Dharmic_religions Vegetarianism_and_religion

1 dharmic religions

1.1 jainism
1.2 hinduism

1.2.1 nonviolence
1.2.2 current situation
1.2.3 animal sacrifice in hinduism


1.3 buddhism
1.4 sikhism

dharmic religions

most indian religions have philosophical schools forbid consumption of meat , jainism institutes outright ban on same. consequently, india home more vegetarians other country. 30% of india s 1.2 billion population practices lacto vegetarianism, overall meat consumption increasing. per capita meat consumption in india in 2002 5.2 kg, while 24 times more in united states @ 124.8 kg. meat consumption in united states , india grew @ 40% on last 50 years. in 1961 indian per capita meat consumption 3.7 kg, while consumption 89.2 kg.

jainism


the food choices of jains based on value of ahimsa (non-violence), , makes jains prefer food inflict least amount of violence

vegetarianism in jainism based on principle of nonviolence (ahimsa, literally non-injuring ). vegetarianism considered mandatory everyone. jains either lacto-vegetarians or vegans. no use or consumption of products obtained dead animals allowed. moreover, jains try avoid unnecessary injury plants , suksma jiva (sanskrit subtle life forms; minuscule organisms). goal cause little violence living things possible, hence avoid eating roots, tubers such potatoes, garlic , involves uprooting (and killing) plant obtain food.

every act person directly or indirectly supports killing or injury seen violence (hinsa), creates harmful karma. aim of ahimsa prevent accumulation of such karma. jains consider nonviolence essential religious duty (ahinsā paramo dharmaḥ, statement inscribed on jain temples). scrupulous , thorough way of applying nonviolence everyday activities, , food, shapes entire lives , significant hallmark of jain identity. side effect of strict discipline exercise of asceticism, encouraged in jainism lay people monks , nuns.

jains not practice animal sacrifice consider sentient beings equal.

hinduism

vegetarianism integral part of schools of hinduism although there wide variety of practices , beliefs have changed on time. estimated 30% of hindus vegetarians. sects of hindus not observe vegetarianism.

nonviolence

a variety of south indian dishes served on banana leaf.

the principle of nonviolence (ahimsa) applied animals connected intention avoid negative karmic influences result violence. suffering of beings believed arise craving , desire, conditioned karmic effects of both animal , human action. violence of slaughtering animals food, , source in craving, reveal flesh eating 1 mode in humans enslave suffering. hinduism holds such influences affect person permits slaughter of animal, person kills it, person cuts up, person buys or sells meat, person cooks it, person serves up, , person eats it. must considered slayers of animal. question of religious duties towards animals , of negative karma incurred violence (himsa) against them discussed in detail in hindu scriptures , religious law books.

hindu scriptures belong or refer vedic period lasted till 500 bce according chronological division modern historians. in historical vedic religion, predecessor of hinduism, meat eating not banned in principle, restricted specific rules. several highly authoritative scriptures bar violence against domestic animals except in case of ritual sacrifice. view expressed in mahabharata (3.199.11-12; 13.115; 13.116.26; 13.148.17), bhagavata purana (11.5.13-14), , chandogya upanishad (8.15.1). instance, many hindus point mahabharata s maxim nonviolence highest duty , highest teaching, advocating vegetarian diet. mahabharata states adharma (sin) born when creatures started devour 1 want of food , adharma destroys every creature reflected in manu smriti (5.27-44), particularly renowned traditional hindu law book (dharmaśāstra). these texts condemn slaughter of animals , meat eating.

the mahabharata (12.260; 13.115-116; 14.28) , manu smriti (5.27-55) contain lengthy discussions legitimacy of ritual slaughter , subsequent consumption of meat. in mahabharata both meat eaters , vegetarians present various arguments substantiate viewpoints. apart debates domestic animals, there long discourse hunter in defence of hunting , meat eating. these texts show both ritual slaughter , hunting challenged advocates of universal non-violence , acceptability doubtful , matter of dispute.

current situation

in modern india food habits of hindus vary according community or caste , according regional traditions. hindu vegetarians eschew eggs consume milk , dairy products, lacto-vegetarians.

according survey of 2006, vegetarianism weak in coastal states , strong in landlocked northern , western states , among brahmins in general, 55 percent of whom vegetarians. many coastal inhabitants fish eaters. in particular bengali hindus have romanticized fishermen , consumption of fish through poetry, literature , music.

hindus eat meat encouraged eat jhatka meat.

animal sacrifice in hinduism

animal sacrifice in hinduism (sometimes known jhatka bali) ritual killing of animal in hinduism.

the ritual sacrifice forms part of festival honour hindu god. example, in nepal hindu goddess gadhimai, honoured every 5 years slaughter of 250,000 animals. bali sacrifice today common @ sakta shrines of goddess kali.

