Ahimsa is a spiritual principle emphasized by many saints and masters. It implies love and compassion for all beings and reverence for life itself. The awareness that everyone in creation is inherently divine or in other words the expanded consciousness of all-inclusiveness, can come only through love, compassion and reverence. Acts of violence or himsa, therefore, demonstrate non-alignment with the truth of oneness and absence of a compassionate heart. The immortal Guru Sri Sathya Sai Baba said ‘True love is that which comes from the bottom of the heart and which means no harm to others’. These values are at the very core of providing a basis for choosing a vegetarian and teetotal lifestyle.
The choice of being vegetarian can be evaluated at through many perspectives.
Many years back, a dear family friend of ours had gone to Rishikesh (Northern India) to visit a sadhu baba (ascetic). While he was waiting for his turn to talk to the sadhu he also witnessed the sadhu’s interaction with a seemingly …show more content…
Those who have truly enjoyed the energy of a forest or greenery, are aware that there is much more to trees and plants than meets the eye. For all humans know, plants/trees have a high consciousness. They respond to and are sensitive to the environment in which they grow, responding to vibrations of love, music, chanting, communication etc. Science shows that plants sense and react to injury and create their own defense through secretions. However, plants do not have the nervous system and brain to feel and process ‘PAIN’ as living beings do. Therefore, consuming plants and killing animals for food cannot be equated. Additionally, most of the plant matter that people consume does not destroy the plant. For instance, if the fruit is eaten only the fruit is eaten, the plant is not destroyed. Most vegetables that people eat are harvested only at the end of their life
The choice of being vegetarian can be evaluated at through many perspectives.
Many years back, a dear family friend of ours had gone to Rishikesh (Northern India) to visit a sadhu baba (ascetic). While he was waiting for his turn to talk to the sadhu he also witnessed the sadhu’s interaction with a seemingly …show more content…
Those who have truly enjoyed the energy of a forest or greenery, are aware that there is much more to trees and plants than meets the eye. For all humans know, plants/trees have a high consciousness. They respond to and are sensitive to the environment in which they grow, responding to vibrations of love, music, chanting, communication etc. Science shows that plants sense and react to injury and create their own defense through secretions. However, plants do not have the nervous system and brain to feel and process ‘PAIN’ as living beings do. Therefore, consuming plants and killing animals for food cannot be equated. Additionally, most of the plant matter that people consume does not destroy the plant. For instance, if the fruit is eaten only the fruit is eaten, the plant is not destroyed. Most vegetables that people eat are harvested only at the end of their life