Major religions associated with vegetarianism
D. P. ATUKORALE
In addition to Hinduism and Buddhism other major religious traditions
are sometimes associated with vegetarianism including Jainism, Judaism,
Christianity and Islam. Of these Hinduism has the most profound
connection with a vegetarian way of life and the strongest claim to
fostering and supporting it.
Hinduism, the most ancient of all the world religions carries a
number of injunctions against meat eating and some of the texts as far
as I am aware oppose violence against other life forms which are held to
be equally sacred; others link caring for animals with one’s journey
towards spiritual purity.
One group says that the Karmic consequences of meat eating are
drastic and it is said that the meat eaters will be eaten by the same
kinds of animals one has killed in the present life, and most of the
texts on Hinduism never endorse the wholesale slaughter of animals so
prevalent today.
According to the Vedic tradition, all creatures manifest the same
life force and merit equal care and compassion. The soul that is present
in animal form is of no lesser significance than that which is embodied
in human form.
The Ramayana and Mahabharata (which includes Bhagavad Gita) also
advocate a vegetarian diet on religious grounds. The Bhagavad Gita
specifies the vegetarian foods (fruits, vegetables, grams, nuts and
dairy products) be offered as devotional offerings and that those who
consume such items, having first offered to God are especially blessed.
Hinduism is thus demonstrably positive toward vegetarianism.
Furthermore, it has contributed immeasurably towards animals and toward
humans and hence the nonviolence as the ideal way of life. Thus as far
as I am aware people belonging to the Hare Krishna movement are
vegetarians.
Judaism and Christianity have a common scriptural source which
provides the same challenge to their vegetarian adherents. All the
people belonging to the Seventh Day Adventist group of Christians are
vegetarians and teetotallers and there are millions of these followers
in U.S.A.
Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam is not a religion, most people
in the world identify with vegetarianism even though some scholars and
adherents contend, that, its founding prophets Mohammad (C 570-632)
conveyed a vegetarian message both by word and deed. Many of his sayings
and actions are concerned with a need to show love, kindness, compassion
and mercy to animals.
The Koran, the book of revelation of which Mohammad is the messenger
also contains suggestive hints of the following kinds: “All the beasts
that roam the earth and all the birds that soar on high are but
communities like your own. We have left out nothing in the Book. Before
the Lord they shall be gathered all”. (Surah 6:38). “He laid the earth
for HIS creatures with all its fruits and blossom - bearing palm, chaff
- covered gram, and scented herbs” (Surah 55:9-11).
According to Rosen, there is evident accounts of his life that
Mohammad himself preferred a vegetarian life, but unable to require it
of his earlier followers because he was mindful that such strictures
would likely alternate them. He thus favoured the techniques of
gradualism meaning that he aimed via craving and personal example rather
than prescription, to move people in the right direction.
Rosen also notes that there is a robust and compassionate vegetarian
standpoint emanating from the Sufi (or Islamic mystical) tradition and
that (as in Judaism) strictest dietary laws are solely concerned with
slaughter of animals and forbidden and permissible forms of meat eating
(Rosen, Diet for Transcendence p.60). There is then, an opportunity for
vegetarianism to take hold within Islam too.
Reference: Deep Vegetarianism by Michael Allen Foz. |