If we look at the lives of the Gurus we should try to emulate as much of them as possible because we regard

their lives as ideal living, then this should be part of it.

In Hukamnamas (edicts) collected by the 20th century famous Sikh historian, Dr. Ganda Singh,

published in his book "Hukamnamas" (p. 64-65) Guru Hargobind Sahib's edicts state:

ਮਾ�ਸ ਮਾਛੀ� ਦੇ� ਨੇ� ੜੇ� ਨੇਹੀਂ� ਆਵਣਾ�"Do not come near (i.e. consume)

meat and fish."(Hukamnama of 6th Guru found at Sri Harimandir Sahib, Patna Sahib)

ਕਬੀ�ਰ ਭਾਂ��ਗ ਮਾ�ਛੀ�ਲੀ� ਸ�ਰ� ਪਾ�ਨਿਨੇ ਜੋ� ਜੋ� ਪਾ��ਨੇ� ਖਾਂ��ਨਿਹੀਂ ॥ਤੀ�ਰਥ ਬੀਰਤੀ ਨੇ� ਮਾ ਕ�ਏ ਤੀ� ਸਭਾਂ! ਰਸ�ਤੀਨਿਲੀ ਜੋ��ਨਿਹੀਂ ॥੨੩੩॥"O Kabeer! Those mortals who consume marijuana, fish and wine - no matter what pilgrimages, fasts and rituals they follow, they will all go to hell. ||233||"

ਕ�ਹੀਂ! ਕਸ�ਈ ਬੀਕਰ� ਲੀ�ਇ ਲੀ'ਣਾ ਸ�ਖਾਂ ਮਾ�ਸ� ਪਾਰ�ਆ ॥ ਹੀਂਨਿਸ ਹੀਂਨਿਸ ਬੀ�ਲੀ� ਕ�ਹੀਂ�ਦੇ� ਖਾਂ�ਧੇ� ਅਨਿਕ ਹੀਂ�ਲੀ� ਇਹੀਂ� ਹੀਂ�ਆ॥ ਮਾ�ਸ ਖਾਂ�ਨਿਨੇ ਨਿਗਲੀ ਛੀ�ਰ� ਦੇ� ਹੀਂ�ਲੀ� ਨਿਤੀਨੇ�ੜੇ� ਕਉਣਾ� ਅਲੀ�ਆ ॥"Goat is being killed, cut into pieces, and salt being spread on the pieces. While being killed goat says this all happened to me while I was just eating 'Ak' plant (weed found in India's desert fields). What will be the fate of those in the Court of the Lord who cut my throat with a knife and eat my meat?"(Vaar 37, Pauri 21)

ਜੋ� ਰਤੀ� ਲੀਗ! ਕਪਾੜੇ! ਜੋ�ਮਾ� ਹੀਂ�ਇ ਪਾਲੀ�ਤੀ� ॥ਜੋ� ਰਤੀ� ਪਾ�ਵਨਿਹੀਂ ਮਾ�ਣਾਸ� ਨਿਤੀਨੇ ਨਿਕਉ ਨਿਨੇਰਮਾਲੀ� ਚੀ�ਤੀ� ॥ਨੇ�ਨੇਕ ਨੇ�ਉ ਖਾਂ�ਦੇ�ਇ ਕ� ਨਿਦੇਨਿਲੀ ਹੀਂਛੀ! ਮਾ�ਨਿਖਾਂ ਲੀ�ਹੀਂ� ॥ਅਵਨਿਰ ਨਿਦੇਵ�ਜੋ� ਦੇ�ਨੇ� ਕ� ਝੂ'ਠੇ� ਅਮਾਲੀ ਕਰ�ਹੀਂ� ॥੧॥"If one's clothes are stained with blood, the garment becomes polluted. Those who drink the blood of others - how can those people's consciousness be pure?"(Ang 140)

ਜੋ�ਅ ਬੀਧੇਹੀਂ� ਸ� ਧੇਰਮਾ� ਕਨਿਰ ਥ�ਪਾਹੀਂ� ਅਧੇਰਮਾ� ਕਹੀਂਹੀਂ� ਕਤੀ ਭਾਂ�ਈ ॥ਆਪਾਸ ਕਉ ਮਾ�ਨਿਨੇਵਰ ਕਨਿਰ ਥ�ਪਾਹੀਂ� ਕ� ਕਉ ਕਹੀਂਹੀਂ� ਕਸ�ਈ ॥2॥"You kill living beings, and call it a righteous action. Tell me, brother, what would you call an unrighteous action? If you religious people are doing "religious" killing for meat, then what is A-dharam (atheism)? If you are a religious person then whom will we call a butcher? ||2||” (Ang 1103)

ਕਬੀ�ਰ ਜੋ�ਰ� ਕ�ਆ ਸ� ਜੋ�ਲੀਮਾ� ਹੀਂ! ਲੀ�ਇ ਜੋਬੀ�ਬੀ� ਖਾਂ�ਦੇ�ਇ ॥ਦੇਫਤੀਨਿਰ ਲੀ�ਖਾਂ� ਨੇ�ਕਸ! ਮਾ�ਰ ਮਾ�ਹੀਂ! ਮਾ�ਨਿਹੀਂ ਖਾਂ�ਇ ॥੨੦੦॥"O Kabeer! It is tyranny to use force and kill; the Lord shall call you to account. When your account is called for, your face and mouth shall be beaten. ||200||"(SGGS - Ang 1375)

