How can you say that eating meat is against what the Gurus wished? Isn't it also true that the same jot (light) ran through each of the Gurus and that they would never contradict each other? If you by some ingenious interpretation of select facts deem that Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji was against "killing animals just because they taste good." Then how can you answer the fact that starting from our sixth guru, Sri Guru Har Rai Ji, to Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji himself went on shikars (hunting expeditions). They basically went and hunted the animal for pure sport, or some say that they even in fact ate the animal that they hunted. Are you therefore implying that Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji actually condemned the actions of Guru Gobind Singh Ji? This does not seem to make much sense to me. You must take into account the fact that Sikhism talks about merger of Miri and Piri (basically Saint and Soldier). You seem to look into the spiritual reasons for not killng an animal, being that it is violent and unneccessary but to be pr
actical (which our respected Gurus were) it is and always has been evident throughout nature that eating meat is not sinful. Are herbivores such as rabbits more holy or in accord with Waheguru than say a carnivore such as a lion....in fact aren't we all lions (Singhs) being part of the Khalsa. Then what does your reply imply? I am sorry if this has come across as at all hostile but it upset me slightly Ji that you seemed to include a lot of personal opinion and bias into a question that was asking of our religious viewpoint on meat.
WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA
WAHEGURU JI KEH FATEH
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REPLY
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Whoa there,
I never said that there was sin in eating meat. Neither did I say that the Guru's contradicted each other. If you got out of my answer that it was my personal opinion then I'm fine with that in the sense that I dont think that that is a bad thing. I agree with you however that if I'm writing to a larger audience then I should not be putting my opinions in. In fact that is what I was trying to do. I related a story. The story clearly indicates an opinion. The story was not about being rigid it was about understanding that All things come from God and all things go to God. It happened in the mean time to show the way the Guru generally approached the eating of meat. He did not eat meat unless the situation caused it to be unavoidable. The Guru's were as you said practical. They were not going to starve just because they refused to eat what was presented them. They accepted gracefully and did not go hungry.
Please do not use Animals and the way they live as an example here. That is not neccesary and it is also trying to bait. You as a Human being have conciousness of mind. Animals survive by following their nature. I did not by my logic indicate that Humans and animals have the same capacity for reasoning.
As far as the Guru's Shikars, I'm not going to get into that. Not because the question bothers me but because I have already answered it and I would suggest you go back in the forum and find it. It was in October I think.
Look I simply love to answer the questions that come in here in order to do a seva. I have no intention of changing peoples minds or asking them to do anything. This forum was set up to help people. If you read something that bothers you, might it not be possible that it bothers you because it goes against your idea of things. All of us have the information we were raised with. If you think that not eating meat is simply an opinion of mine, then please tell me why an AmritDhari is specifically asked not to do it. To be an AmritDhari is to live as Guru Gobind Singh Ji decided we should aspire to be. Just because we have an opinion of something this is not changed. There are very few things in life that are not malleable and changeable. If you paint yourself into a corner you burn bridges. So please understand that I'am trying to give a practical explanation for not eating meat when I say that we dont kill animals simply because they taste good. I have no intention of hoodwinking people with my own ideas and I think it would be a tragedy if I did. Thank you very much for helping me address a concern I have had and reminding all of us here that it is about being straight and giving the facts.
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Re: Issue of meat (01/13/2000)