Srimad Bhagavatam 1.17.38 says that Maharaja Pariksit allowed the personality of Kali to live in those places where gambling is played, intoxication occurs, prostitution takes place, and animals are slaughtered.
4 Pillars of Sinful Life
Dyutam
Gambling
Destroys truthfulness
Pānam
Intoxication
Destroys austerity
Striyaḥ
Illicit sex
Destroys purity
Sūnā
Animal killing
Destroys mercy
Meat eating is related to:
Ecology
One head of cattle requires an average of 408 kg of green mass per month. Over the past 50 years, more than 60% of all available agricultural land in the world has been damaged. According to United Nations data, 29% of the world's territory has more or less turned into deserts.
🌳 Deforestation
Since 1970, more than 20 million hectares of tropical forests have been converted into pastures. In Brazil alone, 38% of all forests were destroyed to expand pasture areas.
💧 Water Waste
More than half of all water consumed in the USA for all purposes is water needed for livestock. To grow 1 kg of meat requires 2,000–15,000 liters of water.
🌡️ Greenhouse Effect
"The contribution of cattle to the greenhouse effect is approximately the same as that of automobile transport, if we include forest clearing for feed production." — Ernst U. v. Weizsäcker, Director of the Wuppertal Climate Institute
Health
The amount of pesticides in meat is 14 times higher than in plants. In recent decades, meat consumption has increased so much that the results of such a diet are clearly visible: high blood pressure, heart disease, circulatory system disorders, rheumatism, gout, and certain types of cancer.
Statistics
50%
Risk of dying from a heart attack (meat-eater)
15%
Risk (non-meat eater)
4%
Risk (vegan)
Economics
Today, millions of cattle are fed the highest quality grain so that America and Europe's picky consumers can get "noble" meat. And at the same time, from 40 to 60 million people every year die from hunger and related diseases.
📊 Resource Waste
- • Producing 1 kg of meat requires from 7 to 16 kg of grain
- • If Americans ate 10% less meat – they would save 1 billion people from starvation
- • About half of all the world's produced grain is fed to animals
Morality
"If you claim that you are naturally constituted for such a diet, then first of all, kill for yourself what you wish to eat. But do it with your own powers, not armed with a knife, a club or any axe."
— Plutarch
"Indeed, man is the king of animals, for his cruelty surpasses them. We live at the expense of the death of others. We are burial places for animals!"
— Leonardo da Vinci
"My reason for vegetarianism is not physical, but moral. If someone told me that I would die if I didn't drink beef broth, I would rather die."
— Mohandas Gandhi
Religion
Bhagavad-gītā 6.32
"A perfect yogi is one who, by comparison to his own self, sees the true equality of all beings, in both their happiness and their distress, O Arjuna!"
Every living being is a spiritual soul, encased in a material body. Therefore, every living being has intrinsic value and the right to live. Many Indian saints advocated vegetarianism as an element of ahimsa – non-violence.
Bhagavad-gītā 3.13
"The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin."
Bhāgavatam 11.5.14
ye tv anevaṁ-vido 'santaḥ
stabdhāḥ sad-abhimāninaḥ
paśūn druhyanti viśrabdhāḥ
pretya khādanti te ca tān
"In the next life, such sinful people will be eaten by the same animals they killed in this world."
🌿 ISKCON Practice
ISKCON members are lacto-vegetarians – they do not eat meat, fish, eggs or their products, but gladly use all dairy products. For most ISKCON members, this is the easiest and most pleasant regulated principle.
Manu Samhita
"He who permits the slaughter of an animal, he who cuts it up, he who kills it, he who buys or sells meat, he who cooks it, he who serves it up, and he who eats it, must all be considered as the slayers of the animal."
A Vaishnava is suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām – the well-wisher and friend of all conditioned souls. Ahimsa manifests as not doing harm to other beings in order to satisfy one's own needs.
In other religions
Christianity
The Old Testament says: "I give you every plant... This will be your food." Early Christians often did not eat meat. Even today, for example, Seventh-Day Adventists are strict vegetarians.
Judaism
Many restrictions applied to the Jews. They were allowed to eat only "clean" meat (kosher), purified of blood, which was difficult to do, so they tended towards a vegetarian diet.
Food Offering and Prohibited Products
Vaishnavas avoid any food not offered to the Lord (BG 3.13). Only vegetarian food can be offered to Krishna.
Also, products in the modes of passion and ignorance are not consumed:
- Onions
- Garlic
- Mushrooms
Although they may be valuable medically, when consumed as food they stimulate passion and ignorance, hindering spiritual progress.
Self-Check Questions
- What are the four pillars of religion and what sinful activities destroy them?
- Why do Vaishnavas not eat meat?
- What consequences does meat eating cause (health, law of karma)?
- Is it justifiable for humans to eat the meat of animals?
- How would you respond to the claim that 'plants are also alive'?
- Why is it not allowed to eat eggs, onions, and garlic?