Interpretation of Scripture on Non-vegetarian Food

O Learned and Devoted Servants of God, [July 15, 2012 Dr. Nikhil asked Swami that several participants in a spiritual meeting quoted the Veda and the other scriptures, which speak in favor of non-vegetarian food. They asked him about Swami speaking against the non-vegetarian food. Dr. Nikhil asked Swami about this. Swami gave the following message in reply to that.]

Reply of Swami: Eating the non-vegetarian food is one issue and killing a living being, to collect the flesh out of it, is another issue. The first issue does not involve any sin because the non-vegetarian food or flesh or meat contains the same ingredients as those of a vegetarian item. The same carbohydrates, the same proteins, the same vitamins, the same minerals etc., exist in both meat and vegetables. Therefore, to eat the flesh of a living being, which died naturally through old age, is not a sin. Kapalikas (a sect of Hinduism), eat the dead bodies and therefore, they are not considered as sinners since this sect of religion is respected. But, the flesh of the living being, which dies due to old age, is not recommended because generally the death of an old living being happens due to some disease. Then, the flesh of such a living being is not good for the reasons of health. But, the living being might have been killed through some accident or by some cruel animal and the flesh left over may be hygienic. In such case, the non-vegetarian food need not be rejected on the ground of sin because the eater of such flesh neither killed it nor had any intention to kill it. In any case, there is no sin in eating the non-vegetarian food provided you neither kill the living being nor you should be responsible for killing it.

You may say that you eat the meat but you did not kill the living being directly with your hands. Since you eat the meat, you have become the consumer of the meat. The butcher, who kills the animals or birds, kills these animals or birds only for the sake of consumers in his business. Therefore, even though you did not kill the living being directly with your hands, you have become the indirect supporter of it by eating the meat. Hence, you have to share the sin. If you finding the killed living being through an accident and if you collect its flesh, you do not share the sin. But, beware that your taste of such accidental meat may increase slowly and you may kill the animal directly or indirectly in course of time for the meat! Hence, it is better to avoid the meat from the beginning itself.

The sin comes only if you kill the living being directly or become responsible for its killing indirectly and you have to face the punishment of such a sin. You may find the Veda or the scriptures speaking about the non-vegetarian food and killing of a living being in sacrifice. By this, you should not think that the Veda or the scripture provokes you to kill the animal. In fact, the scripture controls you to kill the animal by suggesting the sacrifice to be done in a specified season like spring only (VasanteVasantejyotishaayajeta…). The sacrifice called ‘Jyotishtoma’ should be performed only in spring season. By this, you control the killing of animal in other seasons. You cannot totally oppose the killing of animal in the beginning itself. Instead of killing the animal every day or every week, you can allow the killing of animal once in a year only. This reduces the killing of the animal gradually and finally, you can avoid the killing forever. This is just like running along a running bull for some distance before you control it. We cannot control the running bull in the very first step itself. You have to run along with it for sometime before you control it. Such running of a person should not be misunderstood as encouragement of running. Even if the person does not run, the bull will run. Even if the scripture does not advise the killing of animal in the sacrifice to be performed once in a year, the killing of the animal for the meat will not be stopped. In fact, the killing of the animal in the absence of such instruction will take place more frequently. Shankara had clarified this point in His commentary by saying that the defective nature of the human being (Pravrutti) is not encouraged by the Veda. Following the defective nature of the human being, the Veda suggests the sacrifice. This does not mean that the Veda initiates the defective nature in the human being. Shankara said, ‘Shastramjnapakamnatukarakam’. This means that the scripture gives the advice based on the naturally existing defective nature in the human being and that the scripture is not the initiator of the defective nature.

 Scripture Aims in Total Eradication of Defective Nature with Time

In fact, if you analyze carefully, the advice given by the scripture is also in the direction of total eradication of the defective nature in course of time. The scripture says that the fisherman should not catch fish in the river Ganga. By this, the scripture controls the catching of fish in one place at least. The scripture further says that the fisherman should not catch the fish on the days of Divine festivals at least. By this, the scripture is controlling the killing of fish on some days at least. Finally, the scripture says that you should not kill the fish at any place on any day and such stage is called as ‘Mahavratam’, which is irrespective of place and time. You should not mistake that the scripture encourages the killing of fish on other days and in other rivers. This is the wrong side of the conclusion and this is said to be the misunderstanding of the scripture. The correct side is that the scripture tries to control the sin gradually by restricting in one place and on some days at least. Allowing the sin on other days does not mean encouraging the sin. Control brings the reduction of sin and slowly the sin can be completely eradicated.

Bhavabhooti says in Uttararamacharitam that the cow is killed when the guest comes (Eshagowhmatamatayate…). This is the indication of reduction of sin, which means that you should not kill the cow for your sake on other days. This avoids killing the cow frequently for the sake of your food. The complete control of the sin can be found in the Veda that the person killing a cow should be shot dead (Goghnamseesenaviddhyamah…). Therefore, the scripture always tries to control the sin and never encourages the sin. Eating the meat is not a sin if you limit the vision to the process of eating and the eaten material. But, you indirectly encourage the killing of animal by eating the meat since the animals are only killed for the sake of consumers. The meaning of the ‘Maamsa’ (meat) is that you will become the animal and the presently killed animal will become the butcher in the next birth (Maamsahyathaahinastipashchaatjanmanitathaaaham tam hanishyaami…). The animal during the process of killing thinks that the butcher should become the animal and it should become the butcher in the next life so that the butcher should understand the pain in the process of killing. The medical science has already investigated that the proteins in the meat are secondary and therefore, the flesh is not a healthy food. The proteins in the vegetables are primary and are good for health. If all the humanity is confined to vegetarian food only, there is no dearth of food on this earth because the omnipotent God is capable of supplying the vegetarian food to all the living beings.

Of course, there will be very little pain even to the plants while cutting the vegetables and leaves. But, this pain is extremely negligible compared to the pain experienced by the animals and birds in the process of killing. The plants and trees also should not be cut. Only the fruits and leaves can be plucked. Parvati was called Aparna since She did penance eating the leaves, which fell from the trees and She never even plucked those leaves. This is the extreme step of non-violence. However, the negligible sin can be overlooked like the minor error in scientific experiments. Somebody has beaten a person. That is also pain. But, killing the same person gives extreme pain. There is quantitative difference in the sin. By qualitative similarity, you should not say that beating is equal to killing. The non-vegetarians argue that the plants also experience pain in the process of plucking the leaves and hence, killing the animal is equal sin. Both are sins, but, both are not quantitatively equal. The extremely minor sin can be overlooked and neglected. Therefore, such argument is not valid.

You should carefully understand the scripture before you quote it. If you do not properly understand it, it becomes misquotation. Hence, the analysis is important. The scripture, analysis and experience are the three sides of the authority. The analysis is the most important. The experience of a defective person may be wrong and cannot be an authority. The scripture also may be wrong due to the interpolation of some mischievous person. Only the analysis can decide the truth. When Swami Vivekananda was speaking some point, somebody pointed out that Shankara said the same point in opposing way. Then, Vivekananda told that Shankara may be wrong. What is the meaning of this? Shankara can never be wrong. But, some ignorant person might have introduced a wrong statement in the commentary of Shankara and that statement may be the opposing point. Therefore, every statement of the commentary of Shankara should be analyzed with perfect sharp logic and scientific analysis. We find often people saying that ‘so and so’ told in a different way. You should not care for anybody except for your sharp logical analysis. Sometimes, you might have misunderstood the scripture as said above. Scripture like the Veda was never interpolated by anybody since it was preserved through recitation from the beginning. In such case, misunderstanding of the scripture is possible. Such misunderstanding also vanishes by the sharp analysis. Therefore, accept anything only when it is filtered through the perfect scientific analysis.

