IN DEFENCE OF VEGETARIANISM

IN DEFENCE OF VEGETARIANISM

‘I prescribe vegetarianism not because I want to make people become narrowly puritanical or get too much into sense of purity and impurity of food and hence go into smaller minds. But I advocate vegetarianism as the higher implication of Ahimsa (Non-Violence), as it’s practice inculcates high ethical standards and it prevents senseless and mindless slaughter of animals. It pertains to higher human conscience and must be encouraged.’

                                                    - (THE IMPORT OF LORD BUDDHA ON VEGETARIANISM)

Indeed Vegetarianism is one of the most wondrous and marvelous gift of Indian Culture to the Human Civilization. It’s not as if it has been absent or totally non-existent in other cultures. An ethical food habit, which is based on the principle of universal love for creation, can not be restricted to one nation, one culture. But the extent to which it’s practice has been successful here is unparalleled and unprecedented in the geographies of the world.

Vegetarianism is the institutionalization of Ahimsa in it’s strict form, it is establishment and codification of Universal Love into a dietary ethic, it is the Flowering of human morals and it leads to a society of people who are not merely externally harmonius but also internally more at peace with themselves. Vegetarianism is well above a narrow creed, sectarian belief system or some exclusive ideology. It is concern for the so called ‘sub-human’ living beings. Animals have a right to live, being created by the creator to inherit this Earth as living beings. Who says they are equal to Human Beings? We are not according them Fundamental Rights which is the birthright of every human being. But they are living beings and thus should get their right to live just as the ‘Intelligent Man’ gets his various comprehensive types of freedoms. And the first step towards giving animals their due is encouraging a purely Vegetarian Diet.

Vegetarianism falls in the domain or at least an extended domain of every religion of the world. The basic intent of all the religions is Universal love towards God and mankind and reverence for Mother Nature. Thus each and every religion possesses the necessary spiritual injunction to sanction, encourage and promote vegetarianism. Vegetarianism inculcates the ethics of compassion, peaceful and non-violent coexistence based on perfect equality and universal love. After all, one does not require the complicated postulation of scientific logic or the complex inference of some profound philosophy to understand the pain which a living creature undergoes when he is being slaughtered for human consumption.

Vegetarianism is practically possible, especially so with the advancement in agriculture and technology and after the green revolution, the production of cereal and other food products has risen dramatically and is still rising. So why should we devour the animals? Some arguments being given against vegetarianism are that it will disturb food cycle, or even plants are living beings, then why do you eat them as well? Well what can be said is that both Scientific and Religious traditions concur on the fact that plants (or plant products) represent much more primitive level of consciousness than animals and hence can be for practical purposes reckoned as ‘Non-Living Things’ or at least ‘Lesser Living Things’.

The Vegetarian Community is growing globally. There are more vegetarians in the western world today than there were 20-30 years ago, it’s a fact which is evident from available statistics on this subject. Interestingly, Vegetarianism is finding slow but steady acceptance among the muslims as well. It should be one of the aims of the governments, to encourage food habits which exclude animal products or at least do not require animal slaughter. Morality and Ethical standards can come full circle only when Vegetarianism becomes the fashion and preferred choice for most individuals and hence the world becomes a less cruel place for the Animal Kingdom.

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