Category:Becoming a Vegetarian
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies a fundamental misconception about the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement: the goal is not merely to create vegetarians, but to create devotees. The analysis reveals that vegetarianism, in isolation, is not a spiritual qualification. Many animals, such as monkeys and pigeons, are strict vegetarians, yet they remain bound by animalistic instincts. Furthermore, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that eating plants also involves killing, so simply avoiding meat does not free one from the laws of nature. The true solution is to offer food to Kṛṣṇa (prasādam), which spiritualizes the act of eating.
- The Monkey Example: Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently cites the monkey as a strict vegetarian who also practices "renunciation" (nudity), yet remains deeply attached to sense gratification, illustrating that diet alone does not change consciousness.
- The Question of Sin: A crucial philosophical point is that plants also have life; therefore, vegetarians are still liable for sinful reactions unless they eat food offered to the Lord.
- The Devotional Priority: The mission is not to turn non-vegetarians into vegetarians, but to turn everyone into Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees. When one loves God, they naturally stop eating meat, but the focus remains on devotion.
- The Limitation of Ethics: While vegetarianism is better than meat-eating in a material estimation, it is not the ultimate solution for liberation or love of God.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Why Becoming a Vegetarian Is Not Enough.
Pages in category "Becoming a Vegetarian"
The following 18 pages are in this category, out of 18 total.
I
- If one becomes a vegetarian, however, one will get food every day. The food for a vegetarian is available everywhere
- It is not that we are propagating that you become vegetarian. We are propagating that you become Krsna conscious
- It is wrong to think that simply by becoming a vegetarian one can avoid transgressing the laws of nature
O
- Our mission is not to make a nonvegetarian a vegetarian. No. Our mission is that "Either you are vegetarian or nonvegetarian, it doesn't matter. You become Krsna conscious." That is our mission
- Our mission is that "Either you are vegetarian or nonvegetarian, it doesn't matter. You become Krsna conscious." That is our mission
S
- Simply becoming vegetarian is no great qualification. Somebody is taking meat and somebody is taking vegetable, it does not make any difference
- Simply to become vegetarian is not the last word. There are many vegetarians. The monkey is vegetarian. He's naked and lives in a jungle
- So far the Vaisnava is concerned, sometimes they come forward to fight with us: "Why we should be vegetarian?" No, no, we have no quarrel with the nonvegetarian. Let them eat at their risk
T
- That is not very essential. Essential is how to think of Krsna. Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. He doesn't say that you become vegetarian
- There are many vegetarians animals also; the monkeys are vegetarians, the pigeons are vegetarians, so to become vegetarian is not very good credit. But to become Krishna Consciousness is the most important business of life
- Those who are intentionally practicing to be vegetarians or to become nonviolent may have good qualifications by a material estimation, but these qualifications are not sufficient to make them devotees
- To become vegetarian is not very good qualification. It is better than the nonvegetarian, but that is not the ultimate solution. The ultimate solution is when you become a lover of God
W
- We have no quarrel with the nonvegetarians, because vegetable also has got life. The plants, the grass, the trees, the fruits, the flowers, they have also life. They are not dead. So simply becoming vegetarian is no great qualification
- When one comes to the platform of elevated knowledge, he naturally becomes a vegetarian. Panditah sama-darsinah: (BG 5.18) one who is very highly learned does not distinguish between a learned scholar, a brahmana, an elephant, a dog and a cow