Does vegetation have life?
In Vedaas, we have been instructed to eat vegetation to live. Vegetation, too, has soul, then, how is it possible that eating vegetation does not bring the sin of violence? Such sorts of questions are raised by non-vegetarians in their own defense. In vegetation, souls are present in slumber-like state. Cutting of vegetation cannot be compared with obtaining meat for the reason that not cutting a ripe vegetation refers to start of its degeneration process and that, too, without meeting any end. For example, non-cutting of ‘paalak’ et cetera, when they reach peak of their growth and let them meet their natural death can be called nothing but stupidity. For the reason that vegetation may not meet their natural degeneration process, man and all living beings have been instructed by vedaas to sustain their bodies through consumption of vegetation as per their respective needs.
Since, souls in vegetation are in slumber-like state, comparing cutting of vegetation with killing living being in sleep is foolishness only. Some foolish people argue that such sort of logic advocates that that killing of a soul is okay, if, it is done in its sleep. But, vegetation cannot come out of its slumber-like state on its own whereas other living beings wake up after a few hours of sleep.
Some non-vegetarians question about consumption of curd as if it is killing of millions of unseen organisms present in curd. In reply to this, it can be said that consumption of curd does not kill organisms present in it, but, only changes their place of living. Similarly, there are logical answers to the question of consumption of milk raised by certain non-vegetarians.
It is a pity that the scholars have not agreed yet, on different facets of the question-‘does vegetation have life?’ but, all the scholars agree that for human beings eggs, meat et cetera are non-eatables and vegetation is eatable.