Sikhsangat.com's Stand On The Meat Debate

[Sewadar]

Vaheguru ji ka khalsa,

Vaheguru ji ki fateh!

Upon discussion with the admins of SikhSangat, we have decided to take an anti-meat stand, we've been thinking about this issue for a while on an individual basis and until recently we've collectively decided that this is best for the forum. We feel that eating meat is immoral, unlawful and simply wrong according to the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib jee. There have been numerous discussions and debates on this topic and both sides of the party have voiced their opinions ever since the start of the site in 2001. We do not want to re-iterate the arguments against the debate. If you do a search on the board for the topic you will find MANY replies and topics on the topic and we leave the ultimate decision to your better judgement.

SikhSangat.com will not allow any topics that justify the killing of animals for food or otherwise. Any topic/post stating otherwise will be deleted.

SS Team

Vaheguru ji ka khalsa,

Vaheguru ji ki fateh!

[SonyNeech]

Vaheguru ji ka khalsa,

Vaheguru ji ki fateh!

Upon discussion with the admins of SikhSangat, we have decided to take an anti-meat stand, we've been thinking about this issue for a while on an individual basis and until recently we've collectively decided that this is best for the forum. We feel that eating meat is immoral, unlawful and simply wrong according to the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib jee. There have been numerous discussions and debates on this topic and both sides of the party have voiced their opinions ever since the start of the site in 2001. We do not want to re-iterate the arguments against the debate. If you do a search on the board for the topic you will find MANY replies and topics on the topic and we leave the ultimate decision to your better judgement.

SikhSangat.com will not allow any topics that justify the killing of animals for food or otherwise. Any topic/post stating otherwise will be deleted.

SS Team

Vaheguru ji ka khalsa,

Vaheguru ji ki fateh!

lot of sikhs saying they can eat meat...if they want to eat so plz go ahead but not say like as ke DASAM GURAN NE VI KHADA SI

if u believe in GURBANI..and u belief what are GURBANI sayin all true and GOD'S order and GOD'S mind..what GOD want and like so plz

Below are Vichaar on the salok of Bhagat Kabeer Jee. The vichaar on one of the salokhs is below which covers the meat topic well:

ਕਬੀਰ ਭਾਂਗ ਮਾਛੁਲੀ ਸੁਰਾ ਪਾਨਿ ਜੋ ਜੋ ਪ੍ਰਾਨੀ ਖਾਂਹਿ ॥

ਤੀਰਥ ਬਰਤ ਨੇਮ ਕੀਏ ਤੇ ਸਭੈ ਰਸਾਤਲਿ ਜਾਂਹਿ ॥੨੩੩॥

Kabīr bẖāʼng mācẖẖulī surā pān jo jo prānī kẖāʼnhi.

Ŧirath baraṯ nėm kī­ė ṯė sabẖai rasāṯal jāʼnhi. ||233||

Literal Translation:

"O Kabeer! Those mortals who consume marijuana, fish and wine

- no matter what pilgrimages, fasts and rituals they follow, they will all go to hell. ||233||"

(SGGS - Ang 1377)

Meaning of words:

Note:- Through the Revealed Word of God, Bhagat Kabir Ji explains to himself to instruct the world about the prohibitions in religious discipline (kurehits). It is false to believe that this salok (hymn) only prohibits the consumption of cannabis, fish and alcohol. One has to look beyond the surface level and dive deeper into Gurbani. Guru Ji cannot make a vast list of drugs, foods and wines that one is forbidden to eat or drink. This would be a waste of time. Instead Guru ji categorises drugs, meat/flesh/killed animals and wines/alcohol under three categories which represent all products associated and in the same category.

ਭਾਂਗ (bẖāʼng) = marijuana, cannabis |

The category of 'cannabis' or 'bhung' includes opium, heroine, tobacco, and all drugs whether inhaled, eaten, smoked or injected through needles.

ਮਾਛੁਲੀ (mācẖẖulī) = fish |

The category of 'fish' includes all killed animals whether sea animals (e.g. cod, haddock, crab, whale etc) or land animals (chicken, goat, cow, pig etc.) and all allied products like egg, i.e. all meat and flesh.

ਸੁਰਾ (surā) = liquor, alcohol | ਪਾਨਿ (pān) = one who drinks |

The category of alcohol or wine includes all types of alcohol whether beer, whisky, rum, brandy, or any type of wine etc.

ਜੋ ਜੋ ਪ੍ਰਾਨੀ (jo jo prānī kẖāʼnhi) = whosoever, everyone | ਖਾਂਹਿ (kẖāʼnhi) = eat, consume |

Gurbani is not prohibiting drugs, meat and alcohol to only Sikhs. It is clear that Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is addressing everyone, i.e. Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and the whole world.

ਤੀਰਥ (Ŧirath) = pilgrimages |

Guru Ji is addressing everyone and not only Sikhs. For Hindus, pilgrimage is bathing at the sixty-eight sacred places revered across India. For Muslims, pilgrimage is going on Hajj, i.e. visiting Mecca. For Christians, pilgrimage is visiting Bethlehem and Jerusalem. For Sikhs, pilgrimage in a physical sense is visiting Sri Harimandir Sahib (also known as the 'Golden Temple') in Amritsar as well as other historical Gurdwaras in India and Pakistan, but in a spiritual sense pilgrimage means travelling from your mind to one's soul through bathing and immersing oneself in Naam.

