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To eat or not to eat

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by Brevity, Sep 25, 2015.

  1. Brevity

    Brevity Gold IL'ite

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    Just trying to collect my thoughts on the recent bans relating to food in India....

    To think that we can live on this earth without harming/killing other organisms is just naivity bordering on foolishness. All animals kill. Animals other than humans kill for food or territorial reasons. Humans kill for vanity as well.


    Do we think that by being a vegetarian our karma level is above that of non vegetarians?


    Even if we eat only vegetables for our entire life, we would end up killing millions in pests and bugs to defend ourselves, our home and our precious vegan fruits and vegetables.


    We need to feel more guitly about killing millions of silkworms for a shining piece of fabric than killing a cow for food.


    We need to respect the hens that give us eggs and meat just as the cow that gives us milk.


    Respect for all living things does not mean that we do not kill those for food. It means to treat them right when they are alive and let them have their fair share of this beautiful earth that we live in. Give them a piece of blue sky and not dark crowded cages with a bulb above. Let them graze on the green pastures and not just feed them with synthesized food that they are not genetically programmed to eat. After letting them live a full life, when you kill them, do it with respect and be thankful for the food.

    I read this somehwere some time back... As meat eaters, we need to kill/butcher at least one animal in our life. Only then we deserve to eat the meat. Packed meats in supermarkets has taken out the soul from meat. We need to see the life and the creator, be it cow, fish, goat, chicken or pig.
     
  2. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Brevity,

    Animals were killed to perform Rajasuya Yagam even when Dharma was the king. It is impossible to protect and preserve all animals especially when they are part of the food chain. But overall perspective is to perform at the highest level and sustain our energy by consuming the lowest form in the food chain. That doesn't make vegetarians as better human beings unless they eliminate animal qualities in them.

    Viswa
     
  3. Balajee

    Balajee IL Hall of Fame

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    A human and pragmatic approach. If someone tells me animals should not be killed for food I respect his/her view but saying cows can't be killed but goat, sheep and chicken can be is hypocrisy with a big H,.
     
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  4. indoc

    indoc Gold IL'ite

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    India is the largest exporter of beef.. 2.8 millions of it in 2014 FY..
     
  5. Brevity

    Brevity Gold IL'ite

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    Indoc, the moment we started producing, intensely cultivating animals for meat, milk, eggs, cloth etc the problem started.

    Viswa sir, can we ever hope to eliminate animal qualities ? Whatever lofty thinking we do, the inevitable truth is that we are animals.

    But the problem would not exist if we were controlled only by our basal animal nature. Animals kill mostly for hunger. Not to amass wealth....other animals do not control how another animal, even its prey, lives, feeds, reproduces etc on an intrinsic level as we humans do.

    yes Balaji... why just cows...
     
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  6. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Brevity,

    You are right on the money in your statement that humans have some qualities that can be graded below the animal qualities. As you rightly said, animals don't control preys' lives, feeds, reproduces, etc. I saw a video of cow slaughter in a factory setting where the cows were hanging from the top heavily drugged and they could easily watch what was happening to the cows in front of them. I could not sleep for a day and no life should face that type of situation. I don't question slaughter of animals for meat but it should be done with least amount of pain and suffering to the animals.

    Viswa
     
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  7. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    This reminds me of the phrase by cricket commentator Jim Laker Of The London Times in describing the immense defeat in test by Indians at Lord’s : like demented sheep in a slaughter house....
     

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