I'm moving this topic to a seperate poll so it can be easily recognized and located for future use.  Enjoy, this is a great article on the subject.

The Science of Life, Ayurveda

From Hinduism Today, February 1992

Five Reasons to Be a Vegetarian 

The abhorrence of  injury and killing of any kind leads quite naturally to a vegetarian diet.  The meat-eater’s desire for meat drives another to kill and provide that meat.  The act of the butcher begins with the desire of the consumer.  Meat-eating contributes to a mentality of violence, for with the chemically complex meat ingested, one absorbs the slaughtered creature’s fear, pain and terror.  These qualities are nourished within the meat-eater, perpetuating the cycle of cruelty and confusion.  When the individual’s consciousness lifts and expands, he will abhor violence and not be able to even digest the meat, fish, fowl and eggs he was formerly consuming. 

Vegetarian foods include grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and dairy products.  Natural, fresh foods, locally grown without insecticides or chemical fertilizers are preferred.  A vegetarian diet does not include meat, fish, fowl, shellfish or eggs.  For good health, even certain vegetarian foods are minimized:  frozen and canned foods, highly processed foods, such as white rice, white sugar and white flour; and “junk” foods and beverages – those with abundant chemical additives, such as artificial sweeteners, colorings, flavorings and preservatives.   In the past fifty years millions of meat-eaters have made the personal decision to stop eating the flesh of other creatures.  There are five major motivations for such a decision. 

1. THE DHARMIC/SCRIPTURAL LAW REASON: Ahimsa, the law of non-injury, is the first duty in fulfillment of his religious obligations to God and God’s creation as defined by Vedic scripture. 

2. THE KARMIC CONSEQUENCES REASON:  All of our actions including our choice of food have karmic consequences.  By involving oneself in the cycle of inflicting injury, pain and death, even indirectly by eating other creatures, one must in the future experience in equal measure the suffering caused. 

3. THE SPIRITUAL CONCIOUSNESS REASON:  Food is the source of the body’s chemistry, and what we ingest affects our consciousness, emotions and experiential patterns.  If one wants to live in higher consciousness, in peace and happiness and love for all creatures, then he cannot eat meat, fish, shellfish, fowl or eggs.  By ingesting the grosser chemistries of animal foods, one introduces into the body and mind anger, jealousy, fear, anxiety, suspicion and a terrible fear of death, all of which are locked into the flesh of butchered creatures.  For these reasons, sakaharis live in higher consciousness and mansaharis abide in lower consciousness. 

4. THE HEALTH REASON:   Medical studies prove that a vegetarian diet is easier to digest, provides a wider range of nutrients and imposes fewer burdens and impurities on the body.  Vegetarians are less susceptible to all the major diseases that afflict contemporary humanity.  Thus they live longer, healthier, more productive lives.  They have fewer physical complaints, less frequent visits to the doctor, fewer dental problems and smaller medical bills.  Their immune system is stronger, their bodies are purer, more refined and skin more beautiful. 

5.  THE ECOLOGICAL REASON:  Planet earth is suffering.  In large measure, the escalating loss of species, destruction of ancient rain forests to create pasture lands for livestock, loss of topsoil and the consequent increase of water impurities and air pollution have all been traced to the single fact of meat in the human diet.  No single decision that we can make as individuals or as a race can have such a dramatic effect on the improvement of our planetary ecology as the decision to not eat meat.  Many seeking to save the planet for future generations have made this decision for this reason and this reason alone.

Neel Bhai, would you please do me the honor of explaining Sakaharis and Mansaharis.  Namaste`

A link to a website that is also interesting reading.

http://www.afpafitness.com/articles/Vegetarian.htm

Don't worry about the pushy thing...I didn't post this to be pushy.  I posted it because it came up under the thread "Deep Thought".  However, these are Ayurvedic principals and we are doing YOGA, which should give us something to think about since we are engaging these types of practices and Yoga did come from the Hindu culture and Ayurvedic is the science of life also from this culture and must be included in our practice somewhere down the line.  Especially, if that is where we are in our practice.  It is a matter of choice and as I explained in the other thread, your body will tell you and you will know what to do.  Having the information available and why we feel the way we do about meat and vegetariansm is always nice to know for when we do get ready to make that life altering choice:~)  Meanwhile, go have some Shrimp Fettucine and a Mountain Dew...don't forget to have a "Moonpie" for dessert:~)

Cyndi - aahhhh my precious childhood memories of the RC Cola and a Banana Moonpie!!  BTW, why did the RC Cola get replaced by Mountain Dew....my sister lives in Tennessee...they drink those things instead of Water.