At the lotus feet of Shri Datta Swami

-Prasad

Discovery is Fundamental Particle of Matter but not God Particle

Q. Recently, scientists say that God-particle is discovered, which is the cause for Universe. Does this not eliminate God?

Message taken from Discourses of Shri Datta Swami) Research Deals with generation of Second Item, Matter

Scientists are investigating the cause for mass of the fundamental particle of matter. This is only the research pertaining to the conversion of energy into matter. The word Universe used by scientists is the materialized phase. Before the production of such Universe, the cosmic energy exists. Therefore, it is related only to the materialization of the particles of matter from the energy. The word Universe in the spiritual knowledge means the very cosmic energy itself associated with the subsequent materialized part of the Universe. In fact, even the space is the first subtle form of energy. Therefore, the word Universe in philosophy means the space or energy and the subsequent materialized energy. In philosophy, the production of Universe means the generation of space or energy. This requires the enquiry about the cause of space or energy and the mechanism of process of generation of space or energy from that cause. Here, in science, the cause is space or energy and the process of generation of matter from the space or energy is the generation of Universe. Our Universe means space or energy and matter. The Universe referred by scientists in this research is only matter. The research of scientists does not touch the cause of space or energy. We are not much interested in this research because it does not touch the cause of the first item of the Universe, which is space or energy. The present research deals only with the generation of the second item, which is matter.

 Discovery is Fundamental Particle of Matter but not God Particle

The scientists think that the energy itself is the root cause or God. The scientists stop at the imaginable cause only. They do not agree with the existence of the unimaginable cause, which is the generator of space or energy. The generator of anything should be beyond its boundary. If you are in a cloud of gas and if you travel to the boundary of the cloud, you will find the generator of that cloud of gas. Similarly, if you travel up to the boundary of the Universe, you will certainly find the cause or generator of this Universe. The boundary of the Universe is infinite, which is unimaginable. The unimaginable boundary of the Universe suggests that the generator of the Universe must be also unimaginable. The characteristic property of the space is volume, which is the product of length, width and height. These three are the spatial dimensions. Space means the spatial dimensions only. The generator of the space must not have space in it. If space exists in the generator, the pre-existence of space is to be accepted before the generation of space itself. This is impossible. Hence, the generator of space should not have any space or spatial dimensions in it. It means the cause of space is beyond space or spatial dimensions. ‘Beyond space’ means that the cause exists after the boundary of space. Our intelligence can imagine only anything which has spatial dimensions. Our intelligence can never imagine anything, which is beyond space and which does not have spatial dimensions. This experience proves that the generator of space is beyond our imagination. When the cause is unimaginable, the process of generation of imaginable space or energy from the unimaginable cause must be also unimaginable. In this world, the process of an imaginable item from another imaginable cause can be imaginable and hence, can be explained. The cause (God) and the process of generation of this Universe are unimaginable and only the product (Universe) is imaginable.

The big bang theory is an imaginable process because it deals with the process of generation of imaginable matter from the imaginable energy. But, the process of generation of imaginable energy from the unimaginable God is unimaginable unlike the big bang theory. The logic, which I have exposed here, is purely scientific and cannot be denied by anyone. Therefore, the God-particle must be in God only. It means that the God-particle must be also unimaginable. This name given to the fundamental particle of the matter as God-particle is absolutely wrong. It can be called as the first or fundamental particle of matter, which is the cause of the materialized Universe.

