Re: Buying Meat for Others
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Necromancer
Namaste.
That quote from the Manusmriti sums it up nicely, everybody who has a hand in butchering and selling and cooking an animal is just as much 'at fault' as the one who consumes it.
That being said, you cannot actively stop others from doing whatever they want, as long as you have no direct hand in it and you 'lead by example'.
If your wife wants to purchase meat, make sure it is pre-cooked and she uses her own utensils to eat it.
Cooking meat in a pot that is reserved for vegetables is also sinful.
Let her eat meat, but make her feel uncomfortable for doing so. Cook delicious veggie cuisine for her and give her a break from cooking.
Introduce her to the wonderful world of tempeh.
If she uses 'joint money' to buy meat, it doesn't matter then...at least you are trying to do the right thing and go the correct way and Bhagavan will see that.
Aum Namah Shivaya
As a vegetarian living with non - vegetarian flatmates, this was one of the things we had passed over.
We use separate utensils, and if they generally order dishes with meat in them - i don't really mind.
It's about mutual respect at the end of the day. I would disagree with the opinion of making anyone feel uncomfortable due to your decisions.
Re: Buying Meat for Others
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Asi
As a vegetarian living with non - vegetarian flatmates, this was one of the things we had passed over.
We use separate utensils, and if they generally order dishes with meat in them - i don't really mind.
It's about mutual respect at the end of the day. I would disagree with the opinion of making anyone feel uncomfortable due to your decisions.
What you say is right and appropriate .... yet where does one find the mutual respect for the animal being consumed ?
I saw this dis-respect today. While talking to some people outside an elderly man spotted a snail in the grass. He went out of his way to put it on the sidewalk and smash it with his foot. I protested, do not step on this snail - stop I will take it! He paid me no attention and smashed the snail. A small thing not harming anyone. I ask, why do you did you do this ? He said he has them in his backyard and these things cause some discontent. But I asked isn't your yard 5 miles from here. He answered yes. I said then what harm was this snail doing ?
This arrogance that we are the king of the mountain is dis-appointing to me . That we can take life without any threat being imposed is pure ignorance. It saddens me that humans of are this mindset. It only brings harm to one's self. Again the human remains the paśutā - the state of an animal.
iti śivaṁ
Re: Buying Meat for Others
Namaste yajvan,
When non-Hindu acquaintances ask me why I do not simply squash a spider
etc. when found inside, instead of taking the time to relocate it outside
unharmed- often rather than attempting to explain ahimsa and so forth,
it is easier to make my point in this way:
"Suppose, for argument's sake, there is a form of alien life which is as far
beyond humans in terms of lifespan, intelligence, power, and complexity, as
humans are beyond insects. If such beings' activities brought them within
our world, we would have no hope of understanding them, or
communicating with them; all we could hope for is that their unimaginable
power and intelligence was coupled with wisdom, compassion, respect for
all beings- that they might not squash us thoughtlessly, as they went
about their business.. so why should I kill a creature that means no harm,
simply because I can?"
This has been useful for giving even an atheist something to contemplate,
while saving me some breath and preventing possible pointless argument.
I am no Jain, but will always know that every action of mine has an
effect, however large or small, on all those around me- I cannot be aware
of every creature or person around me at all times, and I cannot know
the details or long-term consequences of my actions as the "ripples"
grow ever wider- and it is exactly because of this inevitable degree of
ignorance, that I wish to err on the side of caution, whenever possible..
If there is a choice that will not cause harm, I will exercise it always.
JAI MATA DI
Re: Buying Meat for Others
Quote:
Originally Posted by
yajvan
While talking to some people outside an elderly man spotted a snail in the grass. He went out of his way to put it on the sidewalk and smash it with his foot. I protested, do not step on this snail - stop I will take it! He paid me no attention and smashed the snail. A small thing not harming anyone. I ask, why do you did you do this ? He said he has them in his backyard and these things cause some discontent. But I asked isn't your yard 5 miles from here. He answered yes. I said then what harm was this snail doing ?
Vannakkam: In my view, this is part of this man's subconscious, from training. The snails in his garden have conditioned him. My father hated gophers (technically Richardson's ground squirrel) and would go about shooting them, even volunteering himself and his .22 for neighbours. Once I asked him about that, and how he became this way. He related how the farm had lost a favorite and good horse to a broken leg from a gopher hole once when he was young. That event catalysed his 'hatred'.
I am the same as people here. I move ants back outside when possible. If a bug comes in on a flower for my morning puja, I take it back out, etc. Yet at the same time, I can go on long drives to visit family, and have a windshield covered in bugs. Should we all stop driving? Most of us won't, because we, like this man, and my father, have been conditioned from experience to think of it as nothing, or at least consider the visit with a family member to be of higher importance.
