By: Babhru Dāsa
Veganism has been an increasingly growing practice in todays world, and for many valuable reasons. Some choose a plant-based diet for ecological reasons, some because they want to become healthier, and others because of their desire to show compassion to the poor animals, i.e. those that are deeply exploited by the meat and dairy industries (for example cows.)
Furthermore, most people who choose this line of thinking, generally believe in the idea of karma to some extent. Or perhaps a less defined idea that there is an energy behind good and bad deeds, and that we should expect all energetic actions to have consequence. It has been widely noted that in the post-modern world, a very wide variety of people from many religious backgrounds, accept the idea of karma. Indeed, probably more people have a connection with the idea of karma, than the idea of God.
That being said, most don’t really stop to consider what the actual meaning of “karma” is. In essence, karma is a term used primarily by eastern spiritualists (Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs etc.) to denote “human action.” The idea being that there is an extremely wide variety of actions that a human can perform, and all of them are characterized by being good/bad to a lesser or greater degree. The whole idea of karma is based upon an underlying code of moral conduct known as “human dharma.”
So in regards to the morally/compassionately fueled people that choose a Vegan diet, it surely an amazing life choice! But is being freed of bad karma due to eating animal products the all in all? Does the, “buck stop there” so to speak? Interestingly enough, no it does not.
According to the vedic paradigm, all living organisms have souls, not just humans and animals. This includes plants, trees, fungi, and even microscopic bacterium. So when a vegan/vegetarian person willingly takes the life of one of these plants/trees, they are actually accruing “bad karma.” In fact, for all practical purposes, it can be said that it is impossible to act in the world without knowingly or unknowingly receiving bad karma.
For instance, when a person walks or breathes, they will certainly kill other living entities by accident. Some spiritual practitioners have even been seen to wear masks on their faces as well as sweeping the ground before they walk for this exact reason. But is it really good enough? Simply put, no. Even the smallest of the small bacterium will certainly find their way to being crushed under your foot or perhaps swallowed into your stomach acid, thus killing them. It’s the unavoidable tragedy of this world.
That being said, the question remains, “don’t we need to eat something?” Of course we do. Therefore in the fullest conception of the vedic paradigm, one way of dealing with this issue is given by Sri Krsna via the ever-famous, “Srimad Bhagavad-Gita.”
“The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins (bad karma) because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.” -Chapter 3 Text 13
In other words Krishna is explaining that the only way to bypass the system of karmic debt (dietary in this case) is to prepare nice vegetable preparations and offer them to Him with love. With this idea in ones mind, one contemplates thus, “this food preparation is for God because God is the creator and enjoyer of all that be. I do not prepare this for my own exploitative and gluttonous appetite.”
And pleading with Krsna, “nonethelss, it is true that I need to survive by causing pain to others, but you have given the dictation that vegetables are meant for human consumption, so please be merciful to me and please accept this humble offering of plants. Whatever you leave for me in this regard, I will survive from that. Oh Krishna, please bless all the living entities that have made this offering for you, even at the expense of their own lives.”
The proof that Sri Krsna accepts vegetable items is in the following statement,
“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.” – Bhagavad-gita 9.26
In this way Sri Krsna (God) accepts the divine offering and thus spiritualizes it, freeing it of all karma that may have been involved in its preparation, either indirectly or directly. After this process, the item is now considered as a blessing (prasadam) to anyone who partakes of it, infusing their bodies and minds with divine energy and mercy, coming from Sri Krsna Himself. And those souls whom inhabited the plants that had to die for the offering, also gain a higher position by this all taking place.
So now using the same philosophical conception as that of offering ones food to God in sacrifice, they can similarly cultivate the practice of offering their entire life and daily actions to God in sacrifice (bhakti-yoga.) By this practice one becomes more and more freed of bad (and good) karma in the most comprehensive way possible.