To live a vegetarian

Many people believe eating meat for granted, as they are unlikely to think about. But everyone who has asked himself these questions and analyze your eating habits, soon discovers that eating meat is not, strictly speaking, no good reason, on the contrary, it creates a lot of problems and inconveniences.

Compiled Atma-tattva dasa (Armin Risi) Krsnacandra Das (Andy Wolf) and Raja Vidya das (Ronald Tsyurrer). Publisher "Govinda", Zurich, June 1993.

Many people believe eating meat for granted, as they are unlikely to think about. But everyone who has asked himself these questions and analyze your eating habits, soon discovers that eating meat is not, strictly speaking, no good reason, on the contrary, it creates a lot of problems and inconveniences.

In this brochure you will find a selection of the major arguments in favor of the lacto-vegetarian diet, that is, foods of plant origin (including milk) and excluding meat, fish and eggs. In addition to the end of the brochure also discusses some related issues and concerns.

The variety of topics represented by the following seven categories, each of which, respectively, read chapter:

1. Health

- Meat is a cause of disease

- Is not it enough protein without meat?

- Why can not you eat eggs?

- The true value of milk and cows

- What is the natural food of man?

- Meat-eating and body energy

2. Animal abuse

- Diluted flesh

- Murderous brutality

3. Devastating consequences for humanity

- Wasting food

- Operation of the Third World

- Violation of the ecological balance

4. The moral and ethical grounds

- "In spite of this, I'm delicious"

- Quotes from famous vegetarians

5. Religion

- Christianity

- Other Religions

6. Meat-eating, and the law of karma

- Karma, vegetarianism and the situation in the world

7. Vegetarianism - a necessary but not sufficient

Health

Does the emergence of meat-eating disease? Whether, on the contrary, enhance or restore health through pure vegetarian food? Can a vegetarian diet to prevent certain diseases?

Vegetarians affirmative answers to these questions on the basis of practical experience, although modern science does not take any clear position has been - at least not until recently served as the results of medical research there is increasing evidence of a direct link between meat-eating and various diseases (such as heart and cancer).

Meat as a cause of disease

Heart disease: For a long time scientists have suspected that diet dominated by meat contributes liming arteries and heart disease. As early as 1961, the American Journal of Medicine, said: "Giving up meat would avoid the 90-97% of heart disease." (Journal of the American Medical Association, 176/1961).

Found in meat proteins can not be completely absorbed by the human body (at most - up to 70%) as opposed to any other methods of protein in milk and plants, which are designed for the digestive organs (human). Undigested animal proteins, as well as cholesterol, fat, slowly but surely become a problem, as they are deposited on the inner walls of the arteries and impede blood circulation in the body, thereby increasing the work of the heart to push blood through the narrow blood vessels lost flexibility . This leads to high blood pressure and, therefore, pain in the heart and heart attacks, as well as to many diseases of old age, such as Alzheimer's disease, extensive (see Fastiggi, The End of Disease, 1988).

Cancer: In addition, the study of the last 20 years clearly show a direct link between meat-eating and cancer of the colon, stomach and chest. So, for example, the Berlin Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, conducted a comparative study of vegetarians and meat-eaters, the results of which caused a sensation. One article on the study, published in the "Neuen Zuercher Zeitung" 23.7.1986 stated regarding exposure tumors and cancer, "Cancer of the colon, is caused about one hundred and fifty cases of malnutrition, vegetarians are very rare. Another positive opinion survey vegetarians As for the lower levels of creatine and urea gout, have been found to occur less frequently in vegetarians than in meat eaters. This also applies to renal disease. "

Why is meat-eaters are more prone to such diseases?

One of the reasons, which time and again called biologists and specialists, nutritionists, is that the human intestine is not designed to digest meat. Carnivores have short digestive tract (2-4 times the length of the body), and therefore immediately begin to deteriorate toxic meat can quickly excreted from the body. Since the plant food decomposes slower than meat, digestive tract of herbivorous animals (non-ruminants) is 6 times longer than the body, and the length of the intestine in an adult, so about 9 pm If a person eats meat, produced as consequence of toxins (products of the activity of putrefactive bacteria) overload the kidneys and over the long term, cause diseases such as gout, arthritis, rheumatism and cancer.

(Today here should also include the fact that, together with the meat man takes all the chemicals that are given to animals with food. This additional aspect of meat-eating, harmful to health, will be considered in detail in the second chapter).

Is not it enough protein without meat?

But is not a man should eat meat and eggs to provide for themselves in enough protein (protein)? The answer is: no. Officially recommended daily protein intake has dropped from 150 to 30 g Why? Because the results of authoritative international studies show: we did not need so much protein! These high standards were put into circulation a few decades ago under the influence of the meat industry, but not for the sake of human health, and to increase their own revenues. Natural daily intake is 25-30 g consumption in excess of this protein is not only wasteful, but also can cause serious damage to the body. In order to take the necessary daily 30 grams of protein, do not eat meat, the same number can be easily obtained from a purely vegetarian foods: legumes, nuts, and dairy products. This is confirmed in kzhe "Gesundheitsplaner 1990" Directorate of Health of the Canton Zurich: "We can do without meat: there are many combinations of foods of plant origin, the protein content of which at least equivalent to animal protein."

The fact that a person does not need so much protein, is also apparent from the following fact: a baby need food with high concentrations of protein, because in a few months, the body weight is expected to double. Natural food the baby is the mother's milk, which contains 2.8% protein. Adult is required, therefore, definitely not more than 2.8% of the protein in the diet, which again speaks for vegetarianism. (Vegetables and fruits contain 1.5-2%, milk - 4%, and cereals - 5.10%. In meat - 15-25% protein, which is also, as mentioned, is not absorbed completely.)

In the issue of 12.02.1987 Zurich weekly "Die Weltwoche" writes: "From Germany came the good news for vegetarians ... The study, which lasted 5 years, was pleased with the results. Eradicate superstitious idea that the one who does not eat meat, suffers from a lack of iron. experimentally proved that the body receives less iron (meat and supplies 30% of body iron), it just compensates for the fact that it took more of other foods. Similarly the case with calcium. "

Therefore the "Neue Zuercher Zeitung" concluded in the aforementioned article, the results of studies of vegetarians in Berlin: "Often said and written that vegetarians suffer from artificial malnutrition. Now becomes clear that this is not true. Nowadays people understand that vegetarians were not taken seriously in For a long time, natural scientists and physicians because of elementary prejudice. "

Why can not eat eggs?

Eggs are not a healthy food for the human body, as this "liquid flesh" can be expanded in the long human gut even faster than meat. In addition to the development of germs and toxins, the egg contains the nature of a lot of cholesterol, which, as mentioned, is very problematic for the body.

Eggs, with or without an embryo, are designed by nature for something other than to be eaten. The elements contained in the eggs (especially protein) may, as described above, be obtained easily and harmless way of pure vegetarian products.The true value of milk and cows

In this regard, sometimes ask if you can not eat eggs, then why can drink milk? Is not it the same thing? No. Milk - as opposed to the balls - to determine the nature of the food, and the person entitled to use the milk and for its use as a cow, even if they do not receive a highly qualified care, give more milk than needed calf. Thanks to the wonderful harmony in nature, a cow, eating grass, is of no value to humans, makes it a valuable food product. Breast milk contains all the nutrients and vitamins and can be used in various ways. In addition, it is known that the use of hot milk contributes to the development of thin tissue of the brain that are necessary for spiritual awareness. (In India, there are numerous examples of the sages and yogis who were fed only milk.)

In the time of ancient Indian civilization, the oldest civilization of the world, cattle was considered the true wealth of man, since it provided the foundation of human life stability of society as a source of milk cows, bulls as an ideal, an indispensable aid in the cultivation of land, without the use of other energy sources, as well as manure precious natural fertilizer. Due to the vital functions of a cow treated like a second mother, and the bull as a second father, so they did not kill, even in age. With this economic system, India, with a population at all times lived mostly pure vegetarian life, was until recently (before the penetration of the Western way of life!), One of the richest countries in the world.

Today, with a decrease in milk production, dairy cows for profits immediately sent to slaughter. Slaughter bulls often more calves. Farmers producing myopic calculations, lost any notion of the real value of these animals and for this fall into a fatal dependence on machine-building industry, petroleum, chemical, and banks.

What is the natural food of man?

Frequently asked question: but is it not the nature of man meat-eater, or at least omnivorous? Also, and this question is a product of misunderstanding.

However, while the people and can have a different food (from a biological point of view, he is able to eat as meat animals and plant food), this does not mean that all of this is a healthy food. On the contrary, according to the structure and constitution of the body, food, does not include meat, much more natural and beneficial to humans.

This is clearly illustrated by the following contrast:

The presence of carnivores claws

The lack of skin pores, body cooling occurs due to evaporation through language

The jaws are designed for biting (moving up and down)

Teeth are sharp, conical front teeth for tearing meat

The lack of smooth molars for peremalyvaniyapischi

The presence in the mouth of a small salivary glands (as pre-treatment to be a small amount of grain and fruit)

The presence of acidic saliva, the absence of the enzyme ptyalin to pre-processing of food in the mouth

The presence of highly concentrated hydrochloric acid to digest the dense tissues, muscles, bones, etc.

The digestive tract is only three times longer than the body, so that the decaying flesh is rapidly cleared from the body of herbivorous animals (people)

Lack of claws

Skin breath at the expense of millions of pores

The jaws are designed for grinding (can move horizontally)

No sharp front teeth for killing animals

The presence of smooth molars for grinding plant foods

Having a well-developed salivary glands (for the necessary pre-processing of grains and fruits)

Alkaline saliva; much ptyalin to pre-treatment of cereal

The presence of gastric acid in the 1O times weaker than that of meat-eating

Digestive tract than a body length of 6, to digest the less perishable greens and grains

Thus, man is by nature herbivorous creature. This is indicated also that he can not eat meat eaten raw, but should it jerk, cook, add salt and cook, before it is possible to do this is to eat. And besides, people only eat fiber meat (muscle tissue). Blood, bone marrow, bones and internal organs, rich in minerals and protein of the dead animals that are eaten by natural carnivores, people throw away. No creature that meat intended for food by nature, do not act like that.

Also those animals that are most similar to the human form of life, namely apes are already vegetarians.

Meat-eating and the energy of the body.

The fact that the disease has already mentioned today arise from meat-eating, becomes more obvious when we consider people with a different culture, or who do not eat meat, or eat it very often. Recently, scientists have begun a systematic study of these populations, and the results are unambiguous. In this regard, have become famous, such as one nation of shepherds living in the mountains of Ecuador and Hongqi tribe of North-western India, and the various peoples of South India, which are virtually unknown to cancer and heart disease, although there are a lot of people over the age of 8o years old, and some even for 11E.

On the contrary, it is striking that the representatives of the people, feeding almost exclusively meat and fish, very quickly grow old. For example, the Eskimos and Kyrgyz srednestatichesky age of less than 3O years and very rarely one of them dies before 4O years!

However, not only to life, but also in terms of physical performance, vegetarians, according to the results of a comparative study, occupy the best positions. When muscle tension, they show much greater endurance than meat eaters and need a much shorter pause for recuperation, as vegetarian food is naturally toned body. In contrast, meat gives only a short pulse of energy (similar to the action of coffee), but then the body is clogged due to the already described adverse reactions. Wildlife also confirms this observation. Try to throw a minute work done bull, camel or horse, a lion, a tiger, or a dog. In addition it is known that the largest and most powerful animal world are pure vegetarians, such as elephant, rhino and a gorilla.

From all this it appears clearly that man can live without meat, fish and eggs, and thus there is no problem, he has no reason to have it, but there are many reasons why he should reject it.

2. Animal abuse

The fact that the meat should be denied only for the sake of health, it becomes even more obvious when we examine the conditions in which today "made flesh," that is, that are animals and their flesh, before it lands perfectly.

Diluted flesh

In his room for 2/87 magazine "Natur" published an article entitled "a clandestine brutality", which was courageously opened vzaimovyaz between striving for profit by drug companies, unscrupulous farmers and slaughterhouses. The problems of the modern animal presented in the article as follows: "Trade war is prices. At first it seems that the case of the consumer. But keeping the price war is possible only if the mass scale production. Neither retailers will not buy from a farmer 5O chickens - they need 5OOOO for one shipment. "Production of animal protein" in mass animal farms is focused on it. fact that now goes into the stomach of the consumer, seasoned with growth factors, hormones, antibiotics and anti-anxiety drugs. At best, it will get cheaper, poor nutrition, bloated meat - in the worst case of poisoning ... What happens when mass rearing animals in slaughterhouses, constantly hiding. "

And what is hidden, hair stand on end. If one day there scandal unpleasant way, the public would be shocked hard. For example, the magazine "Der Spiegel" (33/88) wrote in the article: "Meat disgusting", "The West German agriculture is experiencing the most serious in its history," hormonal "scandal. Illegal trade sectors and unscrupulous veterinarians have become a" mafia meat business "preying on livestock ... sprinkle the skin and coming down in the trough almost everything is the pharmaceutical industry, to keep the legs of cows, pigs or poultry to the place of slaughter pigs ... If, in order to make it profitable, by such "pumping" reach six months of weight in two hundredweight, their skeleton is not keeping pace with the flesh and the animal falls under the weight of his own body. "

More often publishes articles that indicate various chemical manipulations with meat. First, the meat must be somehow inhibited to odor one thing - the weekly meat does not spoil the appetite buyer, and secondly, the gray-green flesh colored with red, otherwise it is unlikely to sell.

Murderous brutality

Today, animals are not considered living things, deal with them as with meat machines. The life of a prisoner of slaughtered animals from the beginning to the end against all the rules and laws of creation - from cultivation in conditions similar to a concentration camp, castration and pumping hormones, artificial fattening food for slaughter to a long, painful, transportation in a state of fear and Finally, violent end to the slaughter.

The animals can be called whatever you like, but not "humane." In fact, the slaughterhouse compete hell. Screaming animals are stunned sledgehammer blows, electric or pneumatic gun. Their catchy hook by its hind legs and dragged to the fully automated conveyor through a factory of death. Their throats slit, when the body is still alive, but the flesh is treated when they are dying, bleeding. This method allows you to save time and increase revenue.

Similarly for humans and animals have to kill, then fear and panic that instantly causes biochemical changes occurring rapidly and as a result, the entire body of hormones poisoned fear. The world famous animal advocate and environmentalist Franz Weber from Switzerland, said in a radio broadcast: "Consider the example of Hamburg, where the people were poisoned after eating canned tuna. Why? Tuna was cut live (!), And caught fish experienced such incredible fear What stood out the poison that came in the flesh. This was known to the ancient Romans. To get a specific poison, they tortured slaves to death, and the saliva of the dead could poison other people. Fear of death permeates so the tissue and is eaten by man .

For this reason also, and recently advertised "natural pasture meat", "happy" slaughtered animals, which graze in the sunshine, can not be an alternative, but rather a new commercial myasoproizvoditeley tactic to appease uncertain consumer. After all, "happy" animals too are afraid of death!

Production of so-called "biomyasa" - is, in fact, schizophrenic: on the one hand, they want to respect animals as sentient beings and therefore they provide more favorable conditions for life, and on the other hand, they are killed and eaten. The only natural meat - meat is animal died of natural causes.

Similarly, in the world annually kill more than 2 billions of animals and more than 2O billion birds. The number of fish killed each year billions. (These numbers do not include millions of victims of the experiments and the fur industry.)

3. Devastating consequences for humanity

In the 4th century BC Plato wrote his famous "State", which contains the various speeches of the great philosopher Socrates. Among other topics Socrates speaks about how to maintain their economic status in the prosperous state, and in this regard, he points to the need for universal vegetarian diet. He warned that it would take more pasture land, if the people were engaged in livestock increases to keep slaughter animals: "And the land that was originally large enough to ensure that all people living here, immediately becomes too small, and so we will inevitably involved in war. "

It is surprising that the philosopher Socrates was familiar not only downsides meat eating for health, but, obviously, and economic. He rightly points out that the earth provides enough food to all residents, but the erratic behavior of just a few people already may have far-reaching consequences.

The scale of such fatal consequences today, of course, even Socrates could hardly imagine. Magical circle arising from meat-eating, probably the most typical example of a combination of human stupidity and destruction.Wasting food

Meat feeds few at the expense of many. To get the meat, the animals are fed grains valuable that a person can eat immediately. According to official data of the Ministry of Agriculture of the United States over 9O% of the cultivated cereals in America goes to feed the animals (cattle, pigs, sheep, poultry, etc.). You can put it another way: America annually slaughtered animals are fed more grain than is required in India and China put together for power. (Heller: Das Brot des Siegers, 1985/S.27)

Nevertheless, this method of converting grain into meat wasteful over all limits. Meat production, in terms of energy consumption, is the worst form of land use: one cow for a year to O 5 ha. After a year of this animal will receive approximately 3OO kg of edible meat. If, in the same year and in the same place were grown cereals or potatoes, you would get 3OOO kg 2OOOO kg of food, respectively, in other words, 1O times more grain is 65 times more potatoes than meat!

Such wasteful food production is intentional. Over the past 4O years, that is from the time of World War 2 in a financially strong corporations started buying countless small businesses and turn them into huge commercial farms to exploit the land by growing monocultures.

Consequently, large areas of land (belonging mainly to European, American and Japanese chemical, insurance and banking companies) gave triple and higher yields of grain, which was only possible through the use of the most advanced agricultural machinery, subject to genetic manipulation of seeds, the use of fertilizer agricultural poisons. To prevent a drop in prices due to overproduction, the yield stayed away from the market, it did to other "markets" that is squandered.

Before producing a question on how to get rid of the excess, and the benefits earned. For the answer did not have to go far: myasoproizvodstvo! The calculation was simple: first fatten farmed animals surplus food, is a dead capital, and then benefit by selling the meat.

Animals eat more food than they get meat in slaughterhouses and animal of all cattle is considered to be unsuitable for conversion of vegetable protein in the animal. Beef is so "perfect" kind of wastage: 1 kg of beef corresponds to 16 kg of grain. The remaining 15 kg, that is 94%, for a man lost.

So, the meat industry serves as a destroyer of the food. And yet (or just because of that), the new laws support myasoproizvodstvo huge subsidies, namely, by the consumer: their taxes in the form of subsidies to the slaughterhouses and higher prices for healthy, natural foods, such as bread, milk, vegetables and fruits . While the meat is artificially cheaper, the price of bread and milk are growing!

The above tactics are big concerns led to a dramatic surge in demand for meat, and people had to present a piece of flesh meat swelling mountains once more appetizing way. Broadly defined advertising and "scientific propaganda," shouted the meat - it's a healthy food, a person needs a lot of protein, vegetable protein inferiority, vegetarians suffer from deficiencies, etc.

Unfortunately, today many more medical students, doctors and others believe in this advertisement and technical nonsense and spread it further.

Exploitation of the Third World

Developed countries are not only squander their own crops, feeding them slaughter animals, but also used for these purposes kormonositeli grown in Third World countries. As a result, the local peasants stealing a subsistence crop and grazing land, which disturbs the equilibrium in the economy of these countries, leading to the death of livestock, a shortage of food, and as a result, the import dependency and debt. 47% of the products of the world grain production is fed to slaughter animals. In contrast, according to the UN every day die from hunger 43OOO children. Representing all those who showed this relationship, a member of the National Council of Switzerland, an expert for the Third World, Professor Jean Ziegler, said: "I do not want to participate in this chilling massacre. Do not eat meat - this is the beginning, at least."

These facts have prompted experts to the world economy to point out that there is a problem of world hunger are guilty, in principle, a few people. Food shortages, causing suffering today almost three quarters of the world population is not far-fetched overpopulation and abuse in the use of food. We produce more than enough food for all the people on our planet, but we distribute it unduly, squandering food that is feeding them slaughter animals (or throw tons at sea to maintain price stability.)

Meat production is also in the Third World is not only hunger, but also destroys the environment.

