In a lecture delivered in 1896, Swami Vivekananda gives us his views on "eating meat" and whether meat eating is just and right? Swami Vivekananda clarifies that God views an amoeba and man as being of equal significance to HIM.
The central theme of Vedanta is " I am That" and "That I am " - meaning that our Individual soul and Consciousness is a subset of the Universal Supreme Consciousness. Therefore all beings are all part of One Supreme Soul.
In the below mentioned excerpt Swami Vivekananda refers to a segment of vigilantes in society that fights the use of Vivisection,(i.e. surgery on live animals for scientific experiments/ or animal testing ) classifying Vivisection as "torture" and yet, at the same time justifying the killing of animals as food. The justification being that animals were made by God as "food" for human beings.
Swami Vivekananda highlights the irrationality of this point of view and why so ?It s a wonderful excerpt that teaches us to be humane and kind to all in God's kingdom and even if we do make the choice of eating meat, we should not lay the making of that choice at God's door.
Quoted Text from Swami Vivekananda's lecture:
PRACTICAL VEDANTA
The central theme of Vedanta is " I am That" and "That I am " - meaning that our Individual soul and Consciousness is a subset of the Universal Supreme Consciousness. Therefore all beings are all part of One Supreme Soul.
In the below mentioned excerpt Swami Vivekananda refers to a segment of vigilantes in society that fights the use of Vivisection,(i.e. surgery on live animals for scientific experiments/ or animal testing ) classifying Vivisection as "torture" and yet, at the same time justifying the killing of animals as food. The justification being that animals were made by God as "food" for human beings.
Swami Vivekananda highlights the irrationality of this point of view and why so ?It s a wonderful excerpt that teaches us to be humane and kind to all in God's kingdom and even if we do make the choice of eating meat, we should not lay the making of that choice at God's door.
Quoted Text from Swami Vivekananda's lecture:
PRACTICAL VEDANTA
"For you must always remember that the one central ideal of Vedanta is this oneness. There are no two in anything, no two lives, nor even two different kinds of life for the two worlds.
You will find the Vedas speaking of heavens and things like that at first; but later on, when they come to the highest ideals of their philosophy, they brush away all these things. There is but one life, one world, one existence. Everything is that One, the difference is in degree and not in kind. The difference between our lives is not in kind. The Vedanta entirely denies such ideas as that animals are separate from men, and that they were made and created by God to be used for our food.
You will find the Vedas speaking of heavens and things like that at first; but later on, when they come to the highest ideals of their philosophy, they brush away all these things. There is but one life, one world, one existence. Everything is that One, the difference is in degree and not in kind. The difference between our lives is not in kind. The Vedanta entirely denies such ideas as that animals are separate from men, and that they were made and created by God to be used for our food.
Some people have been kind enough to start an anti vivisection society. I asked a member, "Why do you think, my friend, that it is quite lawful to kill animals for food, and not to kill one or two for scientific experiments?" He replied, "Vivisection is most horrible, but animals have been given to us for food." Oneness includes all animals. If man's life is immortal, so also is the animal's. The difference is only in degree and not in kind.
The amoeba and I are the same, the difference is only in degree; and from the standpoint of the highest life, all these differences vanish. A man may see a great deal of difference between grass and a little tree, but if you mount very high, the grass and the biggest tree will appear much the same. So, from the standpoint of the highest ideal, the lowest animal and the highest man are the same.
If you believe there is a God, the animals and the highest creatures must be the same. A God who is partial to his children called men, and cruel to his children called brute beasts, is worse than a demon. I would rather die a hundred times than worship such a God. My whole life would be a fight with such a God .But there is no difference, and those who say there is, are irresponsible, heartless people who do not know.
Here is a case of the word practical used in a wrong sense. I myself may not be a very strict vegetarian, but I understand the ideal. When I eat meat I know it is wrong. Even if I am bound to eat it under certain circumstances, I know it is cruel. I must not drag my ideal down to the actual and apologise for my weak conduct in this way. The ideal is not to eat flesh, not to injure any being, for all animals are my brothers. If you can think of them as your brothers, you have made a little headway towards the brotherhood of all souls, not to speak of the brotherhood of man! That is child's play.
You generally find that this is not very acceptable to many, because it teaches them to give up the actual, and go higher up to the ideal. But if you bring out a theory which is reconciled with their present conduct, they regard it as entirely practical."
Additional Excerpt on whether Swamiji ate meat himself? : "As regards food, when he was asked whether he was a vegetarian or a meat-eater, he said (i.e. Swami Vivekananda) that as a man belonging not the ordinary order of Sannyasins but to the order of the Paramahamsas, he had no option in the matter. The Paramahamsa, by the rules of that order, was bound to eat whatever was offered, and in cases where nothing could be offered he had to go without food. And a Paramahamsa was not precluded from accepting food from any human being irrespective of his religious beliefs. When he was asked whether he would accept food from non-Hindus, he told us that he had several times the necessity of accepting food from Mohammedans."
(G.S. Bhate describing the Swami's comments in Belguam - late 1892, http://www.vivekananda.net/Biographical/FoodsSVLiked.html)
Vedanta on : Why a Hindu is a Vegetarian ?
Swami Vivekananda lived and lectured for a short time. However his Gurubhai's and other direct disciples of Shi Ramakrishna Paramhansa continued to elaborate on the Swamiji's thoughts and the subject of Vedanta long after Swamiji passed away.
One such Gurubhai is " Swami Abhedananda" who was appointed by Swami Vivekananda during his lifetime as the head of the Ramakrishna Mission and Vedanta Centre, at New York and Boston.
Swami Abhedananda is a prolific writer and speaker and writes in an easy to understand style underlined by scientific explanations. His very popular booklet (20 pages) on "Why a Hindu is a vegetarian" , elaborates in detail on the Swami's above mentioned views on Vedanta and eating meat .
You can read this fantastic booklet by visiting our "Life Transforming Books" section or by clicking on the Book title mentioned in the above paragraph.
Vedanta on : Why a Hindu is a Vegetarian ?
Swami Vivekananda lived and lectured for a short time. However his Gurubhai's and other direct disciples of Shi Ramakrishna Paramhansa continued to elaborate on the Swamiji's thoughts and the subject of Vedanta long after Swamiji passed away.
One such Gurubhai is " Swami Abhedananda" who was appointed by Swami Vivekananda during his lifetime as the head of the Ramakrishna Mission and Vedanta Centre, at New York and Boston.
Swami Abhedananda is a prolific writer and speaker and writes in an easy to understand style underlined by scientific explanations. His very popular booklet (20 pages) on "Why a Hindu is a vegetarian" , elaborates in detail on the Swami's above mentioned views on Vedanta and eating meat .
You can read this fantastic booklet by visiting our "Life Transforming Books" section or by clicking on the Book title mentioned in the above paragraph.
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References and credits to the above article:
References and credits to the above article:
http://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/vivekananda/volume_2/vol_2_frame.htm .
Lecture Part I (Delivered in London, 10th November 1896)
Swami Abhedananda on : Why a Hindu is a Vegetarian ?
Lecture Part I (Delivered in London, 10th November 1896)
Swami Abhedananda on : Why a Hindu is a Vegetarian ?
The concept of Vivisection:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivisection