VEGETARIANISM IN THE RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD
Vegetarianism
and non-vegetarianism these are the burning issues of the religions of the
world. One should ask a question to oneself why we should kill other animals
for our survival. Man is not merely an animal or a beast. Man is a social
animal having intelligence and rationality, which other animals do not have.
These qualities of intelligence and sense of rationality is a god gift and
since God has given man the power to judge what is right and what is wrong, man
should act or judge accordingly. Before killing animals for our food we must
apply the intelligence, and judge as God has ordained for us to do so. Whatever
religion or sect we are following, whatever sect of which we are adherents to,
we must act rationally and must not forget god’s bounties
bestowed upon us as intelligence and rationality. For food, we must not kill
other animals. They have also equal rights to live.
Vegetarianism
in the religions of the world.
I would like
to begin with Semitic Religions and first of all I shall begin with Judaism.
Judaism:
Judaism is
the mother of all Semitic religions, i.e Judaism, Islam and Christianity. These three religions are also called Abrahamic religions, as
Abraham is the founding father of all these religions.
I would like
to begin with a quotation from Exodus;
“You who have
compassion for a lamb
Shall
be the shepherd of my people Israel”
Unfortunately, today Orthodox Judaism does not generally teach that vegetarianism is a scriptural principle. Of course, the scriptures do inform us that each generation of the Jews has a lesser understanding of the Torah than its predecessor. (Tractate Berakhot,20A Talmud Bavli)This is enough to account for modern Jews refusal of the vegetarian way of life. The first diet given by Torah is clearly vegetarian.
Genesis
stresses ‘I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of
the earth and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree giving seed: to you it
shall be for food.’ In obedience to these instructions the people of Israel for three
generations (from Adam to Noah) were frugivorous and vegetarian.
However,
this adherence to God’s commandment was very short lived. By the
time of Noah morality diminished considerably. Animal sacrifice started, animal’s skin was
used for clothing and human beings began to murder one another. (GENESIS 4:8)It
was during this period of falling into sin as the Bible describes it that God
gave concessions for eating flesh food. From then onward meat eating became
rampant, After the great flood that had destroyed all vegetation, God issued a
temporary sanction to eat meat.(Genesis 9:4)There after God again instituted a
vegetarian diet. When people of Israel left Egypt God provided manna a
non-flesh food meant to sustain during arduous journey. Meat eating by now has
thoroughly become ingrained and wide spread among the Jews.
Mankind was
given dominion over all creatures (Genesis 1:26) and many adherents of
Judeo-Christian tradition refer to this dominion in an attempt to rationalize
the killings and eating of animal flesh. Dr. Richard Schwartz says in his
Judaism and Vegetarianism
Dominion
does not mean that we have the right to conquer and exploit animals.
Immediately after God gave dominion over animals, he prohibited their use for
food. Dominion means guardianship or being co-worker with God in taking care of
and improving the world. (Genesis1:26 and 1:29) The Talmud interprets dominion as the privilege of using animals
for labour only.
Rabbi Kook
states that dominion does not mean to govern cruelly for our personal selfish
ends with stubborn heart.
Rabbi Hirsch says that people have not been given right to have other animals subservient to
them. He also states that the earth and its creatures may have other
relationship of which we are ignorant, in which they serve their own purpose. Thus,
there is divine control over all and neither Judaism nor any other religion has
unlimited rights to use, misuse or even kill other animals.
The dietary regulations of Judaism:
It is
interesting to note that all dietary laws of Judaism apply to flesh food only.
All fruits, vegetables, grains, cereals and even dairy products are KOSHER.
Only meat must be prepared in a special way. This is because Judaism stresses
to minimize meat eating. Meat is not for consumption. It is a compromise in a
dire need.
Jewish
dietary law ‘kushrut’ says that first of all eating
meat itself is a sort of compromise. Man, ideally should not eat meat. Further
the Jewish laws prescribe a long and tiresome almost difficult procedure to
slaughter animal. If such procedure is not strictly followed the slain meat
becomes impure and it is not ‘kosher’
(permissible). This is an indirect restriction on slaughtering and meat eating.
Take care not to destroy god’s work
for the sake of something to eat (Romans 14:20)
The New
Testament focuses exclusively upon Jesus but little is known about his diet.
There were however many early Christians who did support vegetarianism. They
are St. Benedict, Clement, Eusebius, Cyprian, and John Wesley to name a few.
The Bible including the Old Testament has its origin in Judaism and by virtue
of Torah’s declaration of vegetables as first food the vegetation becomes
the food of Christianity also.
History
relates that organized Christianity gradually moved away from its vegetarian
roots. The early Christian fathers adhered to meatless regimen. More recently
the Roman Catholic Church had ruled that practicing Catholics at least observe
certain fast and abstain from meat eating on Fridays. This is a welcome step in
the direction of meatless food society.
Islam:
The Islamic
tradition holds that in Mecca, the birthplace of Mohammed, no creature be
slaughtered and that perfect harmony exists between all living things. In fact,
Muslim pilgrims approach Mecca wearing a shroud (ihram), and from the time they
don this religious apparel, no killing is allowed: not even mosquitoes, lice,
grasshoppers, or any other living creature. If a pilgrim sees an insect on the
ground, he will gesture to stop his comrades from inadvertently stepping on it.
Thus, while Islam is not generally viewed as a religion that endorses
vegetarianism and kindness to animals, the Islamic tradition does have great
deal to say about a person’s relationship to the animal
world.