ਬਰਤ (baraṯ) = fast |

Hindus keep fasts on certain days related to their deities as an act of penance. Muslims observe 'Roza' or a fast during the month of Ramadan. Christians keep a fast or give up certain foods during 'Lent' (before Easter). Sikhs observe the permanent fast of not telling lies, not cheating anyone else or stealing the wealth of others.

ਨੇਮ (nėm) = (religious) routine, practice | ਕੀਏ (kī­ė) = perform, follow |

Hindus perform daily rituals (puja) and chant devotional prayers as part of their daily routine. Muslims perform five prayers (namaaz) as part of their daily routine. Christians say the Lord's prayer as part of their daily routine. Sikhs wake up Amrit-vela (the early ambrosial hours) and repeat and meditate upon Naam (the Divine-Name) followed by reciting the five prayers of the morning, and reciting Rehraas Sahib in the evening and Sohila Sahib before bed.

ਤੇ ਸਭੈ (ṯė sabẖai) = they will all |

Again, Guru Ji talks about everyone. There are no exceptions.

ਰਸਾਤਲ ਜਾਂਹਿ (rasāṯal jāʼnhi) = become useless, there is not an iota of benefit, go to hell. |233|

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the Pefect True Guru, the Complete Truth, the Word of God, the Universal Truth, instructs us that if anyone (irrespective of faith or background) consumes drugs or intoxicants, eats any fish or meat, or drinks any wine or alcohol then all their pilgrimages, fasts and religious practices and prayers lose their value and become worth nothing. That person becomes worthy of hell and reaps no benefit from his religious commitments and efforts.

This salokh on ang (page) 1377 is crystal clear that a Sikh is prohibited from eating meat or any flesh. Anyone who accepts and has full faith in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji as their Satguru will not doubt Gurbani. With one Hukam from Gurbani a Sikh accepts and obeys. On the other hand, a Manmukh would continue to ask for further proof or evidence and remain unsatisfied and unwilling to submit to the instructions of Satguru.

JIN KO PREM KHALAN KA CHAHO

SAR DHAR TALI GALI MERY AAO

IT MARAG PAIR DHAREEJEY

SAR DEEJEY KAAN NA KIJEY

Attached image(s)

[Techno_singh]

We feel that eating meat is immoral, unlawful and simply wrong according to the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib jee.

good!!

[V]

Surprising considering Sikhsangat states that it follows the orders of Akal Takhat, which banns kutha, which is in accordance to the puratan rehitnamas

Although I personally feel it is immortal to eat meat, morality should be the reason not to eat meat, not that "Sikhism says so." Once we recognize that- What I'm doing is wrong, and do it out of compassion, we stop out of the right reason. If we stop because "Sikhism said so" there isn't that daya. That pyar. That Love. That acknowledgement that parmatma is within all.

Anyway, I don’t intend to start a meat debate

[Laadli Fauj]

dp sumthin about it then

i hate it when ppl complain and pick at little things for the sake of defaming others

if u have a problem tell the admins about

cuz i seriously dont care

[Tarrandeep Kaur]

wow, well done admin.

[guptveer1469]

Request to mods: Please don't delete my post.

There is one thing that doesn't make sense. On the Dasam Granth issue, SS-admins say they follow Akal Takht's Hukumnama which is the highest. But why can't you follow the Meat Issue according to Akal Takht. This is unjust. You follow what you think is good from Akal Takhts hukumnama and the rest you follow is what you think is good.

Think about it.

WJKK WJKF

[Birha]

I understand the desire to assert your own interpretation, but why not Sikhs decide for themselves, based on their own interpretation of what Gurbani says in this matter?

This forum should be open and allow for the freedom of informed opinions among the sangat. The Sikh sangat, after all, is not uniform, and if this forum is going to be "The Voice of Sikh Youth", there should be a recognition that there will be diverging opinions and interpretations.

We should understand why others hold the beliefs that they do. We will never all agree -- that's why these issues are contested -- and our disagreements are learning opportunities. Learning requires occasional periods of discomfort.

So long as the discussion is respectful, I think it is important to engage in.

[Akaali]

I don't speak for the rest of the sevadars but for myself. Birha veerjee/bhainjee, you just joined this forum today and this is your first post which happens to be in this topic, which makes me very sceptical, maybe you couldn't post with your real ID so you created a new one, I apologize if I'm incorrect.

The meat debate is never-ending, we have experienced this from the time the forum started in 2001 its the same pro arguments and many new and different anti-arguments like its side effects, scientific discovery, etc. There are several aspects of Sri Akaal Takht Sahib maryada that conflicts with the maryada some sevadars of SikhSangat.com beleive in, it doesn't mean they don't want to help build this site and make it grow in the right direction. SikhSangat.com is an independant website, we as sevadars don't follow Akaal Takht and/or SGPC maryada word for word. Akaal Takht Sahib has not taken a solid stance and/or issued a hukamnama that meat is ok and/or against meat, but we as sevadars of the site have according to popular beleif of mostly all of the members of the site who don't eat meat therefore it wasn't such a hard decision, there maybe some who may protest this decision, either 1) They eat meat themselves and 2) They don't like the management and want to stir up controversy, but that's been happening and it really has no effect on the decision.

Not spending any more time discussing the decision I just want to say that we should all strive to learn and understand gurbani at a deeper level by ourselves and by other mahapurkhs who preached the same regarding this topic, bhul chuk muaaf.

[smartsingh24]

:BOW: Nice move.