Pure vegetarianism combines the physical nutritional value of a healthy vegetarian diet with the spiritual nourishment that comes from accepting our dependence on God and the blessings of Mother Earth.

Ahimsa, or „non-violence”, means that the development of any living being is not hindered. Since the soul is not destroyed even after the death of the body, killing animals is also a sin. Despite the availability of sufficient quantities of cereals, fruits and dairy products, people today unfortunately insist on eating meat. If there is sufficient food available to people, those who wish to develop in spiritual realisation should not use violence against animals.

People become vegetarians for different reasons, some for health reasons, others for reasons of principle, religion, philosophy and ecology. If we understand that the human body can be sustained by eating vegetarian food, then just as we do not destroy our own pets to eat them, we do not take the lives of other living beings simply for eating their meat.

Rooted in the Hindu tradition, the spiritual approach of pure vegetarianism has meaning for people of all faiths. A further level of pure vegetarianism is when one not only abstains from eating meat, but also sanctifies one's food before consumption. One merely takes food and, before eating it, offers it to God as a sign of thanksgiving. And just as iron held in a fire takes on the properties of fire and becomes glowing, hot, so food becomes spiritual, divine, when it comes into contact with God. Food becomes pure, karma-free, and spiritually nourishing. Hindus call this food prasada, the grace of God.

Pure vegetarianism stems from the belief that the food we eat influences our spiritual consciousness and subsequent behaviour. According to the Bhagavad-Gita, the scriptures of Indian spirituality, food in the qualities of goodness - vegetables, fruits, oilseeds, cereals, pulses, sugar, and pure dairy products - can all be sanctified, that is, offered in sacrifice. Conversely, meat, fish and eggs are classified as qualities of passion and ignorance and therefore cannot be offered to God. If the food we eat is prepared by the hands of a person lacking spiritual knowledge (for example, unhappy employees working in a dirty grocery store), we can be sure of receiving unwanted spiritual energies. For this reason, pure vegetarianism rejects such foods in favour of foods made from fresh, natural ingredients.

Quotes on vegetarianism