The Example of Prophet Mohammed (s.a.w):
Biographies
of Prophet Mohammed include narrations that clearly depict his love for
animals. And while one would be hard-pressed to find Muslims today who feel
that their religion supports vegetarianism.
(Although
there are certain sects that do), Mohammed’s teachings in this regard are
clear. For instance, Margoliouth, one of Mohammed’s chief
biographers, writes, ‘His humanity extended itself to the lower creation. He forbade the
employment of towing birds as targets for marksmen and remonstrated with those
who ill-treated their camels. When some of his followers had set fire to an
anthill, he compelled them to extinguish it. Act of cruelty was swept away by
him.’
Other
biographers, such as Dr. M. Hafiz Syed, points out that Mohammed instructed
those who eat meat to wash out their mouth before going for prayer. While it is
certainly a Muslim custom to clean one’s mouth before going to prayer,
many biographers say that only meat is emphasized in this connection and not
any other food.
To a vegetarian Muslim, this would come as no surprise.
Why, it may be asked, did Mohammed allow meat eating at all?
One possible
answer is that, because he based much of his teaching on the Old Testament.
Mohammed employed the same concession for meat-eaters as God did in the
scriptures and the same techniques of gradualism. Although total compassion and
abstinence from killing were the ideal, Mohammed had to bring his followers to
that platform slowly so as not to repel potential adherents.
In this
regard, Mohammed said, ‘The teachings were sent in seven
dialects; and in every one of its sentences there is an external and an
internal meaning.... I received two kinds of knowledge: one of these I
taught-but if I had taught them the other, it would have broken their throats.’ Although
Islamic tradition and Arabic Linguists have long since developed an explanation
for the peculiar expression broken their throats, many vegetarian Muslim have
suggested that vegetarianism is implied with this phrase.
In fact,
Mohammed could only have been in favour of vegetarianism, although he may have
been unable to impose this philosophy on the majority. He always showed the
greatest compassion-universal compassion, and he exhorted his followers to
do the same. A touching example for Mohammed’s life show
how far his empathy extended. Awaking from a nap one afternoon, he found a
small, sick cat fast asleep on the edge of his cloak. The prophet cut off his
garment so that the cat could sleep undisturbed. Such a man could never
advocate the slaughter of innocent animals in the name of religion. In one
popular tradition (Hadith) Mohammed is depicted as having rebuked his followers
for not showing universal compassion.
But we do
show compassion, they insisted, -to our wives, children and
relatives. The prophet responded, It is not this to which I refer. I am
speaking of universal mercy.
One
advantage of Islam being a newer religion is that many specific facts regarding
Mohammed’s diet and attitude towards animals are well remembered and
preserved. The Prophet’s earliest biographers indicate
that he preferred vegetarian foods, saying that he liked milk mixed with water,
curd with butter or nuts and dates. His favourite fruits were pomegranates,
grapes and figs. He was particularly fond of honey, often eating it mixed with
vinegar, and he is quoted as saying that in a house where there is vinegar and
honey, there will certainly be the blessings of the Lord.
The Holy Quran
clearly evokes compassion and mercy toward animals, and although many Muslims
never consider vegetarianism, certain sects, such as the Shi’ites, do
have a core of vegetarian followers. Islamic mystics, such as the Sufis, also
hold vegetarianism as high spiritual ideal.
The Sufi Tradition:
There is an
ancient story about a woman Sufi, Saint, Hazarat Rabia Basri, who would
regularly go to a particular mountain in the forest in order to meditate in
perfect tranquility. When she would go, all the animals of the forest would
come near to enjoy her good company. One day, another Sufi arrived. But as soon
as he approached, all the animals ran away, as if in fear. Completely vexed,
the Sufi inquired Rabia Basri, “Why do the animals run away?”
Rabia countered
with another question: “What have you eaten today?” The Sufi
confessed that he; had eaten an onion fried in some fat. The wise Sufi woman
concluded, “You eat their fat! Why should they not flee from you? This famous
Sufi tale is perhaps indicative of the Islamic mystical perspective on
human-animal interrelations. Thousands of Sufis have advocated vegetarian food.
Another great Sufi Mohammed Rahim Bawa Mohiyuddin in his monumental work ‘Come to the Secret Garden’ talks about
love and compassion towards animals. The hunter learns compassion from a bird
represents a clearly vegetarian tradition within Islamic mysticism.
Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism:
Needless to
say that the Indian religious traditions have always advocated vegetarianism,
The Vedas do speak for sacrifice of different animals on different occasions,
but popular modern Hinduism does not advocate animal sacrifice. The Hindu
scriptures always speak about vegetarian way of life. Manusmruti says;
“having well considered the origin of flesh foods,
and the
cruelty,
of fettering
slaying corporeal body
let man
entirely abstain from eating flesh”
Manu Smriti
5.49
“By not killing any living being, one becomes fit for salvation”
Manu Smriti 6.60
As I have
said earlier that Judaism is the mother of Semitic religions, there is nothing
wrong if I say Hinduism is the mother of eastern religions especially Jainism
and Buddhism.
No religion
of the world has given such a high place to ahimsa as Jainism has.
To talk about Mahavir Swami’s concept of Ahimsa I am too little man to
utter a word. What Bhagwan Mahavir has taught is as much relevant today as it
was in those days thousands of years ago. If we analyze scientifically, the
concept of Ahimsa, we can say that Mahavir Swami proved in those days, what
modern scientists are still fumbling. I would conclude by a verse from
Upanishads:
कर्मणा मनसा वाचा, सर्वभूतेषु सर्वदा
अक्लेशजननम् प्रोक्तमहिंसात्वेन योगिभिः