ਸਰਜੋ�ਉ ਕ�ਟਨਿਹੀਂ ਨਿਨੇਰਜੋ�ਉ ਪਾ'ਜੋਨਿਹੀਂ ਅ2ਤੀ ਕ�ਲੀ ਕਉ ਭਾਂ�ਰ� ॥"You kill living beings and worship lifeless things, at your very last moment you will suffer terrible pain.” (SGGS - Ang 332)

ਦੇ'ਖਾਂ� ਨੇ ਦੇ�ਈ ਨਿਕਸ! ਜੋ�ਅ ਪਾਨਿਤੀ ਨਿਸਉ ਘਨਿਰ ਜੋ�ਵਉ ॥"Do not cause any being to suffer, and you shall go to your true home with honour."

(Ang 322)

ਰ�ਖਾਂ� ਸ�ਖਾਂ� ਖਾਂ�ਇ ਕ! ਠੇ2 ਢਾ� ਪਾ�ਣਾ� ਪਾ�ਉ ॥ Eat dry bread, and drink cold water. (Ang 1379 )

ਕਬੀ�ਰ ਖਾਂ'ਬੀ� ਖਾਂ�ਨੇ� ਖਾਂ�ਚੀਰ� ਜੋ� ਮਾਨਿਹੀਂ ਅ2ਨਿਮਾ�ਤੀ� ਲੀ�ਨੇ� ॥ਹੀਂ�ਰ� ਰ�ਟ� ਕ�ਰਨੇ� ਗਲੀ� ਕਟ�ਵ! ਕਉਨੇ� ॥੧੮੮॥O Kabeer! (Despite the Mullah eating meat, believing he is within God's Law) eating the dinner of beans and rice is excellent, in which there is only salt. Who would cut his throat (in paying for the sin) to have meat with his bread? ||188|| (Ang 1374)

A few of the many health benefits of being Vegetarian:

§ Meat is full of traces of antibiotics, hormones, toxins produced by stress & pesticide residues that become concentrated from all the crops they have eaten

§ Vegetarians have lower blood pressure & cholesterol levels - high levels are associated with heart disease, strokes & kidney failure

§ Vegetarians have a 40% reduced level of cancer than the general population

§ 80% of food poisoning is due to infected meat (faeces, bacteria etc.) after all meat is decomposing flesh - most of the rest is due to salmonella in eggs

§ Meat eaters are 2.5x more likely to get bowel cancer than Vegetarians

§ Meat eaters have double the rate of Alzheimers disease than Vegetarians

§ Vegetarians have a reduced risk of developing gall & kidney stones

§ Vegetarians have 24% reduced risk of getting heart disease (heart disease is the biggest killer in the UK accounting for 50% of deaths)

§ Vegetarians have a 20% lower rate of mortality from all causes (ie. they live longer & don't get sick as often)

§ Vegetarians have a 50% reduced risk of dying of diabetes

ਭਈ ਪਰਾ�ਪਤਿ� ਮਾ�ਨੁ�ਖ ਦੇ�ਹੁ�ਰਾ�ਆ ॥ ਗੋ�ਤਿ��ਦੇ ਤਿਮਾਲਣ ਕੀ� ਇਹੁ ��ਰਾ� �ਰਾ�ਆ ॥ This human body has been given to you. This is your chance to meet the Lord of the

Universe. (Guru Arjan Dev Ji in So Purakh on Pannaa 12 )

ਜਪਹੁ� � ਏਕੀ� ਨੁ�ਮਾ� ॥ ਅਵਤਿਰਾ ਤਿਨੁਰਾ�ਫਲ ਕੀ�ਮਾ� ॥੧॥ ਰਾਹੁ�ਉ ॥ Chant the Name of the One Lord. All other actions are fruitless. (Guru Nanak Dev Ji in Raag

Soohee on Pannaa 728)

ਅ� ਕੀਲ" ਆਇਓ ਰਾ� ॥ ਇਕੀ� ਨੁ�ਮਾ� ��ਵਹੁ� ��ਵਹੁ� ॥ Now, the Dark Age of Kali Yuga has come. Plant the Naam, the Name of the One

Lord. (Guru Arjan Dev Ji in Raag Basant on Pannaa 1185)

ਹੁਤਿਰਾ ਤਿ$ਮਾਰਾਨੁ ਤਿ�ਨੁ� ਨੁਰਾਤਿਕੀ ਪ�ਤਿਹੁ ॥ Without meditating in remembrance on the Lord, he falls into hell. (Guru Arjan Dev Ji in Raag

Basant on Pannaa 1192)

$%� ਪਤਿ� $%� ਭਗੋਵ�ਨੁ ਭਜ� ਤਿ�ਨੁ� ਅ�� ਕੀਉ ਅ�� ਕੀ� ਧਾ�ਮਾ ਤਿ$ਧਾ�ਰਾ� ॥੩॥੨੩॥ But without worshipping the name of the Lord of Wealth, the Supreme Being, they

depart in the end to the abode of Yama (Hell). (Guru Gobind Singh in Dasam Granth on Pannaa 34 )