Whether we like it or not, we’re constantly being judged for what we eat. But why does the debate over vegetarian and non-vegetarian food being ethical or healthy become particularly intense on certain days of the year That’s much food for thought.
You are what you eat, they say. But then you’re also what you eat, when you eat it, it seems. Which is why, a vegetarian diet wins over a non-vegetarian one during certain times of the year — such as pujas, weddings or during the mourning season. Now that Lent is on, several Catholics too are opting for the greens, while abstaining from meat. So here’s the question — why vegetarianism What makes it an appropriate lifestyle to adopt Food experts, activists and philosophers weigh in and add to the dialogue that has lurked and often been debated since the dawn of time.
Ethical lifestyle or a healthy choice Author Ashwin Sanghi looks into what it means in our Vedas. The ‘Guna’ theory he says, “classifies energies that determine human propensities — Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. These three Gunas are present in all humans but in varying ratios. They influence the mental, spiritual and intellectual caliber of every individual. Sattva is related to knowledge, creativity and spirituality. Rajas is associated with actions and the fruits thereof. Tamas is associated with delusion, ignorance and recklessness. It has always been held that vegetarian food is sattvik whereas meat gives rise to more Tamasik tendencies. Furthermore, with the advent of Buddhism and the ideals of Ahimsa (“do no harm”), vegetarianism came to be associated with it.”
So do Indian texts propagate vegetarianism “There is no clear indication that Brahmanism advocated abstinence from meat. There are numerous references to meat consumption in the Rig Veda, the Ramayana, even the Sushruta Samhita, Arthashastra and the Kamasutra. In the Ramayana, we have scenes of Rama killing deer, antelope etc. It seems that vegetarianism as a path to spiritual purity must have always existed but only “trickled down” as a possible way of life to ordinary people over centuries,” he adds.
It is, however, directly related to spiritual awakening or evolution, points out Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of the Art of Living Foundation. “When you become subtle in your mind and go deeper in your heart, you turn vegetarian naturally.”
Meera Baindur, associate professor, Manipal College of Philosophy and Humanities doesn’t entirely agree. The argument she says has veered from being healthy and unhealthy to pure and impure, which is not exactly how it all started — elaborating on Ashwin’s thoughts. “Modern day definition of vegetarianism is to do with being good for the environment, but ancient India had different definitions. Vegetarian food isn’t actually considered ‘pure’. Rather, it is seen in terms of sattvik or tamasik food. Sattvik food was generally considered to be good for meditation and thinking, while tamasik food like meat and alcohol made people lazy. Somewhere in the middle ages, with the popularity of great teachers like Swami Vivekananda and others, people were encouraged to consume vegetarian food more over the tamasik meat.”
Stoka Krishna Dasa, president of the Hare Krishna Movement (Chennai), has an explanation for why the debate rages during certain times of the year. “Meat is consumed for taste more than nutrition because fruits, vegetables and pulses give you the nutrients anyway. That’s why during pujas or rituals, people are asked to stay away from meat, alcohol and similar tamasik foods. This way, there’s some restrictions being practiced, and they won’t kill animals all the time.”
Is non-veg negative “Although I turned vegetarian to promote animal rights, the primary reason was that I wanted to remove negativity from my diet and the cruelty meted out to animals is irrefutably negative,” says Harrish Iyer, activist, who adds that the health as well as emotional benefits of being a vegetarian are tremendous. “I’ve found that after leaving non-vegetarian food, I have become emotionally calmer and balanced. Unlike earlier, now I don’t get angry at all.”
Others believe that non-veg food doesn’t fall under the ‘clean food’ category because ‘meat spells death, blood, killing, harm, pain, foul smell’. “Plant foods on the other hand, define peace, harmony, fragrant, soothing, cleansing, nurturing which give you the natural feeling of positivity,” says nutritionist Tripti Gupta. “The truth remains that animal protein is far more thermogenic (heat producing) as compared to plant protein which mentally results in more anxiety, anger and stress if not channelised correctly through exercise or activity. Hence, the chances of agitation, nervousness and extreme behaviour can be more. However, it’s not necessary that vegetarians do not denote such negative behaviour or emotions. Though I agree that behaviour of an individual cannot be based merely on food, I also believe that vegetarian food is your true detox.” Entirely one’s own business Hyderabad-based Satya Sindhuja, who practises Nadi Vaidyam — which cures many ailments — states that one of the conditions for those who want to undergo this treatment is to follow a vegetarian diet. “Non-veg food is equivalent to killing an animal, that has a body, nervous system, vertebrae, a brain... just like a human being. It’s ‘bali aharam’ and gives negative energy, digestion takes very long and all the negative traits in an animal’s behaviour are passed on. Nowadays, animals too are injected with all kinds of medicines, and we are taking that in too. In my treatment, why I insist on being a vegetarian is because I need to put pressure on all those points that are causing blocks in the body, and for those who eat non-veg food, the blocks are kind of covered, difficult for me to spot them.” There are however some people who go a little far and insist that vegetarian food is also cruelty to plants. Author Anju Poddar insists that maintaining a vegetarian diet enables one to have a calm mind and body. “When an animal dies, the hormones they secrete during the time of their death is what we put in our bodies. And that is why we must refrain from consuming meat,” she says.
