Why Becoming a Vegetarian Is Not Enough
A common misunderstanding about spiritual life is equating it solely with dietary restrictions. While it is true that a devotee of Kṛṣṇa does not eat meat, fish, or eggs, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that simply refraining from animal flesh is not a high spiritual qualification. Even animals like pigeons and monkeys are vegetarians. This article explores why a meat-free diet, while ethically superior, is insufficient for spiritual perfection without the added element of devotion to the Supreme Lord.
A Material Qualification
One of Śrīla Prabhupāda's most striking arguments is that vegetarianism, by itself, is found commonly in nature. A monkey lives in the jungle, wears no clothes, and eats only fruits and vegetables, yet it is known for its mischievous and sex-obsessed nature. Therefore, adopting a vegetarian diet does not guarantee a change in heart or character. It is a material adjustment that may improve health or karma, but it does not equate to spiritual realization.
- Simply to become vegetarian is not the last word. There are many vegetarians. The monkey is vegetarian. He's naked and lives in a jungle.
- Monkey has renounced, naked, but at heart there is sense gratification. So markata-vairagya is no good. So simply to become vegetarian is no good. You must develop love of Godhead. That is real thing.
- There are many vegetarians animals also; the monkeys are vegetarians, the pigeons are vegetarians, so to become vegetarian is not very good credit. But to become Krishna Consciousness is the most important business of life.
Law of Karma Still Applies
Ethical vegetarians often believe they are free from violence, but Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that plants also have life. Killing a vegetable is also sinful according to the strict laws of nature, although less severe than killing an animal. Therefore, simply becoming a vegetarian does not save one from transgressing the laws of nature. The only way to eat without incurring sin is to eat prasādam—food that has been offered to Kṛṣṇa with love and devotion.
- We have no quarrel with the nonvegetarians, because vegetable also has got life. The plants, the grass, the trees, the fruits, the flowers, they have also life. They are not dead. So simply becoming vegetarian is no great qualification.
- It is wrong to think that simply by becoming a vegetarian one can avoid transgressing the laws of nature.
Priority of Devotion
The primary mission of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to awaken love of God, not merely to adjust eating habits. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that if one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, they automatically acquire all good qualities, including proper diet. A person who sees every living being as a part of God naturally loses the taste for violence, but the focus must remain on the positive engagement of serving Kṛṣṇa rather than the negative process of mere abstention.
- Our mission is not to make a nonvegetarian a vegetarian. No. Our mission is that "Either you are vegetarian or nonvegetarian, it doesn't matter. You become Krsna conscious." That is our mission.
- God is open for vegetarian and nonvegetarian, both. But once he becomes, I mean, a devotee of God, automatically he becomes vegetarian. So we don't make any propaganda to make one vegetarian. We make propaganda to make one devotee of God.
- To become vegetarian is not very good qualification. It is better than the nonvegetarian, but that is not the ultimate solution. The ultimate solution is when you become a lover of God.
Conclusion
While a human being should ideally be a strict vegetarian to minimize violence, this is only a preliminary step. The perfection of life is not found in the menu but in the consciousness of the eater. By offering vegetarian food to Kṛṣṇa, one transcends the karmic reaction of killing plants and engages in a spiritual exchange of love. Thus, one should aspire to become not just a vegetarian, but a prasādam-arian—a devotee of the Lord.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Becoming a Vegetarian. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.