Published: October 18, 2002

Vegetarian Theory

Currently there are many books on vegetarianism on the market. The most popular theory assumes that human beings are vegetarians by nature on account of the length of their intestines and the structure of their molars. Some people keep to a vegetarianism, at least ten benefits can be gained by eating vegetarian:

1.It increases your health and vitality and can extend your lifespan.

2.It has a beautifying effect.

3.It can help develop your intelligence.

4.It can make you feel happy and at peace with yourself.

5.It is economical and saves your money.

6.It is merciful and virtuous.

7.It helps disperse your karma (your past sins as a present obstacle to enlightenment).

8.It nullifies the law of cause and effect.

9.It counteracts your destined calamity.

10.It prevents war and strife.

The first five are personal and practical benefits, and the latter five are benefits derived from a religious point of view.

We shall commence by explaining the physical structure of human beings so that our readers can thoroughly understand the benefits to be derived from vegertariaism.

When a human body is analyzed in terms of its chemical elements, we can see that it is composed of only two dozen elements, including carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine, calcium, potassium, sodium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, nickle, phosphorus, iodine and several others. However, the simple combination of these elements does not make a human being. This goes to show that in addition to physical elements, human beings are also endowed with souls. This can be compared to making a machine by putting spare parts together, but the value of the machine does not lie in those parts but in the design and structure of the machine itself. The value of a human being lies not in the body, but in the soul. The structure of the human body is, of course, far more complicated and exquistite than that of machines. Human beings have the capacity to work, reproduce and even rehabilitate. So when we eat, we should not only think about nutrition, but also be careful not to ruin the original functions and structure of our bodies in order to retain our full powers of rehabilitation.

Animal flesh is by nature disgusting. We can think of a factory owner who refuses to hire people who, in spite of their strength and talent, are hot-tempered and overly rambunctious due to the beastiality of their nature. They would likely disrupt and undermine the entire functioning and management of the company. Similarly, your body can suffer under-development and malnutrition or even become stricken by cancer. Therefore, only by maintaining a well-balanced diet--without focusing on a single organ or bodily structure-- can you maintain your health. The mysterious and wonderous functioning of the human body lies in its subtle coordination. Only a vegetarian diet unstained by the blood and souls of sentient beings can keep one happy and healthy without destroying the structures and functions of the human body.

Machines can only work when they are powered; cars can only be driven when they contain adequate fuel. Human beings also need fuel; that is, fuel derived from vegetarian and mineral sources. A car requires a driver to control its movements. A car's driver is like the soul of a human body. Under normal circumstances, a car has but a single driver. If there is more than one driver in control, the car will not ride smoothly. Likewise, every human being should be possessed of a single soul. If a human being were to have more than one soul, he would not be capable of acting or speaking normally. An animal's soul will become part of the person who consumed it and this soul will influence this person by taking over control of his life and breaking the rules of normal and healthy functioning so that he will lose his direction in life.

Life depends on energy, i.e., food. As a matter of fact, men eat in order to supplement their energy supply. This energy came originally from the sun, which is the true source of all life on Earth. The vital process by which the Sun's energy is captured for use by plants is called photosynthesis. Plants carry out photosynthesis by transforming energy from light, carbon dioxide from air, and water from soil into a chemical form which is stored inside plants themselves. When carrying out photosynthesis, plants also release oxygen so that they serve not only as a source of energy but also of oxygen. Animals themselves do not produce food. The protein and fat in animals come from the plants or other animals that they ingest. Human beings have to kill animals before they eat meat. However, plants serve as a plentiful source of nourishment and oxygen for humans and other living creatures since they grow in abundance on earth and easily reproduce; at the same time the very carbon dioxide which is exhaled as a waste product by animals serves as a source of energy for plants. Even the excrement and carcass of animals are used as plant fertilizers. The inorganic substances that are produced through the process of photosynthesis are released into the soil. This natural cycle is beneficial to the whole structure of the earth and is the natural function of the earth's metabolism. This is the proper and natural way for humans and other creatures to coexist.