Tropical forests are the main source of oxygen on our planet in 1945 covered the space of 16 million square kilometers But in recent years, these 4D "green light" curled around the world nearly 5O%. Where before it grows lush tropical vegetation that served as living space for many species of animals and plants, after cutting begins erosion, and a few years later impregnated greed of nothing remains except the meager desert landscape. And who is to blame? Mostly, it concerns the production of meat, hamburgers, they use uprooted land as pasture for herds of animals to be killed, or arable land for large plantations of food plants (such as soy), and a certain proportion in the paper and wood processing giants. "The richest ecosystem on Earth is processed hamburgers * fences and wrapping paper - for the Europeans, the Americans and the Japanese." (Neue Zuercher Zeitung.3O.3.1983)

According to statistics, the world's biggest concern for the production of hamburgers annually over 5OO opens new branches (one every 17 hours) and 14 ° per second sold hamburgers (a trend to more rapid pace). For the preparation of a single hamburger (!) Are cut down and turned into pasture and arable land 4.5 m rainforest.

Local small farmers shamelessly driven into the city, the land is operated monocultures and chemistry, soil, crushed by heavy machinery, closed loop natural food supply is broken.

Brazilian Archbishop Helder Chamara described the mess as follows: "Everywhere in the Third World agriculture is modernized by the people. To meet the consumption needs of the rich, who want more and more to eat meat on scarce land vulnerable small farmers being driven alien cattle trampling all around. " (Quote from: "Die Schuld der Fleischfresser", Tagesanzeiger, Zuerich, 23.9.1978)

Ecological imbalance

But the devil millstone rotate on and on. Animals are dying, on average, at least one animal species in the day! Not only animals relict forests, but also the other killed by habitat destruction and people's desire to kill. And it has a boomerang for man. For example, many farmers say that frequent complaints of harmful insects, as the cultivation of monocultures, the use of field poisons, deforestation and bush endangered species of insectivorous birds.

The huge scale of deforestation is also one of the direct causes of climate variations in the world, which are disastrous (greenhouse effect, drought, desertification, floods, melting polar ice caps, etc.) are not specifically foreseen, but one can assume.

Also in today's industrialized countries damages arising from monoculture farming, the pursuit of profits and meat-eating, is a fatal character. It is expressed primarily in the extreme pollution.

Highly contaminated wastewater from feedlots and slaughterhouses enterprises highly contribute to clogging of feces and killing of lakes, rivers and seas. Only one company in the middle of fattening steers 5OOO annually produce 1O million liters of excrement! In Germany, the fattened animals produce droppings in such quantities that the annual per person for more than three tons of faeces. / / (Taken from: "Meat eating", ARD, 18.1O.1987) ARD - one of the TV programs in Germany (graphic.) / /

One example: to produce 1 kg of wheat requires only about 6D liters of water, and to produce 1 kg of meat away from 25OO to 6OOO l, which splashed down in the gutter. Where to go with the sea stool? People are trying to get rid of this burden and take out the manure on the fields, but because it no longer exists between mass animal excrement and this land, the fields are often immensely crowded fertilizers. Since feces containing such chemicals given by the animals, get into the ground water (= drinking water!) And / or into drains and into water bodies (rivers, lakes, seas).

One of the obvious consequences of this attack on nature is dying seas, such as the North Sea and the Mediterranean. Fish are killed, there is a rapid growth of algae, etc. The reason for this was the first discharge of phosphates and nitrates. Only in the North Sea every year shed almost 1OOOOO tons of phosphates and nitrates 1OOOOOO t. These salts come from the industry and through municipal sewers along the tributaries, as well as research shows mostly with commercial enterprises, agricultural and fattening farms.

Produced in large numbers animal excrement causes besides yet another side effect of acid rain. The Dutch government, to explore this relationship, it is concluded that the emission of methane and ammonia from tanks ekskrementnyh large livestock operations lead to acid rain, and causing the death of one third of the forests.

Dr. Georg Borgström, ecologist, has estimated that myasoproizvodstvo pollute 1O times the personal subsidiary plots and 3 times more than the industry. (Lappe, Die Oeko-Diat, 1982)

In other words, a vegetarian diet would at once solve the many problems that plague the world today. Taking into account all these factors, it is difficult to understand how someone else can be carnivores.

4. The moral and ethical grounds

"Even if we are not able to hope that one day all people will go to a vegetarian lifestyle, still no one would have the right to eat meat. Injustice is injustice, even when everything is allowed."

Shvante Magnus (1877-1959), one of the great pioneers of the struggle for vegetarianism and animal welfare, and in 1902 introduced the concept of "the fear of life."

Before that, we have considered only the negative aspects of meat eating for the health, economy and ecology. The next question is deeper. Do we have the right to do - taking into account the consequences - to kill animals? This question takes us into the area of ​​ethics, - a science which studies not only lifeless matter, as it is done today, popular science, but goes beyond this lifeless matter in the search for life and meaning. Ethics is presently technical progress stepdaughter, in schools and universities it is no longer studying. But without ethical questions about the meaning and value of an action, all science would be meaningless and worthless. Ethics should therefore form the basis of any scientific effort. The Greek word ethos, from which the word "ethics" means "inner world, the manners and conduct of life," which is based on the responsibility to the creature. So no surprise that ethics has also been discussing the theme of vegetarianism.

The word "vegetarian", which appeared in 1842, with the base of the British Vegetarian Society, is derived from the Latin word vegetus, which means "unharmed, healthy, fresh," or "strong." (Homo vegetus - so named by the Romans "healthy mind and body of people"). The original meaning of the word indicates, therefore, the stability of the philosophical and moral sense stance, which holds a lot more than just eating fruits and vegetables.

Most vegetarians - people who understand that our contribution to a more just and peaceful society should be the first solution to the problem of violence in our own actions. They realized that eating meat is a violence to other living beings, which is irresponsible.

Many people, no doubt, would immediately become a vegetarian if you saw screaming and moribund animals at slaughter, or if they are, before you eat meat, themselves had to kill the animal. This would open the eyes of some meat-eaters, and heart.

"Despite this, I am delicious"

Based on the above observations, we can conclude that eating meat is of no value either in terms of necessity, nor health, nor the economy. Meat makes people sick, passive and irresponsible to animals, nature and the people around him. It only remains here is a selfish argument, deliberately knocking overboard all the deep thought and, thus, devoid of reason: "Whatever it was, I was still delicious."

But who gave us the right to exploit other living beings and to prepare them to an end, full of horror, just to eat meat - on the grounds that we "eat" and we want? Is it not possible, if it were that simple, the same low-cost basis to justify and other violent crimes? But took it to any court in the world this explanation of murder or rape? Is the suffering that I feel, giving up meat, painful than those that have animals, of which I cook roast?

