1. The structure of our body

Studies of human evolution have shown that our ancestors were
vegetarian by nature. Moreover, the structure of the human body is not suited
for eating meat. Carnivores have short intestines. Their large intestine
is very straight and smooth. In contrast, vegetarian animals have very
long intestines - approximately 28 feet. Because of the low fiber content
and high protein density of meat, the intestines of meat eating animals
do not require a long time to absorb nutrients and thus meat is more
well-suited for the carnivores whose intestines are shorter in length. If humans
eat meat, the meat just sits there for a long period of time causing it
to decay and release toxins. This may lead to colon cancer. The toxins
released also increase the burden on the liver which has to work
extra hard to get rid of the toxins. Thus this may also lead to liver
problems.

Our teeth

If you look at the teeth of carnivores, they have sharp fangs which
are used in tearing up meat whereas herbivores do not have sharp teeth.
Our human teeth are like those of herbivores and thus God never intended
for us to eat meat otherwise we'd all be looking like Count Dracula with
fang like protrusions.

Our nails

Meat-eating animals have sharp claws to kill their prey. God did not
give us sharp claws to tear open the bodies of any animals and so this is
yet another indication that our bodies were not made for meat-eating.

2. Health reasons

Meat contains a lot of urokinase protein and urea, which add to the
burden on the kidneys and can destroy kidney function. There are 14 g of
urokinase protein in every pound of steak. An experiment was done in
Columbia University where living cells were put into liquid urokinase
protein and the result was that their metabolic function degenerated.
When an animal is hunted or about to be killed, the animal knows and feels
fear. Thus the animal's heart rate increases and its body pumps more
adrenaline to its muscles. Even after the meat is cooked, the
adrenaline build-up in the animal's muscles cannot be broken down and is very
high in cholesterol. This leads to cardiovascular disorders. Heart attacks
are the number one leading cause of death in the United States. Moreover, we
also take in all the negative feelings, including fear and anger, that the
animal was feeling when it was being killed. This leads to mental
agitation.

Meat lacks cellulose and fiber. This causes constipation.
Constipation can lead to more serious ailments like rectal cancer and piles.

Meat-eating is a chief cause of cancer. Experiments show that the
burning and roasting of flesh creates a chemical element, known as
Methyl-cho-lanthrene, which is a powerful cancer causing substance.
Mice in labs that have been given this chemical have developed bone
tumors, blood cancer, and stomach cancer.

Most people assume that meat is clean and safe and that there are
inspections done at all butcheries. There are far too many cattle,
pigs, poultry killed for sale every day for each one to actually be
examined. It is very difficult to check whether a piece of meat has cancer in it.
Currently the meat industry just cuts off the head or leg if it is
diseased and removes the bad parts and sells the rest of the animal.
When human cancer cells were injected into animals, the animals also
developed cancer. The same is true for eating meat with cancer in it. How can
anyone know if they are eating a piece of meat that came from an animal with
cancer? A famous vegetarian, Dr. J H Kellogg of Kellogg's Cornflakes
said, "When we eat vegetarian food, we don't have to worry about what kind
of disease the food died of. This makes a joyful meal!"

Antibiotics, steroids and growth hormones are either fed to the
animals or injected directly so they will be fatter and produce more meat.
People eating these animals will absorb these drugs into their bodies.

A lot of people argue that animal protein is superior to plant
protein because it is considered more complete. Vegetarian food combined can
create complete proteins. The World Health Organization recommends
that 4.5% of daily calories be derived from protein. Wheat has 17% of its
calories as protein, broccoli has 45%, and rice has 8%. Soybeans,
tofu, beans and lentils have 100% of its calories derived from protein. It
is very easy to have a protein rich diet without eating meat. How much
protein does a person need to take in every day anyway? In fact, if a
person takes in more protein than is necessary, it may lead to
degenerative diseases like osteoporosis and obesity. The way to
calculate how much protein is needed is to multiply your weight by 0.36. So if
you weigh 110 lbs, your daily protein requirement is 39.6 g. Earl Mindell
writes in the Vitamin Bible, "A good rice and beans dish with some
cheese can be just as nourishing, less expensive and lower in fat than a
steak".

It is falsely believed that meat eaters are stronger than
vegetarians. An experiment was conducted by Professor Irving Fisher of Yale
University with 32 vegetarians and 15 meat eaters in which he had everyone hold
out their arms for as long as possible. Among the 15 meat eaters only 2
people could hold their arms for 15 to 30 minutes, whereas amongst the
vegetarians, 15 people held their arms out for 15 to 30 minutes, 9
people for over 1 hour, 4 people for over two hours and one vegetarian held
his arms out for over 3 hours! Many long distance track athletes keep a
vegetarian diet for the time before their competition. Dr Barbara
More, an expert in vegetarian therapy completed a 110-mile race in 27 hours
and 30 minutes. A woman of 56 years of age broke all records held by young
men.

