for the future

 

 

[Guest guest]

Oops! I always for get something. Regarding my post above about vegetarianism and the natural law...

 

Krishna urged Arjuna to fight, because he had no choice. Even to remain motionless is an act that has an effect. The human body requires certain nutrients to be healthy and if fish is needed, then eat it, rather than ruminate about the souls of the poor fish. Born into this world we have no choice but to take action, to eat, to kill. Even eating nothing in order to spare killing any living thing would be an action, for the body would slowly eat it's self! I think Krishna's message might be one of compassionate and ethical action, because action is required like it or not, so it is the quality of action that counts. Even the Tibetans, whom are world renowned for their magic, have no qualms about meat whatsoever.

 

All I am saying is that if you can thrive as a vegetarian that's fantastic, but know the risks, and if you get sick, depressed, hair falls-out, get skin diseases, irritable bowel, etc, at least you will know that a possible cause is your diet. Good luck either way you go.

[maadhav 0]

<< Please, kindly answer from a Hinduist point of view. >>

 

you mean vedic view point.

 

i wish no one uses the workd 'hinduist'.

i have a feeling that those who use it

are hindu haters or anti hindus.

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

your feeling is wrong... in many languages the suffix "..ist" is simply for the one belonging to or practising or studying something

 

so hinduism...... and hinduist, maybe not exact or usual in english, but not at all offensive

 

do not see enemies everywhere

[maadhav 0]

ok.

 

for all practical pruposes

the word hindu will work well than the word hinduist.

 

 

 

[Sephiroth 0]

Warriors and hunters allowed to eat meat because they need the protein which will built tissues.

 

I say this because I'm a martial artist myself, and I have seen difference in tissue healing during vegetarian period and non-vegetarian period. By eating less meat, the body will not receive enough protein to heal the injured tissues needed by warriors.

 

In Brahmanas, however, their requirement is brain food such as vegetable. Their field of activity insists on thinking and research (mental aspect).

[maadhav 0]

<< Warriors and hunters allowed to eat meat >>

 

yes, the vedic kshatriyas are allowed,

however,they too know that if veg. food is available, they would prefer it.

 

<< You're just a Puppet >>

 

i see that in your view all are puppets.

please tell in detail how, and who is the puppeteer.

also let us know if you exclude from this.

if so, how please?