This also raised the question of ethics "Schweizer Illustrierte" in its issue dated 06.08.1987, which was a quote a famous German writer

Volker Elis Pilgrima "burger is cooked on time on the shelf like a piece of cardboard, a plate or a button of his pants. But it is not. Yesterday it belonged to breathe, feel, pulsating whole. Would I kill to get here so my burger? No. I do not want to. now - turn all serious face to the issue, whether in Switzerland, presumably still vegetarian. And we would ask this question in the good company of poets and thinkers of all time, who have always believed the killing of animals unworthy of the human spirit. "

A lot of these individuals! The most famous ethical vegetarians are Buddha, the Dalai Lama, Zoroaster, Pythagoras, Empedocles, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Horace, Ovid, Seneca, Plutarch, St. Francis of Assisi, Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Alexander von Humboldt , Leo Tolstoy, William Bush, Rudolf Steiner, Thomas Alva Edison, Ralph Waldo Emerson, George Bernard Shaw, Rainer Maria Rilke, Richard Wagner, Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, etc. - The many vegetarians today and not say.

There have always been great culture and personality, has a respect for the animals to which they are entitled. At the time, both at our latitude is dominated by the most primitive living conditions in India have blossomed advanced civilization, as we know from the ancient Sanskrit writings of the time. First of all, the "Bhagavad Gita", the most important of these writings, it is said that the cultivation of the soil, organic food trade and protecting cows are economic pillars of society, able to withstand crises. In addition, the "Bhagavad-Gita" reveals that such is the will of God - all people have to eat vegetarian food. (Further details about the teachings of "Bhagavad Gita" are given in Chapter 6 and in the epilogue.)

Also in ancient European culture, in ancient Greece vegetarianism was the highest ideal of conduct. Quotations from Plato's "The Republic" and the names mentioned above it is illustrated.

Pythagoras (ca. 5OO BC), who knew well about the law of reincarnation, he said: "He who cuts the throat of a cow with a knife and remains deaf to the lowing of terror, who can coolly scored bleating goat and poultry meal, which he himself giving food - how such a man is far from the crime? "

And Aristotle continued this thought: "If a man in his perfection - the most noble creature, cut off from the law and morality, it is - the worst of all."

Similarly, as in ancient Greece, as well, and among the ancient Romans were great philosophers-vegetarians (Horace, Ovid, Plutarch).

Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948, Indian politician and representative of non-violent resistance movement): "I think the spiritual progress will require us at some point, we stop killing living beings around us to satisfy the whims of our body."

"The greatness and the moral progress of a nation can be measured by how in this nation are animals."

Albert Einstein (1879-1955, German-American physicist and Nobel Prize winner in 1921):

"With a purely physical effect on the human temperament vegetarian lifestyle could have the highest degree influence the fate of humanity."

Isaac Bashevis Singer (19O4, American author, Nobel Prize 1978 in Literature):

"We are all creatures of God - and our prayers for God's mercy and justice are incompatible with the fact that we continue to eat the meat of animals slaughtered by which our whim."

"I would have gone off to live as a vegetarian, even if the whole world started to eat meat. This - protest of the world. Nuclear power, poverty and hunger, cruelty - we must make efforts to this. Vegetarianism - my step. And I think it's very important. "

5. Religion

Mercy and compassion for the poor are the two fundamental principles, which are highly valued by all the religions of the world. But why today, these principles do not apply to animals? Why not one of the traditional religions require their believers to end the killing of animals?

Would not it be logical to assume that God, who wants his creatures only good, recommends that people be free from violence, healthy vegetarian food? Yet this fundamental and self-evident principle of religious vegetarian lifestyle today is completely ignored by many religions, often deliberately denied or distorted.

"Cruelty to animals, as well as indifference to their suffering, is, in my opinion, one of the worst sins of the human race. This is the source of human depravity. If a person creates so much suffering, which he has the right to complain when he is suffering? ' - Romain Rolland (1866-1944, French writer, Nobel Prize 1915 in Literature).

Today's religion, however, do not consider it a sin and condemn as sin. But if we consider the original teachings of individual religions, we find that the slaughter of animals anywhere is frowned upon, and in many religions even directly prohibited.

Christianity

Of the early Christian chronicles it appears that the first saints and teachers - direct followers of Jesus Christ - take only vegetarian food, and even called the names of some of the apostles.

In the book "Paedagogus" (II, 1) Clemens of Alexandria (15O-215) states that the Apostle Matthew "lived plant foods and did not touch the meat." Greek chronicler Evseby (264-339), bishop of Caesarea says in his "History of the Church" (II 2,3) that the Apostle and Evangelist John was a strict ascetic and a vegetarian. And the apostle Peter speaks in Klementiyskih Homilies (XII, 6): "I eat bread and olive, and very rarely add vegetables."

Other examples of early Christian vegetarians - Tertullian (16O-22o), Origen (184-254), St. Anthony (25 °, 356), Sv.Ieronim (347-42O) and John Chrysostomos (344-4O7) - just to name the most important names .

As meat eating was included in the Bible Until the 4th century BC traces of early Christian communities in Palestine, Byzantium, Greece and Alexandria (Egypt) pointed to the fact that alcohol and eating meat is not allowed. They received the knowledge of the teachings of Christ from the many available at the time of the scriptures.

Many of the original Christian writings, however, were later ignored or rejected the "Western" Christianity, a new branch in the center of Rome, the inability to follow the precepts contained in them, as well as purely based on politics and power struggles.

Migrated to Rome, Christians were willing to compromise with the non-Christian way of life, to using a position to avoid the persecution of Christians, held throughout the Roman Empire, and to gain favor of the authorities. They even have protection Kaiser Constantine (285-337), who ruled at the time and was later allowed a rite of his "acceptance" of faith. Constantine, it should be noted, was a staunch meat-eater and drinker, and remained so, he decided that the Roman form of Christianity has become a religion for all citizens of his empire, a decision that he held by force.

In 325, Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea, where some scholars (called correctores) was asked to "sort" and "correct" many early Christian documents about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Only four of the many original Christian evidence had been found to the Gospel and entered the first canon, authority which still has not been unequivocal. Only half a century (382) was made up repeatedly reworked collection of canonical texts of Pope Damasusa recognized as the "New Testament."

Theologian and follower of early Christian G. Owsley comments on these changes and deliberate dilution of the teachings of Jesus Christ as follows: "All that committed these offsets can be characterized as follows: they are the excessive zeal poobrezali Gospel containing certain commandments of our Lord, they (read: Constantine) were not going to follow. Specifically this refers to those prohibitions, which are directed against meat eating, intoxicants, etc. " (The Gospel of the Holy Twelve, foreword. Out of Humata, 1988)

True Christians who continue to strictly follow the instructions of Jesus Christ - to live simply and refrain - thus also giving up alcohol and meat, and who would not therefore comply with the new ecclesiastical authority, must have been hiding from their Roman "brothers in faith" as Constantine did not tolerate any disobedience or criticism. According to eyewitnesses, he executed captured "breakaway" Christians, infusing them into the throat, according to the Roman custom, the molten lead. Thus began a new form of Christianity spread under control Kaiser Constantine and his successors. Subsequently, he was promoted to the rank of the Roman church of the saint, his birthday (25.12) was proclaimed holy days, and his biography is embellished with numerous legends.