3. Ecology and Environment

Raising animals for meat has its consequences. Since 1960, some 25%
of Central America's rainforests have been burned and cleared to create
pasture for beef cattle. Every 4 oz of hamburger destroys 55 square
feet of tropical rain forest! In addition, it only takes 29 gallons of
water to produce a pound of tomatoes while it takes 464 gallons of water for
the production of each pound of beef! So much water is being wasted.

World hunger would end if everyone became vegetarian because if more
land were used to produce crops to feed people instead of producing feed
for livestock, then resources would be more efficiently utilized. In the
United States alone, livestock consume 70% of all the grain produced.

Moreover, Swami says, "the reason why human population is on the
increase is because all the animals we kill and eat are reborn as human beings
and with the number of animals being killed for food, it is no wonder
that there are so many people in the world" (Summer Showers in Brindavan,
1977, page 182)

4. Animal Suffering

Are you aware that more than 100,000 cows are slaughtered in the US
every day?

Most animals are raised on "factory farms". These facilities are
designed to produce the maximum number of animals for slaughter at the minimum
expense. Animals are crowded together, disfigured and treated like
machines before they are slaughtered. As I mentioned earlier when
these animals are about to be killed, they know and they are terrified.

Swami said, "Anything that has life tries to stay alive. No living
creature would give itself up as food for another living being.
Animals, birds and fish also feel the desire to live just as humans do. They
too would struggle, cry and feel the pain in being hurt, just like the
way we would if we were captured and threatened to be killed". The only
difference is that animals cannot verbally express to us the agony
that they feel. It has been reported that pigs that are being slaughtered
cry in a manner similar to the way humans scream." ( Summer Showers, May
1996, pages 131-133)

It is said that one visit to a slaughterhouse will make you a
vegetarian for life.

Swami says, "Violence in any form is evil and to kill innocent
animals is tantamount to blatant savagery." (Sanathana Sarathi, December 1994,
page 323)

5. Karmas

Another reason to be vegetarian is karma. For those of you not
familiar with the law of karma, this is the law where every action leads to a
reaction. Just like the Bible says, "As ye sow, so shall ye reap." So
when one kills animals, or causes others to kill for them in order to
satisfy one's desire for meat, one incurs a karmic debt which must be repaid.
Baba says that we have made many karmas in our previous births and we
can't go back in time to change what we have done. But now that we are aware
of Swami and the spiritual path, we must at least strive not to make any
new bad karmas and eating a vegetarian diet is the easiest step to avoid
bad karma. Some people may say, "But I don't actually kill the animal,
the butcher kills the animal. But Swami says, "If you had no desire to
eat meat, then the butcher would not have the need to kill and sell the
animals." (Sathya Sai Newsletter, Spring 1995, page 16)

You might say that killing a plant also creates karma, but the level
of karma is not as high. Let me give you an example. If you go into a
man's garden and pick a rose, the man might get upset with you for doing
this. What if you take his cow? He will get even more upset. Thus eating
plants gives you the lowest level of karma. Swami says, "It is a fact that
plants also have life like animals. But animals are endowed with mind, and
nervous systems while plants do not possess the same. Animals cry and
weep when they are being killed. It is not the case with plants. Plants do
not feel pain." (Sathya Sai the Avatar of Love, page 132)

6. Meat-eating affects our minds

On the spiritual path, one is always told to eat a satvic diet, which
means a simple and wholesome diet free of spice and taste so that you
are eating just to live, and not living to eat and satisfy your taste
buds. Besides, a satvic diet leads to a clearer mind which aids in
spiritual practices such as meditation. Swami says that eating meat makes man
acquire beastly qualities and demonic tendencies. These are Swami's
words: "Food conditions the nature of the mind. The mind guides the
thinking. Thinking results in action. Actions lead to corresponding results and
effects. This chain of action between the food we eat and the results
of our actions highlights the fact that meat eating leads to beastly
actions and evil effects"(Sathya Sai Avatar of Love, page 132)

Swami goes on to say in the book Conversations with Sai Baba by Dr.
John Hislop that "meat gives the blood its effect, like passion and
similar qualities. Dirty thoughts come with fish. Fish has a bad smell".

