31-July-2012-QA3

Guruji, can you please talk about Ahimsa (non-violence)? Also, how can a vegetarian answer a non-vegetarian when he say, ’You vegetarians also kill plants and plants feel pain and scream too!’
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, ask those non-vegetarians, if they have a puppy at home would they put the puppy on the dining table? No, they won’t! Nobody will.
See, our human physiology is made to consume a vegetarian diet. There are a number of research works on this. You go onto Google and search, ‘Why should I be vegetarian?’ You will get a number of different answers on this. You will find all the answers in Google. Ahimsa is the intention.
The state of mind in which you go and destroy something is Hinsaa (violence or killing). Ahimsa is when the mind is totally non-violent, it does not want to destroy or kill anything. That is Ahimsa. There was a Rishi (wise sage) called Kanad. He would not cut the crops; he would go and pick up the seeds from the field. So Kanad Maharishi also said that one needs to understand the substances. Padaarth Gyananad Mokshaha – if you can understand the substances by which the world is made, you feel the liberation.
With plants you are only plucking the fruits, you are plucking the vegetables. Lesser harm is what is appreciated.