Namaste Ji.

Eating fish and meat may cause colon cancer, concluded a research

Meat eating encourages aggressive behavior, concluded another research

Eggs cause mostly fatal heart attacks is the conclusion of another research.

Albert Einstein said –

Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet!

Respected Acharya Ji, esteemed Judges and devotees.

My name is Havishkrit Arya and as beginning of my speech would have indicated- my topic for today is Longevity and Vegetarianism.

आर्य समाज के संस्थापक, वेदोद्धारक, महर्षि स्वामी दयानंद अपने अमर ग्रन्थ सत्यार्थ प्रकाश के दसवें समुल्लास में लिखते हैं –

जितना हिंसा और चोरी आदि से पदार्थों को प्राप्त होकर भोग करना है, वह अभक्ष्य और अहिंसा, धर्मादि कार्यों से प्राप्त होकर भोजनादि करना भक्ष्य है। जिन पदार्थों से स्वास्थ्य, रोगनाश, बुद्धि-बल-पराक्रम-वृद्धि और आयु बृद्धि होवे, उन तण्डुलादि, गोधूम, फल -मूल, कंद, दूध-घी, मिष्टादि पदार्थों का यथायोग्य मेल करके भोजन करना, भक्ष्य कहाता है।

In today’s world, many people eat meat because they like meat.  They have been eating meat since they were little and are now used to it. However, none of them may know the truth about what they are eating. Many of them would easily settle for lamb chops. But when they see a little cute lamb and play with it, then they cannot kill it. And when they are confronted with someone who is trying to convince to become vegetarian, they have only one point, “But meat gives us protein, and we would lose protein if we left meat.” Well, news flash: Protein is everywhere. Cheese, tofu, beans, lentils, yogurt, nuts, and even seeds have protein.  So being vegetarian does not cause a lack of protein. Rather, becoming vegetarian has many benefits.

Various studies have concluded that vegetarians have been found to have less risk of cardiovascular disease. Turning to vegetarianism is the number one best way to get rid of body fat. No counting calories, no going hungry. Just going vegetarian.  But still many people don’t care. They say, I will eat meat and live long. In actual life, those two things are mutually exclusive or rather I would say, opposite. Studies have concluded that people who are vegetarians, have an average of 13 more years of life than someone who is not. Need proof? In Okinawa Japan, an almost completely vegetarian city, it is found that the people there have the most life expectancy in the world.

The Atharvaveda says:

ब्रीहिमत्तं यवमत्तमथो माषमथो तिलम् |
एष वां भागो निहितो रत्नधेयाय दान्तौ मा हिंसिष्टं पितरं मातरं च || 

O teeth! You eat rice, you eat barley, you eat gram and you eat sesame. These cereals are specifically meant for you. Do not kill those who are capable of being fathers and mothers.

Food borne illnesses account for 5,000 deaths in the USA yearly. According to FDA, eating meat and poultry and other things like those is frequently the cause of many outbreaks. Also, it has been proven by research that fat from meat clogs arteries. Arteries transport oxygenated blood to the body. So if one eats meat, one’s arteries may have more chances of getting blocked, and one’s body does not get enough oxygen, and one loses energy quickly. Vegetables however do not clog our arteries, allowing for full passage of blood through the arteries. Moreover, meat production adversely impacts the environment which indirectly impacts our longevity!

Vegetarian foods increase longevity because they have all necessary nutrients needed for a healthy body, have optimum carbs and Vitamins needed for body, have better shelf life,  have little or no exposure to livestock drugs unlike  meat, doesn’t have dangerous bacteria and viruses found in meats and have lesser agricultural chemicals than meat.

We proudly call ourselves the followers of Shri Ram and Shri Krishna. Both were Maha Purush. Both led winning great wars. Both were vegetarians. A poet says in beautiful words about Shri Ram:

चौदह वर्षों तक ख़ूँख़ारी वन में जिसका धाम था

मन मंदिर में बसने वाला शाकाहारी राम था

चाहते तो खा सकते थे मांस पशु के ढेरों में

लेकिन उनको प्यार मिला शबरी के झूठे बेरों में

Let’s follow our great Maha purush and sages, for our own sake! Eat vegetarian, live healthy live long! Be vegetarian, be human so that we all can bring our following universal prayer true:

Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah, Sarve Santu Niraamayaah

Sarve Bhadraani Pashyantu, Ma kashchidduukh Bhaag Bhaved