Simple Living, High Thinking #29: Non-violence Toward Animals as a Fundamental Aspect of Spirituality

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[Bhagavad Gita, Ch 5, Texts 18-23]

Time stamps and topics:

4:50 - Ch 5, Text 18 is one of the most popular verses in our tradition. This verse talks of having equal vision in the world which is so applicable in our present day.

7:20 - Breaking down Text 18 - why Krishna uses these specific examples to highlight his point. Krishna talks about 'highest' human behaviors to the 'lowest' human behaviors and how we should view them without judgment. Even an atheist can benefit from viewing the world in equanimity.

16:00 - It may sound like Krishna is giving a hierarchy in a judgmental divisive way. However, Krishna is bringing up specific categories like this so that we can't misinterpret his point. These specifics were prevalent in Eastern society when the Gita was spoken (~5000 yrs ago), and the concepts are applicable to our Western society (i.e. a dog-eater vs a chicken-eater).

22:00 - How vegetarianism goes hand in hand with a spiritual practice.

29:05 - What is the point of being vegetarian? Why do it?

37:00 - The effects of eating meat from an 'energy' perspective. How ingesting fear, adrenaline, and despair in animals (about to be killed) is now put into the human body when eating meat.

Tukaram Prabhu's 10/16/2020 Bhagavad Gita class: https://www.facebook.com/lagunabeachtemple/videos/353687349206256

Tukaram Prabhu's Instagram: @tukaram.das

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