The Peaceful Veg Diet - A Common Thread Amongst All Enlightened Masters, Part 2 of 4

In today's episode “The Peaceful Veg Diet – A Common Thread Amongst All Enlightened Masters, Part 2 of 4,” we will present to you the veg concept in Christianity.

The following are some of the excerpts from Christian teachings: Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” - Genesis

Lord Jesus Christ Himself was a vegetarian, and He forbid the eating of meat and offering of animals as sacrifice. In an interview with journalist Andrea Bonnie that was published in the Irish Independent newspaper in December 2008, Supreme Master Ching Hai addressed Lord Jesus’ teachings about a compassionate diet and biblical translation variances that may have led to misinterpretations.

“(Was Jesus a vegetarian? Are there passages in the Bible that talk about whether or not Jesus was a vegetarian?) He's a pure vegetarian. He came from the Essenes tradition, and the Essenes are vegetarian all the time. We have mentioned always in my talk that Jesus did never eat meat; clearly in the Bible, it's stated in many places that humans should not eat meat at all. ‘Be thou not among flesh eaters and wine drinkers. ’ ‘Meat for the belly, belly for the meat, and God will destroy both meat and them. ’ ‘Who told you to kill all the bullocks and the she-sheep to make offer for me? Please stop the killing of all these innocents. Wash your hands because they are full of blood. If you continue to do that, I will turn my head away when you pray. ’For example like that. ”

The largest surviving collection of Ebionite scriptures is the Clementine Homilies and the Recognitions of Clement, which are vegetarian gospels that condemn animal sacrifice in any form.

In addition, other defenses for vegetarianism/veganism are represented here with quotes from St. Clement of Alexandria, St. Francis of Assisi and other great personages in Christian tradition.

“All creatures have the same source as we have. Like us, they derive the life of thought, love, and will from the Creator. Not to hurt our humble brethren is our first duty to them; but to stop there is a complete misapprehension of the intentions of Providence. We have a higher mission. God wishes that we should succour them whenever they require it.” - St. Francis of Assisi