In the name of Christ? But from these wayward changes in the laws of God had to suffer not only the people but also the animals, which can then be universally and freely slaughter and eat.

In the Middle Ages, Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) announced that Providence allowed to kill animals, because they have no soul. (Interestingly, in this regard, he also said that women do not have souls.) Single view of dark ages? No, unfortunately not. Later discovered also that the Indians have no soul, and that blacks have no soul, so Christians allowed to kill the Indians and Negroes to pay into slaves, and slaves treat just like animals, torture, and, if necessary, to kill. And with a similar attitude is permissible and today in Christian countries, torture, kill and eat animals.

Bishop Mahens Gildesgeymsky said in his "Letter to the post" on 08/03/1949: "Animals do not have souls, they do not know about the continuation of life after death. Therefore, they also do not have any sense of dignity, and on which they could build their rights. And in fact, the animals have no rights. They do not claim to living conditions, health status, claims to property and the desire to gain a good reputation. "

In an interview with the famous theologian Dr. Heinrich Shtraythofenom 26.1O.1985 journal "Poultry and pig farming Germany," asked: "Some animal welfare advocates claim that animals have rights, similar to our men, and the right to life. What do you say about this? ' Theologian said, "Nonsense, this is not confirmed either the legal or the religovedcheskoy nor from a philosophical point of view ... Only man is a person. Animals do not have a personal nature ... The purpose of animals to serve man, not only justifies their use, but also killing and breeding. "

And the Pope John Paul II said in 1985 in his speech to the biologists' Animals specifically designed for human use, that is, they can also be used for experimentation. " Not surprisingly, there were always people who spoke about the "betrayal Christians animals": "What we are hearing from religion, if we and animals are losing compassion?" - Rightly wondered Richard Wagner (1813-1883), a composer and a vegetarian in the last century.

Meat-eating, and today's Bible Church Bible Various publications are based on the Codex Sinaiticus, the oldest text of the Bible, which is used today. This Greek text written in Greek and comes from the 4th century after Christ, that is, after the Council of Nicea.

Earlier the original texts of the Bible is no longer used. Other biblical texts, such as the Vatican and Aleksanriysky codes were recorded and later, as well as the Codex Sinaiticus are the only church translations of copies of copies.

And it is not surprising that survived only partial fragments of the teachings of Jesus Christ, just on human nutrition. Since the decisive sayings of Jesus Christ in this matter we do not know, the debate about the image of Christ's power is useless, when they refer exclusively to present the New Testament. (This booklet would not find the place if we decided to expand on the original Apocrypha many Christian writings, such as Essenerskoe Gospel, the Acts of the Apostle Peter, or The Book of Thomas, which describes how Jesus Christ taught, in particular, strict abstinence from meat .)

Also, the Old Testament in bygone consideration provides no clear statements, but only contradictory directions. Some places in the text of the person ordered to eat vegetarian food, in others, in contrast, are allowed to eat meat and to sacrifice animals. However, on closer examination it becomes clear that bezmyasnoy food preference.

In Book I of Moses (Genesis 9.3), for example, we find a clear permission to eat meat, but this time for permission after the Flood, when all the arable land has been eroded. Instead of arbitrarily refer to this help in a difficult situation (to be consistent, should also adopt and 6 of chapter 9 of the text, which speaks of the inevitability of the death penalty for what he did!), Better stick to the original guidance of God, which can be found on the first pages of the Bible : "And God said, Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed: to you it shall be for meat." (Genesis 1.29)

Through verse Lord confirms that this type of food is "good", while the other, which he mentions later (ie meat), are permitted to satisfy the whim of corrupt people - food, which is impregnated with horror: "And the fear and dread All you beasts of the earth, and all the birds of the air, everything that moves on the earth, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand are they delivered. " (Genesis 9.2)

Repeatedly cited example with quails of 4 Books of Moses further clarifies this point. After the people of Israel in the desert manna fed up by the will of God from heaven rained quail that people avidly collected and made a great feast, eating (II, 31-32).

Yet to finish the story properly, you need to immediately take into account the following verse: "The meat was still between their teeth, and there was even chewed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague (II, 33). In other words, God does not like the fact that people eat meat quail.

John the Baptist was a true devotee of God does not take the flesh of dead animals. The man himself and has such a great disservice to the individuals when trying to blame them, though they allegedly ate meat. However, unfortunately, from the 4th century, in this way trying to do not only with Christ, but also with its closest precursor: John the Baptist. "And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey." (Matthew 3.4)

Locusts means locusts. Here we find the classic example of a mistranslation. Who can believe that the rise of John the Baptist, whom Jesus Christ entrusted even baptize himself, ate a grasshopper? Word "locusts" (Latin locusta) called fruit Robin (acacia - called locusts tree or kourbaril (courbaril). Fruits in Palestine Robin (born carob) as the most important food, and just because John the Baptist ate these sweet bean fruits them to this day is called "John's bread." And wherever grow these flowers covered with trees, a wild honey. Such was the food of the great saintly person, as has been predicted in the Old Testament ("He will eat curds and honey ... "(Isaiah 7:15)

"Thou shalt not kill!" So says the fifth of the Ten Commandments of Moses. In fact, one can not speak simply and clearly, and this is true despite speaking different interpretations, not only to the murder. In Hebrew, the original language, this command is as follows: lo tirtzach. Lo means "you do not have," and tirtzach applies to "every conceivable form of killing," as the authors found, with the help of standard dictionary of "The Complete Hebrew / English Dictionary Dr. Roibena Alkaleya. Tirtzach means, therefore, is not only" kill " , although the fifth commandment is translated recently in some modern "combined translations" of the Bible as "Thou shalt not kill."

This is a clear indication of the Lord God is, indeed, quite a serious Christian to stop killing animals and eat their flesh.

Other religions

Judaism. Not only the early church fathers the first centuries after Jesus Christ rigorously refused meat, but also many Jewish religious orders before and during the time of Jesus Christ, such as, for example, Essenerskie and Nazareth. All of them were vegetarian, according to the Book of Moses I (1.29), the basis of life in the mind of God.

In the Hebrew Scriptures in the Old Testament is strictly forbidden to eat "red meat." Rather than throw out the meat completely, as recommended in many places these writings, they are based on permission to eat meat without blood, entered a complicated ritual to get the meat. They cut a live cow's throat and left her to bleed to death (the method of killing, which in addition to violence is never a hundred percent anemic meat).

In fact, these restrictions were necessary to eating meat to people finally realized that it is better to throw the meat entirely.

