Hinduism and Vegetarianism - III

Now, the question arises; what about the non-vegetarian eaters, is it wrong? The question can be answered in from a spiritual perspective, but for that a few questions should be answered first;
a) Whom do you want to feed within yourself?
b) Do you want to feed the animal, or the human or the divine in you?
c) Whom do you want to keep awake in you?
d) Whom do you want to energize in you?
e) Which one do you want to prevail ultimately in your inner world, positive or negative?
f) What do you want to achieve in your life? Material rewards or self realization?
If your aim is to feed the animal in you so that you can gain extraordinary physical strength and vigor, as was the aim of some warriors in ancient India, animal food would be perhaps the appropriate choice. If your purpose is to feed the human in you so that you may develop an extraordinary mind, perhaps you may have to choose the food that is conducive to the development of the mind and the body in a balanced way. May be certain types of meat, fruit and vegetables would be appropriate for a rational disposition.
 

Hindu texts remind us constantly that man is made in the mold of God. Man is a microcosm made in the manner of Brahman or Purusha or the macrocosm. If that be so, we possess in our individual microcosms all that exist in the macrocosm including all the celestial deities and divine energies as well as all the demons and negative energies. These deities and energies are active or inactive, latent or manifest, depending upon where we stand on the spiritual path individually. Our inner cosmic order is constantly shaped by our actions and aspirations. Each and every minute either we are evolving or devolving. If we strive for spiritual awakening and do the needed practice, we awaken the deities and divine energies who would assist us to progress further on the path. On the contrary if we are driven by our egoistic nature and aim to satisfy our lower needs, we might awaken the demons and the negative energies who might assist us in achieving our worldly goals but also delude us and wean us away from the spiritual path. It is therefore karma guided by the buddhi, or the discriminating intelligence, which plays a crucial role in deciding which path one would choose in life and what would happen eventually.

To be contd...

- Abhimanyu