Only fools argue whether to eat meat or not. They don't

Hear the radiant words of Guru Nanak, the first teacher of the Sikhs, who spoke beyond dogma and division: “Only fools argue whether to eat meat or not. They don’t understand truth, nor do they meditate on it. Who can define what is meat and what is plant? Who knows where the sin lies, being a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian?” In this teaching lies a timeless call to wisdom: the true path is not found in endless quarrels about the outward forms of life, but in the inward quest for truth. Men and women waste their breath in disputes, but the enlightened one asks not what enters the mouth, but what dwells in the heart.

The ancients knew that false arguments often divide where unity should reign. In many lands, sects rose against one another over rituals, diets, and customs, as if these outward matters could guarantee spiritual purity. Yet Nanak warns: such debates are the pursuits of the fool, for they distract from the essence of spiritual life. To call one practice holy and another sinful without deeper reflection is to mistake the shadow for the flame, the outer husk for the seed within. Meditation on truth—that is the true food of the soul.

Consider the life of the Buddha. In his day, ascetics starved themselves, believing that holiness lay in rejecting all pleasures of the body. Others indulged in excess, worshipping desire as their guide. The Buddha, walking the Middle Way, declared that neither starvation nor indulgence leads to enlightenment. So too does Guru Nanak point out that the dispute over meat or plant, over vegetarian or non-vegetarian, is but another form of missing the path. True spirituality does not reside in the plate, but in the purity of mind and the compassion of action.

The origin of these words is found in the debates of Nanak’s time. India, a land of diverse religions, was filled with arguments over dietary laws—some declaring meat impure, others defending its use. Nanak, the mystic of oneness, shattered both sides with his question: Who can even define what is meat and what is plant? For is not life present in both? Is not one being consumed for the sake of another in all forms of sustenance? The cycle of existence itself blurs these categories. Thus, he revealed that the higher question is not what we eat, but how we live.

This teaching carries a deep lesson for us today. In our world, too, we quarrel endlessly over appearances—over labels, customs, ideologies. We divide ourselves into camps, each proclaiming superiority, while neglecting the deeper quest: to know truth, to cultivate compassion, to live in harmony with the divine. Guru Nanak teaches us to rise above these arguments, to see that spiritual wisdom is not about outward distinctions, but about inner sincerity and reverence for life.

The lesson is clear: let us not waste our energy condemning or defending diets, customs, or rituals, while ignoring the essence of the spirit. Instead, let us focus on the substance: Do we live with kindness? Do we meditate on truth? Do we treat others with justice and compassion? These are the questions that define the soul’s purity. For outward acts may differ, but inward sincerity unites all seekers.

Practical steps follow. If you choose to eat meat, do so with mindfulness, gratitude, and restraint. If you choose vegetarianism, do so with humility, not with pride. Do not condemn others for their choices, but seek to purify your own heart. Above all, meditate on truth daily—through prayer, reflection, and compassionate action. Let your life itself become an offering, richer than any diet or ritual.

Thus Guru Nanak’s words endure like a lamp in the fog: fools argue over meat, but the wise seek truth. The question is not what lies upon your plate, but what lies within your heart. To be pure is not to eat this or that, but to live in love, to walk in truth, and to honor the divine in every breath. This is the path of the wise, the path that leads not to division, but to eternal unity.