Meat-Eating

Meat-Eating

by Swami Sivananda

Meat is not at all necessary for the keeping up of health. Meat-eating is highly deleterious to health. It brings a host of ailments such as tapeworm, albuminuria and other diseases of the kidneys. After all, man wants very little on this earth. A few slices of bread and a little dhal will quite suffice to keep up his health, vigour and vitality. Killing of animals for food is a great sin. Instead of killing the egoism and the idea of “mineness”, ignorant people kill innocent animals under the pretext of sacrifice to the goddess. But it is really to satisfy their tongue and palate. Horrible! Most inhuman! Ahimsa is the greatest of all virtues. Ahimsa Paramo Dharmah. Ahimsa is the first virtue that a spiritual aspirant should possess. We should have reverence for life. Lord Jesus says: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” Lord Jesus and Mahavira shouted at the top of their voice: “Regard every living being as thyself and harm no one”. The law of Karma is inexorable, unrelenting and immutable. The pain you inflict upon another will rebound upon you and the happiness you radiate to another will come back to you, adding to your happiness.

Dr. J. Oldfield, senior physician, Lady Margaret Hospital, writes: “Today, there is the chemical fact in the hands of all, which none can gainsay, that the products of the vegetable kingdom contain all that is necessary for the fullest sustenance of human life. Flesh is unnatural food, and therefore tends to create functional disturbances. The manner in which it is taken in modern civilisation, it is infected with such terrible diseases (readily communicable to man) as cancer, consumption, fever, intestinal worms, etc., to an enormous extent. There is little need for wonder that flesh-eating is one of the most serious causes of the diseases that carry off ninety-nine out of every hundred people that are born.”

Meat-eating and alcoholism are closely allied. The craving for liquor dies a natural death when the meat diet is withdrawn. The question of birth-control becomes very difficult in the case of those who take meat diet. To them mind-control is absolutely impossible. Mark how the meat-eating tiger is ferocious, and the cow and elephant, which live on grass, are mild and peaceful! Meat has a direct evil influence in the compartments of the brain. The first step in spiritual advancement is the giving up of meat diet. The divine light will not descend if the stomach is loaded with meat diet. In large meat-eating countries cancer mortality is very high. Vegetarians keep up sound health till old age. Even in the West in the hospitals, doctors are now putting patients on a vegetable diet. They convalesce very quickly.

Pythagoras, the Grecian sage preached: “Do not kill or injure any creature.” He condemned meat diet as sinful food! Just hear what he says “Beware, O mortals, of defiling your bodies with sinful food! There are cereals, there are fruits, bending their branches down by their weight, and luxurious grapes on the vines. There are sweet vegetables and herbs which the flame can render palatable and mellow. Nor are you denied milk, or honey, fragrant of the aroma of the thyma flower. The bountiful earth offers you an abundance of pure food and provides for meals obtainable without slaughter and bloodshed.”

If you want to stop taking mutton, fish, etc., just see with your own eyes the pitiable, struggling condition of sheep at the time of killing. Now mercy and sympathy will arise in your heart. Then you will determine to give up meat-eating. If you fail in this attempt, change your environment and live in a vegetarian hotel where you cannot get flesh and move in that society where there is only vegetarian diet. Always think of the evils of flesh-eating and the benefits of a vegetable diet. If this also cannot give you sufficient strength to stop this habit, go to a slaughter-house and butcher’s shop and personally see the disgusting rotten muscles, intestines, kidneys and other parts of the animal which emit bad smell. This will surely induce Vairagya in you and a strong disgust and hatred for meat-eating.

Meat-Eating – Health, Ethics, Discipline, and Conscious Living

Meat-Eating is a subject that has been discussed from many angles, including health, culture, religion, ethics, environment, and personal choice. For some people, it is a normal part of food habits and family tradition. For others, it raises serious questions about compassion, self-control, spiritual purity, and the effect of food on the mind. To understand this topic properly, we should look at it with balance rather than anger or judgment.

Food is not only fuel for the body. It also influences habits, emotions, and the quality of life. Different traditions believe that what we eat can affect our thoughts and inner nature. Simple, fresh, and non-violent food is often connected with calmness, clarity, and discipline. Heavy or overly stimulating food may increase restlessness or dullness in some people. From this view, food becomes a part of character-building, not just physical survival.

Meat-Eating is often defended on the basis of taste, strength, nutrition, and social custom. Many people grow up eating meat and never question it because it is accepted in their family or region. They may feel that it gives energy or makes meals complete. It is true that food habits are deeply connected with upbringing, climate, availability, and personal experience. Therefore, any discussion on this subject should be respectful and practical.

At the same time, the ethical side cannot be ignored. Meat comes from the killing of living beings, and this fact creates moral concern for many people. Animals also feel pain, fear, and attachment to life. A sensitive person may ask whether human satisfaction should depend on another creature’s suffering, especially when other food options are available. This question becomes stronger in spiritual life, where compassion is considered a high virtue.

Meat-Eating can also be studied through the idea of desire. Many people do not eat meat only for survival; they eat it because of taste, habit, craving, or social pressure. If a person wants inner discipline, they must examine whether their food choices are guided by need or attachment. Control over taste is considered an important part of self-mastery. When the tongue becomes too powerful, the mind often follows it.

From a health point of view, every person should choose food carefully according to their body, lifestyle, and medical needs. Some people may digest certain foods easily, while others may feel heaviness or discomfort. A balanced diet should support energy, digestion, immunity, and mental clarity. Whether someone eats meat or avoids it, carelessness in diet can still create problems. Overeating, poor-quality food, irregular meals, and lack of awareness are harmful in any lifestyle.

Spiritual traditions often encourage non-violence, purity, moderation, and control of the senses. In such a framework, Meat-Eating is seen as something that may increase attachment to taste and reduce sensitivity toward other forms of life. A person walking on a path of meditation, devotion, or self-purification may choose vegetarian food to make the mind lighter and more peaceful. This choice is not only about food but about a wider attitude of kindness.

However, change should come with understanding, not force. If someone has eaten meat for many years, sudden change may feel difficult. A gradual approach can be more successful. One may begin by reducing frequency, learning vegetarian recipes, improving protein sources, and becoming more conscious before every meal. When change is made with knowledge and sincerity, it becomes stable.

Social pressure is another important factor. In some families or communities, refusing meat may be seen as strange or disrespectful. In such cases, patience and gentle communication are helpful. A person does not need to insult others to follow their own values. Quiet consistency often creates more respect than argument. The goal should be personal growth, not superiority.

Meat-Eating also raises environmental questions. Large-scale meat production can require significant land, water, and feed, and it can create waste and pollution. While the exact impact depends on farming methods and region, many people choose to reduce meat for ecological reasons. This shows that food choices are connected not only with the individual body but also with the wider world.

The most important step is awareness. A person should not eat blindly, just because of habit or advertisement. They should ask what kind of food supports their health, values, peace, and discipline. Conscious eating means respecting the body, nature, and life. It also means understanding the consequences of desire.

In the end, Meat-Eating is more than a dietary habit. It is connected with compassion, health, self-control, environment, and spiritual growth. Some may leave it completely, while others may reduce it slowly. What matters most is honest reflection and responsible choice. When food is chosen with awareness, it becomes a path toward a cleaner body, a calmer mind, and a more sensitive heart.

This subject teaches us that even daily habits can have deep meaning. A meal may look simple, but behind it are questions of desire, duty, kindness, and discipline. By becoming more conscious of what we consume, we become more conscious of how we live.

Fashion: A Terrible Curse