Most hindus believe in a vegetarian diet. I know the practice and the reasons behind it at a very personal level.
However, I wonder if this practice was actually influenced by buddhists. The bottom line reasoning of not eating meat is that the food is not satvic since someone lost their life in the process and for our enjoyment. This reasoning basically falls on the principle of ahimsa. And since our understanding of ahimsa today is very much influenced by the buddhist thought I wonder if the practice of vegetarianism is also influenced. That is to say, that perhaps during buddhist era, we took this habit of eating satvik food to the nth degree and said absolute no to eating meat.
I am not advocating eating meat here but our sastras are not clear on this so maybe buddhists influenced it during shankara's time or before it.
Thoughts?
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