I'm eager to join ISKCON and serve Lord Krishna and His devotees. But I belong to a non vegetarian Bengali family and thereby fail to follow one of the fundamental regulative principles, i.e., meat eating. I'm chanting the Mahamantra and reading Srila Prabhupada books in seclusion, but I'm nervous about approaching my parents about abstaining from meat eating. How should I approach them?
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Replies
Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
Typically when we say we dont want to eat non veg, that too in a bengali family, it is not appreciated. Its normal for parents to force us to eat non veg in thesecircumstances. You can say different things:
1) I dont like cruelty to animals.
2) Health does not support eating non veg. Veg is easier to digest.
Typically mom will say you will become weak. Tell her that you would like to try being fully vegetarian for atleast a month, and then review. Like this keep increasing month on month.
One advantage is that - typically bengali mothers really indulge their sons. So if you refuse to eat non veg, after trying the above 2, then she may comply.
Remember one thing, at all times, please be polite and respectful towards your parents. They are future devotees. How soon they come to devotion is dependent on how you treat them. Do not look down on them under any circumstances.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD