Holy Cow

Hindus believe that since the dawn of civilisation, the animal that stands out as the special friend of man is the humble cow. No other animal has been such a loyal and gentle provider to mankind. When we wish to extend the idea of reverence for live into the animal kingdom, the most appropriate candidate to receive our reverence has to be the cow. Hence Hindus do not eat beef.

Hindus do not insist on vegetarianism, but recommend it very highly. Vegetarinism practised by Hindus is likely to be a legacy from the Buddhist and Jain traditions that laid a great deal of emphasis on the principle of 'ahimsa' - non violence. The cruely suffered by animals reared for human consumption should be reason enough to become vegetarian.