Aum Namasivaya
Re: Buying Meat for Others
Sita Ram,
On a somewhat related note, just earlier today I found an insect in my bedroom. I picked it up with a piece of toilet paper and took it outside to release it upon a bush. (I used to have an old container to catch any insects or flies in, but I recently recycled it by mistake). A man was passing by and he saw what I was doing and laughed out loud. Of course, in his eyes, I looked utterly silly. Yet, a major aspect of being a Hindu, of being a person with principles and conviction, is to simply not care what others think of us when we follow our morality. In that man's eyes and many other people's, doing something like that is silly and even stupid. Yet, from my viewpoint, it is silly and sickening for the majority of Americans to be eating feces-contaminated meat.
Jai Sri Ram
Re: Buying Meat for Others
Namaste Premayana,
I must agree with beleiver's wisdom,she has to see for herself as you have.:)
Ohm Namah shivaya...
Re: Buying Meat for Others
Namaste
I have pets and they essentially need meat as their diet although my family is vegetarian we do buy meat products.
Do let me know will this be considered wrong?
Re: Buying Meat for Others
Namaste What About,
Quote:
Originally Posted by
whatabout
Namaste
I have pets and they essentially need meat as their diet although my family is vegetarian we do buy meat products.
Do let me know will this be considered wrong?
Dogs and Cats, and some other animals Humans keep as pets are Obligate Carnivores. They need specific nutrients which they can only get from meat and cannot digest vegetable foods because their digestive tract is too short. Indeed, some fruits and vegetables Omnivores and Herbivores can eat are actually toxic to them. For instance Onions, Grapes and Raisins are toxic for both Cats and Dogs. Macadamia and other nuts are toxic for Cats as well, though I am not sure about Dogs. It is a myth that these animals will not eat food that is toxic to them, especially if they're hungry. Tomatoes are very bad for Cats as well, but I have had 2 cats that seem to love attacking and tearing apart our poor defenseless tomatoes. :)
My Cats are kept indoors, and the one that would take off the minute the door is opened has been trained to only go out on a harness and leash. This keeps them away from the local insect, bird, and small mammal population, and also keeps them from cars and other larger predators. I buy them the healthiest food I can find for them and hope that doing this is mitigated, at least a little, by the care I give to them and their needs, and in keeping them from hunting when there is no real need for them to. I take a moment to thank whatever anonymous individual(s) provided their food every time I open a can or pour from a bag. I never buy food taken from Cows - I think all foods put on the label the animal it came from. Small Cats wouldn't eat a Cow in the wild anyway.
Obligate Carnivores need meat, it is a very slow, painful and terrible death for them to be put on vegetarian diets. It is the law of many countries with animal welfare/rights laws that putting an Obligate Carnivore on a vegetarian diet is a form of Abuse and is legally actionable. And with all respect, it is my firm opinion that if a person cannot come to terms with providing the needed diet for their furry, (or scaled or what-have-you), friend, then that person shouldn't have one.
~Pranam
edit to add:sincere apologies if this reads as too forceful or judgemental. I don't meant to sound that way, I care perhaps too deeply about the welfare of those non humans who depend on us.
Re: Buying Meat for Others
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Viraja
Namaste,
I have a few important questions:
i) My husband says there aren't enough plant food, if the whole world chooses to go vegetarian, is this right?
ii) Should meat-eating be really advocated to some of the people, because they need the nutrients from meat for them to put up with very hard labour.
Many of us are of the view that the notion of vegetarianism as being applicable to entire world is not truly what its meant to be - that many of us are supposed to go non-vegetarian 'cause the environment doesn't support all of us going vegetarian. Is that so?
Namaste,
Your husband's statement is incorrect. In fact, it takes much more room to raise animals then it takes to grow plants. Think about it logically billions of people need to kill billions of animals to feed themselves. Actually, if the whole world became vegetarian we would need far less farmland. Animals need more space they need space to sleep, graze, to move etc. There have been studies that show growing plants take up less space.
