Dante Carrillo
Vegetarianism and veganism are strongly linked with a number of religious traditions worldwide. These include religions that originated in India, such as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, as well as the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, a Christian denomination, and Judaism, which has a variety of dietary laws that lend themselves to vegetarianism. In addition, there are related African religions, such as the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem, that are strictly vegan, and the Rastafari movement, which is based on natural living and eating food that comes from the land.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Religion | Jainism |
| Hinduism | |
| Buddhism | |
| Sikhism | |
| Judaism | |
| Christianity | |
| Islam | |
| Rastafari movement | |
| Wicca | |
| Taoism | |
| Bahá'í Faith | |
| Paganism |
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What You'll Learn
Buddhism
The Buddhist diet is primarily plant-based and consists of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, and beans. It may also include some animal products, such as dairy, but typically excludes eggs, poultry, fish, and meat. Onions and garlic are usually avoided as they are believed to increase negative emotions such as anger or sexual desire.
There are several forms of Buddhism, including Mahayana, Theravada, and Vajrayana, and each has slightly different interpretations of the Buddha's teachings, especially regarding diet. The Mahayana schools generally recommend a vegetarian diet, claiming that Gautama Buddha stated in some of the sutras that his followers must not eat the flesh of any sentient being. The Lankavatara Sutra and Surangama Sutra, which are part of the Mahayana canon, contain explicit prohibitions against consuming meat. The monastic community in Chinese Buddhism, Vietnamese Buddhism, and most of Korean Buddhism strictly adhere to vegetarianism.
On the other hand, the Pali Canon, which is a text from Theravada Buddhism, describes the Buddha explicitly refusing a suggestion to mandate vegetarianism in the monks' Vinaya monastic code. Instead, the Buddha accepted any kind of alms food offered with good intention, including meat, fruits, and vegetables. This text also mentions a former Jaina convert to Buddhism, Siha, who gave alms including meat to the Buddha and his monks.
Tibetan Buddhism has acknowledged the challenges of obtaining vegetables and grains in the region, making it impractical to insist upon vegetarianism. However, many prominent Tibetan Buddhist teachers, such as Chatral Rinpoche, advocate for practicing vegetarianism whenever possible.
Fasting is also an important practice in Buddhism. Buddhists typically fast from noon to dawn the following day, which can be challenging due to the extended duration.
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Hinduism
Vegetarianism is a common practice among Hindus, with 83% of Hindus identifying as vegetarians or restricting their meat consumption in some way. The concept of ahimsa, or non-violence and compassion towards all beings, is central to the Hindu faith and serves as the primary motivation for a vegetarian diet. Lacto-vegetarianism, which includes milk-based foods and excludes meat and eggs, is a popular dietary choice for many Hindus.
Hindu scriptures, including the Vedas, the Mahabharata, the Bhagavata Purana, and the Chandogya Upanishad, promote non-violence and restrict violence against domestic animals, except in the case of ritual sacrifice. The Mahabharata's maxim, "Nonviolence is the highest duty and the highest teaching," is often interpreted as advocating a vegetarian diet. The consumption of certain vegetables, such as onions, mushrooms, and garlic, is avoided by some Hindu sects, as they are believed to be tamasic, leading to dullness and lethargy.
The renouncer or monk traditions in Hinduism take food reverence to an extreme. Mendicants, or sannyasin ascetics, rely entirely on begging for leftover food or foraging for wild fruits, roots, and leaves to avoid initiating the violent process of food procurement and preparation. The Swaminarayan movement, a Gujarati Hindu sect, strictly adheres to a diet devoid of meat, eggs, seafood, onions, and garlic.
The practice of vegetarianism in Hinduism varies regionally, with higher rates of vegetarianism in the Western, Central, and Northern regions of India compared to the Eastern, Northeastern, and Southern regions. Cultural and political influences also impact dietary choices, with the consumption of meat becoming more prevalent due to Western influence and liberal political movements.
While vegetarianism is not mandatory in Hinduism, it is strongly encouraged, and many Hindus adopt a vegetarian or semi-vegetarian diet as part of their religious observance and spiritual progress.
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Jainism
The Jain vegetarian diet is based on the core principle of ahimsa, or non-violence, which is considered the most essential religious duty for Jains. Jains believe that every act by which a person directly or indirectly supports killing or injury is seen as an act of violence (himsa), which creates harmful reaction karma. The aim of ahimsa is to prevent the accumulation of such karma. Jains believe that non-violence is indispensable for liberation from the cycle of reincarnation, which is the ultimate goal of all Jain activities.
Jain cooking involves minimal processing and uses simple methods like boiling or steaming to preserve the natural qualities of the ingredients. Jains follow a strict code of conduct during meal preparation to minimise harm to living organisms. This involves filtering drinking water, washing vegetables thoroughly, and using utensils that have only been used for preparing and consuming vegetarian foods. Fasting is also an important component of Jain dietary practices and is practised in various forms by 84% of Jains in India.
In addition to food restrictions, Jainism also encourages asceticism, which involves abstaining from worldly pleasures and comforts to focus on spiritual development. This includes practising non-attachment (aparigraha) and chastity (brahmacharya). The Jain diet is not just about the food one consumes, but also about the impact of one's choices on the environment and other living beings. It is a testament to the profound impact of ethical principles on the culinary traditions of the Jain community.
