This is actually a pretty hot topic among those in eastern religions. Should a follower of the dharma eat meat? I would argue that in fact, yes, a dharmic can eat meat. There are a few reasons I would argue this. One is that it is part of nature, and nature itself is a huge part of the dharma. Living things consuming each other is a big part of the natural way.
Plants have to consume minerals from the earth to live. Animals have to consume plant life, and they also consume each other for certain things they need in their diet. Human beings are animals, and furthermore, we are part of nature. Science can tell us a lot about our bodies, including that when our bodies need certain things from food a sort of survival instinct kicks in.
We need some of the things found in meat to have good health and mind. However, some would argue that meat-eating goes against the concept of ahimsa (non-violence). Does it really? Surely if it had originally been felt that meat-eating went against ahimsa then Hindus would not have eaten and even sacrificed animals for centuries. Lord Buddha taught that one can eat meat and not acquire bad karma if they don't slaughter it themselves. Really the religions themselves are not enough to give us the idea that meat-eating is bad.
I will point out that part of the dharma is nature, and that in nature things flow into each other. Plants consume minerals, animals consume plants and other animals, and we also do this. This is part of things flowing into each other in nature. Does this destroy the other living thing? If you believe what dharmic religions say about the nature of this world, no it does not. It does not destroy the living being, it destroys the outward illusionary image. The atman can never be destroyed.
If one living thing consumes another it in a fact destroys nothing. Brahman is within all, flowing from place to place like water. If one sees the act of consumption as energy merging into energy there is no destruction taking place. To the mind fettered in Maya it appears a person is killing an animal and eating it. To the mind who sees beyond Maya one living thing is taking the energy of another living thing and merging it into their own energy. Brahman merging into Brahman, flowing into itself.
Plants have to consume minerals from the earth to live. Animals have to consume plant life, and they also consume each other for certain things they need in their diet. Human beings are animals, and furthermore, we are part of nature. Science can tell us a lot about our bodies, including that when our bodies need certain things from food a sort of survival instinct kicks in.
We need some of the things found in meat to have good health and mind. However, some would argue that meat-eating goes against the concept of ahimsa (non-violence). Does it really? Surely if it had originally been felt that meat-eating went against ahimsa then Hindus would not have eaten and even sacrificed animals for centuries. Lord Buddha taught that one can eat meat and not acquire bad karma if they don't slaughter it themselves. Really the religions themselves are not enough to give us the idea that meat-eating is bad.
I will point out that part of the dharma is nature, and that in nature things flow into each other. Plants consume minerals, animals consume plants and other animals, and we also do this. This is part of things flowing into each other in nature. Does this destroy the other living thing? If you believe what dharmic religions say about the nature of this world, no it does not. It does not destroy the living being, it destroys the outward illusionary image. The atman can never be destroyed.
If one living thing consumes another it in a fact destroys nothing. Brahman is within all, flowing from place to place like water. If one sees the act of consumption as energy merging into energy there is no destruction taking place. To the mind fettered in Maya it appears a person is killing an animal and eating it. To the mind who sees beyond Maya one living thing is taking the energy of another living thing and merging it into their own energy. Brahman merging into Brahman, flowing into itself.
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