Diet and Ethics
Nonviolence is the foundation of all ethical observances and restraints in Yoga. From this principle, Yogis many centuries ago derived a philosophy of diet that today encompasses concepts ranging from sacredness of animals to principles of ecology, to efficiency of food production and global hunger. Through Nonviolence comes a sense of connection to all forms of life, as extensions of one’s own self. In a sense, by avoiding meat, we become less of a predator and more a member of an extended family of all living things. Perceiving all life as sacred is an outgrowth of Yoga’s Nonviolence, and most students feel that using animals as a food source is an unnecessary act of violence. Those interested in Nonviolence are unlikely to base their diet on meat, poultry, or fish. Many students have noticed a marked in reduction in their own fear and anxiety when they begin to practice Nonviolence; the classic vegetarian diet prescription enhances this experience.
Ethical issues are also central to why many Americans today are choosing to eat less or no meat, as they have learned that meat production is a relatively inefficient means of producing food. In other words, those eating meat are perhaps living too richly at the expense of others. The grains and legumes fed to animals would provide food to many more people if directly consumed. The ethical concern for the rights of animals to be free of mistreatment motivates many Americans, who have learned that livestock are raised and slaughtered under dreadful conditions.
Many of us now have more awareness regarding the hazards of meat, poultry, and fish production. Meat production has become more liable to create significant biohazards as production has become more centralized. The recent European outbreaks of bovine spongiform encephalitis (mad cow disease), due to the feeding of infected meat, and another of hoof and mouth disease, illustrate but one problem. There is also a sharp rise in the incidence of E. coli and other food-borne bacteria outbreaks, and the high levels of hormones and antibiotics used to bring meat, poultry, and fish to market are all cause for concern. Many experts promoting food irradiation offer the process as the only economical means to remove dangerous pathogens from meat products, but others fear that such sterilization techniques will be used to even further relax sanitary restrictions on meat production. Even fish from the open ocean has become increasingly tainted by toxic heavy metals such as mercury and lead. Additionally, the production process itself, with its polluting feedlots, slaughterhouses, and packing plants becoming ever larger and more centralized, virtually guarantees increased widespread outbreaks and more severe pollution of land and groundwater resources.