Does eating meat or non-vegetarian food impact one’s Karma? Does it create negative implications? Should people eat less or avoid animal-based food? 

These are a few of the frequently asked questions. But the answers to these are not very straightforward, as intention matters more than actions; however, before we get there, let’s try to understand the food-related concept of Karma.

As per the laws of Karma, every action done to get something in return has an equal reaction; this also applies to harming animals or plants. 

While various scriptures discuss this topic, the best discussion is available in the Anushasan Parva of Mahabharata, where Bhishma imparts knowledge to Yudhishthira. 

As per Bhishma, the Karmic bondage created by killing an animal for eating falls equally on five people/entities involved in the whole chain, which includes one who kills the animal, one who dismembers and sells their meat, one who transports it, the one who cooks, and finally, the one who eats it. 

The pain the animal has gone through while getting killed has to be repaid in equal kind by these five entities in this or future births.

To make matters worse, the way the current food industry works, most of the animals killed for food are raised for food, and they know for many days in advance that they are going to get killed, and they live in a state of terror. 

They are also mostly kept without food, and in many traditions, they get killed slowly, leading to a longer time to die, creating more pain and misery for animals. 

Additionally, most of these animals are raised in very inhumane conditions, fed with a lot of artificial food so that they grow faster, and many times, they grow so fat that they cannot even walk. 

Worst of all, they are killed at a very tender age, even before they can fulfill any of their animal desires, as somebody is craving for their flesh.

This way, our modern food industry only accentuates the amount of Karma one needs to repay as animals go through a lot of miseries.

If we eat meat to fulfill our cravings for the flesh, we need to repay all the miseries above in equal kind in this or future lives.

But that is not always the case. 

For example, if soldiers want to eat meat to build muscles to do their duties of defending their country better, in that case, given that the intention is not one’s own cravings but to fulfill social obligation or duty, then they become free from any karmic implications.

On the other hand, if one wants to eat meat to build muscles to show off, then in that case, given that intentions are selfish, the karmic implications become applicable.

BTW, Given that laws of Karma apply to harming animals or plants equally, vegetarians or vegans are also not off the hook. Let’s cover their situation in another post.