Vegetarian diet or Vegan diet
“We are what we eat”, the being we consume does not care (at the soul level anyway), it is willing to die for us; but there is a spiritual cost. The merit we lose goes to them, hence for example, souls born as plants or animals can slowly evolve to human standard because they are getting merit from the humans eating them. In many ways, the animals we eat benefits more from being eaten than what the eater gets (in terms of nutrition). But for a spiritual practitioner, it’s not always good to give away our merit so easily and also there is another side, our humane compassion towards all sentient beings. The higher we go, the more love we have; the less we can harm another being. With over 60 Billions animals (not including the 120 million tons of fish taken from our oceans) slaughtered each year; that my friend is a lot of karma to be shared.
- less karmic burden (plants cost less merit than animals)
- no anger or hatred in our food (when killed, animals are in emotional pain, fear infuses their flesh causing it to lower its vibration and fill with cancerous toxins)
- no astral or hell beings around us (when animals are killed, especially sacrificed, lower invisible beings surround them for the thrill, when we eat flesh we get some of that vibration. During meditation these beings may come to us, even possessing our body. It’s much safer not to eat flesh)
- spirituality is about finding our true nature – divine love. Love could not tolerate to see the anguish of an animal slaughtered in pain just to satisfy the palette; regardless of how much the animal benefits, Love would happily give merit but never allow other beings to suffer needlessly.
- compassion for all sentient beings expands our consciousness, makes us connected to the whole
Some of the Benefits of a Vegetarian diet or Vegan Diet to us and the planet
- Lowers blood pressure & cholesterol levels
- Reduces Type 2 diabetes & prevents stroke conditions
- Reverses atherosclerosis
- Reduces heart disease risk 50% and heart surgery risk 80%
- Prevents many forms of cancer and obesity
- Reduces asthma and allergy risks and infertility risk
- Stronger immune system
- Increases life expectancy up to 15 years
- Prevents over 25 million meat-related human deaths worldwide each year
- Prevents 60 billion meat-related animal deaths worldwide each year
- Saves 70% of a total cost of US$40 trillion for reducing global warming
- Saves 80% of the cleared Amazonian rainforest from animal grazing
Some quotes from famous people on the vegetarian diet or vegan diet
(the following quotes below were taken from this vegan website)
“Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” ~ Dr. Albert Einstein, German physicist, Nobel Prize; vegetarian
“Experts say that eating less meat will also minimize our impact on the environment and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The message is clear: climate change is about our health and the health of our planet. We are all in this together.” ~ Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General
“I hold flesh-food to be unsuited to our species.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi, Indian statesman and philosopher; vegetarian
“A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral.” ~ Leo Tolstoy, Russian novelist and philosopher; vegetarian
“For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love.” ~ Pythagoras, Greek mathematician; vegetarian
“Being a vegetarian to me was my edge, the way I was going to be ahead of the guy I had to play against. He couldn’t beat me as long as he was harboring tons of flesh in his stomach at that time.” ~ John Salley, 4-time US National Basketball Association champion; vegan
“By eating these whole foods, getting away from the dairy – anything with a mother, anything with a face – meat, fish, and chicken, it’s so incredible how powerful the body can be. And if we’re going to have a seismic revolution of health, which is really right at our fingertips, the major behavior that has to change is interestingly enough: our food. That is the absolutely key card, it trumps everything.” ~ Caldwell Esselstyn, MD, leading cardiology consultant, USA; vegan
“I personally chose to go vegan because I educated myself on factory farming and cruelty to animals, and I suddenly realized that what was on my plate were living things, with feelings. And I just couldn’t disconnect myself from it any longer.” ~ Ellen DeGeneres, Emmy Award-winning US TV show host and comedienne; vegan
“While we ourselves are the living graves of murdered beasts, how can we expect any ideal conditions on this earth?” ~ George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright, Nobel Prize and Academy Award; vegetarian
“It’s been eight months (being) vegan, but I (still) get these explosions of energy. So powerful. And I realized meat’s become a poison for me now.” ~ Mike Tyson, US heavyweight boxing champion; vegan
“The time will come when men such as I will look on the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci, Italian artist, sculptor and inventor; vegetarian
Vegetarian diet or vegan diet quotes in Religions
- Confucianism, “All men have a mind which cannot bear to see the sufferings of others. The superior man, having seen the animals alive, cannot bear to see them die; having heard their dying cries, HE CANNOT BEAR TO EAT THEIR FLESH”. ~ Mencius, King Hui of Liang, Chapter 4
- Hinduism, “Since you…cannot bring killed animals back to life, you are responsible for killing them. Therefore you are going to hell; there is no way for your deliverance.” ~ Adi-lila, Chapter 17, verses 159-165
- Buddhism, …all meats eaten by living beings are of their own relatives. ~Lankavatara Sutra (Tripitaka No. 671)
- Islam, Allah will not give mercy to anyone, except those who give mercy to other creatures. ~ Prophet Muhammad, Hadith. Do not allow your stomachs to become graveyards of animals! ~ Prophet Muhammad, Hadith
- Sikhism, Those mortals who consume marijuana, flesh and wine – no matter what pilgrimages, fasts and rituals they follow, they will all go to hell. ~ Guru Granth Sahib, page 1377
- Tibetan buddhism, The offering to the deities of meat obtained by killing animate beings is like offering a mother the flesh of her own child; and this is a grievous failure. ~ The Supreme Path Of Discipleship
- Taoism, Do not go into the mountain to catch birds in nets, nor to the water to poison fishes and minnows. Do not butcher the ox that plows your field. ~ Tract of the Quiet Way
- Christianity, “Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. “, “And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.”
