Acharya Prashant addresses the question of whether meat shops should be closed during Navratri by stating that they should be closed not just for nine days, but always, for all 365 days of the year. He asserts that a living being's right to live is far superior to a human's right to eat for taste. While acknowledging that one has the right to eat what they choose, he emphasizes that the being one eats also has a right to live, and this right to life is much higher than the right to taste. He states that one has no right to kill a living being, end its life, and chew on it for the pleasure of the tongue. He agrees that meat shops should be closed during Navratri but insists they should remain locked forever, calling the act of knowingly killing an animal for food a sin. He dismisses common justifications for meat-eatingтАФsuch as protein content, the argument that plants also have life, or supposed scriptural permissionsтАФas foolish arguments. The only real reason left, he says, is a helpless addiction to taste, which is akin to being a savage or an animal. He also criticizes those who only advocate for a temporary ban during Navratri, stating they are not much better than those who want to eat meat during the festival. Acharya Prashant quotes Kabir Saheb, who called a meat-eater a "visible demon" and advised against their company. He explains that an animal is an undeveloped consciousness, and humans, while a step above, are also undeveloped consciousnesses with a long way to go. Lacking compassion for an animal shows a lack of compassion for oneself. The one who kills an animal is their own murderer, as this violence closes the doors to love, joy, and liberation, leading to a miserable life. Therefore, he concludes, meat-eating is not just about the tongue; it is about destroying one's own life by taking another's.
