Vegetarianism Dictionary

Vegetarianism

Abstaining from eating flesh (meat, fish), and by some, eggs and dairy products. Religious traditions prescribing vegetarianism include Jains, Pythagoreans, Orphics, and Manichaeans; the medieval Cathari and Bogomils; and sects of Buddhists, post-Vedic Hindus, and Taoists.

Historically it is associated with beliefs in reincarnation, the unity of life, bodily purity, sexual abstinence, rejection of sacrificial cults.

(See also: Vegetarianism , New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

new age: According to Webster's New World Dictionary:

"Of or pertaining to a cultural movement popular in the 1980s [and 90s] characterized by a concern with spiritual consciousness, and variously combining belief in reincarnation and astrology with such practices as meditation, vegetarianism and holistic medicine."

(See also: New age , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Jainism: (Jaina) (Sanskrit) An ancient non-Vedic religion of India made prominent by the teachings of Mahavira ("Great Hero"), ca 500 bce. The Jain Agamas teach reverence for all life, vegetarianism and strict renunciation for ascetics.

Jains focus great emphasis on the fact that all souls may attain liberation, each by his own effort. Their great historic saints, called Tirthankaras ("Ford-Crossers"), are objects of worship, of whom Mahavira was the 24th and last. Jains number about six million today, living mostly in India.

See: Mahavira.

(See also: Jainism , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Subramuniyaswami: Current and 162nd satguru (1927-) of the Nandinatha Sampradaya's Kailasa Parampara. He was ordained Sivaya Subramuniyaswami by Sage Yogaswami on the full-moon day of May 12, 1949, in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, at 6:21 pm. This was just days after he had attained nirvikalpa samadhi in the caves of Jalani. Yogaswami, then 77, ordained the 22-year old yogi with a tremendous slap on the back, saying, "This will be heard in America," and conferring upon him the mission to bring the fullness of Saivism to the West. Local devotees called the initiation a coronation.

That same year, while still in Sri Lanka, Subramuniyaswami founded the Saiva Siddhanta Yoga Order and Saiva Siddhanta Church at the Sri Subramuniya Ashrama in Alaveddy. Returning to America, he spent the next six years preparing for his teaching mission through intense sadhana and tapas. He began actively teaching in 1957 when he founded the Himalayan Academy. In 1970, he established his international headquarters and monastery complex, Kauai Aadheenam, on Hawaii's Garden Island of Kauai. Five years later, he designated a portion of the 51-acre holy site as the San Marga Sanctuary, future site of Iraivan Temple, carved of white granite stone in Bangalore, India. To spearhead a growing Hindu renaissance, he founded Hinduism Today in 1979, an international monthly, full-color magazine acclaimed the world over as the the greatest advent in Hindu publishing this century. In August of 1986, the World Religious Parliament in New Delhi honored Subramuniyaswami as one of five Hindu spiritual leaders outside of India who had most dynamically promoted Sanatana Dharma in the past 25 years. He was given the title Jagadacharya, "World Teacher." In 1995 the Parliament bestowed on him the title of Dharmachakra for his remarkable publications. In April of 1988, he was selected to represent Hinduism at the five-day Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders for Human Survival, held in England at Oxford University, and again in Moscow from January 11 to 15, 1990; and in Brazil, June 5­7, 1992. At Chicago's historic centenary Parliament of the World's Religions in September, 1993, he was elected to the Presidents' Assembly, a core group of 25 men and women representing the world's faiths. In late 1996 Gurudeva transformed "Hinduism Today" to a magazine, a quantum leap that extended its global reach and impact in Hindu communities. In 1997 he responded to President Bill Clinton's call for religious opinions on the ethics of human cloning and spearheded the 125th anniversary and diaspora pilgrimage of Sri Lanka's Sage Yogaswami. In Kerala, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad honored him as "The Hindu Voice of the Century." Throughout that same year he was a key member of Vision Kauai, a small group of indigenous and political leaders meeting to fashion the island's future based on ethical values.

Over the years Subramuniyaswami has written hundreds of tracts and books, which have been distributed in the tens of thousands in many languages. Especially in the 1980s, he lectured worldwide and established the worship in numerous Hindu temples. Gurudeva teaches the traditional Saivite Hindu path to enlightenment, a path that leads the soul from simple service to worshipful devotion to God, from the disciplines of meditation and yoga to the direct knowing of Divinity within. His insights into the nature of consciousness provide a key for quieting the external mind and revealing to aspirants their deeper states of being, which are eternally perfect, full of light, love, serenity and wisdom. He urges all seekers to live a life of ahimsa, harmlessness towards nature, people and creatures, an ethic which includes vegetarianism. From his ashrama in Hawaii, Gurudeva continues to follow his satguru's instruction to bring Saivism to the Western world by teaching others to "know thy Self by thyself" and thus "see God Siva everywhere." Through the ordained swamis of the Saiva Siddhanta Yoga Order, he trains young men in the ancient path of brahmacharya, enlightenment and service to humanity. Over 30 full-time monks, along with extended family groups in eight countries, have joined to fulfill this parampara's mission to further monistic Saiva Siddhanta and Hindu solidarity.

