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Summary of Question:	Is Vegetarian Lifestyle Promoted By Guru Granth Sahib Ji ?
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Friday, 11/26/1999 6:34 PM MST

Waheguru Jee Kaa Khalsa, Waheguru Jee Kee Fateh !

For a long time now, I've been trying to find out wheather a sikh should eat meat or not. I have talked to several sikhs who eat meat and say that "It doesn't say anywhere in the Guru Granth Sahib, that you cannot eat meat". To some extent, this is true. Kabir Jee says, "Jo sab mai ek khudai kehat ho, to kyo murgee maarai ?" However, this is not an absolute rejection to non-vegetarianism.

Once, I came across this shabad:

SHALOK, FIRST MEHL: First, the mortal is conceived in the flesh, and then he dwells in the flesh. When he comes alive, his mouth takes flesh; his bones, skin and body are flesh. He comes out of the womb of flesh, and takes a mouthful of flesh at the breast. His mouth is flesh, his tongue is flesh; his breath is in the flesh. He grows up and is married, and brings his wife of flesh into his home. Flesh is produced from flesh; all relatives are made of flesh. When the mortal meets the True Guru, and realizes the Hukam of the Lord?s Command, then he comes to be reformed. Releasing himself, the mortal does not find release; O Nanak, through empty words, one is ruined. || 1 || FIRST MEHL: The fools argue about flesh and meat, but they know nothing about meditation and spiritual wisdom. What is called meat, and what is called green vegetables? What leads to sin? It was the habit of the gods to kill the rhinoceros, and make a feast of the burnt offering. Those who renounce meat, and hold their noses when sitti
ng near it, devour men at night. They practice hypocrisy, and make a show before other people, but they do not understand anything about meditation or spiritual wisdom. O Nanak, what can be said to the blind people? They cannot answer, or even understand what is said. They alone are blind, who act blindly. They have no eyes in their hearts. They are produced from the blood of their mothers and fathers, but they do not eat fish or meat.

But when men and women meet in the night, they come together in the flesh. In the flesh we are conceived, and in the flesh we are born; we are vessels of flesh. You know nothing of spiritual wisdom and meditation, even though you call yourself clever, O religious scholar. O master, you believe that flesh on the outside is bad, but the flesh of those in your own home is good. All beings and creatures are flesh; the soul has taken up its home in the flesh. They eat the uneatable; they reject and abandon what they could eat. They have a teacher who is blind. In the flesh we are conceived, and in the flesh we are born; we are vessels of flesh. You know nothing of spiritual wisdom and meditation, even though you call yourself clever, O religious scholar. Meat is allowed in the Puraanas, meat is allowed in the Bible and the Koran. Throughout the four ages, meat has been used. It is featured in sacred feasts and marriage festivities; meat is used in them. Women, men, kings and emperors originate from meat. If you se
e them going to hell, then do not accept charitable gifts from them. The giver goes to hell, while the receiver goes to heaven ? look at this injustice. You do not understand your own self, but you preach to other people. O Pandit, you are very wise indeed. O Pandit, you do not know where meat originated.

(SGGS Jee, PAGE 1289)

What is Guru Nanak Dev Ji saying in this shabad ? Please help me understand. Is he saying that it is 'OK' to eat meat ?...or is this just an example ?

If you can, please support your views/comments by gurbani.

Thankyou very much.

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REPLY
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Sat Siri Akaal Dear One--
Sorry for the delay. Please search this Youth Forum using 'meat' and 'vegetarian' as keywords, and you will find much discussion and quotes from Gurbani on not eating meat.

In the above shabd is Guru Nanak is really lambasting the pandits and so-called scholars who practice empty rituals (here, of not eating meat) but meanwhile slander others or look upon the killing of other humans as no big deal. He is lambasting those who think that rituals make you spiritual, and that by avoiding meat one is (more) spiritual or spiritually developed and thus wiser than another. Guru Nanak says that man is blinded by flesh, and does not see with his 'third eye' the true meaning of being spriritual.

In Guru Nanak's time, there were those who believed that if you didn't eat meat you would go to heaven, and meat eaters would go to hell. Throughout Guru Nanak's bani, and in Japji Sahib, he constantly and consistently says that that man is spiritual who remembers God daily and serves others. Yogic practices, austerities, reading of Vedas & Puranas, etc., -- all such practices (that were common in India at the time) are false, or do not hit the mark on helping man attain spirituality and union with the Beloved Guru. This shabd you have quoted is not telling Sikhs to go ahead and eat meat. It is telling us that we cannot judge and slander another as good or bad based on what we see (in this case, meat eating); we do not know another's heart or karm or God's plan for another.

Guru rakha,
-DKK