When we see
picture of goddess Durga in the form of Kali, Chandi, or Chamunda having
terrible giant black skin, huge red tongues, many arms holding weapon,
necklaces of human head gives the glimpse of Dashain festival. It’s a time for
celebration with family, relative and friends. The dark-side of this
celebration appear on ‘Maha Ashtami’ when countless innocent buffalo, goats and
birds are sacrificed in the name of Goddess Durga to enrich one with power and
wealth from the Goddess. Does it make sense? It is not a matter of debate
whether killing animals to please Goddess is righteous or wrong. Living or
non-living things, we are part of organic unity. In the absence of one, a
picture on the canvas is incomplete. Slaughtering animal shows that we have no
respect for nature.
I have been through different religious scripture to
know how scripture are shaping the believers’ consciousness. There are three
main religions originated in the Middle East, these three religions appear to
be similar. Judaism believes in Torah, it is similar to Old Testament of
Christian holy Bible. It prohibits the consumption of blood but allows flesh
(Genesis 9:4) “Only flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof,
Shall you not eat”. (Leviticus 17:14) “You shall eat the blood of no manner of
flesh; for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof”.
The extracted lines from holy book reminded me the
drama, named “Merchant of Venice” written by William Shakespeare where we can
encounter with a situation of a person who has taken loan under contract. The
contract states that if the person is not able to pay back the loan within the
stipulated time then in return one pound flesh will be cut off from his body.
Accordingly, drama progresses and the court states that “start cutting, but if
you shed any blood, your life is forfeited.” The verdict is funny as a story of
Bible. Is it possible to have flesh without blood shedding? Similarly, Muslim
holy book Quran support for non-vegetarianism (5:3, 2:173, and 6:145) says, “In
all that has been revealed unto me, I do not find anything forbidden to eat,
unless it be carrion, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine.”
The oriental religions prohibit slaughtering animal
for food but many followers are going on against their own religion. Jainism is
the first religion which preached vegetarianism. Hindu scriptures, too,
advocate for vegetarianism. Yajur Veda (34-51) says, “They that trouble others
for the sake of their own good are Rakshas (monster) and they that eat the
flesh of birds and beasts are Pisachas (Devil). In Surangama Sutra, Gautam
Buddha says, “If a man can control his body and mind and thereby refrains from
eating animal flesh and wearing animal products, I say he will really be
liberated”. The Sikh scripture Guru Grantha Sahib strongly condemned meat
consumption. It says, “You kill living beings, and call it a righteous action.
Tell me, brother, what would you call an unrighteous action?”
As we know that food affects the mind, we are what we
eat. It is impossible to upgrade human consciousness unless they stop absorbing
animals. Those who practice meditation can understand the meaning of vegetarian
food and reincarnation because their consciousness becomes so pure and
sensitive to understand the spiritual fact. Shri Madbhagavad Gita speaks about
eating only high-quality food, because food shapes the personality, mood and
mind.
Indian mystic Osho says, “Life in its infinite forms
exists as one organic unity. We are part of it: the part should feel reverence
for the whole. That is the idea of vegetarianism. It simply means: don’t
destroy life, because life is God. It is really just a question of aesthetics:
one’s sensitivity, one’s respect and one’s reverence for life.”
Not only from aesthetics point of view, slaughtering
animal not good from environmental point of view. A study of the production and distribution of
20 common agricultural products, conducted by the Environmental Working Group
(EWG), found that red meat such as beef and lamb is responsible for 10 to 40
times as many greenhouse gas emissions as common vegetables and grains. As millions
of people living in the emerging economies are craving for more meat in their
food, it’s obviously going to have a huge environmental impact.
Consumption of vegetables and fruits is associated
with a substantially lower risk for many chronic diseases, including certain
types of cancer. Research has shown that people who follow a vegetarian diet
are at a lower risk for obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2
diabetes, diverticulitis, renal disease, some cancers (including lung and breast),
and gallstones. Vegetarian diets have also been shown to benefit people who
already have 2 type of diabetes. In one study, 43% of the people with type 2
diabetes who ate a low-fat vegan diet reduced their need for diabetes
medications. The reason for these health benefits comes from the lower intakes
of saturated fat and cholesterol and the higher intakes of complex
carbohydrates, dietary fiber, certain minerals, and photochemical. Cholesterol
is only found in animal foods, so vegan diets are completely cholesterol-free.
Naturally there are differences between the habit and
physical appurtenance of vegetarian and non vegetarian animals. During the
birth eyes are open to those babies who are naturally vegetarian and eyes are
close to those babies who are natural non-vegetarian. For example man, cow,
buffalo, goat etc. are vegetarian so their eyes are open during birth and in
contrary lion, tiger, dog, cat etc are non-vegetarian who has closed eyes for
few days after the birth. Vegetarian suck/drink the water while non-vegetarian
licks the water. Vegetarian animal has flat teeth while non vegetarian has
canine teeth.
Lion eats meat but does not eat our fruits but so
called civilized human beings are trespassers. We must be held accountable for
ecological disorder and pollution. From the gender perspective also, men
slaughter animals while women encourage it. Men are bound to stop slaughtering
animals if women stop cooking meat and decorating it on the dining table. By
birth, babies are not flesh eaters but they are conditioned by our so called
socio-cultural ritual. Vegetarian foods are good for healthy living but our
society still largely allows slaughtering animals in the name of various
rituals and festivals. There is a need for a conscious social movement to end
such an inhuman practice. We have no right to destroy the God’s creation if we
can’t create it.
By Giri Bahadur Sunar