The name Subramuniya is a Tamil spelling of the Sanskrit Shubhramunya (not to be confused with Subramanya). It is formed from shubhra meaning "light; intuition," and muni, "silent sage." Ya means "restraint; religious meditation." Thus, Subramuniya means a self-restrained soul who remains silent or, when he speaks, speaks out from intuition.

(See also: Subramuniyaswami , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Diet Planning

Since diet, along with daily habits, is crucial to the health of an individual, it must be made clear at the outset that there is no standard ideal diet for all people in general. The various factors that need to be kept in mind while working out the ideal diet for each person, which will be distinctly different based on the person’s specific constitutional characteristics, are as listed below:

·      The natural qualities of each food.

·      How those natural qualities can get altered.

·      The effects of combining foods – proper and unacceptable combinations.

·      The quantity of food intake.

·      Individual differences in food intake.

·      The places & climate where the food is grown, prepared and consumed.

·      The effects of the seasons and time of day.

·      Avoidance of artificial flavors, chemicals, preservatives and colours.

Diet Composition

One other factor that has remained a matter of great debate worldwide over the ages has been the vegetarianism vs. non-vegetarianism controversy. Initially it was common belief that non-vegetarian diet is superior in that it is full of energetic ingredients and thus provides more strength and stamina. But now it has been scientifically established that vegetarian diet is more natural and useful to human nature.

Non-vegetarian diet contains cholesterol saturated fatty acids that are the root cause of diseases as coronary heart problems, cerebro-vascular accidents (strokes), eye disorders & high blood pressure. With only about 60% of its contents useful for human body, the rest 40% contains harmful toxins. In addition, such diet is usually heavy for the stomach and produces acidity, which in turn can cause problems in the gastrointestinal system.

Another significantly important difference between the two is that fruits & vegetables (cereals & grains, legumes, seedy fruits, citrus fruits, carrot, cabbage, celery, green leafy vegetables, apples, melons, peaches, pears etc.) are rich in dietary fibers that reduces incidence of coronary heart diseases, cancer of intestinal tract, piles, obesity, diabetes, constipation, hiatus hernia, diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome, dental caries and gallstones.

Also many disease causing organisms are transmitted through and thrive in animal protein – serious ailments as Encephalopathy and Mad Cow diseases are caused by Bovine Spongi. Similarly the Salmonella Typhimurium bacteria can be passed on through consumed eggs, causing diseases like pneumonia, bronchitis and typhoid.

Given that the body of non-vegetarian animals contains 10 times more amount of hydrochloric acid than that of vegetarian ones, and that the human body should not be having such a high concentration of hydrochloric acid, it is reasonable to assume that the fact human body is basically meant for a vegetarian diet.

(See also: Diet Planning , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

vegetarian: Shakahara. Of a diet which excludes meat,

fish, fowl and eggs. Vegetarianism is a principle of health

and environmental ethics that has been a keystone of

Indian life for thousands of years. Vegetarian foods

include grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes and dairy

products. Natural, fresh foods, locally grown, without

insecticides or chemical fertilizers, are preferred. The

following foods are minimized: frozen and canned foods,

highly processed foods, such as white rice, white sugar

and white flour; and "junk" foods and beverages (those

with abundant chemical additives, such as artificial

sweeteners, colorings, flavorings and preservatives). A

person following a vegetarian diet is called a shakahari.

See: guna, mansahari, yama-niyama.

(See also: Vegetarian , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

PYTHAGORAS

Greek philosopher, born circa 572 B.C. on the island of Samos. Taught mathematics, reincarnation, meditation, psychic immortality, the "music of the spheres" which related celestial orbits to the musical scale, vegetarianism and a system of geometric archetypy. His religious community and school in Crotona, Italy lasted his lifetime and Pythagorean societies continued well after his death into the 3rd Century, based on the original (ipse dixit) teachings. It is important to remember, however, that Pythagoras himself separated his own teachings into "exoteric" and "esoteric."

(See also: PYTHAGORAS , Magick, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul,)

meat-eater: Mansahari. Those who follow a nonvegetarian diet. They are described in the following passage from the obscure Mansahara Parihasajalpita Stotram:

"Those who eat the flesh of other creatures are nothing less than gristle-grinders, blood-drinkers, musclemunchers, sinew-chewers, carcass-crunchers, fleshfeeders - those who make their throat a garbage pit and their stomach a graveyard - mean, angry, loathsomely jealous, confused and beset by covetousness, who without restraint would lie, deceive, kill or steal to solve immediate problems. They are flesh-feeders, loathsome to the Gods, but friendly to the asuras, who become their Gods and Goddesses, the blood-sucking monsters who inhabit Naraka and deceptively have it decorated to look like the pitriloka, the world of the fathers. To such beings the deluded meat-eaters pay homage and prostrate while munching the succulent flesh off bones."

See: vegetarianism, vegetarian.

