VEGETARIAN DIET

Question (Q): Master, we all know that it is very crucial to abstain from the eating of meat because we know this increases our karmas, but can you explain to those who are newly interested in this path what the real reason is for becoming a vegetarian?
 
Sant Thakar Singh (STS): You see, we are not to increase our burden of karmas as you have already told. That there is value of every kind of thing we use in this world. The air we use, we have to pay for it. The water we use, we have to pay for it. The light of sun or moon is there not also free for us. And that this green grass what is there, that is also to be paid for, nothing is free. But if you are to make your house, don't make it of gold or silver or jewels. That will also be just a house, nothing very much special. But if you can make the house of stones, it is very easy and very inexpensive. Then why don't we make our house of stones and bricks, etc.? Why of gold?

In the same way, if we can maintain our life very simply, with very less cost of this greenery, then why should we attract so much burden and payment and payment of karmas? As the life goes on in the creeping ones, there is a great difference of payment of life. Anything that creepeth on earth, we are not allowed to use it. We are only allowed to have the fruit of the fruit trees and whatever is grown on the table of this earth. That God had been wise enough to guide us, to tell us that what is really most useful for you. That you can maintain your life with least burden. Although God also did not say that it is burdenless, it is all free. He has never explained like this also. But He has allowed us because with our meditations we can release ourselves very quickly and easily and therefore we are not to burden ourselves.

Moreover some other complications are also there. As now the scientists have come to know that all the living beings have some kind of minds and feelings. And when you are a little disturbed, your whole nervous system is disturbed and that so many poisons and poisons are there coming up, growing in you. And in that state if you die, further also you suffer very much. As those people who commit suicide, at that time the condition of the mind is really very hard, really very horrible because the condition was suchlike that you had to commit suicide. And that if that person has to make suicide in that condition of the heart, that will go on and continue for long, long, long, long times, that person will have to suffer.

This is also the case with the people who eat those animals, their flesh, that their (the animal's) nervous system had been very much disturbed, very much disturbed. Even if you look at an animal (being) killed, you will be effected, your nervous system will be disturbed and you will lose so much peace. You will not feel good. Your heart will be effected by it, as you can look at the fish dying. It is out of water and you are looking at it, for one hour or two hours, even for some days your heart will not feel good. It will think of that condition of the fish and it will feel horrible. It will be in some kind of hard state. Even for months, this state of mind will continue. Maybe after some long time you forget this scene and its effect is gone from your heart and you do not feel very much considering it or remembering it, but still it has its effect.

If this is the case just looking at (the killing of an animal), then what is the case that when we eat it? And that all these vibrations enter into our system and that so many diseases and mental systems are disturbed and disturbed. But when we eat some greenery, this wonderful fruit, everything is wonderful. You look at the fruit which is ready, the colours tell you so wonderful, fragrance is there and you smell it and you enjoy it and when you remember it, you really enjoy. Your heart is also enjoying, your mind is also at peace and your body is also at peace.

So my dear, God has all sympathy for us and if He has told, recommended some things for us, we should accept (them) and we should not impose our minds and our intellects into the wisdom of God. So that is why in Bible and all other scriptures, very clearly the man has been told, "(do) not do this, do this only, do this, (do) not do that." Everything is very clearly told to us but why don't we accept those commandments? If we do not accept (them), there will be some difficulty. So let us accept and then after some time when you are lifted up, you yourself will see how horrible it is.

There was a person that who was occupied by a spirit which was of some animal. I think it was goat or sheep, and that was killed by that butcher. And that soul came into that person and that soul was very hard, very hard. And that it was asked that, "Please forgive this man. Just by chance he has done something wrong." "No! Why had he killed me? What have I done wrong? Why has this person done such a horrible thing to me? That my body is hanging over there and blood is coming out of it. I am suffering and suffering. And that why has this man done this? What authority has he got?" One time it was requested. It did not accept forgiveness. Second time again and then that soul told that, "They say that we are hungry and we eat you. We are also hungry, why should not we eat them? We are also hungry. That this is no reason, this is no excuse that they are hungry and they should eat us. We cannot forgive, we cannot forgive this sinner, sinner, sinner man." And after all at the third request then it admitted that, "Okay, forgiven." But if that soul had not forgiven that killer, that man would have suffered great judgement.

