Besides being an expression of compassion for animals, vegetarianism is
followed for ecological and health rationales
Reasons
In the past fifty years, millions of meat-eaters -- Hindus and non-Hindus --
have made the personal decision to stop eating the flesh of other creatures.
There are five major motivations for such a decision:
1. The Dharmic Law Reason
Ahinsa, the law of noninjury, is the Hindu's first duty in fulfilling religious
obligations to God and God's creation as defined by Vedic scripture.
2. The Karmic Consequences Reason
All of our actions, including our choice of food, have Karmic consequences.
By involving oneself in the cycle of inflicting injury, pain and death, even
indirectly by eating other creatures, one must in the future experience in equal
measure the suffering caused.
3. The Spiritual Reason
Food is the source of the body's chemistry, and what we ingest affects our consciousnes,
emotions and experiential patterns. If one wants to live in higher consciousness,
in peace and happiness and love for all creatures, then he cannot eat meat,
fish, shellfish, fowl or eggs. By ingesting the grosser chemistries of animal
foods, one introduces into the body and mind anger, jealousy, anxiety, suspicion
and a terrible fear of death, all of which are locked into the the flesh of
the butchered creatures. For these reasons, vegetarians live in higher consciousness
and meat-eaters abide in lower consciousness.
4. The Health Reason
Medical studies prove that a vegetarian diet is easier to digest, provides a
wider ranger of nutrients and imposes fewer burdens and impurities on the body.
Vegetarians are less susceptible to all the major diseases that afflict contemporary
humanity, and thus live longer, healthier, more productive lives. They have
fewer physical complaints, less frequent visits to the doctor, fewer dental
problems and smaller medical bills. Their immune system is stronger, their bodies
are purer, more refined and skin more beautiful.
5. The Ecological Reason
Planet Earth is suffereing. In large measure, the escalating loss of species,
destruction of ancient rainforests to create pasture lands for live stock, loss
of topsoils and the consequent increase of water impurities and air pollution
have all been traced to the single fact of meat in the human diet. No decision
that we can make as individuals or as a race can have such a dramatic effect
on the improvement of our planetary ecology as the decision not to eat meat.
History
The book Food for the Spirit, Vegetarianism and the World Religions, observes,
"Despite popular knowledge of meat-eating's adverse effects, the nonvegetarian
diet became increasingly widespread among the Hindus after the two major invasions
by foreign powers, first the Muslims and later the British. With them came the
desire to be `civilized,' to eat as did the Saheeb. Those atually trained in
Vedic knowledge, however, never adopted a meat-oriented diet, and the pious
Hindu still observes vegetarian principles as a matter of religious duty.
"That vegetarianism has always been widespread in India is clear from the
earliest Vedic texts. This was observed by the ancient traveler Megasthenes
and also by Fa-Hsien, a Chinese Buddhist monk who, in the fifth century, traveled
to India in order to obtain authentic copies of the scriptures.
"These scriptures unambiguously support the meatless way of life. In the
Mahabharat, for instance, the great warrior Bheeshm explains to Yuddhishtira,
eldest of the Paandav princes, that the meat of animals is like the flesh of
one's own son. Similarly, the Manusmriti declares that one should `refrain from
eating all kinds of meat,' for such eating involves killing and and leads to
Karmic bondage (Bandh) [5.49]. Elsewhere in the Vedic literature, the last of
the great Vedic kings, Maharaja Parikshit, is quoted as saying that `only the
animal-killer cannot relish the message of the Absolute Truth [Shrimad Bhagvatam
10.1.4].'"
Scripture
He who desires to augment his own flesh by eating the flesh of other creatures
lives in misery in whatever species he may take his birth. Mahabharat 115.47
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. Mahabharat 18.115.8
The very name of cow is Aghnya ["not to be killed"], indicating that
they should never be slaughtered. Who, then could slay them? Surely, one who
kills a cow or a bull commits a heinous crime. Mahabharat, Shantiparv 262.47
The purchaser of flesh performs Hinsa (violence) by his wealth; he who eats
flesh does so by enjoying its taste; the killer does Hinsa by actually tying
and killing the animal. Thus, there are three forms of killing: he who brings
flesh or sends for it, he who cuts off the limbs of an animal, and he who purchases,
sells or cooks flesh and eats it -- all of these are to be considered meat-eaters.
Mahabharat, Anu 115.40
He who sees that the Lord of all is ever the same in all that is -- immortal
in the field of mortality -- he sees the truth. And when a man sees that the
God in himself is the same God in all that is, he hurts not himself by hurting
others. Then he goes, indeed, to the highest path. Bhagvad Geeta 13.27-28
Ahinsa is the highest Dharm. Ahinsa is the best Tapas. Ahinsa is the greatest
gift. Ahinsa is the highest self-control. Ahinsa is the highest sacrifice. Ahinsa
is the highest power. Ahinsa is the highest friend. Ahinsa is the highest truth.
Ahinsa is the highest teaching. Mahabharat 18.116.37-41
What is the good way? It is the path that reflects on how it may avoid killing
any creature. Tirukural 324
All that lives will press palms together in prayerful adoration of those who
refuse to slaughter and savor meat. Tirukural 260
What is virtuous conduct? It is never destroting life, for killing leads to
every other sin. Tirukural 312, 321
Goodness is never one with the minds of these two: one who wields a weapon and
one who feasts on a creature's flesh. Tirukural 253