Meat-Eating?

Hi, I'm really looking for advice about meat-eating, I don't have anyone else to ask.
I love meat, but I love animals too. I think that animals being killed for meat is the same as eating plants; they both have a soul, and their consciousness is "asleep." They feel pain but we don't know if plants do too, so I don't think it's fair to say we can only eat plants. Either way I think if a human kills an animal humanely and intends on using all of it, it's all right to eat meat. On top of that, meat has a lot of benefits that plants don't have, and even our teeth show that we're omnivorous. As the saying goes, "life eats life," so we're eating another soul's body no matter what we eat.
The reason I'm bringing this up is because I want to know if it's okay to call yourself a Hindu, or a follower of Krishna, and lead a spiritual life, but still eat meat. I want to be a knowledgeable, spiritual person and surrender to God, but I don't think it's fair to dismiss me as sinful or ignorant just because of what I eat. I would gladly offer my meat to Krishna if He would accept it, I don't eat it because I'm selfish but because I think I will starve otherwise. I heard people saying if you eat meat you will go to hell, and you are just full of lies, and it worries me. So I want to know if I can eat meat and still attain Moksha.

Thanks and Hare Krishna.

I am not Hindu, but I do enjoy the flavors of every religion, and my take on it comes from a Buddhist monk, you've probably heard of him, Thich Nhat Han. Anyway, he agrees that veggies have souls too, and it's not different. When you kill only what you need to survive with no intent of harming the animal other than nurishing yourself, then that is okay. However, these days meat is wasted, and so much of it accumulates that we are in one way or another, just killing these animals and throwing them in trash!

Which is why I agree with Thich Nhat Han. He says if you go to the supermarket to buy your meat, do not have it butchered fresh. Buy something that is already dead, as it will be thrown away if not all of it is sold. I stopped eating lobster after this, because I realized, I am going to the store and picking out a live animal to be slaughtered just to nourish me when all of these animals around me have already suffered so I could be nourished? It really made me feel bad karmic vibes to go back to the store and think about buying a lobster.

I eat meat, but I try not to eat it every night. At each meal, we recite a prayer for all the animals, plants, and minerals that underwent suffering so we could be blessed with this meal to nourish us and help us become aware of the path of peace.

I hope you find what is true to yourself, regardless of what rules the religion would intend you to follow :)

Peace, Love and Light :)

[Lovely]

Plants don't feel pain. "Pain is a feeling triggered in the nervous system. "
Plants don't have a nervous system. Animals have a brain, a nervous system and
emotions. They have families, feel pain, feel fear etc.

We are humans, we have more power than animals and abusing,killing,eating,
exploiting them is abusing our powers.

Also, I think you should read this:
http://www.celestialhealing.net/physicalveg3.htm

When it comes to Hinduism, I don't know.
I don't think you need to follow a set of rules to
join a religion.
Join what ever religion makes you happy :)

Technically, you could be a cannibal and be a Hindu.
(But please don't become a cannibal :P )

I don't think anyone is "unqualified" to be in a religion since
it is usually a personal decision.

And you won't stave if you don't eat meat! lol
I get a lot of food on a vegan diet, let alone a vegetarian one.

hare krishna, norton
since you are a follower of krishna allow me to share what i know about the matter. in the bhagvad gita (chapter 17 verse 7) krishna says “even the food that a person prefers falls under the three modes of nature…” satvic food “increases life span and cleanses ones existence” whereas rajsic and tamsic foods “cause grief, distress and disease” (chapter 17 verses 8-9). meat is generally considered tamsic and fruits and milk are considered satvic. (it is noteworthy that neither milk nor fruits are obtained thru violent means).

ancient rishis are known to have been vegans ‘coz in their endeavour to realize god, food was ingested for sustaining life and not for indulging the senses.

krishna further reveals to arjun (chapter 16 verse 21) “there are 3 gates that lead to hell, lust anger and greed. these should be abandoned as they corrupt the soul”. despite acknowledging that lust leads to hell, god provided regulative principles such as the institution of marriage (to gradually overcome lust) as it is very difficult for mere mortals to conquer. thus god has given us perfect knowledge in the form of his divine song (bhagvad gita) and also a discerning mind to make individual choices. krishna instructs arjun (chapter 18 verse 63) “thus i have explained to you knowledge that is most confidential. meditate on it fully and do as you wish”

it is increasingly being discovered scientifically that vegan diet is beneficial to humans and meat-eating leads to various diseases. while you would attain moksha ultimately if you surrender to krishna, the path may be long and ardous. my personal advice to you would be to give up meat eating as it is not in conformity with krishna’s message.

Originally Posted by norton

Hi, I'm really looking for advice about meat-eating, I don't have anyone else to ask.
I love meat, but I love animals too. I think that animals being killed for meat is the same as eating plants; they both have a soul, and their consciousness is "asleep." They feel pain but we don't know if plants do too, so I don't think it's fair to say we can only eat plants. Either way I think if a human kills an animal humanely and intends on using all of it, it's all right to eat meat. On top of that, meat has a lot of benefits that plants don't have, and even our teeth show that we're omnivorous. As the saying goes, "life eats life," so we're eating another soul's body no matter what we eat.
The reason I'm bringing this up is because I want to know if it's okay to call yourself a Hindu, or a follower of Krishna, and lead a spiritual life, but still eat meat. I want to be a knowledgeable, spiritual person and surrender to God, but I don't think it's fair to dismiss me as sinful or ignorant just because of what I eat. I would gladly offer my meat to Krishna if He would accept it, I don't eat it because I'm selfish but because I think I will starve otherwise. I heard people saying if you eat meat you will go to hell, and you are just full of lies, and it worries me. So I want to know if I can eat meat and still attain Moksha.

