In Hinduism, there is the saying, ‘ahimsaa paramo dharmah’, which means non-violence is the highest law. The idea of non-violence is probably India’s greatest contribution to world culture. The greatest exponent of ahimsa in modern times was Mahatma Gandhi who made the practice of non-violence a science in itself. The Hindu sages, who preach non-violence, recognize that complete non-violence is not possible. For example, all creatures get food by killing. Some kill animal life and some plant life. Hinduism therefore exalts vegetarianism because plants are a lower life-form than animals.

In Chapter 17 verses 8, 9 & 10 of Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna categorizes food as Satwic, Rajasic and Tamasic. Decayed and fermented food like meat and alcohol are termed Tamasic and when ingested tends to induce lazy, dull and violent tendencies. Rajasic foods are bitter, sour, salty, pungent and burning. They induce restlessness, discord and passion and produce pain, grief and disease. Sattwic foods are sweet, savory, nutritious and agreeable like roots, fruits, vegetables, grain and milk. These induce clarity and purity of thought as well as mental poise. If as Hindus we keep striving towards the goal of union with God or moksha, then a Sattwic diet becomes a requirement.

The idea that as soon as one gives up ingestion of meat and alcohol he/she becomes religious needs to be examined critically. Vegetarianism is based on ahimsa, which means non-violence in thought, word and deed. I have certainly seen people who do not eat meat or drink alcohol but their actions indicate a mind, which is steeped towards violence. If one embraces vegetarianism as part of a religious quest it must be done in the spirit of true ahimsa, where all life-forms are viewed equally. It is hypocritical for one to embrace vegetarianism because he/she does not want to kill animals while still maintaining malice towards his/her human brothers and sisters.

There is also a massive amount of evidence for vegetarianism from the standpoint of just health benefits alone. A cat’s mouth will water at the sight of a piece of raw meat but not at the sight of a fruit. The reverse is true of the human being. Obviously, even by instinct man is not meant for a meat diet. Scientific studies show that physiologically, anatomically and instinctively man is most suited to a vegetarian life. We are insulated from the actual killing of the animals by the slaughterhouses and meat plants. If we had to kill animals ourselves for food, I think most of us would be vegetarians.

Scientific studies indicate that the eating of meat is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease as well as cancer. Countries with high intakes of animal fat, such as the United States, Finland, New Zealand, and the U.K. have high death rates due to heart disease. On the other hand others with low amounts of animal fat in their diet like Italy, Poland, Greece, Spain and Japan have low death rates due to heart disease. Scientific evidence shows that certain diets increase the risk of certain forms of cancer. An Israeli study showed that meat consumption increased by 454% between 1949 and 1977. Correspondingly the death rate from malignant tumors doubled. Cancer in meat-eaters can also occur in a more direct way. Research has shown that if the liver of a cancerous animal is fed to fish, the fish develop cancer. If the cancerous part is detected at the slaughterhouse it may be cut away but the rest of the body is sold anyway. What is even worse is the fact that the meat cut away may be incorporated into mixed meats like hot dogs.

Interestingly, weight for weight, meat contains more bacteria than manure. Meat becomes infected with manure germs in the process of slaughtering and the bacteria count increases with the length of time the meat is stored. Additionally there are the hormones and color fixers (used to keep the meat looking fresh) which are present in the meat. Meat, which contains less fiber than vegetables, moves less quickly through the digestive system and remains in contact with the stomach walls for a longer period of time. Consequently, the prolonged contact with the intestinal walls leads to intestinal diseases, especially colon cancer.

One of the myths associated with meat-eating is that meat consumption is necessary in order to have enough protein in our diet. Young people often mistakenly associate a muscular body with the consumption of animal protein like steak or eggs. The fact is that the primary requirement for increasing muscles is exercise and a high carbohydrate diet. Body building great Arnold Schwarzenegger says high protein diets are totally unnecessary. His formula for basic healthy eating is one gram of protein for every two pounds of body weight. Nathan Pritikin, an expert nutritionist says, "I don’t know any nutrition expert that can plan a diet of vegetarian foods resulting in a protein deficiency, so long as there is no deficiency in calories."

Probably one of the most compelling reasons for embracing vegetarianism is a long healthy life. Eskimos living mainly on a diet of whale, seal, fish etc have an average life span of about thirty years. The Kirghese, a nomadic Eastern Russian tribe with a meat-based diet has a life expectancy of less than forty. Compare this to the Otomi natives of Mexico or the Hunzas of Pakistan, both non-meat eating cultures where it is not uncommon for people to live to a hundred years with relatively good health.

If one who is accustomed to eating meat decides to become vegetarian, whether for religious or health-related reasons, it is necessary to look upon meat-eating as a vice and take the necessary steps to stop. For some it can be stopped cold turkey (for want of a better word), while others may be able to gradually reduce the consumption of meat until there is no urge to eat meat at all. It is necessary to develop a pragmatic approach to becoming vegetarian. Firstly one may cut out all red meat, then poultry and eggs and finally seafood. One may begin by fasting one day per week and gradually increase to two then three and so on. It would also facilitate the process if one stayed away from the company and the places where one may be tempted to eat meat.

For those who become vegetarian for religious reasons, there are other facets of Hinduism which need to be developed in order to compliment vegetarianism, such as mental purity, truth, compassion for others and charity to those less fortunate. There is always a feeling of guilt in the sub-conscious of those Hindus who eat meat. Another benefit of vegetarianism is removal of this guilt.

There is a tremendous amount of information on the benefits of vegetarianism which today we have only scratched the surface. In summary though, vegetarianism can purify us physically, mentally and spiritually. As Hindus, do we need any more reasons for changing our lives in this direction?