Eating Meat and Fallen Leaves

[Rushikesh K. Joshi]

Namaskaar Madhav,

Let me take your statements one by one !



> First I answer why I do not take meat.
>
> Same way when a Goat or anything, when the slaughter tries to kill them,
> tries to run away. They are provided with legs to run away. And horns to
> protect themselves.
> When I can't give life to them I have no right to kill them. That too,
> they try to run away if I try to kill them.  That means they want to
> live, when it want's to live I have no right to take that privilage
> from them.


The poor trees do not have horns and they can't also  run away.


> Now you may question plants also have life why should you kill them? :-)
>
> I should say, I also have life and I have to live.  In order to live
> I have to eat. Hence I try not to eat Animals, instead I eat plants
> because only plants have that capacity to regain what ever they loose.
> I mean, if I cut the branch of a tree or pluck a fruit or vegetable
> the plant can get more of them.  But, sadly, if I cut the leg of an
> animal it can't get the leg back.



All convenience. A plant can grow its leg, hence cut its leg.
I think lizard's tail also grows again after it falls. Will you ...?
And an animal's blood if taken out as
blood donated in hospital will become drinkable by this rule.
Blood grows again !



> Going further, our seers used to live just by eating leaves that have
> fallen on the ground.


Not all of them. Many took chapati and rice too.


> 2.  Taking alcohol
>
> Simple reason.  My parents do not take it.  People around me do not
> take it. Taking alcohol is not a part of our cultural life.


This is the real reason even for your being a vegetarian.
Why do you need to defend it by giving so many reasons ?


> And I was never given a single reason why should I take alcohol.
> The only thing I know about consuming alcohol is that people drink it
> in order to feel happy.  Anyway, I am happier than any one who takes
> alcohol :-) I do not need external medicine in order to feel happy.


So suppose if one day someone is happier than you and is taking alchohol,
will you take it ?



I would say, take fish if you take it from childhood and your body needs
it. Take vegetables if your body goes well with it.
Live on dry leaves if that suits you.

I lived on fruits for 10 consecutive days. Didn't really work out.
Body strongly reacted. Back to my daily rice and chapati!


Vegetarianism is wonderful. But do not defend it against killing
animals. It will bounce back to you. And if defeated in argument,
(It will not happen if you take right approach!) will you taste Non Veg
in the spirit of those Mumukshus who became Shankara's devotees after
getting defeated ?


You will say No, I have been brought up as a vegetarian. It suits me,
my mind is at peace.

So these are the real reasons.
If somebody gives similar reasons for his/her diet, it's okay.

Remember that you have been made a vegetarian much before you
started reasoning about it.


I don't think that Vedic tradition is to be a vegetarian.
It is that what kind of work you do matters.


Deepak Chopra's books give excellent description for why
vegetarianism.

It is said that our mind is made from what we eat.
And may be science will prove one day the connection between food,
mind and peace, in that sequence.


Shri Raam.

- Joshi