Swami in one of His discourses explained how each type of meat
affected our minds. These are our beloved Bhagavan's words: "If the mutton of
sheep is eaten, you must ask yourself 'What is the quality of the sheep?'
They only follow, follow, follow. Thus you lose discrimination. If you eat
pork, you will develop the quality of the pig, i.e. arrogance."(Sathya Sai
Newslette,r Spring 1995, page 16)

7. All spiritual masters and great men are vegetarian

People argue that Jesus ate meat but there is growing evidence that
Jesus and His immediate followers were vegetarians. Swami Himself says that
the New Testament was written many years after the crucifixion of Christ
and a lot of the information in the Bible today is incorrect as it has been
translated from the original Hebrew text and rewritten many times.
Swami had materialized the original Bible for a devotee a few years ago. In
one version of the Bible called "The Essence Gospel of Peace", it tells
us that one day the disciples asked Jesus, "What are the sins we must
shun, that we may never more see disease?" And Jesus answered, "It was said
to them of old time "Thou shalt not kill", for life is given to all by
God, and that which God has given, let not man take away. For I tell you
truly, he who kills, kills his brother. And from him will the Earthly Mother
turn away and Satan will have his dwelling in his body. And the flesh of
slain beasts in his body will become his own tomb. He who kills, kills
himself and who eats the flesh of slain beasts, eats the body of death".

In the book of Genesis 1:29, we read, "And God said, 'Behold I have
given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth,
and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it
shall be for meat.'"

This clearly shows that God never intended for man to eat animals.

The great Pythagoras also preached vegetarianism "Beware O mortals,
of defiling your bodies with sinful food! There are cereals, fruits,
sweet vegetables and herbs which the flame can render palatable and mellow.
Nor are you denied milk, nor honey. The bountiful earth offers you an
abundance of pure food and meals obtainable without slaughter and
bloodshed."

Gautama Buddha advocated vegetarianism and till today all Buddhists
are vegetarians. He said to Ananda, one of His close disciples, "You must
teach people to put an end to killing and brutal cruelty. If one is
trying to practice meditation and is still eating meat, he would be like a
man closing his ears and shouting loudly and then asserting that he heard
nothing."

George Bernard Shaw, the great author, was a vegetarian and one day
got very sick and visited the doctor. The doctor told him that he had to
start eating meat in order to survive. George Bernard Shaw said, "My
situation is a solemn one. Life is offered to me on condition of eating
beefsteaks! But death is better than cannibalism!" He put in his will that his
funeral would not be followed by mourning coaches but a procession of animals
and a travelling aquarium of live fish all wearing white scarves. He
ended up living until the ripe old age of 98 and he did have the procession of
animals when he died.

The list is endless of all the great spiritual masters and other
famous men who have advocated vegetarianism. If I started to quote each and
every one of them, this article could turn into a whole book! But let me
quickly list a few great names in history who were vegetarian: Virgil,
Horace, Plato, Ovid, Petrarch, Pythagoras, Socrates, Mahatma Gandhi,
Shakespeare, Voltaire, Sir Isaac Newton, Leornardo Da Vinci, Charles Darwin,
Benjamin Franklin, Emerson, Albert Einstein, Leo Tolstoy and many more.

There was a time when vegetarianism was regarded as a "cult of the
crazy". People would make jokes about it. Nowadays, vegetarianism has almost
become a fashionable way of life. Many Hollywood actors and pop stars
are vegetarian realizing that it promotes a healthier lifestyle. These
include Paul Newman, Madonna and Paul McCartney to name just a few.

Vegetarianism is not an end in itself. It is only a means to the end.
The end is the Vision of the One-in-all. Swami says "It is the
responsibility of man, having reached the pinnacle to lead himself and all living
creatures towards this goal of liberation and evolve towards higher
consciousness. When we begin to recognize this Unity indiversity,
sacred thoughts will begin to permeate our attitudes and actions. It would
then become meaningless to take the life of an animal, no matter for what
reason, least of all for food." (Summer Showers, May 1996, pages
131-133).

Here is a word of warning to all you strict vegetarians out there.
Did you know that gelatin is made out of the bone and hide of animals. Of
late, I have been finding this ingredient on a lot of foods out there, foods
that you wouldn't ordinarily even think gelatin was in, such as peanuts,
chip dips, marshmallows, salad dressings, most yogurts, ready to eat
pastas and pasta sauces,certain breath mints and candies. So before you buy
anything, it is advisable to check the ingredients.

Also watch out for those Indian mithais (or sweet desserts) with
silver foil on them. The silver foil is made paper-thin by being pounded
between animal tissue. So next time you pick up an Indian sweet that is so
beautifully decorated with silver on it, please think twice.

For all you new vegetarians out there, eating vegetarian food doesn't
have to be boring. There are a lot of soy products out there that can make
vegetarian cooking a delight. Vegetarian food is no longer just peas,
beans and carrots.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saibabanews/message/4444