For many people all over the world, religion serves as a guide for their behavior, beliefs, and ethics. Some faiths emphasize a relationship between diet and moral or spiritual responsibilities. While religious dietary laws vary, many faiths encourage their devotees to practice vegetarian eating. From exhortations to practice nonviolence to ecological concerns, vegetarianism occupies a significant place within several spiritual traditions.
Indian Religions, Ahimsa, and Vegetarianism
Four faiths have origins on the Indian subcontinent: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Vegetarianism is commonly practiced by many of their devotees. Some Buddhists, many Hindus, and Jains eschew meat. Depending on their specific beliefs, they may also avoid eggs, fish, poultry, and dairy. Ahimsa is one key philosophy that guides these dietary choices. According to the Etymology Online Dictionary, “ahimsa” comes from two Sanskrit words: “a” meaning “without” and “himsa” translating as “injury” or “violence.” The Encyclopedia Britannica describes it as an ethical principle to avoid causing harm or injury to other living beings.
Each spiritual tradition interprets ahimsa in different ways. For instance, Jains apply the principle to humans and large animals along with insects, plants, and microbes. The Jain Foodie reveals why Jain vegetarianism is one of the strictest forms: even root vegetables are proscribed because pulling them up harms tiny organisms and consuming them kills the entire plant. Tricycle mentions that Buddhism’s First Precept forbids the taking of life, and some Buddhists interpret it as a directive to avoid eating meat. While some Sikhs are vegetarians, Sikhism doesn’t require a vegetarian diet. SikhNet explains that each gurdwara serves vegetarian food so that anyone from any faith can share a meal without restrictions.
Vegetarian and Vegan Eating in Pagan Traditions
With the wide variety of modern pagan faiths, there’s no single standard for meat-free diets among practitioners. Going vegetarian or vegan is an individual choice with a wide variety of reasons behind it. Some Neopagans cite environmental concerns, naming factory farming’s ecological impacts and specific contributions to climate change. Modern druidry is earth-centric, and communing and respecting nature naturally leads some practitioners to eschew animal products. Blogger Leslie J. Linder mentions that others wish to avoid cruelty to animals. Some cite the last verse of the Wiccan Rede, which reads “An it harm none, do what ye will.”
Vegans avoid all animal products, including honey and derived ingredients like gelatin and whey. Some choose this diet because they are concerned about animal welfare and exploitation. Meanwhile, others claim that veganism isn’t completely cruelty-free. Affinity Magazine points to the presence of forced labor, hazardous working conditions, low wages, and the lack of legal protections for many agricultural workers.
Ital: A Life-Affirming Rastafarian Concept
The Rastafari faith originated in 1930s Jamaica, drawing from unique interpretations of Christianity along with the philosophies of black nationalist figures like Marcus Garvey. As an important component of Rastafari beliefs, ital stresses the importance of eating only natural food from the earth. It is closely linked with the Rastafari concept of livity, which speaks of a divine vital force that exists within all living beings. BBC writer Ciaran Varley explains that this results in a vegan diet that is free of artificial preservatives and additives. National Geographic further describes how ital cuisine incorporates plant-based ingredients like coconut milk, Scotch bonnet peppers, bananas, kidney beans, pumpkin, and collard greens. With no animal fats used in creating these dishes, highly nuanced flavors come from herbs and spices such as nutmeg, lemongrass, allspice, and thyme.
Vegetarian and vegan eating have long histories within several cultures and religions around the world. From Hindu and Jain devotees centuries ago to Rastafarians and Neopagans in the twenty-first century, plant-based diets arrived with a variety of moral, ethical, practical, and spiritual histories. Avoiding violent actions, respecting the earth, and cleaner eating are some notable objectives of the followers in these diverse faiths.