Are there any practices based on a carnivore diet?

[Nagaram]

I am fascinated with Esoteric practices from the Near East, Greece, Egypt and Eruope, but I'm not super aware of anything outside of the influence of the Greek Magical Papyri honesty. And within this context, a vegan diet is almost always prescribed to help facilitate altered states, increase effectiveness, or as a general mindfulness practice (it's usually worded as "avoid animal flesh and milk" or something, but it's basically a vegan diet). I'm also aware of the Hindu and Buddhist preference for at least Vegetarian diets as part of a path to enlightenment.

But are there any traditions that claim their form of ascension can come through the consumption of animal flesh?

Arguably, I think there's a claim within a modern esoteric moment that this is the case if you are of the mind to claim vague "New Age" tiktok trends as esoteric practices (I do in a way), but I want to know if there's any historic precedent to this?

 

[rodgers2rodgers]

I am fascinated with Esoteric practices from the Near East, Greece, Egypt and Eruope, but I'm not super aware of anything outside of the influence of the Greek Magical Papyri honesty. And within this context, a vegan diet is almost always prescribed to help facilitate altered states, increase effectiveness, or as a general mindfulness practice (it's usually worded as "avoid animal flesh and milk" or something, but it's basically a vegan diet). I'm also aware of the Hindu and Buddhist preference for at least Vegetarian diets as part of a path to enlightenment.

But are there any traditions that claim their form of ascension can come through the consumption of animal flesh?

Arguably, I think there's a claim within a modern esoteric moment that this is the case if you are of the mind to claim vague "New Age" tiktok trends as esoteric practices (I do in a way), but I want to know if there's any historic precedent to this?

Moses said no pork for Jews in The Torah. Crowley said this was because trichonosis was an issue in pigs back then. Lots of different opinions on this subject .

 

[TraffyLawwhereVee]

TLDR: not that I have heard. I only heard about fasting and vegetarian diets as a practice.
It's an interesting question. The "New Age" movement was a funny concept for me. The global exchange of Ideas, causing some of the west to realize some different philosophies, sciences and religions. I include science because Taoist Ideas of consciousness and philosophy. Mostly vegetarian diets are talked about in the concept of the Tao (Dao), as a tool towards a path to ascension. Especially Bigu (Pi Gu)- a concept of fasting. I won't go into further detail because it goes off topic towards what you are asking.
I apologize in wasting your time reading the extra details.
Thanks for the curiosity.

 

[HoldAll]

The only example for the ritual consumption of meat that comes to my mind is the ganapuja feast of the Dzogchen school of Tibetan Buddhism where small quantities of meat and alcohol were consumed. I read about it in an older book but was surprised it's not practiced so widely anymore since many prominent Dzogchen masters insist on strict vegetarianism now - it used to be considered a violation of a monk's vows to refuse to take part in this practice but apparently not anymore. The rationale is tantric: breaking down the practitioner's attachment to pure and impure, holy and profane. The Indian aghoris (who aren't Buddhist, see Aghora Trilogy by Robert A. Swoboda) carry the idea to an extreme and would sometimes even consume human flesh, faeces, or urine - "If one thing is sacred, everything is sacred", a pretty radical notion.

In African and African-American traditions that practice animal sacrifice, the offering (typically a chicken) is consumed after the ritual as part of a feast afterwards so it won't go to waste; I've never heard of consuming the lifeforce of an offering in this context but I guess it's possible.

In Kabbalism, it's often a bread fast (= bread baked by the Kabbalist's own hand because of the risk of outside pollution). If it's not bread-only, you'll often find a prohibition against garlic and spices because the angels will object to smelly humans.

Let's not forget that for many cultures vegetarianism isn't an option because meat is the only source of nourishment where they live, e.g. for nomadic cattle herders or (historically) the Innuit. Mongolia is a special case - here's what a Mongol explained to me a long time ago (I haven't done any research on the matter yet): for Mongolian nomads, it's meat three time a day. Although much of the steppes would actually be arable, they nevertheless refuse to till the land because to them it would be tantamount to violating Mother Earth. As a result, they're big meat eaters on spiritual grounds while at the same time being devout Buddhists.

Post automatically merged: Sunday at 12:43 PM

Dzogchen is a tradition of the Tibetan Buddhist Nyingma sect, not a school, my mistake.