The code of conduct issued by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee doesn’t allow eating of meat if the animal is slaughtered by bleeding slowly under rituals Koshar meat (Rehit Muryada). And according to the Hukamnama of Jathedar Sadhu Singh Bhaura of the Akal Takht dated February 15, 1980 eating of “jatka” animal slaughtered with one stroke of kirpan (sword) is not against the code of conduct (kurchit) for the Sikhs. There are a few Sikhs with views different than those presented as above.
Let us discuss food fads from scientific point of view as explained by the Gurbani.
Consciousness
People who are against meat eating are so because they think that killing of living organisms is a sin They call themselves vegetarians because they think that the plants are not living organisms. If they are so they don’t have consciousness because they are not aware of being killed. Such conclusions are drawn because of lack of proper knowledge of the life. In fact every living organism whether single-celled or multicellular organism plant or animal has consciousness and is very well aware of conditions inside of his body as well as outside of his body (environment). They try to protect themselves from the adverse conditions as soon as their lives are threatened.
The Almighty has given one (same) type of conscience (sense) to all the living things. No living thing is without conscience living beings will develop their bodies according to their conscience (Heredity). They come into existence (take birth) and go away (die) according to their written information (lekha) on their genes.
(AGGS. M. 1. p.24)
- Aman will produce a man a horse will produce a horse a wheat plant will produce a wheat plant a microbe will produce a microbe and all of them will grow mature reproduce and die according to their genetic makeup.
There is another argument that the level of consciousness varies with the development of the organism i.e highest in man and lowest in single-celled organisms. But this is also true within the class of human beings that a man born in a highly advanced family who possesses highest education will have a highest level of consciousness than that of a man born in a poor family living in a ghetto or a cave (there are still cave men in this world). Therefore the level of consciousness should not be taken into consideration while deciding whether man should cat meat or not.
Plant and Animal
Sometimes it is very difficult to distinguish between a plant and an animal. For example Euglena is an organism which has chlorophyll and like plants it can synthesize its own food under certain conditions. However it depends on readymade food under other conditions when it can’t synthesize its own food then it will ingests food particles and excrete wastes like an animal (25). Euglena is a bridging link between plant and animal Guru Nanak explained this phenomenon as following to convince people about this indistinguishable characteristics of plants and animals: “Only fools wrangle about eating of meat. They don’t know what is called a meat (animal) and what is called a “saag” (plant).
Eating of which results in committing of sin.
(AGGS. M 1 p.1289)
Is Milk a Plant Product?
It is very strange that those who have never objected drinking of milk and eating of milk products (dairy products) are not aware of the fact that milk and milk products are in fact animal products. The cow converts the plant food into its blood and milk is synthesized from blood in the udder of a cow. When blood comes into the udder through special canals (veins) with the blood is converted into milk by passing through various biochemical reactions carried out in certain cells of the udder. Thus milk is another form of the blood. The cow also converts the plant food into flesh (beef) of its body during its growth. Therefore the milk is as much a blood or flesh as the flesh of the animal. In other words milk is equivalent to liquid meat. Thus milk is an animal product rather than a plant product considered by the vegetarians.
An unfertilized egg of a hen is a product very similar to the milk of a cow when compared its synthesis inside the body of the hen The only difference in milk from the egg is that the calcium of milk is solubilized in the milk whereas the calcium of the egg is deposited around the egg as a shell to protect it. It is hard to understand that the so-called vegetarians will drink milk but will not eat egg although the synthesis of egg is very similar to that of milk.
In fact the milk thus synthesized in the udder of a cow is meant for her calf but not for any other animal including man. When a man drinks milk of a cow in fact he is drinking the rightful food of her calf. From moral point of view drinking of milk is the most sinful act because by doing so the man is taking away the rightful food of some young one the calf.
If rising of a cow to get milk to maintain our health is justified it is equally justified to raise any other animal or poultry to get meat or eggs to maintain our good health.
Real Vegetarian
Those who call themselves vegetarians and drink milk an animal product are not in fact vegetarians at all. Because the real vegetarians are called vegans who don’t consume any type of animal product including milk and dairy products and depend only on grains and nuts for energy and protein supply. As the plant protein is not a complete protein therefore they possess the poorest health and it is difficult for them to live healthy life for a long time.
Guru Nanak further explained that certain foods may be good for some hut harmful to others:
“If anything on eating.
Either gives pain to the body or it creates evil thinking in mind is not suitable for consumption.”
(AGGS M 1 p.16)
It has been established very well now that there are certain persons who could be allergic to certain foods. According to Dr. Samuel Freedman Vice-Chancellor of McGill University and Senior Physician at the Montreal General Hospital in most severe cases the effected person goes into anaphylactic shock and dies by eating certain foods which are otherwise very good for health The effect of such allergic foods is that the body releases large amount of histamine which causes the throat and tongue to swell and the blood pressure drops rapidly and finally the death. Dr. Freedman also said that it is hard in any given case to determine exactly what causes the fatal reaction an obstruction in breathing or the sudden drop in blood pressure (The Montreal Gazette March 21, 1988).
According to the Allergy Information Association the top 10 food allergies are as following: Milk wheat eggs fish shellfish walnuts (and other nuts from trees) peanuts (and other legumes) corn food additives e.g. sulfite monosodium glutamate and atrazine (a food dye) and alcohol. The allergic reactions include itching tearing eyes sneezing tingling in the mouth and throat asthma and death.
Keeping in view the above information one can easily conclude how corrects the Sikh philosophy about eating foods. Accordingly it is not only eating of flesh is harmful or sinful but eating of any food (milk wheat walnut etc.) which is otherwise not considered sinful by some theologians could be fatal to certain people who are allergic to such foods. Therefore Guru Nanak did not name any food in particular that could be sinful harmful or useful when eaten but made a universal rule (as explained above) that any food which on eating gives pain or damages body or creates evil thinking is not good for consumption.
Guru Nanak also condemned over eating “It is harmful for health to eat such things or to such an extent which increases obesity.”
(AGGS M 1 p.790)
Article extracted from this publication >> December 11, 1992
