Vegetarianism Part 2

Let's now talk a bit about vegetarianism in religion.


For Mahayana Buddhist of chinese "background", they take vegetarian food on the 1st day and 15th day of the lunar month. But is this practice really a buddhist practice? I don't think so. While some would insist that it is, I would beg to differ. It's more a chinese thing that includes Taoism in the fold (but Taosim may not be the reason why). So the Chinese (both Buddhism and Taoism) are the ones who take vegetarian food (if they choose to) on the 1st and 15th day of the lunar month. It's definitely not a buddhist thing. Let's face it, In India, Sri Lanka, Tibet and Thailand the Buddhist there don't take vegetarian food on the 1st and 15th day of the chinese lunar month be it Theravada or Mahayana practitioner. Their calendars are also different.


However, the reason for vegetarianism was not a rule that the Avatar created. It was more a recommendation by the Avatar for the people so that they be more compassionate towards living beings. Of course, to the serious spiritual practitioner, going veg does make sense as it makes ones energy body more refined and well... divine energy is refined. Meat eaters tend to have very un-refined energy bodies. And if you are a serious spiritual practitioner, you should want to make your energy body more refined such that you can receive more divine energies. Of course this is not a hard and fast rule as there are transmutation techniques that a practitioner can use. However, the act of eating meat is still, well... doesn't quite jive with compassion... know what I mean.


Anyway, in Hinduism, my understanding is that the Hindus are recommended to take vegetarian diet on fridays. Though I'm not sure whether it is really on friday because before the julian calendar arrived in India, the practice should be on a certain day according to their Vedic calendar. However, though I really know nothing about Hinduism, I'm sure the basis behind it is also compassion for living beings or cleansing of the body.


I would say that I do advocate a vegetarian diet if possible. But living in the real world makes that not so simple. So, to me a middle path is one of more veg with less meat. And not fake veg by the way. Not only would it be better for your physical body to take more veg, energy wise, it also refines your aura and energy bodies.


Of course, having said that, we still need to be mindful of the words that comes out of our mouths. :-)


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