The human body requires vegetarian food; but when meat is consumed, the body needs to change and restructure its tissue before the body can use it to power its own chemical reaction. This can be compared to the huge supply of capital and time required when a factory owner is forced to retrain his staff.

Even though enzymes manufactured in the human body are capable of breaking down fats, proteins, and starches into chemicals that can be absorbed by the human digestive tract, these enzymes can not alter the temper and nature of the soul of the animal that has been ingested. A vast amount of energy is required to dissipate the temper and habits of the animal that are left in one's body. Even worse, it may prove impossible to rid oneself of this beastial nature which in turn can exert a great influence on one's human nature.

Let me use once again the metaphor of a factory as a human body to expound in greater detail the harm that eating meat can have on a human being. A factory requires a labor force to develop its business or manufacture its products, and those who apply to work for the factory mostly need to earn a living salary and perhaps want to broaden their skills and develop their interests and working experience. The hiring process is beneficial to both the management and the worker. However, different workers may have different reasons for applying for a job. Some may want to take over the company or to steal some business secrets or technology so that they can compete against the company in the future. Such workers usually perform well at first and work hard to bring some success to the company in order to gain the trust of the owner. Their ultimate purpose, however, to lead the company into ruin. These workers function in their company as animal food does to the human body. When an animal is killed, its soul does not die. Moreover, the memory of death remains alive in the soul, so that the soul will seek out chances for revenge. Even if an animal allows itself to be devoured due to its limited mental capacity, its soul will attach itself to your body and will interfere with your judgments and decision-making.

The form and the physical structure of animals differs from those of plants. However, the differences are illusory. Actually, the physical structure of both animals and plants is composed of cells that are basically identical. This is especially true of the cells of lower animals and those of the plants. Biological research has revealed that the biggest difference between animals and plants is that animals can move while plants are sessile in nature. Animal cells do not have cell walls or have cell walls that are composed of nitrogen, while those of plants are composed of fiber. Both animals and plants need nourishment to supply the energy that they consume in building up their bodies and live by means of chemical processed. Animal and plant bodies are composed of the same chemical compounds which include water, carbohydrates, inorganic salts, lipids, and proteins, and both animals and plants can directly absorb water and inorganic salts.

Animal cells are capable of absorbing only carbohydrates and proteins which exist in complex forms of organic compounds. This indicates that animal sparasitize on other animals and plants. The physical structure and form of multi-celled animals are different from those of plants. The physical structure and form of multi-celled animals are different from those of plants. However, animals and plants have followed evolutionary paths deriving from the same source. This can be proved from the fact that the physical structure of the more primitive microorganisms (e.g., such protozoa as bacteria) is not significantly different from that of plants.

The above theory is derived from research on plant and animal physiology without consideration of the mental processes of animals. The current level of scientific technology is not yet capable of exploring the nature and characteristics of these processes in flora and fauna. Therefore, all judgments and statements are Mad strictly form observations of their reaction to external stimuli.

In the past few decades, more and more people have begun to suffer from high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer. Consequently, the medical and scientific communities have been focusing their research on dietary trends. This has in turn given rise to the growing popularity of vegetarianism. Many people who care about their health have become vegetarians because they came to realize that meat contains excessive amounts of fats and other carcinogen. Many women have opted for a vegetarian diet in order to shed weight or maintain a slim figure, or to attain the beautifying effect vegetarian food has on one's complexion. However, vegetarianism still has not reached every household. Some vegetarians have even given up on a no-meat diet and reverted to their old habits due to their unwillingness to cause any inconvenience to their families. Others think that it is too difficult to become accustomed to a completely vegetarian diet.

I would like to share with you my experience of being a vegetarian and m research on vegetarianism of the past few decades in the hope that you will turn to vegetarianism once you understand both the importance and the benefits of a vegetarian diet. When everyone in the world become vegetarians, not only will this put a stop to needless killing and the destructive tendencies that are threatening our endangered earth, but all of us will come to lead happier and healthier lives in a true paradise.