Does Hinduism consider vegetarianism better?
No. The concept of vegetarianism is recent (less than 2000 years old). The historical accounts recorded in the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas depict people as non-vegetarian. Hinduism accepts the law of nature that one life is the food for another. However, Hinduism accepts that just as the mind affects the body (you want to lift your hand and your body does it), the body also affects the mind. The food eaten affects the organization and type of thoughts. For example, eating stolen food has been found to make the mind morally weak. Similarly, different types of food cause different effects in the mind. Non-vegetarian diet has been found to cause a condition called “rajotamas” – a mixture of delusion and hyperactivity. This is an undesirable condition for aspirants of God. A vegetarian diet aids control of the mind and religious study. For this reason, modern Hinduism advises a vegetarian diet to most spiritual aspirants.
The concept of vegetarianism is recent (less than 2000 years old). The historical accounts recorded in the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas depict people as non-vegetarian. Hinduism accepts the law of nature that one life is the food for another. However, Hinduism accepts that just as the mind affects the body (you want to lift your hand and your body does it), the body also affects the mind. The food eaten affects the organization and type of thoughts. For example, eating stolen food has been found to make the mind morally weak. Similarly, different types of food cause different effects in the mind. Non-vegetarian diet has been found to cause a condition called “rajotamas” – a mixture of delusion and hyperactivity. This is an undesirable condition for aspirants of God. A vegetarian diet aids control of the mind and religious study. For this reason, modern Hinduism advises a vegetarian diet to most spiritual aspirants.