buddhism

the first precept prohibits buddhists killing people or animals. matter of whether forbids buddhists eating meat has long been matter of debate.

the first buddhist monks , nuns forbidden growing, storing, or cooking own food. relied entirely on generosity of alms feed themselves, , not allowed accept money buy own food. not make special dietary requests, , had accept whatever food alms givers had available, including meat. monks , nuns of theravada school of buddhism, predominates in sri lanka, thailand, cambodia, burma, , laos, still follow these strictures today.

these strictures relaxed in china, korea, japan, , other countries follow mahayana buddhism, monasteries in remote mountain areas , distance nearest towns made daily alms rounds impractical. there, buddhist monks , nuns cultivate own crops, store own harvests, cook own meals, , accept money buy else needed in terms of food in market.

according vinaya pitaka, when devadatta urged him make complete abstinence meat compulsory, buddha refused, maintaining monks have accept whatever found in begging bowls, including meat, provided had not seen, had not heard, , had no reason suspect animal had been killed meat given them . there prohibitions on specific kinds of meat: meat humans, meat royal animals such elephants or horses, meat dogs, , meat dangerous animals snakes, lions, tigers, panthers, bears , hyenas.

on other hand, mahayana sutras denounce eating of meat. according mahayana mahaparinirvana sutra, buddha revoked permission eat meat , warned of dark age when false monks claim allowed meat. in lankavatara sutra, disciple of buddha named mahamati asks [y]ou teach doctrine flavoured compassion. teaching of perfect buddhas. , yet eat meat nonetheless; have not put end it. entire chapter devoted buddha s response, wherein lists litany of spiritual, physical, mental, , emotional reasons why meat eating should abjured. however, according suzuki (2004:211), chapter on meat eating later addition text....it quite meat-eating practiced more or less among earlier buddhists, made subject of severe criticism opponents. buddhists @ time of laṅkāvatāra did not it, hence addition in apologetic tone noticeable. phelps (2004:64–65) points passage in surangama sutra implies advocacy of not vegetarian, vegan lifestyle ; however, numerous scholars on centuries have concluded Śūraṅgama sūtra forgery. moreover, in mahayana mahaparinirvana sutra, same sutra records retraction of permission eat meat, buddha explicitly identifies beautiful foods honey, milk, , cream, of eschewed vegans.

in modern buddhist world, attitudes toward vegetarianism vary location. in china , vietnam, monks typically eat no meat, other restrictions well. in japan or korea schools not eat meat, while do. theravadins in sri lanka , southeast asia not practice vegetarianism. buddhists however, including monks, allowed practice vegetarianism if wish so. phelps (2004:147) states there no accurate statistics, guess—and guess—that worldwide half of buddhists vegetarian .

sikhism

followers of sikhism not have preference meat or vegetarian consumption. there 2 views on initiated or amritdhari sikhs , meat consumption. amritdhari sikhs (i.e. follow sikh rehat maryada - official sikh code of conduct) can eat meat (provided not kutha meat). amritdharis belong sikh sects (e.g. akhand kirtani jatha, damdami taksal, namdhari, rarionwalay, etc.) vehemently against consumption of meat , eggs.

in case of meat, sikh gurus have indicated preference simple diet, include meat or vegetarian. passages guru granth sahib (the holy book of sikhs, known adi granth) fools argue on issue. guru nanak said overconsumption of food (lobh, greed) involves drain on earth s resources , on life. tenth guru, guru gobind singh, prohibited sikhs consumption of halal or kutha (any ritually slaughtered meat) meat because of sikh belief sacrificing animal in name of god mere ritualism (something avoided).

on views eating vegetation eating flesh, first sikh guru nanak states:

ਪਾਂਡੇ ਤੂ ਜਾਣੈ ਹੀ ਨਾਹੀ ਕਿਥਹੁ ਮਾਸੁ ਉਪੰਨਾ ॥ ਤੋਇਅਹੁ ਅੰਨੁ ਕਮਾਦੁ ਕਪਾਹਾਂ ਤੋਇਅਹੁ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣੁ ਗੰਨਾ ॥

o pandit, not know did flesh originate! water life originated , water sustains life. water produces grains, sugarcane, cotton , forms of life.

on vegetation, guru described living , experiencing pain:

page 143 of sri guru granth sahib ji

look, , see how sugar-cane cut down. after cutting away branches, feet bound bundles,

and then, placed between wooden rollers , crushed.

what punishment inflicted upon it! juice extracted , placed in cauldron; heated, groans , cries out.

and then, crushed cane collected , burnt in fire below.

nanak: come, people, , see how sweet sugar-cane treated!

sikhs eat meat, eat jhatka meat.