Lobh, Greed – being vegetarian and tests of my will power

Of the 5 thieves or emotions that rob us of our positive energy, Lobh or Greed is the most commonly accepted by all faiths and traditions. While most people generally accept greed as bad, it is usually just understood as greed for money. However, greed can be applied for anything and everything. When we convince ourselves that something is so good for us that we want more of it and we are not keep ourselves away from it. It is similar in nature to Moh or attachment, but Moh is more of an illusion or entrancement, where one knows that the attachment is not healthy but they are unable break away. However, in greed the attachment is readily accepted and the ahankar or ego fuels it in ever-increasing quantities.

For me that greed was for meat or non-vegetarian food. I grew up in a household where meat was prepared or eaten 2-3 times a week, which is a lot by Indian standards and since I liked it a lot, I would try to extend that to 3-4 meals per week. This lobh for meat only increased when I went to the US for college and at one time, almost every meal was non-veg. We used to have barbecue parties with lots of kababs and tandoori chicken with me as the grill master .

However, there were times where I got sick of it and left it for a few weeks. Also, while I knew that Guru Gobind Singhji had instructed his Sikhs to only eat Jhatka meat or when the animal is killed instantly with one strike, I even knowingly ate halal meat at middle eastern restaurants.

Even though I had been thinking of giving up non-veg for a while, an incident happened, where my attraction and greed for meat suddenly hit me one day. Its been a little over 5 months now and longest I think in my life when I have been a vegetarian. From a physiological standpoint, my body could not have been healthier. I have a sensitive stomach and non vegetarian food in India is usually heavy in spices and oils. Different people have asked me the reason for giving it up and there are number of reasons which I give depending on who I’m talking too. First, my fiancé, a Christian, keeps lent every year and gives up all meat during those 40 days. As a mark of solidarity I also gave it up this year.

Second, I started doing a little bit of yoga and meditating early morning and it made intuitive sense to eat a light and simple meal the night before so it doesn’t trouble me the next morning. According to yogic traditions, there are 3 gunas or dominant states of nature for most humans, Rajas or the state of enjoyment and action, Sattvic or the state of peace and simplicity and Tamas or the state of morbidity and inaction. I learnt from the disciples of Swami Rama that the eating some meat can bring about the Rajas or dynamism and if taken to extreme it leads to Tamas or inertia. Sattvic or pure nature is generally maintained by avoidance of meat.

Third, it became a test of will power on how long I could last. I would go out with friends, co-workers, to weddings, parties etc. where there was a lot of meat being served. To share a meal with all, yet not eat a morsel of the meat being served and more importantly not have desire to eat it is a big test. I can’t deny the fact that I did feel like eating it at times, especially when there was butter chicken (my favorite) around, but eventually that too passed.

Fourth, it is now well documented that large-scale industrial production of meat is one of the major contributors of green house gases like carbon dioxide. Being environmentally conscious it always bothered me that while I believed in straightforward actions like reducing pollution through use of mass transit and more fuel-efficient cars, I didn’t transfer this action to my personal life when it came to giving up non-veg. So finally when I did, it felt great to be contributing from a personal standpoint.

Fifth, from a long-term health standpoint, eating meat and especially red meat regularly, causes high cholesterol and heart problems. Since my family has a history of heart problems, it makes sense for me to stay away if possible.

Lastly, coming to the facts on keeping bana, as an Amritdhari or Khalsa Sikh what I was taught growing up is that we are forbidden to eat any kuttha meat or that prepared as a ritual, offering or halal. There are sources that say that Khalsa Sikhs are supposed to be pure vegetarians. They may be right, but I’m not sure as it’s not prescribed as such in original hukamnama by Guru Gobind Singhji or anywhere in the Guru’s teachings. That said, Sikhs only serve vegetarian food as part of langar and I have read somewhere that Guru Angad Devji, the second guru was a big proponent of vegetarianism. Then again I have also read stories of Khalsa Sikh warriors living in thick jungles as guerrilla fighters and being holed up in forts for months with nothing to eat but whatever they could find. In my opinion it would have been a practical and pragmatic choice to eat meat according to the vagaries of life and battle. There are some heated arguments amongst Sikhs on the morality of being a vegetarian or eating meat. I would like to stay away from the debate.

An incident from the life of Guru Nanak Devji. When as part of his Udasi or long travels Guruji and Bhai Mardana reached the city of Kurukshetra, a holy Hindu city, they were brought some deer meat by a disciple. The Brahmins got angry at them for cooking meat near the holy festival that was going on. To this Guru Nanak Devji replied through a poem, which is now part of the Guru Granth Sahib:

I do eat eggs, which might be considered by a lot of people as non-veg. Also, I’m not saying I will never eat meat or people should stop eating it and change their habits. It’s an individual’s personal choice and what they want to believe, as long as they are able to live with the consequences of their actions. For me that means to move away from this greed, as it is not helpful in the long run. However, I do try to remember a metaphor that is repeated by Guru Nanak, Kabir, Jesus Christ, Buddha and a lot of other masters I have read. What you sow, so shall you reap.