Hi Neel,

If dairy is non-vegetarian, then why do the Hindu temples give Milk showers to the Gods, and why do the temples use and serve Paneer, Ghee and soft Cheese that is only made from vegetable rennet, not to be confused with the rennet that is extracted from the intestines of a calf, and Yogurt.   What you said doesn't make sense....not to mention the Milk from the cow - Laxmi, is one of the reasons the cow is worshipped in your country....to also provide food and nectar for the human constitution. 

I have to say this first....anyone seen the movie "Supersize Me"?  If not, please, its a must see for anyone interested in eating junk food and/or on a meat based diet.

Yes, Jeansyoga, I am with you on the issue of NOT craving meat when on a vegetarian diet.  But, I do believe that you need protein and minerals.  Also, it is not good for anyone to make a complete change in your diet without having someone professionally in some way whether it be holistic, Ayurvedic, or Traditional Chinese Medicine, guide you through it!!!  It can be dangerous to your health and I am serious about this.  If you want to read something good, read Bob Flaws book "The Tao of Healthy Eating", and then Paul Pitchford's "Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Medicine" - this is my personal favorite, my copy looks like a rag:~)

Now, my 12 year old daughter.....she will not eat meat.  I have to beg and plead with her to eat meat and I use organic halal meat when we do eat it.  The reason...one day we were on the highway here in the mountains.  We were behind a chicken truck on its way to the processing plant - NOT the organic Belle and Evans truck either!!  A chicken had fallen off the truck and was lying in the middle of the road.  As I was passing the chicken I saw that he was still alive.  I stopped my car and proceeded to find something to pick him up with.  I couldn't find anything except my beautiful red poshmina shawl from Nepal.  So, I took the shawl and scooped the chicken off the road while these people drove by slowly starring at me like I was nuts!  As I did this I saw the condition the chicken was in, its beak was nailed shut and he was dying.   Immediately tears of so many emotions swelled up and I was so upset.  I was walking around trying to figure out what to do..it was so awful thinking about what this poor chicken had to endure - UGH!!  My daughter watched this entire scene and cried with me.  Anyway, we took the chicken to the side of the road into some nice bushes.  I checked him over and realized right away he was not going to make it.  So, I left him in a peaceful state, chanted some mantras and drove away.  That was an interesting experience for me and my daughter, and now she won't eat meat.  On a happier note, this summer I rescued a Screech Owl after he was hit by a car.  He was the cutest thing I have ever seen. I almost kept him so I could release him back into my area but I didn't have the heart to feed him live animals, I couldn't do it.  He is now at a Wildlife Rehab Center, where they educate children about wildlife and have other animals as well.  Its a cool place.

It's getting much better to find vegetarian food than before.  I love Zaxby's salads.  As my body is changing and is in a more pure state, I have a very difficult time with these American style Chinese restaurants because of all the MSG they use...I hate it and it gives me a headache.  Be careful eating salad's all the time though....eating too much lettuce can make you dizzy.  Everything in moderation.  Whoever said Chinese people eat EVERYTHING is not totally correct...that's not the only reason some of these people are living longer and not many health problems...they have Chinese herbs, they live simple lifestyles and do meditation along with Tai Chi/Qi Gong, have Acupunture, and in their hospitals, they treat the body as a system, not an automobile repair shop where they take it out and replace it either with a new part or with nothing at all!!  They also have been doing this for over 5,000 years vs. our 207 years.  The results are not completely in due to the growth and technological advances that are invading this country...its one of the most polluted places in the world, they are driving cars now instead of bikes and things are changing - kinda like America did say 30 years ago.  I know lots of strict vegetarian Chinese people. I also know the ones that eat moderate amounts of everything, but did you know that in China, there was a time when Chinese families could only get 1 chicken per year and that was on the New Year Festival day?  Oh well, good night my fingers are tired now:~)

Cyndi - who is going to start breaking my posts in 3rds so that I can get one of those purple stars:~)

P. S. Sorry about the repetition...but repetition is good, it certainly keeps you on your toes don't it, LOL!!

Actually, I didn't loose my beautiful red poshmina shawl....I kept it - Chicken blood and all...and afterall it was a Red one.  I handwashed it, and wear it all the time.  It reminds me of that chicken now:~) 

Another happy ending, LOL!!!