That judgement is also there. That if you are hurt by somebody, you have judgement here and also in the kingdom of God because all belong to somebody. If somebody hits your child, will you not really react hard upon that person who has hit your child? We are all children of God. Not only we but also the animals, the dogs, the cats or any living creatures. All are connected to God and they are produced, they are made by God. And He who has made has really heart also for all His children, maybe of any kind, maybe of any category, but there is relation. And he will not forgive any other one who is stronger, who is superior and can hurt the younger one, the weaker one in any way. No, He will not let.

As all the trees and plants are there, they do not hurt each other. Independently they grow, independently they love each other but there is no difficulty from each other. But why is there difficulty from us at least who have known the law, who know the laws? In between the animals and birds, there is not much confusion because there is no understanding. They have not (been) given this law to be known. But the human being is not to be excused that, "I did not know." That innocence is no excuse for human being. Man is to know, to have knowledge of everything and in that light of knowledge he has to act. If he says, "I was not told", then nobody will listen to him because man has been given every kind of knowledge and wisdom in him. If he doesn't use it, it is his own fault. Why should not he use it? If you have been given eyes and you are closing the eyes and then walking and you fall into a ditch and then you ask somebody, "Why have you made this ditch that I have fallen into?" Then he looks at him, "Have you not got eyes? Why has God given you eyes? For this purpose that there is a ditch or something stumbling point everywhere, everywhere. But God has also given you eyes to see."

So you have been given wisdom, you have been given knowledge, you have been given soul to know everything and in that light of inner light you are to live with all that Godly wisdom. So my dear, the details are there, very much great and great, but this simple thing is there that people will come to know how horrible is this action to kill another living being who is not allowed by God.
 
(Sant Thakar Singh, Talk in Kinderhook, June 29, 1994)
 

Q: You very clearly explained the need for vegetarian diet, but the one question that many people ask is what about eggs and unfertilized eggs. Is there a leniency on this or is this right?
 
STS: You see, that is (like) a child in the womb of a mother. Do you understand it? That is a child in the womb of a mother. If the womb of the mother is used and if the egg is used, it is the same thing, it is the same thing. Egg needs only 20 days or 22 days and in the womb of the mother is needed for 9 or 10 months. But both are a process in which the child is completed. Child is completed in the womb of the mother and child is completed in the egg. And when we kill, when we break the egg or we hurt it, the inner life of the living being who had to find life after 10 days, 20 day or 30 days, that is killed. As abortion is also not allowed. It may be that so many governments have allowed it that it is not illegal. But it is not legal in the kingdom of God. Those laws are still there.

And previously the laws in this world were made by consultation of the saints and Masters. That those people who live in this world should only act in a way that what other rules are there in the kingdom of God, that the same thing may be supported here. Anything opposite may not be here that you should do here and over there it is a sin. Some cooperation should be there. That these people should do only those things which are allowed in kingdom of God and not do those things which are not allowed in kingdom of God. But as long as the saints and Masters were consulted, the things went on normally, properly, but afterwards the people had their own minds and they could not understand and now they have allowed abortion also. So this will remain illegal. So egg also, when we use it, we break it or in any way, it is also a crime.
 
(Sant Thakar Singh, Talk in Kinderhook, June 29, 1994)
 

Q: Is it also then a sin to eat a carrot? Some people say there is karma in eating vegetables also.
 
STS: As I have already told. There is karma in everything, but very little, very small and that can be paid off and that has to be paid off. You cannot be free of it even.
 
(Sant Thakar Singh, Talk in Kinderhook, June 29, 1994)