Fruits, vegetables and diary will provide more then enough nutrients for labor and daily life. People who are conscious about what they eat will feel better and have more energy. Most of our food is fortified with vitamins as well. It is funny, there is a saying when you become a vegetarian or vegan people all of start caring about your protein and nutrient intake!!!! If your eating veges and fruits those things are packed full of vitamins. Keep in mind you can eat unhealthy as well eating refined and processed food. Since the 1980s when red meat became cheap and readily available heart disease and heart attacks rates have jumped significantly (more then 100 fold). Tell those who laugh at you or snark at you go ahead eat your meat get your protein they will get their protein alright at the expense of hypertension and clogging their arteries. You can get plenty of protein being vegetarian you have milk, cheese, peas, quinoa, nuts, beans, chickpeas, tempeh, tofu, edamame, chia seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, seitan, lentils the list goes on and on. Proteins is not a problem in many nations we are not in Africa starving for us to have protein deficiency. Look up Kwashiorkor. One thing I would do is get a blood test see what you need. For example, South Asians are known to be anemic some say this is due to diet but many have a protection against malaria similar to sickle cell (thalassemia) in Africa this effects our B12, iron etc.
Here are some points that we can argue against meat consumption in humans. Humans cannot taste meat (protein) it has no flavor to us the enzyme that breaks down protein is located in the gut. If we were meant to be meat eaters this enzyme should be located in our saliva so we could taste meat. Whereas, amylase which breaks down starches is located in our saliva. In order, for meat to have taste we need to add fat to it ex. marination with yogurts, butter etc. Also, if we look at our intestines they are not meant for a meat diet they suited for a vegetarian diet. Our guts are long and suited for vegetables. Animals who eat meat have short intestines hence when we eat meat it constipates us; our body over-processes it. If we look at populations who consume lots of meat ex Japan eats lots of smoked meat we see increased numbers of colon cancer. In general this is seen people who consume lots of meat.
Don't worry about what the world says "meat eating is the way". You do what you feel is right. Keep in mind of the times we live in moral consciousness is on the decline. People give into their senses and meat eating is considered a part of that it effects our perception and thought process. People will laugh at you/mock you for doing what is right. This is the kalia yuga pay not attention to them. Your doing it for yourself, your spirituality and for your connection with God. If you can understand their desire to eat meat its up to to them to understand your will not to. Hopefully this helps.
-divnelight
Re: Buying Meat for Others
Quote:
Originally Posted by
yajvan
hariḥ oá¹
~~~~~
namast�
I have 3 offerings for your consideration.... I will put them in the next 3 posts, starting with this one.
In the aṇusÄsana� parvan, section CXV ( or section 115) of the mahÄbhÄrata , yudhiá¹£á¹hira asks bhÄ«á¹£ma-ji� a few questions.
He says, you ( bhīṣma) have informed me many times that the abstention from injury is the highest religion. Yet in sraddhas, however, that are performed in honour of the Pitris, persons for their own good should make offerings of diverse kinds of meat. - How can meat be procured without slaying a living creature?
- What are the faults one incurs by eating meat?
- What are the demerits one incurs who eats meat by killing a living creature? Or of him who eats meat buying it from others?
Bhīṣma then says, Listen to me O' scion of the Kuru race, what the merit is that attaches to the abstention from meat. - Those high souled persons who desire beauty, faultlessness of limbs, long life, understanding, mental and physical strength, and memory should abstain from acts of injury.
- The merit by a person with steadfastness of vow adores the deities every month in horse sacrifices is equal to him that discards honey and meat.
- The seven rishis, the Valakhilyasm and the rishis that drink the rays of the sun applaud the abstention from meat.
- Bhīṣma continues and says, Narada muni has said that the man who wishes to increase his own flesh by eating the flesh of other creatures meets with calamity.
- The man who has eaten meat then gives it up acquires merit by such an act that is so great that a study of all the vedas or a performance of all the sacrifices cannot bestow its like ( or its equal).
- The period of life is shortened of persons who slaughter living creatures or cause them to be slaughtered ( i.e. demand for meat).
- One should never eat meat of animals not dedicated in sacrifices and that are slain for no reason.
praṇÄm
words
- aṇusÄsana - the brilliance of this word aṇusÄsana parvan shows the great command of the language by vyÄsa-ji ( also known as kṛṣṇa dvaipÄyana )
This word can be seen in a few ways:- aṇu+sÄ+sana : aṇu = finer +sÄ =knowledge + sana = presenting, gain, acquisition. Hence the section (parva) presenting finer knowledge.
- anu + śasana : anu = after or afterwords + śasana = killing. Hence the section (prava) after the war.
- Bhīṣma happens to be one of the twelve most knowledgeable people on dharma
Namaste Yajvan,
What is the issue with honey? I thought was gloried in our scriptures? Also it is used in many pujas and used during abishek of murtis and shivling. Can you please clarify if is it something that is lost in translation such has don't indulge in sweets which gives into ones desire/pleasure senses.
-divnelight