On Vegetarianism
The debate on vegetarian and non-vegetarian is always on. So what really signifies a vegetarian?
Usually vegetarianism is discussed in the context food. Some people argue that egg is vegetarian and some say it’s all part of the food chain. Some questions that plants are also living things and there are bacteria presents in our food. And few do asymmetrical thinking, saying that even milk is not vegetarian as the cow transforms its blood to milk.
Digging into the literature and on the evolution of vegetarianism, it can be found that vegetarianism is evolved as an Indian philosophy based purely on the principle of Ahimsa (non-injury). Thus, vegetarianism becomes not a mere dietetic principle but a moral of thoughts.
Absence of jealousy is the real test of Ahimsa. Abstinence from eating meat, fish or any other animal products does not make any sense if you are thinking to cause injury to others by thoughts and being jealous of others. Even the cow does not eat meat nor does the sheep; can it be superior to human? So who is the true vegetarian? It’s he/she who is jealous of none and not causing injury to others (including animals) by thoughts and thereby setting him/herself on the path of Ahimsa. Eating animal products and even if you sleep everyday on the flesh doesn’t counts much, if you are not jealous of others. Nevertheless, you are what you eat.
"Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages". - Thomas Edison"
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