Why Balinesse No Eat Beef?

Why Balinesse No Eat Beef?

By I Dewa Gede Alit Udayana

Almost every Balinese who is Hindu, who really deepens Hindu spirituality, is very abstain from eating beef. In fact, many Hindu monks do not eat meat from all kinds of animals or lead a vegetarian life. According to I Ketut Wiana in the preface to the book The Greatness of the Cow According to the Veda writings Made Darmayasa (2008), those who do not eat beef are not because they think cows are haram, or ugly animals.

               Then why not eat beef? There are a variety of compelling reasons why cows should not be cut and eaten by meat. The first reason, cows are animals that are very meritorious in human life. Cows help cultivate agricultural land, produce milk that can meet community nutrition. The second reason, and precisely this is the most important, cows for Hindus are believed to be sacred animals. Hindu holy books mention that. But don't be mistaken for the very different meaning between respect and worship. Hindus respect cows but not worship them. Hindus only worship God. "Eko narayanan na dwityo sti kascit", but respects the entire creation of God, especially so-called "mother". In this context, cows deserve the title of "mother" because even though they do not give birth to humans but provide food and medicine for humans, besides contributing to helping humans in their daily lives, for example plowing the fields. In the Hindu tradition, there are several entities that can be referred to as mothers that we must respect, namely: (1) Mothers who give birth to us, namely our own biological mothers, (2) Mothers who breastfeed us even though they do not contain us, (3) Mothers who nurture and care for us even if we don't give birth and breastfeed us. In this context, the cow who has provided milk and panca gavya sources in Ayur Vedic medicine is also the mother.

In Bhagavadgitha III.10 it is suggested that there is a reciprocal relationship based on yadnya between Prajapati, Praja, and Kamadhuk. Prajapati is God as the King of the Universe, Praja is a human being, the most complete living creature because it has Tri Pramana which is word (sound), bayu (energy), and limp (mind). Kamadhuk in Bhagavadgita is a cow, "belonging" to Lord Indra who is able to fulfill all desires desired by humans. According to Wiana (1993), cattle in Hindu myths are widely used in symbols of the universe, or symbols of the earth. The earth that is occupied by humans, animals and plants, is the source of property that can satisfy human desires or kama. Apart from Bhagavadgitha, the majesty and sanctity of cows is also referred to in the Vedic Chess, and many others.

               Darmayasa (1993) in his book The Greatness of the Cow According to the Vedas, writes: "gavah visvasyah matarah which means that the cow is the mother of the whole world. The cow is what is always glorified by all the holy books, which is always worshiped by the saints, who are so gentle, whose eyes are so peaceful that they radiate love to everyone, even that peaceful view of friendship is aimed at the person standing in front of him carrying sharp objects with the aim kill him. The cow is the only animal that offers its soul, body, and even its excrement to other creatures, it is loved by the gods, especially Sri Krsna. Gavah visvasyah matarah, cow is the mother of the whole world. Based on that one sentence, it is understandable why you don't want to kill a cow, let alone eat meat.

               If cows are believed to be sacred animals, in addition to being very meritorious for human life, it is understood that Balinese Hindus who are very serious in undergoing Hindu spirituality abstain from eating beef. So according to Hindu teachings, will a human being have the heart to kill a cow and eat its meat? While cows have provided many benefits in their lives. Therefore, most Hindus in the world abstain from consuming beef. And it is not surprising that there are many cow statues found in ancient sites and sacred sites, as a form of respect for these animals.

For migrants who try their fortune in Bali, who happen to be selling food, understand that beef-based food will not sell well in Bali. Meatballs for example, the Balinese buyers often ask: "Using beef?" If the answer is yes, then the buyer often does not buy. Because they are very well-informed about it, they (migrants) who sell food generally will soon replace the basic ingredients of food from beef with chicken meat (Dr. Ir. I Dewa Gede Alit Udayana, MS., academist, living in Bangli)