Do you have to be vegetarian to be hindu ?
Do you have to be vegetarian to be hindu ?
Namaskar,
No, you don't.
satay
Vannakkam:
Satay's right, but most or many are.
Aum Namasivaya
Many Hindus aren't vegetarian. My wife's family are Malaysian Hindus of South Indian descent, and they eat meat - just not beef. However, more devout South Indian Hindus (like my wife's grandfather) will eat only vegetarian food on Fridays. Other Hindus observe vegetarianism in certain months, according to a Hindu classmate of mine (who is of Gujarati descent). Vegetarianism is also observed for sixteen days after the death of a relative.
There are also Hindus who practice ritualistic animal sacrifice. Many of these sacrifices are offered to Mother Kali, but there are also local village deities to whom this is practiced as well. Examples are the South Indian demigods Madurai Veeran and Karuppu Sami. Before my wife and I left Malaysia, we went with her family to a well-known temple near the city of Ipoh. I asked my wife's grandfather why the Madurai Veeran shrine was so far away from the rest of the temple. He told me it was because they sacrifice goats there.
However, I am firmly opposed to animal sacrifice, as are many Hindus.
You don't have to be vegetarian to be a Hindu, but it's better to be a vegetarian. You accrue a huge amount of karma through eating meat and this may very well lead to you taking birth in an animal body in your next life. Manu Smriti (the Hindu law code) says that one who buys meat, one who cuts it up and one who eats it are all considered to be killers of the animal.
There are some that regard total vegetarianism as part of ahimsa (non-violence) and therefore needed for spiritual growth. On a personal level (therefore my opinion only) one must be a vegetarian to achieve liberation. I am no killer, therefore I do not kill animals or have others do it for me. Krishna outlines what he eats in the Gita, and I follow that example. I am a being that no creature needs to fear. I subside on plant life and pose no threat to any creature, human or non-human, that has the same flame of Atman that I do. Keep in mind that this is my opinion only, and many Hindus do eat flesh.
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~
namasté
In the Anusasana Parva, section CXV ( or section 115) of the Mahābhārata , Yudhiṣṭhira asks Bhīṣma a few questions.
He says, you ( Bhīṣma) have informed me many times that the abstention from injury is the highest religion. Yet in sraddhas, however, that are performed in honour of the Pitris, persons for their own good should make offerings of diverse kinds of meat.
Bhīṣma then says, Listen to me O' scion of the Kuru race, what the merit is that attaches to the abstention from meat.
- How can meat be procured without slaying a living creature?
- What are the faults one incurs by eating meat?
- What are the demerits one incurs who eats meat by killing a living creature? Or of him who eats meat buying it from others?
praṇām
- Those high souled persons who desire beauty, faultlessness of limbs, long life, understanding, mental and physical strength, and memory should abstain from acts of injury.
- The merit by a person with steadfastness of vow adores the deities every month in horse sacrifices is equal to him that discards honey and meat.
- The seven rishis, the Valakhilyasm and the rishis that drink the rays of the sun applaud the abstention from meat.
- Bhīṣma continues and says, Narada muni has said that the man who wishes to increase his own flesh by eating the flesh of other creatures meets with calamity.
- The man who has eaten meat then gives it up acquires merit by such an act that is so great that a study of all the vedas or a performance of all the sacrifices cannot bestow its like ( or its equal).
- The period of life is shortened of persons who slaughter living creatures or cause them to be slaughtered ( i.e. demand for meat).
- One should never eat meat of animals not dedicated in sacrifices and that are slain for no reason.
Last edited by yajvan; 09 April 2010 at 07:14 PM.
यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
because you are identical with śiva
_
Being vegetarian is not necessary to be a Hindu, but as Scott said, it is better to be vegetarian. Me, my father, and one of my brothers are all vegetarian. My mother and my other brother eat meat, but they do not eat beef. Personally, I would recommend being a vegetarian as you would more closely adhere to the principles of Hinduism and you would become closer to God. However, it is not necessary to be vegetarian.
A few notes :
1. The SD is more about the state of mind and thus the knowledge of SD came long before the derivations were done to the level of the activities.
2. SD is not an exclusive philosophy as it deals only with mind thus is independent of body, time, society and space.
3. Before the influence of buddhism and jainism, there are plenty of stories of hunting, NV, etc.
4. We do not know how much is the influence of these 2 religions on the written scriptures.
5. Ramakrishna used to take fish and all in Bengal (except a few) take NV. Even Vivekananda took meat and Ramakrishna did not stop. He said that at the state of mind what Vivekananda reached it does not matter. But he did not allow other disciples to take meat.
6. Vegeterianism is proposed as a derivation of guiding the people in the spiritual path as it serves many purposes.
a. Unnecessary killing of animals and destroying ecosystem
b. Developing respect for the ecology
c. Slowing down the mind's desires and state and thus helping one to focus better
d. Getting rid of the side efects of eating meat.
As Hinduism is an all encompassing philosophy, it took care of the total ecology and the synergy.
But again vegeterianism is not must and have been put by Manu also.
That way it is difficult to define the level we should go for ensuring vegeterianism.
Jain is one level, Buddhist another level, Vaishnavas another, etc.
Even, curd, fermentated food (dosa, idly, etc) have lots of living organisms with mind. And we put all of them to the stomach acid and kill.
Is it that we should limit vegeterianism to the animals we can see only ?
What is the size limit for the animals ?
Love and best wishes
You don't have to be vegetarian to be Hindu.
You DO have to be a vegetarian to not be a murderer though. Killing life is killing life, plain and simple.
May the Supreme Spirit illumine us!
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