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Hare Krishna!

Many arguments are made in this respect, that as long as we don't cut the animal we do not incur sin.

In the Mahabharata, there is a verse which states that one who sells the animal, one who buys the animal, one cuts the animal,one who cooks the animal, one who serves the animal and one who eats the animal, all are bound equally by the chain of Karma.

But leaving the spiritual aspect of it, anatomically, the human body is not structured to eat animal flesh. Studies have shown the length of the intestine of a tiger is 4 times the length of it's torso so when it eats flesh the toxins in the flesh are not kept for long in the intestine and are expelled at the earliest. Also the concentration of acid secreted in the stomach is so strong that it burns the bacteria in the flesh. While in the cow, the length of the intestine is 12 times it's torso and so the food takes longer time to be expelled from the body. We have seen that the incidence of the Mad Cow disease (bovine spongi

Srila Narahari Sakara Thakura states in his Sri Krsna Bhajanamrta:

Verse 64
However, if the spiritual master:
-acts enviously towards 'isvarebrantah', that which is connected with the Supreme;
-is bewildered regarding the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
-is averse to expanding the fame of Lord Krsna;
-personally refuses to accept hearing or chanting about the glorious pastimes of Lord Sri Krsna; has become totally bewildered, listening to the false praise of ignorant persons and day by day is more materially contaminated and fallen then the spiritual master must be renounced.

Verse 65
Under those circumstances one should not doubt, "How can I give up my spiritual master?" With a strong desire for achieving spontaneous devotional service and attaining the lotus feet of Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a devotee accepts the shelter of a spiritual master, if that spiritual master takes on "asuric" qualities or a demoniac mentality then it is one's duty to reject such a de

From Ashtara site; Responding to debate about the nature of Godhead

One thing for sure, our intellectualizations will not effect Godhead in one iota !  We are describing an approximation, what we ourselves currently understand to be God. That is alright, but is there a higher, closer approach possible? Considering that we are souls, and that the body is temporary and limited, then if we can breach these limits, then we can progress on to something true-er.

That is where meditation, prayer, chanting, devotionally-inspired  musics, performing austerities, and constant performance of devotional sevice come in. These are not intellectual processes per se, but heart based.

By hearing from the guru, saints, sastra (scripture) , thus giving up our egos built on the bastion of currently limited intelligence, we are given absolute revealed knowledge. Revealed knolwedge is not stagnant or rigid, but becomes rigidified as we bring it again down to within the realm of our speculative and processin