Does Hinduism prohibit eating meat?

The question of meat consumption is a very important one, but with no clearly defined answer. As is with many aspects of the religion, every Hindu is able to decide individually how they interpret it . In no Hindu text is meat consumption clearly prohibited, but it is very strongly suggested against its consumption, and this belief is adhered to by a large number of Hindus.

There is a concept of unity of all life and all creatures with God. Hindus believe that every living creature is a part of God, and that God is within every living creature. All living beings, not just humans, are sacred, and it is believed that no injury should be brought on to any living being. In addition, when an animal, just like a human, is killed, it brings sorrow and pain to the actual creature and those related to it.

A meat consumer’s desire for meat leads another to kill an animal and provide meat. Slaughter houses and breeding of animals purely for the intent of killing them for their meat begins with the desire of the consumer. Meat consumption naturally leads to a violent mentality, and when one ingests meat he absorbs the slaughtered creature’s pain, terror, and fear.

Hindu scriptures suggest how what we eat truly does affect our personality, actions, and our thoughts. Eating flesh, with all of its gross qualities and consuming the violence locked within it, leads to an increase in anger, a weakness to lust, and other negative qualities. With the chemicals of killed flesh active in our systems, we can never transcend into a higher level of consciousness. In order to lead a moral life, we must eat pure and satvic foods.

In addition, the Gita suggests that since God resides within our bodies, all our consumption is an offering to God. Ancient Hindu scriptures (which not only contained spiritual knowledge, but ’scientific’ knowledge) also suggest many nutritional and dietary reasons why flesh consumption is detrimental to our health, and how our human body is not designed for it.

http://www.cmu-om.org/Hinduism.html