One can argue against meat-eating by using Bhagavad-gita. Krishna says, "The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin" (Bg. 3.13). "If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it" (Bg. 9.26). Srila Prabhupada says in the purport to this last verse, "If one wishes to engage in devotional service to the Supreme in order to be purified and to reach the goal of life~{!*~}the transcendental loving service of God~{!*~}then one should find out what the Lord desires of him. One who loves Krishna will give Him whatever He wants, and he avoids offering anything which is undesirable or unasked. Thus meat, fish and eggs should not be offered to Krishna. If He desired such things as offerings, He would have said so. Instead He clearly requests that a leaf, fruit, flowers and water be given to Him, and He says of this offering, 'I will accept it.' Therefore, we should understand that He will not accept meat, fish and eggs. Vegetables, grains, fruits, milk and water are the proper foods for human beings and are prescribed by Lord Krishna Himself. Whatever else we eat cannot be offered to Him, since He will not accept it. Thus we cannot be acting on the level of loving devotion if we offer such foods." In addition there are references in Manu-samhita, which you can find online
Mushrooms
Some devotees avoid mushrooms as they are tamasic, in the mode of ignorance.
Anyone know more, something anything?
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We are strict vegetarians
We are strict vegetarians i.e. never ate meat or fish. I was forced to eat eggs at the age of around 8 but stopped again at around the age of 18! Never had alcohol, tea or smoked cigarettes. Stopped drinking coffee around 15 years ago and stopped eating chocolate on 1st January 2000.
We do, however, eat onions and garlic - can this be acceptable as these are vegetables?!
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Lord Krsna says,
Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam śarańam vraja: aham tvām sarva-pāpebhyo mokśayiśyāmi mā śucaĥ
“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.”
Garlic & Onions
Are not offer offerable for Krishna will not accept them. Devotees of the Lord according to Krishna instruction in the Bhagavad Gita only eat food that can be first to the Lord.
This is from Kurma.net
We have all your cookbooks, and eagerly await the next one. We have always meant to ask you - why don't you use garlic and onions?
(Belinda and Peter Hanrahan, Oxford, UK)
AnswerDear Belinda and Peter,
You may know that onions and garlic are botanical members of the Allium family - along with leeks, chives and shallots. According to Ayurveda, India's classic medical science, foods are grouped into three categories - sattvic, rajasic and tamasic - foods in the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. Onions and garlic, and the other Alliums are classified as rajasic and to some extent tamasic, which means that they increase passion and to some degree ignorance.
Those that subscribe to pure brahmana-style cooking of India, including myself, and Vaishnavas - followers of Lord Vishnu, Rama and Krishna - like to only cook with foods from the sattvic category. These foods include fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, dairy products, grains and legumes, and so on. Specifically, Vaisnavas do not like to cook with rajasic or tamasic foods because they are unfit to offer to the Deity.
Rajasic and tamasic foods are also not used because they are detrimental to general health, meditation and devotions. Of course some of the Alliums have specific health benefits - garlic is respected as a natural antibiotic - but it is avoided because it stimulates the central nervous system and disturbs meditation.
You may be aware that strict Buddhists also do not eat any of the Alliums for the same reasons as adherents of India's Ayurveda - they disturb meditation. If you visit any strict vegetarian Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, or Japanese restaurant anywhere in the world you will find no Alliums in any of the cooking.
One reason is because in ancient Buddhist Tao writings, one sage (Tsang-Tsze) described the Alliums as the "five fragrant or spicy scented vegetables", and that each have a detrimental effect on one of the following five organs - liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and heart.
Tsang-Tsze said that these pungent vegetables contain five different kinds of enzymes which cause "reactions of repulsive breath, extra-foul odour from perspiration and bowel movements, and lead to lewd indulgences, enhance agitations, anxieties and aggressiveness," especially when eaten raw.
That in a nutshell is why I don't cook with garlic and onions.
Food and the modes of material nature
If you read chapter 14 of the Gita you will learn about the modes of material nature, The Gunas. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.
This post would be too long to describe it properly but basically onion and garlic are in the tamasic or ignorant mode of material nature when our preference or choice should be for things in the the mode of sattva.
