The controversy of vegetarianism in Sikhism

The religion of the Sikhs, historically based in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, prescribes simple and natural food to its adherents. Sikhism professes faith in the One God, whose name no one knows. The sacred scripture is the Guru Granth Sahib, which provides many instructions on vegetarian nutrition.

(Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Granth Sahib Ji, 723).

The Sikh holy temple of Gurudwara serves lacto-vegetarian food, but not all followers of the religion adhere to an exclusively plant-based diet. In general, a Sikh is free to choose a meat or vegetarian diet. As a liberal faith, Sikhism emphasizes personal freedom and free will: the scripture is not dictatorial in nature, but rather a guide to a moral way of life. However, some castes of religion believe that the rejection of meat is mandatory.

If a Sikh still chooses meat, then the animal must be killed according to – with one shot, without any ritual in the form of a long process, unlike, for example, Muslim halal. Fish, marijuana and wine are forbidden categories in Sikhism. Kabir Ji claims that the one who uses drugs, wine and fish will go to hell, no matter how much good he did and how many rituals he performed.

All Sikh gurus (spiritual teachers) were vegetarians, rejected alcohol and tobacco, did not use drugs and did not cut their hair. There is also a close connection between the body and the mind, so that the food we eat affects both substances. As in the Vedas, Guru Ramdas identifies three qualities created by God: . All food is also classified according to these qualities: fresh and natural foods are an example of satava, fried and spicy foods are rajas, fermented, preserved and frozen are tamas. Overeating and junk food is avoided. It is said in the Adi Granth.

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