"What I multitude of your sacrifices? - Says the Lord. - I am full of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle, and the blood of bulls and lambs and goats."

"And when ye spread forth your hands, I hide my eyes from you, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood." (The Book of Isaiah, 11/01/15)

Islam Prophet Muhammad preached in the desert, where it is very difficult to live a vegetarian life. Although Islam is not a religion that promotes vegetarianism, Mohammed hold up this ideal, as is clear from the extant biographies. He ate mostly milk, yogurt, honey, nuts, figs, dates and other fruits. Also in the Quran you can find places in the text, where the person is required to show the universal mercy and justice for all living beings. For example: "There is no animal on earth, and the birds flying on the wings, which would not be communities like you. All creatures of Allah - his family." (6.38)

In Sufism, the famous ascetic mystical branch of Islam, abstinence from meat and alcohol is considered to be a condition for the development of a spirit of deep and ecstatic contemplation of God.

Lord Buddha, Buddhism introduced the "ahimsa" (nonviolence) and vegetarianism as one of the five fundamental steps on the path of self-realization. One of its main tasks was to really to put an end to sin, bringing animal sacrifice and meat eating. "I do not see any reason why you need to slaughter animals and eat their meat, as in fact there is much more to eat. Man does not need the meat." - Dalai Lama (Steven Rosen: Food for the Spirit, Vegetarianism and the World Religious, New York, 1987)

Hinduism Hinduism - a modern collective term for numerous emerging trends in India philosophical and religious currents. In various ancient Indian law books, such as in "Manu Samhita", provides clear guidance on the meat-eating: "You can get meat, not committing violence against other living beings. Therefore, avoid eating meat." In another place, "Manu Samhita" we read: "If a person is aware of the origin of meat and horrifying cruelty, which they bring with them the capture and killing of personified creatures, then he has to give up meat-eating."6. Meat-eating, and the law of karma

"All the suffering that man does to animals, will return again to the man" Pythagoras

"As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be war," Leo Tolstoy

When you ask yourself a serious question whether a person has the right to kill animals and realize they are not, logically the next question is why the man is not allowed, what happens if he does so, no matter what - as it is today?

At that time, the Western philosophers and religions do not have a clue as to whether the animals have the right to life, or they can be killed without consequences for themselves, in the Vedic scriptures we find the most crisp and clear statements and explanations relating to all areas of life, both material and spiritual. Crucial topic to be understood in this context, is the theme of karma.

The Sanskrit word "karma" literally means "action" and points to the fact that every action in the material world leads to different short-term and long-term effects (response). Each person performs a "karma" (performs actions) and thus subject to the law of karma, the law of action and reaction, which states that for every action (good or bad) are set relevant future (good or bad) consequences. When people talk about karma of the individual, then we have in mind, so the "predefined reaction" to perfect in the free choice of action. "

The law of karma is not just eastern theory, it is the law of nature, which acts as inevitably as the time or the law of gravity. Every action is followed by reaction. Under this law, the pain and suffering that we cause to other creatures are returned to us. "What goes around, comes around", because the nature of its laws of universal justice. No one can evade the law of karma - except for those who understand how it works.

The basis for the understanding of the law of karma is the realization that all living beings have a soul, and that means all of them - are immortal spiritual souls in mortal bodies. In the "Bhagavad Gita", the central Vedic scripture, Krishna describes the soul as a source of spiritual consciousness that pervades the entire body and even gives him life. When the soul leaves the body, it is called "death." Destruction of the body belonging to the soul, as in the case of killing animals, so the man is a grievous sin.

Only in the human form of life, the soul enjoys the freedom of informed choice. But along with this freedom man has also the responsibility for everything that happens. Therefore, from a person is required to realize the higher principles of life, such as, for example, the law of karma, and acted according to them, because "ignorance of the law is no excuse."

Understanding the Law of Karma reveals the devastating consequences of killing animals. Even if one does not kill the animal himself, he still does himself harm. According to the law of karma, all the participants in the murder - who breeds animals, killing, selling meat, cooks, serves and the one who eats - receive their karmic reactions.

However, the law of karma operates not only individually, but collectively, that is, it applies to acts performed jointly by a group of people (family, community, nation, and even the entire population of the planet), actively or passively. If people will ensure compliance with the laws of creation, it will benefit all of society. If, however, the Company may be sinful, unrighteous and violence, it will suffer as a result of the relevant collective karma, that is, from wars, natural disasters, environmental destruction, epidemics etc.

His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977), the most prominent translator of Sanskrit XX century and the founder of the Hare Krishna movement, wrote in 1974:

"He who kills the animals and gives them unnecessary suffering - as people do in slaughterhouses - will be killed in the next, and in many other lives the same way. Such crimes will never be forgiven. If a man kills in a professional, many thousands of animals that other people can buy meat for food, he should know that in the next life, life after life, it will be killed the same way.

There are plenty of villains that violate their own religious principles.

In the Judeo-Christian scriptures clearly states: "Thou shalt not kill!" Nevertheless themselves religious leaders allow themselves to kill animals, and at the same time they want to be seen as holy and distribute all kinds of indulgences. Such frivolity and hypocrisy in human society leads to countless disasters, so every now and then break out the major wars. Masses of people are out then on the battlefields and kill each other. Now build an atomic bomb, just waiting to put a massive destruction.

If people want to release their future life of murder and of being killed, they should go to Krishna consciousness and stop their sinful activities. International Society for Krishna Consciousness encourages everyone to refrain from eating meat ... We ask everyone to stop sinful activities and chant Hare Krishna. In this way people can escape from repeated birth and death "(" Caitanya-caritamrta, "Madhya-lila, 24,251, comment)

Many people today are afraid of war, and at the same time every day in slaughterhouses, animal factories and laboratories where experiments are conducted on animals in the world, they coolly arrange at least as terrible as in war massacres and do not realize how closely related, these acts of violence.

Karma, vegetarianism and the situation in the world

One who understands that, as mentioned above, should reflect on the current situation in the world. Despite all the warnings in the world meat consumption continues to increase. According to statistics, the annual consumption of meat per capita in industrialized countries over the last thirty years has doubled (from 4D to 8o kg or more. In Germany, the average rate reached 1OO kg and 91 kg in Switzerland!).

A meat consumption grows further: Western meat corporations have penetrated into the open the Eastern bloc countries to capitalize on the new, hungry market. Fooled by advertising slogans like "Meat - part life force" or "meat is health" consumers are drawn to eating meat, using the state as if by magic out of the land grow new businesses fattening and slaughter, and the multinational corporations for the production of meat and hamburgers secretly look for all new countries for their expansion. (The last goal - one billion Chinese). Thus they increase the global burden of collective karma.

What can one man do in the face of such dominance? The law of karma makes us think not only about the threatening reactions, but also shows both - in reference to the true reasons - practical way.

