Acharya Prashant responds to a question about the morality of eating meat versus vegetables by shifting the focus from the external act to the internal state of the individual. He advises to stop worrying about animals or vegetables and instead ask, "Am I conscious while doing what I am doing?" He states that there are only two things that make life worth living: consciousness and love. The issue is not about the act of eating itself, but about the state of mind with which any action is performed. Applying this to the question, he explains that one should not ask whether eating meat is right or wrong, but rather inquire into the state of one's mind while eating it. If one can eat meat, such as fish, while being filled with love, then there is no fault in it. However, if the act is driven by subtle violence, then that violent mindset will permeate all aspects of life. When filled with violence, one's relationship with any flesh, including that of one's own family, becomes one of exploitation to satisfy hunger. The act of tearing flesh with teeth is inherently an act of violence. The speaker emphasizes that the matter is not about the other being who is killed or eaten, but about oneself. The crucial questions are: "What are you doing to yourself? In what state are you living?" The real issue is who is performing the action and with what motivation, because one has to live with their own internal state. He points out that if one is filled with violence, anger, and deceit, it becomes impossible to live peacefully with oneself. He also dismisses the notion that vegetarians are inherently non-violent, stating that many are extremely violent in other ways. He concludes that vegetarianism or non-violence is not primarily about compassion for others but is a consequence of one's own inner state. When understanding arises, it becomes difficult to cause pain. While acknowledging that as a living being one cannot completely avoid causing harm—as even breathing and walking kill microorganisms—he asserts that if understanding has arisen, one will do what is within their limited capacity to avoid inflicting pain. He states that it is certainly within one's capacity to live without eating a chicken.