Vegans/Vegetarians United Must Abandon Hinduism

many of us bleieve in the hindu and yogic way of life due to what we thought were vegetarian sympathies but i found this out today so i think its important that we all stop believing in hindu gods...all of us together... one stick will easily break but if we put all the sticks together, then they will remain unbroken and so let's stick together

Manu-samhita, Buhler's translation

5.16 But the fish called PAThIna and that called Rohita may be eaten, if used for offerings to the gods or to the manes; (one may eat) likewise RAjIvas, SiMhatuNDas, and SaSalkas on all (occasions).

5.18 The porcupine, the hedgehog, the iguana, the rhinoceros, the tortoise, and the hare they declare to be eatable; likewise those (domestic animals) that have teeth in one jaw only, excepting camels.

There is however the advice:

5.56 There is no sin in eating meat, in (drinking) spiritous liquor, and in carnal intercourse, for that is the natural way of created beings, but abstention brings great rewards.

Just to show that this is not a rare reference from the VasiSTha Dharma-sUtra:

The treatise of Manu states: An animal may be killed only on the occasion of paying homage to ancestors, gods, or guests. (4.5)

He should, moreover, cook a big ox or a big male goat for a Brahmin or Ksatriya who comes to his house. In this way they show him hospitality (SB 3.4.1.2 cited at VDS 4.8)

 

Hmm ...

I don't see why Hinduism must be abandonded. You CAN eat meat and do all of these things, but you don't HAVE to, to still be Hindu.

 

good point but one should be concerned in one's spiritual practices about one's awakening and not trying to get away with what the gods allow as many try to do with their religions

 

I can see your point, and I agree that one should not use their knowledge of religion to find the loopholes & see how much they can get away with. But might I offer a different opinion on what you've quoted?


5.16 But the fish called PAThIna and that called Rohita may be eaten, if used for offerings to the gods or to the manes; (one may eat) likewise RAjIvas, SiMhatuNDas, and SaSalkas on all (occasions).


To me, the operative word here is may. These animals are acceptible as food. Well so is eggplant, but I think it's nasty & refuse to eat it. Just because you can eat a food doesn't mean that you need to. This goes for the next verse as well, as they say that these animals are eatable... but do not specifically order one to eat them.

Now when you get to this verse, I think you've got a different story:

He should, moreover, cook a big ox or a big male goat for a Brahmin or Ksatriya who comes to his house. In this way they show him hospitality (SB 3.4.1.2 cited at VDS 4.8)

I know nearly nothing about the religion, but I do know that in many cultures it is considered proper to cook up a large animal of one sort or another when an important guest visits. My best guess would be that this is an instruction written in that may have become... dated?

I am a Christian. There are very similar passages in the Bible. And I have always taken these to mean that you may eat these animals, or you may choose not to - but that it would not be wrong in God's eyes if you chose to. There are also passages in the Bible that made sense for the time in which it was written, but no longer seem to apply. One that comes to mind immediately is men with long hair.

1 Corinthians 11:14 "Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?"

Five thousand years ago when sanitation was at a minimum, long hair would have been a health hazard to men who needed to be out tending sheep and/or getting completely filthy. But with modern hygeine? I just don't know that this applies anymore. Likewise, even today if you have company over, you would serve them something extra special. In a time & place where meat was scarce, killing one of your livestock to serve to your guests could be the equivalent of taking them out to a nice restaurant today. Nowadays we don't always eat meat... but back then, meat was a rare & special treat.

I don't want to belittle or pick apart your faith. But I wanted you to know that there might be another way to interpret those verses. I do the same with my own faith.
love,
mom

 

well you can give up whatever you want, but I'm going to continue in my Hindu-Buddhist hybrid ways.

If you're ruling out deities based on what their holy scriptures say it's alright to eat, you might as well pack it in and be an atheist already.

~Layla

 

Sure hindus still sacrifice animals for certain festivals.

 

i heard the hindus have a big gathering called the kumbha mela and so maybe we veggies could go there and ask them to change their religion and then we'll try to get them more converts

 

Yeah Kumbha Mela is where they all gather, but all different sects of hinduism have different rules and there are hundreds of them. Some sadhus, notably the Nath and Aghori eat meat and drink alcohol. Others like the Sita Ram are much stricter. Just do your own thing and what you feel is right. Anyway Buddhists should by their religion be vegetarian, but if you go to South East Asia most buddhists eat meat.

 

*yawn*

WHO CARES?!

that's like saying "Jesus didn't eat soy burgers, so I can't."

Please.