Even if it seems that our transition to a vegetarian lifestyle around the world is not wide enough, this step still change our individual karma. A collective karma is nothing but the sum of all individual cases of individual karma, so that each separate additional person who no longer supports the current course of history, leading to suicide, thus reducing the collective bad karma hanging over modern humanity.

This is a great service that you, dear readers, to have exhausted itself and crises the world, if you make one such step - starting to live a vegetarian!

"Systematic screening difficulties crisis ... does not mean ... that we are to live in a world of nightmares. You could write scripts that take into account the widely positive features such as opening a completely new, environmentally friendly energy source, or an unexpected success research in the field of nuclear reactions and solar energy or of carrying all the flow of the religious movement in the Western world, which tends to restrict the consumption of meat (and thus help save billions of tons of grain and guarantees of humanity as a whole is better food) ... "

Alvin Toffler, author of "Der Zukunftsschock, Kursbuch ins Dritte Jahrtausend, Die Zukunftschance etc." in his published in 1975 the book "Die Grenzen der Krise" (p.99)

7. Vegetarianism - a necessary but not sufficient

"I'm not saying that every person who lives in a vegetarian ideal, but that everyone who does not live in a vegetarian, so act unlawfully." Magnus Shvante (see Chapter 4)

The law of karma, which was presented in chapter 6, shows why it is vital that people have reflected on his way to power and realized that eating meat is not a private matter!

Too great arising in this case the damage to their own health, the animals, the environment, and the planet.

The law of karma explains the actual cause of the danger that now threatens humanity, and it is ignorant and ungodly actions of individuals and their irresponsible governments. No one has the right to cherish the hope that the growing problems today can be solved as long as we are prepared to change our own way of life - and life in a vegetarian is the first step in this direction.

Suffering mother-earth moans not high population, and under the burden of too much of people who behave improperly. Health, justice, peace and a decent life in the future will remain a utopia, if we do not take any effort to stop the action, which lead to bad karmic reactions. Scientists, politicians, as well as today's religions have experienced a clear defeat, since they seem to have lost the knowledge of a higher law of nature and of God, the Creator of nature.

Same sources, which reveal to us the knowledge of karma - Vedic literature - also indicate a specific decision, informing people about what are the laws of God in reality, and how they can be followed with regard to the location, time and circumstances.

When nowadays more and more people are becoming aware of how much more advantages in a vegetarian diet, they do not make something that would not have told us the Vedas. Free of violence, that is bezmyasnaya food is one of the commandments of God, which man must follow its own interests. This is the advice given to us timeless Vedic scriptures, in particular the "Bhagavad Gita" and "Srimad-Bhagavatam," which were written 5000 years ago by the great saints of India (Vyasadeva literary incarnation of God) in order to make it necessary knowledge preserved in writing for the future (that is, for us).

These writings are called the modern era of Kali Yuga, the "age of quarrel and hypocrisy." In Kali-yuga, the wealth of the Earth all the intensity decreases due to the sinful activities of people, so people have to work hard all day, just to get some place to sleep and something to eat. This picture we see today: it seems that most of the time people are only to eat, sleep, work, and have a safe workplace. More hardly anyone has the time to do lofty questions of life, but after all this is the task of man, which, in contrast to the animal, is responsible for every action of his life.

Therefore, the solution must be sought not only in vegetarianism, and in a natural, bogoosoznannom lifestyle that includes vegetarianism as a logical extension. This style of life is described in detail in the "Bhagavad Gita" and "Srimad-Bhagavatam" and it involves not only vegetarian, but also the development of fundamental individual and collective consciousness, which they say are everywhere, but, unfortunately, those who are for it stands, in fact, do not try to change consciousness. Such a change in the consciousness of people, explains, "The Bhagavad-Gita," may be feasible, and hypocritical Kali Yuga overcome only when it blooms around the source of all human beings and all living things - God.

If the reader felt a strong desire to begin the very vegetarian lifestyle and read the above Vedic scriptures to learn more about the recommended change of consciousness, then this booklet has reached its goal.

PosleslovieVegetarianstvo and Krishna consciousness is not to say that the mere fact that a vegetarian lifestyle can solve all the world's problems. That would be primitive. Vegetarians can be accused of that, also, and they steal from nature, as a man, in principle, not entitled to any of God's creation. And besides that also vegetarians sometimes kill (ie plants). Such arguments are in fact legitimate, but how much more they relate to meat-eaters!

First of all you need to firmly understand that eating fruits, nuts, grains and milk, we do not kill creatures. Cows and trees live on, and grains and some vegetable varieties that live only one season, the time of the harvest is already dead.

However vegetarian food is not completely free from the karmic reactions. At best, it is a neutral karma. But the goal of human actions should be the release of the karmic reactions. How this can be achieved, says Krishna (God) in the "Bhagavad Gita": "He who serves Me with love and devotion, free from karmic reactions." ("Bhagavad Gita", 4.41)

This principle applies in all areas of life, and also in relation to nutrition. For the Lord God of His Creation gives us food, we have everything that we eat, first bring the Creator with love and devotion. But God does not take from a man no meat, no fish, no eggs, only the pure food that is free of blood and violence, "If one offers Me (Krishna), leaf, flower, fruit or water with love and devotion, I will accept it .

Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give and through whatever tapasya or passed - do that, O son of Kunti, as an offering to Me. "(" Bhagavad Gita ", 9.26-27 )

He who knows the laws of Creation, so eating only what was first offered to Krsna with love and devotion. This offering is made with opredelennomi prayers and especially while chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare Sanctified way food is called prasadam of Krishna. (Prasad means "mercy.") This Krishna prasadam ("grace of God") is not only healthy, full-vegetarian food, but also possesses a spiritual cleansing effect, "Bhakta Lord, eats food offered first to the Lord, cleansed of all sins. Those who prepare food for their own sense enjoyment, verily partake of only one sin. " ("Bhagavad Gita", 3.13)

Krishna Prasadam frees man from the karmic reactions, which in the physical world are usually associated with any activity. Except this one is freed also from the same karma, if it just takes the food that was initially offered with love and devotion to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So, too, and obviously household activities such as cooking, food, music, and work for the people become Krishna conscious meditative process. Meditation on Krishna is very practical, because thanks to her all the material used in the service of Krishna and so spiritualized.

Krishna Prasadam goes so far beyond the usual vegetarian diet, as it is the practical expression of the whole philosophy of life, enabling people to live in harmony with God and with other people, animals and the environment. Discussed in this brochure are subject to show with what God provides sovershestvom world and what devastating consequences entail people's attempts to "improve" nature, violate its laws. So topic bezmyasnogo power can help us to touch more higher divine world order.

We are happy to think of a time when people have rediscovered the laws of God and will be followed, and the decision to live a vegetarian is the first and necessary step.