At lotus feet of Shri Datta Swami

-Prasad

SIGNIFICANCE OF GURU PURNIMA

Satguru preaches Complete & True Knowledge

O Learned and Devoted Servants of God, [June 30, 2012 Guru Purnima] Guru means the preacher, who removes the ignorance so that we can see the truth clearly and differentiate the right from wrong. The ignorance is like darkness in which you cannot find the existence of an item and also you cannot differentiate the different items. Gayatri mantra says that the Guru is like the Sun, who removes the ignorance–darkness by knowledge-light that initiates the intelligence. The word Guru Purnima also indicates that Guru removes the darkness-ignorance like the full Moon in the night. Thus, Guru is compared to Sun and Moon, who remove the darkness-ignorance. There is difference between Guru and Satguru. Both preach the correct knowledge only. But, the knowledge preached by Satguru is complete and the knowledge preached by Guru is incomplete. Guru is a human being, well-versed in scriptures. Satguru is the God in human form. The word ‘Guru’ denotes the human form. The word ‘Sat’ denotes the God. The meaning of the very word ‘Guru’ means the preacher, who removes the darkness-ignorance by giving the knowledge-light.

If the knowledge is correct and complete, it generates tremendous force, which is called as devotion. Devotion (Bhakti) is the necessary force that transforms the knowledge (Jnana) into practice (Karma). Thus, devotion is generated by knowledge. If the knowledge is correct but incomplete, it generates insufficient force and hence, the knowledge is not transformed into practice. If the knowledge is correct and complete, it generates sufficient force that transforms the knowledge into practice. Complete knowledge means the elaborate form of knowledge that contains the answers to all the possible doubts. When you hear such knowledge, no doubt will rise in your mind because the knowledge already contained the answer for every doubt. When the right knowledge is complete, the realization is also complete and in such case, no force can stop the transformation of knowledge into practice. Therefore, the knowledge of Satguru is always elaborate and such elaboration is the meaning of the word Vyasa. The knowledge of sage Vyasa is always elaborate. This Guru Purnima is also called as Vyasa Purnima, the birthday of the sage Vyasa. Vyasa is considered to be the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the God. This day falls in the rainy season, in which the dark clouds cover the Sun or Moon in the sky. This indicates the strong doubts of the people, who receive the knowledge.

We perform the Guru Purnima on this particular day. This is not the correct concept. Any day can be Guru Purnima on which you receive the correct and complete knowledge from Satguru. The sunrise happens to be 5.30 AM in summer and 6.30 AM in winter. Thus, there is no fixed time of sunrise. Whenever sun rises, that is the sun rise. Similarly, whenever the Satguru gives the knowledge, that time is Guru Purnima. We always give importance to a specific place and specific time and ignore the event. We should give importance to the event. Wherever the event takes place, such place is sacred. Whenever the event happens, such time is auspicious. People perform the ceremonies of their departed parents on specific days. They do not give value to the person (Bhokta) available on that day. Whenever the valuable person is available, the ceremony should be performed. The fruit lies on the availability of the valuable person and not on the date and place.

You must have the mood to receive the knowledge from Satguru whenever the Satguru has the mood to deliver the knowledge. The mood of Satguru to deliver the knowledge is important and not the mood of the receiver to receive the knowledge. Whenever the cloud rains, the farmer should plough the field. Whenever the farmer ploughs the field, the cloud will not rain. Generally, Satguru gives the knowledge when you do not have the mood to receive it. It is a test for you. Whenever you have important works, the Satguru delivers the knowledge. He is testing you to see whether you give the top most importance for the knowledge or for other works. When you don’t have any work to do, then you will have the mood to receive the knowledge. This means that you give the lowest importance to Satguru and His knowledge. Krishna preached the Gita when Arjuna was involved in the war. When the war was over, Arjuna asked Krishna to repeat the Gita since he has full leisure [time] without any other work. Krishna refused to deliver the Gita saying that He has no mood. Therefore, whenever Satguru comes to your house, that day is Guru Purnima. Whenever Satguru delivers the Divine knowledge, you must stop all the other works and receive the knowledge with full attention. Then only you have understood the significance of Guru Purnima.