To consume food which is in category of ignorance will imbue us with that mode.
Everyone interested in developing Krishna Consciousness should learn about this.
Here are a few links to information at Krishna.com to start you off.
Please discuss this subject further it will be very beneficial for us all.
http://www.krishna.com/node/451
http://www.krishna.com/node/435
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I Was Wondering The Same Thing!
What makes onions and garlic different from all other spieces? Especially when garlic, in my opinion, is not that different in flavor, from asafoetida powder! I notice that's what most of the recipes in Great Vegetarian Dishes calls for when I'd normally expect to use garlic!
I think I read somewhere that onions and garlic tend to stimulate the senses ... but so do all other seasonings, and I've heard that nutmeg can be an intoxicant if used in massive quantities!
Cooking with Garlic or Onions
This is a very interesting topic to me because I love to cook. I like to take all varieites of recipes and adjust them by making them into vegitarian recipies. I have struggled with the issue of garlic and onions also because a lot of recipies that use (unmentionables :) require onions and garlic to subdue the horrible "flavor" of the other ingredients. I have found that when we are using vegetarian ingredients, it is fairly easy to use spices, such as hing, (asaphoetida) to acheive a very nice balanced flavor. Of course I really don't know as I am not a professional cook, and I do not ever cook any meat, fish, or eggs, but this is how it has seemed to me as I was adjusting recipies. Aside from all that, and more importantly, if I am correct, I believe that Srila Prabhupad told us that Krishna does not LIKE onions or garlic. Certainly Srila Prabhupad never used onions or garlic and never taught us to cook with them. So, if Krishna does not like these things, that it seems to me that would solve the enitre issue because no one would want to use something in any cooking that they are intending to offer to Krishna if He doesn't even like it... Thank you, Sara
Hing Fling
I like piles of hing : )
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Flinging Hing...
Thank you Antony, I'm glad to know that you like piles of Hing... I'll keep that in mind next time I am cooking food to offer to YOU! :) However, I doubt that Krishna likes PILES of Hing in his food, and since that was what we were talking about.... :)
Flinging hing
that could catch on
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Haribol everyone
This is a very interesting topic because I have also struggled with the same i.e. my whole family is vegetarian but we do cook with onions and garlic.
I have tried giving up onions and garlics but when attending meetings away from home or travelling, I have found it very difficult to find vegetarian meals let alone food without onions and garlic.
Is it OK to give up onions and garlic in everyday life but to eat food with onions/garlic when there is no choice?!
I would be very interested in receiving your comments/advice.
PS: funny enough even I gave up chocolate on 1st January 2000!
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Hare Krsna
Onions and Garlic
Dear Krsona,
I think it is amazing and wonderful that your entire family are vegetarians! I also think it is wonderful that you care so much about what is pleasing to Krishna that you are so concerned about using/eating, garlic and onions!
I can understand your struggle with finding vegetarian food while traveling... a lot of the time there is not much at all, what to speak of finding things with no onions and garlic! Virtually impossible most of the time!
What is important is your sincerity and your effort. That is devotion. You are sincerely trying to make your life pleasing to Krishna. That is much more important than finding vegetarian food that is free of onions and garlic!
Actually the fact that you gave up Chocolate is a much more amazing thing because chocolate falls under the category of "intoxication" and "no intoxication" is one of the 4 regulative priciples the Srila Prabhupad has given us to follow to help us advance spiritually. I think you should be very proud of yourself for giving up chocolate!!! That is a huge accomplishment!!!!!
I think that your sincerity and efforts are a wonderful!
Thank you, Sara/Navasi
BG
This is little heavy, but it is directly from the mouth of Lord Krishna
Bhagavad-gita As It Is 3.13
yajna-sistasinah santo
mucyante sarva-kilbisaih
bhunjate te tv agham papa
ye pacanty atma-karanat
SYNONYMS
yajna-sista -- of food taken after performance of yajna; asinah -- eaters; santah -- the devotees; mucyante -- get relief; sarva -- all kinds of; kilbisaih -- from sins; bhunjate -- enjoy; te -- they; tu -- but; agham -- grievous sins; papah -- sinners; ye -- who; pacanti -- prepare food; atma-karanat -- for sense enjoyment.
