Most of us eat unconsciously. Apart from our reluctance toward broccoli or our passion for chocolate, we are hardly aware of what we eat and why. We usually follow the customs of our culture. That is why horses, dogs and worms are not eaten in most Western countries, though they are eaten elsewhere. Jews and Muslims do not eat pork; Hindus do not eat eggs; Pythagoreans do not eat beans.
To do something without knowing why we do it is to be only half conscious, and therefore only partly human. One of the great teachers said that for them motive is everything. To understand what we are doing, we must know why we are doing it. This holds for everything in life, even for something as seemingly trivial as eating.
Why Vegetarianism?
Vegetarians have different reasons for not eating meat. Some are moved by concern for health, some think of the Earth's ecology, and some adopt vegetarianism as part of a spiritual practice. Many vegetarians choose this diet for ethical or philosophical reasons. Whatever the reason, no one treading the path can be pressured in this matter. Even so, many people on the spiritual path are vegetarian, and the principles of the ancient wisdom support this way of life.
Theosophy teaches that all life is interconnected. Long before today's interest in holism and ecology, the Wisdom Tradition pointed to a web of relationships among all living beings, reflecting the transcendent Unity from which all things arise. This view of ultimate unity stems from the fact that the ancient wisdom regards the universal brotherhood of humanity not as an ideal to be striven for but as a fact in nature. When we recognize our oneness with one another and with all living beings, we see the earth and its bounty not as property open to human exploitation but as a trust to be used with care, good sense and compassion.
Another basic Theosophical teaching is that consciousness and spiritual awareness evolve along with physical form. We have evolved from the animal kingdom, especially from the other mammals, whose closeness to us in physical structure is obvious. The wish not to harm creatures like ourselves arises naturally from recognizing our kinship with them. When we know that animals are akin to us and resemble us, the question becomes, in the words of the philosopher Jeremy Bentham: "The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?"
Vegetarianism in the World
Some religious groups require or recommend a meatless diet for their members. In Christianity these range from the Trappist monks of the Roman Catholic Church to the Protestant Seventh-day Adventists. Abstinence from meat during certain periods, such as Lent in Christianity (the season of fasting and abstinence before Easter), is also found in other faiths.
Some religions, especially the Eastern religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, place such importance on vegetarianism that it can almost be considered a tenet of their faith. In these religions vegetarianism rests on the concept of ahimsa. This Sanskrit word means "non-harming," but in practice it means much more. Ahimsa is the Eastern counterpart of the religious commandment "Thou shalt not kill" and of the Golden Rule, which counsels us to treat others (here, animals) as we would wish to be treated ourselves. It also affirms Albert Schweitzer's principle of "reverence for life."
Many religions also stress the sacredness of the physical body as "the temple of the living God," whose health and well-being we are bound to preserve. If we wish to follow a spiritual path that may be demanding, we especially need a strong and healthy body. Physical health is necessary for emotional, mental and spiritual health to be complete, for we are a whole in which each aspect affects the others. The ancient maxim "mens sana in corpore sano" (a sound mind in a sound body) is a precondition of an effective life of service.
Science and Vegetarianism
There is substantial scientific evidence that a well-planned vegetarian diet is healthy. It is frequently noted that hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure, heart and vascular disease, and certain types of cancer are less common in vegetarian populations. The use of antibiotics, growth stimulants and other drugs in raising farm animals, the accumulation of toxic pesticide residues in animal tissue, and the transmission of diseases arising from the intensive production methods of modern industrial farming are further reasons for avoiding meat. Since vegetarians are usually at least somewhat interested in nutrition, their overall dietary choices also tend to improve once meat is off the menu.
The saying "You are what you eat" applies at the emotional level as much as at the physical. In the yoga tradition meat is considered a rajasic, that is, stimulating, food (according to the three qualities of Indian philosophy, the gunas, rajas is the quality of activity, passion and restlessness), and it tends to increase aggressiveness or irritability. According to Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first president of the Republic of India, "Our food and our eating habits largely determine our environment and our general outlook on life." Prasad's mentor, Mahatma Gandhi, said that if we wish to control our passions, we must first control our palate.
The wasteful use of land and resources by livestock farming also contributes to world hunger. Using plant foods to feed people directly, instead of feeding them to animals and converting them into meat, could go a long way toward relieving the hunger that afflicts large regions of the world. Eating meat has far-reaching economic and ecological consequences.
Practicing Vegetarianism
Although the list of famous vegetarians, from Shelley to Shaw, from Tolstoy to Tagore, from Herodotus and Pythagoras to Emerson and Thoreau, is impressive, the decision whether or not to eat meat is a highly personal one. Just as each individual has unique talents, each also has different priorities, and may find some of the ideas Theosophy offers more meaningful than others.
Vegetarianism also takes various forms. Some people avoid only red meat; some eat no meat but consume dairy products and eggs (lacto-ovo vegetarians); some, especially Indian vegetarians, consume dairy products but not eggs; some consume no animal products at all (vegans); and a few eat only what can be taken from a plant without destroying the plant itself, that is, fruits, seeds and the like (fruitarians). Which type of vegetarian diet to choose is a matter of personal judgment and conscience. Most important is that each person consider the matter carefully and come to a conscious decision.
Nevertheless, those who feel in harmony with the vegetarian philosophy will find that it is much easier to practice today than it was a few years ago. In the United States alone, an estimated 10 million people have given up meat. There is a rich literature on the subject, including gourmet vegetarian cookbooks. Vegetarian restaurants and cooking classes can be found in many places, most supermarkets now sell vegetarian options, and experienced vegetarians are usually glad to help beginners.
Those who adopt vegetarianism generally find it attractive in terms of economy, ecology, health and taste. Perhaps following an inner urge to extend the practice of ahimsa in this way also helps them to be a little more at peace. In the words of the eco-philosopher Richard Heinberg:
"One of the most effective and practical steps that anyone living in an industrialized country can take, both to benefit the natural environment and to serve the long-term well-being of the world's population, is to eat less meat."
