I have a few questions or I am stuck on how to act with the situations that arise in my life. So, Karma Yoga is the best way to do my duty and also not get entangled in Karma. Given a situation like the one below, can anyone tell me what to do? It is just an example.
Definition of Karma Yoga would be to renounce the fruit of action and in the heart of action be completely unattached.
BG 2.19: Neither he who thinks the living entity the slayer nor he who thinks it slain is in knowledge, for the self slays not nor is slain
If a person wants to join the army and if he has been following a vegetarian diet all his life and then, he realizes that he is not strong enough to work for the army. He has tried his best to become strong without eating meat. But he is still not able match his fellow army men. So, if he has to become like one of them, strong and able to fight without a problem, is it okay to eat meat? If he applies Karma Yoga when eating meat. Even if he kills an animal, but he offers it to the Lord and during the killing, HE is not the one killing it but the Lord himself. He does this just because, he has to perform his duty and not to expect its fruit. He is not wanting to gratify his senses. Not that he likes eating meat because it tastes good but just to be able to perform his duty properly. It is his duty to fight and in the heart of action, he is not the doer. Is this person free from Karma or not? What he does is Dharmic or not?
Or can anyone give me a proper way to understand. It is tricky given the time that we live in and its very difficult to see what is right and what is wrong. How to define Dharma in this context.
Or if I have stuck my foot accidentally inside an ant hole and the ants start biting me. Is it okay to kill them all or should I follow what my fellow devotees say - not to harm anyone and let it bite me? I can best try not to kill them, but put in a situation like that, it is difficult. How should I act?
Replies
Hare Krishna Jayakumar Prabhu, please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
First please look to the next images:
Do You think these Devotees eat non veg and because of that are strong? No. Never. A big Elephant who is very strong eats simple grass. Cow, bull eat only simple grass and gain such strength, aren't they?!
Srila Prabhupada once told about his strong servant, once he asked his servant from where he gets such strength be him very poor. Because Srila Prabhupada used to pay for him salary and he knew that he is poor so he asked what you eat and gain power. Servant told that he eats simple corn. Daily. Because he does not have much money he eats cheap corn and gains power.
So these examples show us that no need for non veg for gaining power. Kshatriyas used to hunt animals only some times in order to gain emotional strength for killing enemies not physical mostly. But these days we have enough envy and anger and no need to double it with eating non veg, isn't it?
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The other thing is one should understand the type of his body. Kshatriya body usually is very strong right from the birth. Very strong, tall and handsome.
But brahmana body may be weaker, with thin bones, less muscles...but with better intelligence.
In the same way shudra body may be strong for physical work....
We can not change type of our body so easily let we eat meat or do not eat that.
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it is only propaganda of demoniac people who say that non veg food will make one strong and veg will make one weak...
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As i observe from my own experience:
usually Devotees wake up very early, and from morning till evening are very actively engaged with physical activities. And do not feel tired. Once we were dancing in Guru Puja, new couple of boy and girl came to the Temple and were standing, looking to our dance.
We took the hand of a girls to our dance group and send boy to other Devotee boys and they also started to dance.
30 minutes, 40 minutes ...and they became tired, could not move anymore. But Devotees still continued plus with smiling faces.
So it says that Prasadam will give strength no need to go for other sinful foods. Also we can not offer meat to Krishna.
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those ants we could remove using some cloth avoiding killing them. Of course some of them will be hurt even with cloth but less pain.
Your servant,