| Misconceptions
About Eating Meat - Bani of Guru Nanak by Sandeep Singh Brar |
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Guru Nanak wrote a passage of very lengthy bani where he clearly and precisely ridiculed any connection between vegetarianism and religion.The bani in question appears on page 1289 to 1290 of the Guru Granth Sahib and is reported to have been written by the Guru when he ate meat at a hindu festival. The
Bani Born out of flesh,
in flesh does man live. Sloka Guru Nanak
At the beginning of the second stanza Guru Nanak decries the duality of vegetarians who expound against eating meat. Guru Nanak says that these people have their priorities mixed up, they fight about the virtues of not eating meat, yet they do not instead spend their time contemplating God. He says that everything is a living thing, whether one is killing an animal or a plant, he says that can the vegetarian please tell him where the sin lies? If he is killing living things whether they are plants or animals. Then Guru Nanak follows this right away talking about how animal sacrifice (rhino) was such an integral part of Hindu worship, one is willing to sacrifice animals for religion, yet say do not eat flesh for religion, another contradiction exposed by the Guru. Guru Nanak then talks about the duality of these people who commit countless sins and then make a public show of their "great piety" by saying that they don't eat meat because it is a sin, another contradiction. Guru Nanak then talks about how the Brahmin vegetarian is a creation of flesh, yet he holds the flesh from outside as being sinful to eat, Guru Nanak is saying that aren't you Brahmin vegetarian a creation of flesh as well as your family also something to be abhorred if you are following your own criteria that flesh is sinful? Guru Nanak talks about these false preceptors who are wrongfully telling people to consume what should not be, and telling people to not eat what should be eaten. Guru Nanak then establishes the fact that eating meat was a historical fact of both the Muslim and Hindu faiths and it has been a part of daily life for many ages, yet why is the Brahmin vegetarian denying his own history? Then Guru Nanak talks about the absurdity that the kings who eat meat should all go to hell, yet the Brahmin vegetarian who lives off their donations and charity shall go to heaven. Finally Guru Nanak concludes by saying that all vegetables and meat are the same because their basic ingredient is water and that the Brahmin vegetarian if he really wants to practice his religious renunciation instead of not eating meat he should give up water altogether. |
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