The main program of the human incarnation is only to deliver the right and complete knowledge to the human beings so that they will practice it and attain the salvation. The fruit will not come without the practice. The practice will not come without the devotion. The devotion will not come without the correct and complete knowledge. The devotion and practice are automatic consequences of the correct and complete knowledge. Therefore, Shankara told that if you receive the correct and complete knowledge, the salvation is automatic (Jnaanadevatu kaivalyam…). The Gita also starts with Jnana yoga only. Therefore, if you can catch Satguru, the salvation is automatic consequence. If you catch Satguru, you are bound to receive the correct and complete knowledge from Him. Therefore, Guru Purnima is the top most of all the festivals in the year.

At the lotus feet of Shri Datta Swami

-Prasad

More development of Science and more harm to environment....

O Learned and Devoted Servants of God, [June 26, 2012] The development of any limb of a human being is desirable as it grows from the childhood onwards. But, the growth of any limb should be within the proper limits. The growth of the finger should not be equal to the growth of the leg. Similarly, the development of science should not cross the proper limits so that there is no harm to the global environment and the health of humanity. In ancient India, sages also developed sciences. But, the sages were strong devotees of God and hence, the development of the research in science and technology did not cross the limits of danger by the grace of God.

For example, let us take the ancient system of herbal medicines (Ayurveda). All these medicines were effective in controlling the corresponding diseases. At the same time, there was no side reaction to lead to another disease and no medicine damaged the tissue cells. The medicines were active in developing the resistance of the body to disease. Almost, no medicine was directly involved in attacking the disease. Today, the modern medicines are directly involved in attacking the disease and as a result, the resistance of the body decreases and the tissue cells get damaged by the negative effects of the medicines. What is the reason for this difference? The research in medical science in ancient India was under the supervision of God so that unwarranted sides were blocked. Today, the scientists develop the research in very fast way without the supervision of God. The scientists neglect God and slowly become the atheists, who negate God. Negligence in course of time becomes negation. Therefore, the development of science in the directions of safety of the humanity is very important. My criticism, about the dangerous directions of the growth of science and technology, should not lead to the conclusion that I am against the development of science and technology. I am a scientist, who worked in the Institution of Technology throughout My life period.

In fact, the knowledge of science was given by God (Vedaah shaastraani vijnanam etat sravam janaardanaat…). The knowledge of science and technology was used in ancient India for earning livelihood in various professions. The growth of science was limited so that the natural balance was not disturbed. For example, there were no synthetic chemical fertilizers. Only natural fertilizers like cow dung, etc. were used. The knowledge that the crop requires fertilizer was known, but, too much research leading to the manufacture of chemicals acting as fertilizers was not there. There was no danger to health due to natural fertilizers. But, there is a lot of danger to health due to the toxins entering the body from the present fertilizers. Therefore, in those days, research in science never developed in the harmful direction due to the grace of God. Today, a scientist does not like the name of God thinking that God is unaware of science! When you neglect God, He keeps silent about the research in science without any interference. As a result, science developed in all the ways without any supernatural control so that the ecological balance is disturbed.

The development of industries involving various applications of energy lead to the global warming. Scientists predict the global destruction, if the warming results in the increase of two degrees more. The applications of energy and the development of scientific research in various directions resulted in the discovery of several artificial amenities. These amenities have been stamped with the higher status of life. To maintain these amenities, more and more money is needed. To earn more and more money, unlawful ways are invented, which formulate the network of corruption. As of result of corruption, the poor becomes poorer and the rich becomes richer. As a result of this increase in the gap, social revolutions have come and terrorism is one of those.  

Sin is the basis of corruption and this spoils even the life after death in the upper worlds. The controlled growth of science in ancient India developed very few amenities only, which could be available to everyone even with little money. Hence, the very basis of corruption was absent in those days. Today, scientists find that these amenities are responsible for the environmental pollution, leading to global destruction. Therefore, all the steps of this analysis end in the uncontrolled growth of science and technology.