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Judaism
Vegetarianism is not promoted by mainstream authorities of the Abrahamic religions, which include Judaism. However, many Jews find that vegetarianism fits well within their religion.
Jewish dietary laws (kashrut) limit the consumption of certain animals or their products, with precise requirements for how animals are to be sacrificed and slaughtered. Kashrut may be designed to discourage killing living beings. Restrictions on mixing meat and dairy result in at least some meat-free meals. The broader body of Jewish philosophy lends itself to vegetarianism in some ways, including ethical considerations (the mitzvah to not cause pain to living creatures, tsa'ar ba'alei chayim), reduction in wasted resources (bal tashchit prohibits waste, and an omnivorous diet requires more land, water, and energy), environmental considerations (tikkun olam, "healing the world"), and maintaining personal health (venishmartem me'od lenafshoteichem).
Genesis 1:29 states, "And God said: Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit—to you it shall be for food." Many scholars see the Torah as pointing to vegetarianism as an ideal, as Adam and Eve did not eat the flesh of animals. According to the 15th-century philosopher Rabbi Yosef Albo, author of Sefer ha-Ikkarim ("The Book of Principles"), God's instructions to Adam imply that the original plan was that man should refrain from killing and eating meat. In his view, the killing of animals is a cruel and furious act, ingraining these negative traits in the human character.
There are several examples of vegetarianism in Jewish texts. The prophet Isaiah is asserted by some writers to have been a vegetarian, based on passages in the Book of Isaiah that extol nonviolence and reverence for life. The prophet Daniel and three fellow slaves refused to eat the king's food and asked for only "vegetables to eat, and water to drink." They were in better condition than the other boys who ate the king's food. A number of ancient Jewish sects, including early Karaite sects, regarded the eating of meat as prohibited as long as Zion was in ruins and Israel in exile. A number of medieval scholars of Judaism, such as Joseph Albo and Isaac Arama, regard vegetarianism as a moral ideal, not out of a concern for animal welfare per se but out of a concern for the moral character of the slaughterer.
In 2017, a statement by Jewish Veg encouraging veganism for all Jews was signed by notable rabbis including Jonathan Wittenberg, Daniel Sperber, and David Wolpe, among others. It is more common for Orthodox rabbis to call on Jews to reduce their consumption of animal products. In 2015, members of the Liberal Judaism synagogue in Manchester founded The Pescetarian Society, citing pescetarianism as originally a Jewish diet and a form of vegetarianism.
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Christianity
Vegetarianism and veganism are not mandatory in Christianity, but some Christians interpret the Bible as advocating for a plant-based diet. Genesis 1:29–30 is one of the most important passages for Christian vegetarians and vegans, who point out that God initially prescribed a plant-based diet for all creatures, which he then declared "'very good' in verse 31. This suggests that God intended for all his creatures to live this way.
Some Christian vegetarians and vegans also point to the eschatological view in Isaiah 11:6–9, which foresees a return to a vegetarian world, where the wolf, lamb, lion, cow, bear, snake, and little child all coexist peacefully. They argue that Christians should strive toward this harmonious world.
Another argument for Christian vegetarianism and veganism is the belief that modern factory farming is inherently cruel to animals, damages the environment, and causes human misery. By avoiding animal products, Christians can demonstrate their concern for God's creation and the welfare of all creatures.
The strongest support for vegetarianism within Christianity comes from the Seventh-day Adventist Church, whose founder, Ellen White, was a vegetarian. Research has shown that followers of this denomination tend to have better health and longer lifespans due to their adherence to a vegetarian diet.
While the Bible does not prohibit eating meat in all circumstances, some Christians practice temporary vegetarianism during Lent, the period of around 40 days between Shrove Tuesday and Easter Sunday.
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Frequently asked questions
Vegetarianism is strongly linked to several religions that originated in ancient India, including Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. In Jainism, vegetarianism is mandatory, while in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, it is encouraged but not required. Other religions that promote vegetarianism include the Seventh-Day Adventist branch of Christianity, Judaism, and Wicca.
The reasons for promoting a vegetarian diet vary across different religions. In Jainism, the principle of ahimsa, or non-violence, is central, emphasizing abstaining from harm to any living creature. Buddhism also interprets certain scriptures as indicating that meat-eating is undesirable and karmically unwholesome. In Hinduism, some scriptures and religious authorities advocate for vegetarianism. For Sikhs, the consumption of animal products is discouraged after baptism. The Seventh-Day Adventist Church promotes vegetarianism to live in harmony with nature, as they believe was the case in the Garden of Eden. Judaism has dietary laws that lend themselves to occasional vegetarianism, and its broader philosophy emphasizes ethical considerations, such as avoiding causing pain to animals. Finally, vegetarian practitioners of Wicca view their diet as an extension of the Wiccan Rede, aiming to avoid certain impurities associated with eating meat.
Yes, there are several notable references to vegetarianism in religious texts and figures. In the Bible, Genesis 1:29 states, "I give you every seed-bearing plant, every tree which bears fruit; this shall be your food." This is interpreted by some Christians as supporting a vegetarian diet. In Buddhism, the First Precept prohibits killing people or animals, and some interpret this as discouraging meat consumption. Additionally, in the Mahayana scriptures, the Buddha is seen as indicating that meat-eating is undesirable.
