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Summary of Question:	Eating Meat
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Wednesday, 2/12/2003 11:39 AM MST

Alot of questions have been asked regarding meat eating, an all the answers you provide say that it is wrong an that all sikh's should be vegetarians. does it actually say in the Guru Granth Sahib not to eat meat, according to my understanding it does not. the people who answer our questions on this website are you more 'sikh' than the rest of us? how can you always say that eating meat is wrong?? at the end of the day i do not feel that it is a sin or evil act, it does not harm us in anyway!! if it was such a sin, i feel it would have been stressed in the Guru Granth Sahib. Why is it that so many people are unsure if Sikhs are supposed to eat meat?

In one of previous answers you say that 'Amardari' sikhs do not eat meat, what does this word mean, are these people more holy than the rest of us?
i feel it is wrong that the people who answer our questions, do so with such definite answers, when on most issues straightforward, clear and precise answers do not exist.

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REPLY
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Sat Sri Akal,

You have brought up some very good points. I think Gurbani is pretty clear in saying that eating meat is not the best thing in the world to do. You can search the youth forum for specific references as there are many. So while it doesn't explicitly say "Do not eat meat", the Sri Guru Granth Sahib gives many many examples of the virtues of being vegetarian.

The moderators on this website are definitely NOT better Sikhs than anyone else. Being a vegetarian does not make anyone a better person. Anyone who says that they are vegetarian and somehow a "better" Sikh has very little understanding of Sikhi and are filled with their own Homae (ego). The moderators on this site, including myself, have an understanding of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib that includes being a vegetarian, and thus that is what we espouse. That's all.

So why are people unsure about eating meat? Most of the times it is because people don't want to give it up. They are too engrossed in their own homae, they like doing what they want to do and don't want other people to tell them anything. Other people simply don't know, they were never told that the Sri Guru Granth Sahib advocates being a vegetarian. These are the two groups of people that I have come across.

Amritdhari Sikhs are those who have taken amrit, as per Guru Gobind Singh Ji's instructions. These people are by NO MEANS any more holy than other Sikhs. Taking amrit is a personal thing and really should mean nothing to anyone except the person taking amrit. I have come across people who have taken amrit (Amritdharis) who think they are somehow better than non-Amritdharis, these people are the ones who really don't have an understanding of it means to take amrit.

It is true, we usually give definite answers to questions that may seem like they have no definite answer. I think that when one starts studying Gurbani, not just off and on, but truly studying Gurbani, then one will start to have an understanding and then answers will come. I know that God exists. I will say that right now. Can I prove it to you? No. But I can give you a definite answer that yes, God does exist. In the same way, I can give you a definite answer that I think being vegetarian is the best way to go? Why? Because that is what the Guru tells me.

In the end, you will have to make your own decision based on your own understanding. Don't do something because everyone else is doing it or because it feels good. Do something because you know it is the right thing to do.

Gur Fateh,
HSD