(See also: Meat-eater , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

macrobiotics (the macrobiotic way; formerly called Zen Macrobiotics): Quasireligious movement and health-centered lifestyle whose centerpiece is a mystical form of vegetarianism.

The thrust of macrobiotic nutrition is regulation of the intake of two elementary forms of energy: yin and yang. Categorizing a food as yin or yang depends largely on characteristics directly cognizable by the senses and is unrelated to nutrient content.

Proponents ascribe the modern version of macrobiotics either to Japanese physician Ishizuka Sagen (1850-1910), author of A Chemical Nutritional Theory of Long Life, or to George Ohsawa (1893-1966), whose names included: Georges Ohsawa, Nyoichi (also spelled Nyoiti) Sakurazawa, and Yukikazu Sakurazawa. The leading exponent of macrobiotics is Michio Kushi.

(See also: Macrobiotics , Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

shakahara: (Sanskrit) "Vegetarian diet." From shaka, "vegetable;" and ahara, "eating; taking food."

See: meateater, vegetarian, vegetarianism, yama-niyama.

(See also: Shakahara , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Plotinus: Egyptian-born philosopher (205-270), one of the Western world's greatest known mystics, who extended and revived the work of the Greek philosopher Plato in the Roman Empire.

His philosophy, known as Neo-Platonism, posits concentric levels of reality, not unlike the Hindu cosmology of lokas, with a central source of sublime existence and values and an outer sheath of physical matter. Man, he said, is a microcosm of this system, capable of attaining the sublime inner state through enstasy. He practiced and taught ahimsa, vegetarianism, karma, reincarnation and belief in Supreme Being as both immanent and transcendent.

His writings, in six volumes, are called the Ennead. He was apparently familiar with Hindu wisdom through reading Life of Apollonius, a biography which narrated a young Greek renunciate's travels through India.

(See also: Plotinus , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

2005-04-23

Buddhism Beliefs: Buddhist Vegetarianism

The first lay precept in Buddhism prohibits killing. Many see this as implying that Buddhists should not eat the meat of animals. However, this is not necessarily the case. The Buddha made distinction between killing an animal and consumption of meat, stressing that it is immoral conduct that makes one impure, not the food one eats.

Read more here: » Buddhism Beliefs: Buddhist Vegetarianism

Hinduism: Is there a rule about Hindus eating meat?

Basically, there is a rule, an overlying rule, which gives the Hindu answer to this query. It is called ahimsa, refraining from injuring - physically, mentally or emotionally - anyone or any living creature. The Hindu who wishes to strictly follow the path of non-injury to all creatures naturally adopts a vegetarian diet.

Read more here: » Hinduism: Is there a rule about Hindus eating meat?

The main principles of Buddhism: The Three Jewels, The Four Noble Truths, The Noble Eightfold Path, The Five Precepts, The three marks of conditioned existence and vegetarianism.

Read more here: » Buddhism: Principles of Buddhism

Basics of Hinduism: Are Hindus forbidden to eat meat?

Hindus teach vegetarianism as a way to live with a minimum of hurt to other beings. But in today's world not all Hindus are vegetarians.

Read more here: » Basics of Hinduism: Are Hindus forbidden to eat meat?

Vedic Astrology: Vedic Astrology and Physical Health

Everyone is concerned with their health as well they should be. If you do not maintain your body properly then disease naturally has an open door to enter. Many of us put the emphasis on our physical health nowadays but, unless you have good mental & emotional health, you will still not feel whole or healthy. Even if you take care of your body and also study to develop a healthy mind, you will still feel incomplete without developing spiritual health In the eternal scheme of things we are spirit, not matter - with which we seem to constantly identify. How to be healthy spiritually is a matter of grave importance.

Excerpt from "An Introduction to Vedic Astrology" by Howard Beckman

Read more here: » Vedic Astrology: Vedic Astrology and Physical Health

The three fundamental tenets for Jains are: Right faith, right knowledge and right conduct. A pursuit of these goals involves modest living, and prescribed behavior such as non-violence and stringent vegetarianism, and also various rituals and acts of devotion ( puja). The worship of images of mortal teachers or Thirthankaras (divinities) is common among Buddhists, Hindus, and Jains alike, but the approach of the Jains to the Tirthankaras differs from that of the other groups.

Read more here: » Jainism: Right Faith, Right Knowledge And Right Conduct

Hinduism and Food

According to Hinduism, food is verily an aspect of Brahman (annam parabrahma swaroopam). Because it is a gift from God, it should be treated with great respect. The gross physical body is called annamayakosh or the food body, because it is nourished by food and grows by absorbing the energies from the food. Orthodox Hindus offer food to God mentally before eating. 

Read more here: » Hinduism and Food: Hindu view on Food

There are 40 to 60 tons of amalgam in the teeth of Sweden's population. About 50 percent of this is mercury. Everyone agrees that mercury is not good for the environment or for health, but still a majority of people have amalgam in their teeths. The homeopath Lars Lonnerud knows what mercury does to us and how we can have it removed without getting sick.

Read more here: » Spiritual Health – Amalgam from an homeopathic view