There are controversies around whether Ramkrishna Paramhans was eating meat or not.
Many say he was vegetarian despite working in the Kali temple, where sacrifices were common. He would prepare his own food.
This was based on his tantric practices and his desire to maintain the purity of his life.
There are controversies around Buddha also.
Many say he died of mushroom poisoning ( collected from woods ) and was unknowingly fed by a poor devotee who could not afford veggies.
Regardless of controversies, the main question remains: Is eating non-veg food an obstacle to becoming enlightened?
The answer is NO.
This may shock you, but a profound understanding is needed here.
Consciousness is an emblem of ultimate freedom ( freedom from conditions ), where nothing remains.
It is infinite and is available to all from every sector of the world.
God accepts you unconditionally; if he didn’t, how can He love everyone unconditionally?
As we have discussed, unconditional love arises once the mind drops, as the mind is the holder of all conditions.
Yes, unconditional love takes you closer to God, but it is only one step towards the ultimate state of Godliness.
There is more to it.
Godliness disregards conditions or your background.
You may have grown up in an environment where meat eating is a norm, but if it does not preclude you from surrendering your Ego 100%, you are ready to enter His kingdom.
But everyone is at a different stage on the spiritual path.
If you already know that eating meat leads to a lot of suffering and still want to keep eating meat while practicing spirituality, it’s like climbing a mountain with a big boulder on your back.
You can still climb, but not without a lot of effort.
You can still attain enlightenment if you have spiritual strength built up over previous lives.
So, staying vegetarian or, better yet, vegan is good, but it does not guarantee enlightenment.
When veganism arises from your within, it is a true veganism.
But arising is the keyword. It means an inner call, not an outer influence.
For me, going vegan, ultimately was a spiritual call, and it strengthened my spirituality.
Then veganism becomes an avenue to express the cleansing of your inner being, not the other way around.
It isn’t easy to explain.