Today, scientists and researchers around the world are finding more and more evidence in favour of the renunciation of meat and the transition to a vegetarian lifestyle. They argue that not only does vegetarianism lead to benefits for health, but also that there are economic and ecological reasons that can improve the state of our natural environment.
However, vegetarianism has existed since ancient times, and up to the present day some religions have preserved periods of fasting that place temporary restrictions on eating meat. So, what is the main harm of meat?
As long ago as the 18th century, the famous German physician Franz Mesmer developed a theory of “animal magnetism,” according to which every living being has a special magnetic energy that can be transferred to others. Helena Blavatsky confirmed this theory from the esoteric point of view and also added that animal meat, when it is eaten by people, endows them with the characteristics of the animal to which it belonged.
Thus, from this point of view, the most negative effect on people is exerted by the meat of large, warm-blooded animals that stand very close to the Human Kingdom on the Ladder of Evolution; the effect is manifested to a lesser extent with the meat of birds and even less with fish, which are closer to the Vegetable Kingdom. Moreover, one danger of animal meat lies in the fact that it may contain a large amount of blood, which bears within itself the formula of the karmic interconnection of the entire Animal Kingdom. And, in consuming meat, we leave particles of these energies in our own cells. Furthermore, if we take into account the fact that in our present environmental state most animals have various malignant diseases which “migrate” into our own body when we eat their meat, then it is not surprising that in 2015, after thorough research, the World Health Organization included meat products on its list of carcinogenic substances.
Later a new facet of the answer to our question was revealed in the Agni Yoga series by Helena Roerich, who continued the mission of Helena Blavatsky in the 20th century. As we know, behind the creation of Agni Yoga was the same Master Morya who helped Blavatsky in the writing of The Secret Doctrine. According to Agni Yoga, there is a poison called imperil. Living beings secrete it when experiencing negative emotions, and this poison is deposited on the walls of nerve channels in the form of invisible crystals. These are spread throughout the body, and also emitted into space as invisible, malodorous gas, poisoning everything around.
It is well known that animals sense when they are in danger or are about to be killed, regardless of the method. From fear — the strongest negative emotion — an enormous amount of imperil is emitted into their blood that poisons their tissues. And then, without the necessary processing to remove this poison, people go on to eat meat in which imperil has been crystallized. Of course, if we say that we are what we eat, then this does not bring anything positive for us in terms of our health, not only physical but also spiritual.
Moreover, the emanations of imperil contained in the products of decomposition (besides meat, it is also alcohol and drugs), attract the lowest entities of the Subtle World, for whom this is a kind of food. Like piranhas, they surround people eating such foods and bite into their auras. If one’s aura is weak, then these entities will soon become real parasites that stimulate their victim to develop and establish bad habits and addictions, as well as to constantly generate negative emotions, thoughts, and moods — everything that will supply them with abundant food in the form of emanations of imperil.
However, in the mountainous or desert areas where a good many people live, neither fruit trees nor vegetables grow, and there is no fish or other seafood. This makes it simply impossible to be a vegetarian there. But the local people know special ways of cooking meat to clean it of imperil as much as possible. For example, in Mongolia meat is dried in the Sun; the meat crystallizes the energy of the Sun and loses its malignant nature. And in many monasteries in Tibet monks know how to “neutralize” meat by soaking or cooking it with the use of certain herbs, some of which grow even under the snow.
Moreover, as we know from the works of Helena Blavatsky and Helena Roerich, many accepted disciples of the Himalayan Masters of Wisdom were Tibetans, who were mainly meat-eaters for the above reasons. And many Great Saints did not renounce meat. Thus, we see that vegetarianism is not a determining factor for the path of spiritual growth. After all, a person may be a vegetarian, yet be spiteful and poison everyone and everything around with their venom. Vegetarianism itself does not say much. Both cows and elephants are vegetarians, but how many of them have become saints?
Furthermore, Christ said: “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man” (Matthew 15:11). So our first priority must be to look after the purity of our thoughts, words, and actions — all of which, in their negative manifestations, have consequences in the form of deposits of imperil crystals in our body, even more than in the meat of animals.
At the same time, positive qualities such as love, compassion, joy and many others are also deposited in the form of invisible crystals which are called Ringsels in Tibet and become visible only after contact with fire. These crystallized positive energies can serve as an antidote that can neutralize both the poison of imperil and animal magnetism, as well as act to protect us from invisible vampires by turning our aura into a fiery shield.
Many people, as their consciousness expands and grows, themselves come to the thought of renouncing meat — not only out of respect for their own physical and spiritual health, but also out of compassion for animals. However, it is important to emphasize that renunciation should not be abrupt but gradual, so as to do no harm and avoid causing a shock to the body.
Nevertheless, there are people who have genuinely tried to become vegetarians, but whose health simply has not allowed them to adapt to this new lifestyle. After all, each body acts as a small universe with its own laws. And we cannot deny that in meat there are indeed some elements that are absent in other foods, but which are essential for certain categories of people. In such cases, forcible renunciation will bring little benefit. In this case one can only try to restrict one’s intake of the meat of large animals, switching to poultry and fish.
Everything must be done on a strictly individual basis. And we should not forget that our own shortcomings and vices, as well as a negative attitude towards those around us, poison our souls much more strongly than meat. We should always remember the essential quality of adequacy, even when it comes to eating. Of course, people who have burdened themselves with long-lasting consumption of meat require purification, and here the foods prescribed by a vegetarian diet will be the best assistants. Still, fanaticism in this matter may do more harm than good. And this is why, when giving up meat-eating, we first of all must understand at a profound level: Why are we taking this step? And it is truly a very important one, because the “obese” astral body, shot through with harmful emanations, burdens our higher principles too much, and they are unable to sound at the proper height so as to help our soul to accept and assimilate divine currents, right down to the cellular level. However, at the same time, it is necessary to protect our “physical instrument” when we tune the strings of our soul, so that our stellar spirit will be capable of reproducing an all-conquering Melody of Life.
Zinovya Dushkova, Ph.D., is an award-winning Russian author, poet, philosopher, and historian who has devoted more than thirty years to the acquisition of the secret wisdom underlying all known religions and philosophies. Her spiritual quest has taken her to remote Buddhist monasteries and sacred Abodes hidden within mountains and deserts in Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia, and India. In 1995, she gained admittance to the secret Book of Dzyan and revealed its new excerpt in The Book of Secret Wisdom. Dr. Dushkova’s major work is The Teaching of the Heart series. For more information, please visit her website at: www.dushkova.com/en.