TRANSLATION
The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.
PURPORT
The devotees of the Supreme Lord, or the persons who are in Krsna consciousness, are called santas, and they are always in love with the Lord as it is described in the Brahma-samhita (5.38): premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti. The santas, being always in a compact of love with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda (the giver of all pleasures), or Mukunda (the giver of liberation), or Krsna (the all-attractive person), cannot accept anything without first offering it to the Supreme Person. Therefore, such devotees always perform yajnas in different modes of devotional service, such as sravanam, kirtanam, smaranam, arcanam, etc., and these performances of yajnas keep them always aloof from all kinds of contamination of sinful association in the material world. Others, who prepare food for self or sense gratification, are not only thieves but also the eaters of all kinds of sins. How can a person be happy if he is both a thief and sinful? It is not possible. Therefore, in order for people to become happy in all respects, they must be taught to perform the easy process of sankirtana-yajna, in full Krsna consciousness. Otherwise, there can be no peace or happiness in the world.
That is one of the steps in progressing in Krishna Consciousness, coming to the stage where do not put any food in our mouth that is not first offered to Krishna. One should not be discouraged but should endeavor enthusiastically.
Thank you.
Thank you, Nityananda Ram,
That WAS really heavy, but I am so glad that you put it here, I needed to read that. After reading the letter from Krsona, I started wondering about offering things that have garlic or onions and are not cooked by devotees, etc... like for example, like she said, when you are traveling and there is not anything else. We have to eat, but how can we possibly offer those things to Krishna? So, what do you suggest? If you can't offer those things, and you can't eat unoffered food, I wonder what should be done in that case? Can these things be offered under those circumstances? I'd appreciate any information you feel like sharing about this. Thank you, Sara
Mercy of Guru
Thank you for your thoughtful question. Yes we must all eat. In fact that is a problem that many monks, and traveling sannyasis face. The food problem. What to eat. Devotee will offer food cooked by non devotees to Krishna by first asking their guru to accept it. For example if one needs to eat some chips, one can pray to Prabhupada to please accept this as an offering. When we serve the guru and elevated devotees and even the small devotee that service Krishna accepts. In fact not only accepts but loves. One still however does not offer garlic and onions to the guru. It is possible. and in emergency cases what can be done, but our side we should see that we made the effort.
Example, once Srila Prabhupada was eating at a LifeMembers house. This Indian gentleman was not to educated on brahmical cooking and thus he offered food with Garlic and Onions to Srila Prabhupada. Some the young disciples tried to warn Srila Prabhupada about this but he was already aware of it. He was more concerned however in not offending the new devotee and did not say anything to the host. Because it was for the elevated purpose of bringing that new guest to the service of Krishna he accepted that break of rule.
In past years I personally do not remember having to take any garlic or onions, but of course I also live in the association of devotees. We should make our daily endevour to follow nicely, but if however due to some emergency circumstance we are not able to follow then what can be done.
Hare krishna
Your humble sevant
Nityananda Chandra Das
Very Nice Prabhu!
This is very nice, Nityananda Ram. I only just now had the chance to check on this topic again, and I want to express my appreciation for what you wrote here. It makes this issue very clear to me personally.
Thank you very much,
Navasi
In addition to Sara's
In addition to Sara's comments: on my recent travels to North America, for business meetings, I had to lunch and dine at non-vegetarian restaurants. I remembered Krsna but I did not offer the food to Him because I felt it was not the right thing to do, especially as the food was prepared in non-vegetarian kitchens.
When I had a choice, I did not eat cooked food, as there weren't any vegetarian restaurants. However, I missed out on so many meals (just had juice and fresh fruit and vegetables) that I have been ill ever since - coming on to three weeks!
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Hare Krsna
I have a reply above
but in addition to that I will say that one should strictly stay to the principle of a vegetarian diet. Horrible karmas are accrued for one who partakes in meat eating. One can go to the grocery and make a sandwich. While the restaurants may be tough, one can always go to the grocery and whip up something quick
We humbly take on board your
We humbly take on board your comments Prabhu ji and thank you for your guidance.
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Hare Krsna