Good life ways

I never get tired of repeatedly saying: Be a human being, be a vegetarian. That is the only way to remain in harmony not only with yourself but with nature and all other beings that nature sustains.

I never get tired of repeatedly saying: Be a human being, be a vegetarian. That is the only way to remain in harmony not only with yourself but with nature and all other beings that nature sustains.

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One has seen ample proof that if we harm others in nature, it bounces back on us in equal measure. Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has precisely tried to bring this point home through 92-year-old yoga master BKS Iyengar. "Energise your mind, body and spirit." How? Replies the guruji, "If animals are used to fill my plate, then my head and my heart would become heavy with sadness. Becoming a vegetarian is the way to live in harmony with animals and the planet."

The basic point here is that life for all is equally dear and precious. When you kill an animal to satiate your hungry bowl, you are killing the human being in you too. We fail to realise that we have to rise above carnivorous animals if we have to keep our conscience alive.

Apart from the spiritual aspect, there are other benefits in being a vegetarian. Medical researches have proved that to be a vegetarian means to be safer from deadly health problems like heart stroke, diabetes, obesity and several types of cancer. As a result, a vegetarian gets a few years' bonus added to his life span. And, isn't it true that one who does not care for others, has the least care for his own life too. Or else, how can one explain that many smoke or drink to death!

It was in this regard that one of my Facebook entries last week had this caution: "You can be my best friend only if, A: You are a vegetarian, B: A non-smoker, C: A non-alcoholic person, D: A workaholic without any expectation for rewards, E: Don't ever tell a lie. And live happily forever!"