In regards to eating meat, what is your opinion on the spiritual aspect of hunting and fishing? These are a large part of spirituality and connection for many indigenous peoples. The aboriginal peoples of Australia for example who may have been in that region for over 70,000 years with a persistent culture.
We do not know with certainty that during those 70,000 years you speak of, the continent was even there that long. Many deluges and changes of climate and topography have changed the earths surface during that time. Had it not been so there would never have been the well known facts surrounding all kinds of stretches of lands, for an example, found under the oceans floor that show signs of intelligent life who built them. There would also not have been, for instance, changes in the polarity of the earths poles. There would have not been sudden seismological activity on the earth that has changed the whole topography of the earths surface, Not to even speak of the activities of the inhabitants, that at times wiped out most of the population of the earth. So what ‘may’ have been is only conjecture.
We must recognize, at some point, that everything has a spiritual aspect. Even a tree has trapped spiritual energy. And who has not seen a spiritual dog that has the ability to even save life? Do we for instance judge a man eating meat as lowly, who has defended his country from intruders invading who would enslave them? Would the dogs or the man’s protection to our freedom from oppression be considered not spiritual? People and dogs cannot be judged or evaluated by their eating meat, as to whether they have or have not any ability to make spiritual decisions. My conclusion, following your line of reasoning: We do not know that people have always done anything they may be doing today. Nor what a persons choice of action will be, by what they eat alone. Spirituality has many defining qualities, what people eat and drink is only one of those distinctive expressions, which nevertheless, obviously affects behavior. Fortunately we have people aware enough to see this and have advised us in the best way to spiritualize consciousness. If people choose to ignore such council it is their psychological, health and spiritual loss.
We don't know anything historical with certainty, but isotope-dating of artifacts as well as calculations from population genetics are what are giving the ~70,000 year mark. My point is more that these cultures are much more in tune with the natural environment than the west or than modern India, and they have a spiritual history that is at the very least many thousands of years old. These are cultures that see themselves as brother or sister to animals and that actively speak to animals thanking them. I am hesitant to regard these peoples cultures as not as 'evolved' or 'advanced' as modern western cultures and developed eastern cultures. They do not look at the aspect of hunting or fishing as a 'necessary evil'. They see the actual act as a type of sacrament or even as a religious ceremony. Vegetarianism is relatively new in world cultures, and has only been possible since the invention of farming. Paintings in caves and stone carvings show hunting long before farms, seed planting and cultivation. The principle of Ahimsa is the basis of most of these ideas in India as a notion of non-violence, but this seems to be a parallel idea to spiritual hunting and not a confrontation of it. It is possible that the disconnect from hunting/fishing as spiritual endeavors, has removed a portion of human need/drive. And, when drives go unfulfilled/unexpressed they can erupt in unforeseen ways. Hitler as an example, used to warn people at meals about the abuse that animals suffer and would try to persuade them to eat a vegetarian diet such as he did. A case like this I think shows the general non-link between vegetarian/omnivore and spirituality.
