| Vegetarianism is frequently promoted as either a | | | | them moral, some eminently practical as well. |
| health or ethical choice. And often argued against | | | | While a number of belief systems discourage |
| only on these terms. Yet there is a spiritual | | | | carnivorous consumption for karmic reasons--acts |
| dimension to the food that we eat; for those | | | | which cause suffering to other beings said to be |
| who wish to follow the spiritual life, a diet of | | | | undesirable--there is also a more "selfish" |
| purely leaf, lactose and legume is a positive boon. | | | | consideration: the detrimental effect of meat on |
| From the veggie burger on the wall of the chip | | | | one's own spiritual well-being or consciousness. |
| shop to the vegetable pie in the gas station | | | | "You are what you eat" is a well known maxim, |
| warmer, meals without meat have perhaps never | | | | and like many truisms contains a glimmer of fact. |
| been so common; yet few have sampled the full | | | | The consciousness contained in meat is |
| smorgasbord of reasons for going meat-free. | | | | considered from a spiritual perspective to be |
| Fads in fitness come and then go--almost as | | | | undesirable; one is taking into one's |
| frequently as the passing of the seasons; yet | | | | system--literally--a lower form of awareness, |
| physical health endures as the most common | | | | assimilated in a holistic sense by all the parts of |
| reason for a change in diet--vegetarianism | | | | the being--not just the gross physical. In eating |
| included. While the preconception persists that the | | | | beings whose last moments were agitated and |
| non-consumption of meat is incompatible with | | | | fearful, we absorb these qualities also in a subtle |
| proper eating, avoiding paddock-raised or | | | | sense--and they are anything but what is sought |
| net-caught sources for iron, protein and omega-3 | | | | in spirituality. |
| in no way equates to a sub-standard diet--the | | | | New York based meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy, |
| United States Department of Agriculture rates | | | | the inspiration for several hundred meditation |
| vegetarians as enjoying excellent well-being, and | | | | centres around the globe and numerous |
| states that with judicious eating, all recommended | | | | vegetarian restaurants, recommends a diet free |
| dietary allowances for nutrients can be gained | | | | of meat to all who value their spiritual health as |
| from non-animal sources. | | | | much as their physical, and names it a positive |
| Although the term 'vegetarian' is usually attributed | | | | boon for those who wish to facilitate the practise |
| to the formation of the British Vegetarian Society | | | | of meditation--a fundamental cornerstone in all the |
| in 1847, as a practise it has existed for at least | | | | major spiritual disciplines. |
| four thousand years, preached as the ideal diet in | | | | Sri Chinmoy writes: "All the time we are taking in |
| the Eastern philosophies of Hinduism, Buddhism | | | | the consciousness of other persons and objects. |
| and Jainism. Vegetarianism is not entirely new in | | | | When we stand in front of a spiritual Master, |
| Europe either--Continental adherents used to be | | | | immediately we take in his consciousness, his |
| referred to as "Pythagoreans," after the | | | | vibration. He is offering us what he has to give. |
| philosopher and mathematician who advocated a | | | | Similarly, the animal offers us what it has to give; |
| meat-free diet for ethical reasons. | | | | and what it has to give are its animal qualities. It is |
| One of the fathers of Western philosophy, | | | | up to us to accept or reject these qualities. So |
| Pythagoras was surprisingly Eastern in his outlook | | | | for the beginner, or for anyone who is following |
| towards meat, stating that: "As long as Man | | | | the spiritual path, it is advisable to have a pure |
| continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower | | | | vegetarian diet. This helps considerably." |
| living beings he will never know health or peace. | | | | On digestion, it seems that arguments against |
| For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill | | | | vegetarianism are at best half-baked. For |
| each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of | | | | improved physical, mental, emotional and spiritual |
| murder and pain cannot reap joy and love." | | | | well-being, a diet of lactose, leaf and legume is |
| From the spiritual point of view eating meat is off | | | | compelling. |
| the menu for a plethora of reasons, some of | | | | |