Yoga for Liberation from Suffering (SBG 6:17)
SBG 6:17
A person who is moderate in eating, in recreation, in sleeping, in working, in sleep as well as in wakefulness destroys all misery through Yoga.
The Sattvic Diet: Foods that Nourish the Body and Soul (SBG 17:08)
Foods that augment life, purity, strength, health, happiness, and contentment, which are delicious, succulent, substantial, and agreeable, are dear to people with the Sattva Guna.
I find it puzzling why some people perceive VEGAN cuisine as something that is completely different from normal vegetarian food or challenging to prepare. Every dish we make at my home is 100% VEGAN. Simply prepare your vegetarian dishes as usual and just skip the dairy products. It's that simple!
The Ethical Choice: A Vegan Perspective
The Moral Dilemma of Animal Consumption
The human body has no need for foods that come from animals. As Plutarch says in his essay, humans cannot kill an animal with their teeth or nails and eat it raw without altering its original state.
The Cruelty of Animal Agriculture
Plutarch also said in his essay, “But more than this – not even, after your victims have been killed, will you eat them just as they are from the slaughterhouse. You boil, roast, and altogether metamorphose them by fire and condiments. You entirely alter and disguise the murdered animal by use of ten thousand sweet herbs and spices, that your natural taste may be deceived and be prepared to take the unnatural food.”
That was about meat, and you definitely need to think about the fodder that animals are fed and the steroid hormone drugs that are used on animals to enhance meat and dairy production.
When did you last think of all the production-enhancing substances that are used in the dairy and poultry industries?
Have you ever seen animals queuing up before abattoirs or bovine animals lining up before dairy farms to offer their meat and milk respectively? What else but absolute cruelty it is to kill an animal that wants to live its full life or steal the milk that a bovine animal produces for its own babies? Sorry for this cheeky question, and with all respect to women, would you be willing to consume human milk? No? Then why the milk of a female animal? And then some people call the cow their mother? Seriously? Show me where in the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Krishna asks people to drink milk or offer Him milk. The fact is that humans are the only species that drink mammary milk even in their adulthood. No animal does that. Have you seen bulls or cows drinking milk, even if it was their own mother’s?
Patrik Baboumian, a famous Iranian-born German-Armenian VEGAN strongman, was once asked, “How can you get as strong as an ox without eating any meat?” Patrik’s answer was, “Have you ever seen an ox eating meat?”
The Scientific Perspective: Lactose Intolerance and Plant-Based Nutrition
Adult humans around the world are typically lactose intolerant, which means they can no longer consume animal milk and certain dairy products without having digestive problems once weaned from breast milk.
A Call for Research and Conscious Choices
My golden advice to you: RESEARCH WELL.
I am no qualified food or health expert, and therefore, I shall not be advising anyone anything on this matter, but all I would say is that you research well and be absolutely sure about what you and your family members consume. ‘We follow what the older generations in our family have been doing’ is not a sensible excuse or argument.
Unseen Consequences of Dairy Consumption
I've encountered many individuals who follow a vegetarian diet while still including dairy products, believing that they're making an ethical choice by avoiding meat consumption. However, what often goes unnoticed is the integral role of the dairy industry in the broader context of animal agriculture.
Consider this: What would a dairy farmer do when a cow ceases to produce milk? The unfortunate reality is that this animal, having outlived her primary purpose, doesn't retire to a peaceful pasture. Instead, she often meets a tragic end at the slaughterhouse.
It's essential to recognise the interconnectedness of various sectors within the animal agriculture industry and understand how our choices impact the lives of these sentient beings.
Vedanta Philosophy: Recognising the Divine in All
Vedanta, the ultimate stage of Vedic studies, is when a seeker realises the All-pervading Nature of the nondual Divine principle, Brahman, Paramartha Tattvam, or Krishna, which is the SELF in all living beings. All living beings, no matter how small or big, are equally Divine, and humans surely have no right over other species.
The Message of Unity in Ishavasya Upanishad
Here is the sixth Shloka of the Ishavasya Upanishad, which is Upanishad No. 1 of the ten principal Upanishads of the Vedanta philosophy:
IU 06
He who sees all beings in the Self and the Self in all beings, and by virtue of that wisdom feels no hatred.
Films for Enlightenment
There are some films I suggest that everyone watches because they can be real eye-openers. Please find below links to some films that I would strongly recommend.
Personal Transformation: My Journey as a Vegan Vedantin
After having been a pure vegan for over ten years, I can say with certitude that my diet and my physical activities have helped me to such an extent that I am simply amazed. I am certainly fitter, stronger, and healthier than I was a decade ago.
Balancing Tradition and Modernity
By the way, although I teach the Srimad Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads, I do not see any need for me to sport a long beard, wear strange clothes, or speak in a slow and strange manner.
Recognising the Divine Essence in All
SBG 13:27 (13:28 in some editions)
The person who truly sees is the one who sees the Supreme Soul or Supreme Bhagavan, existing equally in all beings – the unperishing within the perishing.
A Call for Conscious Choices
SBG 5:07
A person, who is devoted to the path of selfless action, has a pure mind or a purified soul, has his body and senses under control, is compassionate to all living beings and sees his Self in them, although engaged in work, is never in bondage.
A Wise Reminder on Your Journey
I am proud to be a Vegan Vedantin, which gives me a wonderful feeling that is simply indescribable. I am extremely careful about what I consume and where I consume. Eating out is something I stopped a long time ago. Never take anything or anyone for granted. Do not forget that the only goal of the health and food industries is to make money. They just do not care about your health.
Therefore, study, research, learn, and go for plant-based whole foods. Avoid falling for highly tempting advertisements and stay away from packaged foods as far as possible.