Meat-eating - an essential subject

Due to a lack of knowledge people in general commit violence to other living entities in various ways. The predominant form of violence towards animals is for eating their flesh. By engaging in meat-eating one looses all sense of compassion. Due to the arrangement of the laws of nature people who are engaged in meat-eating will have to undergo a lot of suffering. To escape from this path of suffering, one has to develop compassion for all living entities. By seeing all living entities as parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord and understanding that the Lord is within every life form, we can develop a strong sense of love and compassion and therefore abstain from meat-eating.

Srila Prabhupada's books, lectures, conversations and letters offer a comprehensive presentation of this essential subject as seen in the Vaniquotes Meat-eating category. An introduction from his books is given below in the following 8 quotes.

Quotes from Srila Prabhupada's books


vanipedia.org 		One should not think that since the spirit spark is never killed even after the killing of the body there is no harm in killing animals for sense gratification. People are now addicted to eating animals, in spite of having an ample supply of grains, fruits and milk. There is no necessity for animal killing. This injunction is for everyone. (Bhagavad-gītā 16.1-3)



vanipedia.org 		Those who desire to eat meat may satisfy the demands of their tongues by eating lower animals, but they should never kill cows, who are actually accepted as the mothers of human society because they supply milk. The śāstra especially recommends, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya: the vaiśya section of humanity should arrange for the food of the entire society through agricultural activities and should give full protection to the cows, which are the most useful animals because they supply milk to human society. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.4.9)



vanipedia.org 		Anyone attempting to go to the higher planetary systems by mechanical means, which are here called māyā, is condemned to go the hellish planets in the lower portion of the universe. To go to the higher planetary system, one needs sufficient good qualities. A sinful person situated in the mode of ignorance and addicted to drinking, meat-eating and illicit sex will never enter the higher planets by mechanical means. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.11.5)



vanipedia.org 		Actually the whole world is presently fallen into material existence. Everyone is a meat-eater, drunkard, woman-hunter, gambler and whatnot. People are enjoying material life by committing the four basic sins. Although they are fallen, if they simply submit themselves at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they will be saved from sinful reactions. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.99)



vanipedia.org 		Anyone from a meat-eating community is called a yavana. One who does not strictly observe the Vedic regulative principles is called a mleccha. These words do not refer to any particular man. Even if a person is born in a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra family, he is a mleccha or yavana if he does not strictly follow the regulative principles or if he eats meat. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.213)



vanipedia.org 		One who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness usually cannot sit silently even for half an hour. The yoga system teaches that if you become silent you will realize that you are God. This system may be all right for materialistic persons, but how long will they be able to keep themselves silent? Artificially, they may sit down for so-called meditation, but immediately after their yogic performance they will engage themselves again in such activities as illicit sex life, gambling, meat-eating and many other nonsensical things. (Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 1)



vanipedia.org 		Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered the two fallen brothers Jagāi and Mādhāi, but the entire world is presently full of Jagāis and Mādhāis, or, in other words, woman-hunters, meat-eaters, gamblers, thieves and other rogues, who create all kinds of disturbances in society. The activities of such persons have now become common practices. It is no longer considered abominable to be a drunkard, woman-hunter, meat-eater, thief or rogue, for these elements have been assimilated by human society. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 8.20)



vanipedia.org 		The meat-eaters are generally called mlecchas. But all meat-eaters are not mlecchas. Those who accept meat in terms of scriptural injunctions are not mlecchas, but those who accept meat without restriction are called mlecchas. Beef is forbidden in the scriptures, and the bulls and cows are offered special protection by followers of the Vedas. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.16.20)


Meat-eating - explore more within this category.

Vanipedia has now over 903 introductory articles compiled from Srila Prabhupada's books under the series titled Essential Subjects. All these articles can be seen in the Table of Content on the right side of this article and also here in this Umbrella Category. Browse through them to relish the breadth and depth of Srila Prabhupada's teachings - There is a subject for everyone.


   
 

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