The growth of science leads to negligence of God, which is the basis for doing the sin without fear. In ancient India, very little development of science and technology was present, creating minimum number of amenities, which could be attained by everyone easily. There is no need of much argument in this topic because there is a clear practical resultant difference between the people of ancient times and the people of modern times that the ancient people lived with more longevity, with better physique and more mental peace and the exact contrast is seen in the modern people. The actual aim of science blessed by God was only to analyze the creation and realize that creator is beyond all this creation. Every item in this creation, including awareness was subjected to scientific analysis to arrive at the conclusion that no created item is the creator (neti neti… Veda). By this, it became easy to recognize that God was unimaginable. The faith in the existence of the unimaginable power, the God, was the basis of the establishment of the golden society without corruption and global destruction. Major portion of scientific analysis was only to understand that God is beyond this imaginable creation, rewarding the good deeds and punishing the bad deeds done by any human being in this society through His unimaginable power since God by Himself is unimaginable.

At the lotus feet of Shri Datta Swami

-Durgaprasad

REJUVENATION OF EDUCATION SYSTEM

Duty of the Government:
 [Taken from Discourses of Shri Datta Swami] O Learned and Devoted Servants of God, [June 10, 2012] The modern world thinks that the ancient people have wasted lot of time in the analysis about the unimaginable God. This is the first foolishness because these people do not know that the realization of the existence of God in the mind of a citizen is directly linked to the resistance towards crime and corruption that establish the peaceful social balance. The concept of God is the tremendous basis of the self control of every human being to reject crime and corruption in the society. Without this inbuilt realization in the human being, thousands of police stations, courts and lokpals become totally waste since all these institutions are filled with the human beings only and not with the angels from heaven. Realizing this wonderful system of control, helping the balance of the society, kings have concentrated totally on the propagation of spiritual knowledge in temples, which were the present universities of highest learning.

The second foolishness of the modern people is to think that the ancient scholars were unable to investigate towards the development of science and technology. The ancient sages know all these sciences and technologies to such extent, which is not reached by scientists even today. In such case, what is the reason for their silence in propagating this scientific knowledge? The only answer is the fear of global destruction, finally resulting due to environmental pollution and also the other reason is that development of amenities will spoil the health of the human beings, leading to several physical and mental diseases. If one studies the subject of environmental science, all the scientific developments result in the pollution, finally leading to global destruction. The scientific development resulted in the discovery of several machines and techniques, which made the human beings lazy without hard work. The ancient women ground the paddy grains to prepare rice and flour from rice, but, today the electrical grinders do all this work. The ancient women washed the household vessels and clothes regularly. The present lazy women due to the machines do not do these works and are appointing servants. All these modern developments make the women to become fatty and finally become the victims of several diseases. The food grains were multiplied to a large extent due to application of chemical manures, which enter the human body as toxins leading to several incurable diseases. The present farmers have become ambitious to earn more and more for more and more amenities. They feel that the increase in amenities is a rise in their standards of life. They feel that their ancestors were ignorant and lived simple life with hard work, leading to low standards of life. They do not know that their ancestors were very wise and the present mentalities only travel from health to illness. These people think that they are wise and their ancestors were ignorant. Actually it is reverse.

The Veda says that you should not take food more than twice in 24 hours. If you take food more than twice, you should work like the animal (dvirahnaah manushyaah trirahnaah pashavah… Veda). But, you are taking the food three times and not working like the bull in agriculture. Due to this, the sugar levels rise in the blood leading to several calamities of the health. When you become rich, you like to eat oily foods and sweets, which are fast vehicles to death. Poverty controls all the desires and gives best health and best happiness in the life. Hence, Shankara told that the poor man is the most fortunate fellow (Kaupeenavantah khalu bhagyavantah). If you realize this wonderful truth, your ambition to become more and more rich even through corruption and crime disappears. Such realization comes only through spiritual knowledge and not through the study of science and management of business administration. Hence, the education system must be thoroughly rejuvenated to fill more with spiritual knowledge and less with materialistic line of learning. If this is done by the Government, there need not be any effort to bring balance in the society with peace and happiness in the humanity.

At the lotus feet of Shri Datta Swami

-Prasad