The question was raised whether people who kill plants for food are just as guilty as those who kill animals. And also whether the reason for being a vegetarian is simply an ego trip.
First of all, there are so many good reasons for being a vegetarian. Consider the fact that a plant can often bear fruits and other edibles without needing to be killed. Or that meat eaters and vegetarian alike must eat some kind of vegetable matter, making meat generally unnecessary. Or the fact that slaughterhouses and factory farms are filthy, wasteful, cruel and just plain Satanic, thus making the vegetarian diet a prerequisite to awakening spiritual vision, the ability to see God within the heart of every living being.
Yet, being a vegetarian without offering our food first as a sacrifice to God does hold one liable. Although obviously not as much as the killing of an animal, it does produce karma. So the Gita says to offer the food first as a sacrifice before taking.
In other words, after you cook your meal (keeping in mind that Krishna doesn't eat meat, fish or eggs), lovingly put a quantity of each preparation in small bowls on a platter that are used only for Krishna, place them on an altar at home. Next, beg with prayers to guru and Gauranga and Govinda, to please come and eat.. This is similar to the simplified western version of “saying grace”, thanking and asking God to bless us and our food before eating.
There are various rules and regulations to guide one who wants to make this more or less elaborate, but the essence of the matter is to give to Krishna first, then eat. In that way we are protected from the sins involved and their reactions. .
We are always killing. When we breath we kill or when we step we kill so many microbes or bugs and so on. We can't avoid it. We cannot avoid taking from material nature either so many material necessities such as food, fiber, water, air, utilizing fire and so on. Thus the scriptures give us ways to get what we need and at the same time purify our existence.
"In the beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and demigods, along with sacrifices for Visnu, and blessed them by saying, 'Be thou happy by this yajna [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you all desirable things.' The demigods, being pleased by sacrifices, will also please you; thus nourishing one another, there will reign general prosperity for all. In charge of the various necessities of life, the demigods, being satisfied by the performance of yajna [sacrifice], supply all necessities to man. But he who enjoys these gifts, without offering them to the demigods (via Krishna) in return, is certainly a thief. The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin." -Bg 3.10-13
There are various sacrifices mentioned to perform for every age. "The best sacrifice recommended in this age is called sankirtana-yajna. This sankirtana-yajna, the chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare, is the best and most inexpensive sacrifice; everyone can adopt it and derive benefit."
First of all, there are so many good reasons for being a vegetarian. Consider the fact that a plant can often bear fruits and other edibles without needing to be killed. Or that meat eaters and vegetarian alike must eat some kind of vegetable matter, making meat generally unnecessary. Or the fact that slaughterhouses and factory farms are filthy, wasteful, cruel and just plain Satanic, thus making the vegetarian diet a prerequisite to awakening spiritual vision, the ability to see God within the heart of every living being.
Yet, being a vegetarian without offering our food first as a sacrifice to God does hold one liable. Although obviously not as much as the killing of an animal, it does produce karma. So the Gita says to offer the food first as a sacrifice before taking.
In other words, after you cook your meal (keeping in mind that Krishna doesn't eat meat, fish or eggs), lovingly put a quantity of each preparation in small bowls on a platter that are used only for Krishna, place them on an altar at home. Next, beg with prayers to guru and Gauranga and Govinda, to please come and eat.. This is similar to the simplified western version of “saying grace”, thanking and asking God to bless us and our food before eating.
There are various rules and regulations to guide one who wants to make this more or less elaborate, but the essence of the matter is to give to Krishna first, then eat. In that way we are protected from the sins involved and their reactions. .
We are always killing. When we breath we kill or when we step we kill so many microbes or bugs and so on. We can't avoid it. We cannot avoid taking from material nature either so many material necessities such as food, fiber, water, air, utilizing fire and so on. Thus the scriptures give us ways to get what we need and at the same time purify our existence.
"In the beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and demigods, along with sacrifices for Visnu, and blessed them by saying, 'Be thou happy by this yajna [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you all desirable things.' The demigods, being pleased by sacrifices, will also please you; thus nourishing one another, there will reign general prosperity for all. In charge of the various necessities of life, the demigods, being satisfied by the performance of yajna [sacrifice], supply all necessities to man. But he who enjoys these gifts, without offering them to the demigods (via Krishna) in return, is certainly a thief. The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin." -Bg 3.10-13
There are various sacrifices mentioned to perform for every age. "The best sacrifice recommended in this age is called sankirtana-yajna. This sankirtana-yajna, the chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare, is the best and most inexpensive sacrifice; everyone can adopt it and derive benefit."
