40 lines
3.0 KiB
Plaintext
40 lines
3.0 KiB
Plaintext
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IS KILLING VEGETABLES WRONG?
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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It is a common metaphysical question to ask, "If all living
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entities are spiritually equal, then why is it acceptable to
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eat grains, vegetables, etc., and not meat? Aren't
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vegetarians guilty of killing vegetables?" In response, it
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may be pointed out that vegetarian foods such as fruits,
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nuts, milk, and grains do not require any killing. But even
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in those cases where a plant's life is taken, the pain
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involved is much less than when an animal is slaughtered,
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because the plant's nervious system is less developed.
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Clearly there is a vast difference between pulling a carrot
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out of the ground and killing a lamb. But still, one must
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undoubtedly suffer karmic reactions even for killing plants.
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For this reason, Lord Krishna explains in Bhagavad-gita that
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not only should man eat only vegetarian foods, but he should
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also offer these eatables to Him. If we follow this process
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of sacrifice, of offering our foodstuffs to God, the Supreme
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Lord, Krishna, protects us from any karmic reactions
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resulting from the killing of plants. Otherwise, according
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to the law of karma, we are personally responsible. The Gita
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states, "The devotees of the Lord are released from all sins
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because they eat food that is offered first for sacrifice.
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Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment,
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verily eat only sin."
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Srila Prabhupada, the guru and Founder-Acharya of the Hare
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Krishna movement, elaborates on this principle of spiritual
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vegetarianism. "Human beings are provided with food grains,
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vegetables, fruits, and milk by the grace of the Lord, but
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it is the duty of human beings to acknowledge the mercy of
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the Lord. As a matter of gratitude, they should feel obliged
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to the Lord for their supply of foodstuff, and they must
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first offer Him food in sacrifice and then partake of the
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remnants." By eating such sanctified food - prasadam - one
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is protected from karmic reactions and advances spiritually.
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