#136 , DO VEGETARIANS THINK OF DEATH ALWAYS?

Swami Vivekananda wrote in his COMPLETE WORKS (Volume 5)
"We are vegetarians — most of our diseases are of the stomach; our old men and women generally die of stomach complaints. They of the West take meat — most of their diseases are of the heart; their old men and women generally die of heart or lung diseases. A learned doctor of the West observes that the people who have chronic stomach complaints generally tend to a melancholy and renouncing nature, and the people suffering from complaints of the heart and the upper parts of the body have always hope and faith to the last; the cholera patient is from the very beginning afraid of death, while the consumptive patient hopes to the last moment that he will recover. "Is it owing to this," my doctor friend may with good reasoning ask, "that the Indians always talk and think of death and renunciation?" As yet I have not been able to find a satisfactory answer to this; but the question seems to have an air of truth about it, and demands serious consideration. "


BLOGGER'S VIEW
Really?

2. Probable reasons and acceptable approximations, to be proved. 1. Historians suggest that Aryans have migrated to India from Central Asia / Latvia / North Pole or some other place. During the process of shifting the residences with men and cattle, thousands of people might have perished on the way while crossing mountains and rivers. Basis of this assumption: Vedas contain numerous prayers to God to protect their families and race, and cows.

2. Invasions from Northwest (Greeks, Huns, Arabs, Turks, Mangols, Moghuls .. this list is large) made the Indians to suffer loss of wealth, homes, women, etc. to the pillagers. The Indian villagers also suffered from attacks from neighbor kings, robbers like "thugs", "pindaris" and many others. Ramayana, Maha Bharata and Maha Bhagavata all the three books mention about "Abhiras" as robbers who conquered the renowned Arjuna. Arjuna himself invaded neighboring kingdoms, brought riches from there (whatever name you may use for that activity), stood in the midst of the riches, and took pride himself in being called "Dhananjaya". Thus Indian people have undergone insecurity from 326 BC to 1947 being robbed by somebody or the other. This insecurity and uncertainty might have made them to constantly think of death, salvation from hardships and renunciation. They badly longed for protection. Hence their prayers contain an appeal for protection to Gods and Goddesses. The existence of polytheism is owing to their accommodative pluralistic spirit and apart from a common sense belief that by changing a God/Goddess, their luck may change for better.

Comments

tomfire said…
o fool! praying for the protection doesn't imply anything of migration..............we didnot change gods for getting luck......"ekam sath vipra bahuda vadnti" do u know what it means.....One supreme thing is called in different ways by sages............It is in rigveda......it means praying to different god forms knowing that all are but one...........then why did people of western countries not think of renunciation so much inspite of engaging in constant warfares.....because they are just materialistic..........(not all of them).....go get some good nutritious food and good sleep....amul baby

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