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Summary of Question:	Meat Eating.
Category:	Other
Date Posted:	Friday, 10/20/2000 12:35 AM MDT

Sat-Sri-Akal! Waheguru ji ka khalsa, Waheguru ji ki fateh!

I would like to ask regarding eating of meat in our religion. I would like to know whether it has been written in our Guru Granth Sahib ji that we shouldn't eat meat. This is because i'm really confused about the issue since some Gianis say that we are allowed to eat meat whereas others say that we shouldn't. Where as some say that you can eat meat only when you don't have access to the vegetarian diet e.g. when one is in the forest & there is nothing else to eat apart from meat. So whom should we listen to? Could you please assist in this issue.
Sat-Sri-Akal & May Waheguru bless you.

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This meat topic has been a controversy for a long while. It is no wonder that you are confused.

The reference in Siri Guru Granth Sahib that I can refer you to is on Page 16, Sri Raag, Guru Nanak-3rd shabd on the page
Baba hor khaanaa khusee khu-aar. Jit khaadhai tan peelee-ai man meh chaleh vikaar. "O brother, ruinous is the happiness of other food. By eating which the body is crusheed and sin enters the mind"

It is saying, that food should not be taken which spoils the body and mind. Meat lies in the body for over 24 hours and putrefies within us giving us bad body odor. Vegetatian food is quickly digested and eliminated. You should only eat what you can digest. The feelings of the animals eaten will also fill us and bog us down with excessive feelings and emotions.

The Guruka Langar becomes the role model for the food of the Sikh. It is food for everybody, the common man's food, and the food that we make a habit of eating. There is no langar where animal or egg is served.