Thanks and Hare Krishna.

[athribiristan]

Originally Posted by norton

Hi, I'm really looking for advice about meat-eating, I don't have anyone else to ask.
I love meat, but I love animals too. I think that animals being killed for meat is the same as eating plants; they both have a soul, and their consciousness is "asleep." They feel pain but we don't know if plants do too, so I don't think it's fair to say we can only eat plants. Either way I think if a human kills an animal humanely and intends on using all of it, it's all right to eat meat. On top of that, meat has a lot of benefits that plants don't have, and even our teeth show that we're omnivorous. As the saying goes, "life eats life," so we're eating another soul's body no matter what we eat.
The reason I'm bringing this up is because I want to know if it's okay to call yourself a Hindu, or a follower of Krishna, and lead a spiritual life, but still eat meat. I want to be a knowledgeable, spiritual person and surrender to God, but I don't think it's fair to dismiss me as sinful or ignorant just because of what I eat. I would gladly offer my meat to Krishna if He would accept it, I don't eat it because I'm selfish but because I think I will starve otherwise. I heard people saying if you eat meat you will go to hell, and you are just full of lies, and it worries me. So I want to know if I can eat meat and still attain Moksha.

Thanks and Hare Krishna.

I'd like to point out a concept here call the Natural Order. Before there was Hinduism and civilization in general there were just humans trying to survive. They ate whatever would sustain them be it plant or animal. Using the natural order as a model, one would assume that eating meat is fine. We can digest it, so it must be ok to eat. So in the broadest sense the idea that we shouldn't eat meat is laughable.

That's not to say that there aren't valid reasons for becoming a vegetarian.

Our modern assembly line meat factories leave ample room for moral objections. Modern agriculture however is no better, the techniques used to grow crops today is just as repulsive (to me anyway).

Animals are suffering and mistreated. Quite frankly so are the plants. And if you think plants don't feel pain, I would disagree and suggest that you read The Secret Life of Plants, to find some good evidence that they do.

The bottom line for me is to first give thanks to the universe for whetever food I do have to eat, and then to have Faith that my body will be nourished by it.

Let me just say that any vegetarian will eat meat when they get hungry enough, so how much of it is really just **.

Oh yeah, lastly, I have never found that my diet had a tremendous impact on my ability to work with energy. Maybe it is because I refuse to accept such a limiting belief.

[Spiritlite]

I'm not sure on your religion and meat eating. I do eat meat, but I buy local meat where the cows are grass fed, have no antibiotics or any other meds put into them, are treated very humanely, have room to run, and are killed humanely (whatever that means), in fact the guy I buy my meat from my husband once knew and actually saw how the cows were brought up, killed etc, and as an animal lover he told me that they were very humanely killed. I refuse to buy store bought meat. I would love to go vegetarian but for some reason just can't, my advice is if you want to eat meat it's your choice but do it humanely find a place locally if you can that does this humanely, go watch them being killed etc.
We have a friend who hunts each year for his meat, he kills them quickly and uses all of their parts so I find that humane too. Of course vegetarians will disagree with me, but I don't put my valeus on vegetarians and I don't expect to be lectured by vegetarians.
Spiritlite.

Originally Posted by athribiristan

Animals are suffering and mistreated. Quite frankly so are the plants. And if you think plants don't feel pain, I would disagree and suggest that you read The Secret Life of Plants, to find some good evidence that they do.

.

Thanks for this, I agree with you. Just because we don't see a plant's pain, doesn't mean it isn't there!

[Spiritlite]

Also what about lions, and tigers, and panthers, and birds that eat meat? What about the lioness or the female tiger that hunts their prey, are they "bad" or negative for killing? however watch them kill and they do it fast and humanely and get the weakling of the bunch that they are killing

[Chrysaetos]

Originally Posted by aghora

it is increasingly being discovered scientifically that vegan diet is beneficial to humans and meat-eating leads to various diseases. while you would attain moksha ultimately if you surrender to krishna, the path may be long and ardous. my personal advice to you would be to give up meat eating as it is not in conformity with krishna’s message.

It all depends on what meat you eat and how much meat you eat. As with all foods..

Originally Posted by norton

The reason I'm bringing this up is because I want to know if it's okay to call yourself a Hindu, or a follower of Krishna, and lead a spiritual life, but still eat meat.

Hinduism is a generalizing term for many forms of Indian religious life. Vegetarianism became popular when asceticism became popular, so it's really a matter of how far you want to go back it time. There is no typical 'Hindu'. As for following Krishna, the Bhagavad Gita specifically says that a devotee can offer fruit or veggies to him. I think all forms of Vaishnavism clearly preach vegetarianism, but I'm not sure..

[Chrysaetos]

Originally Posted by surrendertotheflow

Thanks for this, I agree with you. Just because we don't see a plant's pain, doesn't mean it isn't there!

And I have created you?