Sikh Vegetarianism
In their 1989 book, The Spiritual and Karmic Aspects of the Vegetarian
Diet, Kirpal Singh and Sawan Singh write:
"A righteous person has his eyes on his weaknesses and through
self-introspection, weeds them out one by one. Swami Shiv Dayal Singh
advises that one should pick up his failures one by one and cast them out.
All other saints have said this thing in the same strain.
1. Love thy neighbor as thyself.
2. Do unto others as you would wish to be done by them.
"The whole of the religious philosophy hangs by these two cardinal
principles. If one puts before him these two golden rules, his life will
surely be transformed.
"Insofar as you can, try to do no injury to anyone. Be good to all and you
will be at peace with yourself and be a radiating center of loving grace
around you. The prayers of others to whom you may have done good will help
you. The good thoughts of others will swarm around you with a benediction.
The very idea of doing good will first affect you and will draw all good
vibrations from the surrounding atmosphere.
"In a nutshell, we have just laid a Pancha Shila or five fundamental truths
on which we can build the wonderful mansion of spirituality. These are:
1. Nonviolence in thought, word, and deed.
2. Truthfulness.
3. Chastity.
4. Love for all and hatred for none, irrespective of position, wealth, or
learning.
5. Selfless service -- physical and financial and a willing share in the
joys and sorrows of others.
"The Living Master cuts asunder the Gordian knot of an initiate.
"The Disciple of the Master refrains from sins.
"Those who will follow the above will enrich their lives here and hereafter.
They will control their mind and outgoing faculties by coming in contact
with the Living-Word of God through the Living Master-Saint...
"...all beings in this world could be divided into classes: man; quadrupeds;
birds; insects; the vegetable world...
"When the creatures of the other four classes are killed or injured, they
cry out in pain. But not so the vegetables, though they have life. So the
saints and sages concluded that the eating of vegetables was the least
sinful. (The least burdened with karma.)
"...The moving creatures live upon each other, as well as on static creation
-- to wit, vegetables, plants, shrubs, herbs, trees, and the like. Man,
however, makes friends with, and loves creatures (birds and animals), who
live upon other life -- and makes them his pets. The ancients knew well that
man, bird, and animal were all bound up with the same karmic bond. Man with
the thought of common brotherhood worked hard both for himself and his pets.
He tilled the land, grew fruits, and produced food both for himself, his
bird friends, and his kin and oxen. But in course of time, he grew
ease-loving, with the result that he first preyed upon the animals' milk and
then upon their flesh as well.
"According to the moral, social, and spiritual codes of conduct, one must
not interfere with the lives of any animal in God's creation. In India, this
standard is enunciated as Ahimsa or non-injury to all living creatures. This
led to the vegetarian diet as contradistinguished from the nonvegetarian
diet.
"Rajasic, passionate, or energy producing diet includes besides vegetarian
foods, products like milk, cream, butter and ghee, etc. In ancient India,
the use of milk was restricted mainly to the princely order, as the princes
needed extra energy for keeping under their control rough, turbulent and
barbarous people not living up to any set principles of life.
"The milking of dairy cattle was permissible only after the cows were bred
and treated with extra care, and sufficient milk was left in their udders
for feeding their own offspring, the calf. The residue of milk was allowed
to man under special circumstances. This special rule was intended to
prevent degeneration of the early civilization.
"Rishis (saints and sages), in ancient times, also made a limited use of
milk, leaving a sufficient amount for the use and growth of the animal
progeny. The rishis lived alone in comparative isolation, devoting most of
their time to meditation.
"The traditional custom of using only the residue of milk is still prevalent
in some of the villages in India. But today, man in his lust for unbridled
power, is violating all of the laws of nature under the pretext of the
so-called freedom that he claims for himself...
"The only consideration of man today is to obtain as much milk as possible,
even at the cost of the calves themselves. In some places, he... applies
milking machines to the cow's udders to draw out the last drop of milk in
order to keep pace with trade competition and profit-making. This is what
some proudly call high technical skill and civilization...
"Tamasic, or stupefying diet, consists of meat, liquors..."
Kirpal Singh was asked: "...why we should not eat eggs, because the eggs...
cannot be developed into chickens."
He responded: "There are so many eggs mixed together. When they sell eggs in
the shops, you see, there is no differentiation. You cannot earmark
definitely what is infertile or fertile -- first thing. The other reason
eggs are not to be used is because they flare up passions. Any food which
flares up passion is not to be used."
Kirpal Singh was asked: "Oftentimes you are invited by non-initiates, and
they offer you certain foods which you are expected to take; if you do not
take the food, they will be offended."
He responded: "If anybody offers you poison are you going to accept?
Politely refuse. Especially poison. If anybody gives you meat and you eat
it, then? You are to see what you are taking. A friend would not like to
give you poison if he comes to know that it does not suit you. If a friend
offers you something, and he knows fully well that it does not suit you --
will he press you to take it? No. Common sense. These are only lame excuses,
I would say. Those who reason in this way want some excuse to have that
food, that's all."
In Spiritual Elixir, Kirpal Singh writes:
"Regarding laxity in the prescribed diet, I wish to say to all aspirants on
the Path that it is necessary, so long as one is in the physical body, that
vegetarianism should be strictly adhered to. Any relaxation in the matter of
diet would not only be a definite hindrance in meditation but would
unnecessarily contract karmic reaction. The real Goal is to use every means
possible to rise into full God-consciousness.
"It must be borne in mind that restriction to a pure vegetarian diet is of
utmost necessity. Any transgression in this respect is liable to affect your
spiritual progress adversely.
"The prohibited food flares up carnal desires other than
contracting karmic debt. Both are highly detrimental and should be avoided
scrupulously. I hope you are abiding by all of the rules and that you take
my advice in proper perspective in the larger interests of your spiritual
progress.
"You state that you are healthy now and the doctor advises you not to live
on meat. You also state that while away on business you have to oblige your
friends by partaking some chicken. In this connection, I would like to
remind you that the eating of the prohibited foods will definitely stand in
the way of your spiritual progress without in any way helping you in your
illness or in any way extending your lifespan. 'Thy days are numbered,' is a
well known aphorism.
"So why unnecessarily create karmic debts which you may easily avoid? You
had better avoid these. It would be much better if you could influence your
friend rather than be influenced by him, for you know of certain things of
which he may be ignorant. So in such cases, behave lovingly with others and
abstain from taking the prohibited foods."
According to contemporary Hindu scholar Satyaraja dasa (Steven Rosen):
“Sikhism, founded by Guru Nanak (1469-1538), is an interesting blend of
Hindu and Islamic beliefs. Because of the Moslem influence, most branches
of the Sikh religion are not strictly vegetarian. Still, according to Sikh
scholar Swaran Singh Sanehi of the Academy of Namdhari culture:
"‘Sikh scriptures support vegetarianism fully. Sikhs from the period of
Guru Nanak had adopted the Hindu tradition and way of living in many ways.
Their disliking for flesh-foods was also a part of the same tradition and
way of living. Guru Nanak considered meat-eating improper—particularly for
those who are trying to meditate.’ Of the ten million Sikhs, the Namdhari
sect and Yogi Bhajan’s 3HO Golden Temple Movement are strictly vegetarian.”
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