Sikhi teaches us to live a life of compassion, kindness, and respect for all living beings, and to avoid causing harm or suffering to any creature. Eating eggs, even if unfertilized, is a bajjar kurehit (major sin) because it involves cruelty, exploitation, and the killing of animals.
Some Sikhs attempt to justify eating eggs by referring to them as “Ram Laddu”, but this reasoning is illogical and goes against the principles of compassion and respect for life emphasized in Sikhi. Hereโs a detailed explanation of why Sikhs do not consume eggs, supported by Gurbani.
1. Suffering of Hens: The egg industry exploits hens, forcing them to lay an unnatural number of eggs. This leads to serious health problems, such as calcium depletion, broken bones, and exhaustion. Sikhi teaches us to avoid causing such suffering:
Even “free-range” or “organic” eggs involve cruelty, as hens are eventually slaughtered when they are no longer “productive.”
2. Killing of Male Chicks:
In the egg industry, male chicks are deemed useless because they cannot lay eggs or be raised for meat. They are killed shortly after birth, often by methods like maceration (grinding them alive), gassing, or suffocation. This act directly contradicts the Sikh principle of kindness:
Such cruelty, done for mere taste or convenience, is tyranny:
3. Unnatural Manipulation: Hens are genetically manipulated to lay hundreds of eggs per year (compared to 10-15 naturally). This unnatural interference causes immense suffering and violates the Sikh teaching that all beings should live in their natural state, free from harm.
4. Confinement in Cages: Most hens used in egg production are kept in small, crowded cages known as battery cages, where they are unable to spread their wings or move freely. These cages are extremely cramped, leading to physical and mental distress. The lack of space for natural movement causes severe stress, injury, and disease, contributing to the suffering of these birds. Sikhi teaches us to live with respect for all beings, not causing them to suffer for convenience.
5. Beak Trimming: To prevent hens from pecking each other due to the stress of overcrowding, their beaks are often trimmed. This process is painful and leaves the birds vulnerable to injury.
6. Shortened Lifespan: Hens raised for egg production are often slaughtered at a young age once their egg production declines. Natural hens can live for several years, but these industrial hens are typically killed after 1-2 years of forced laying, their bodies worn out from continuous egg production. Sikhi teaches that every being should be allowed to live its full life without suffering.
Gurbani teaches us that Waheguruโs divine light is present in all beings, making all life sacred. To harm or exploit animals for food contradicts this fundamental principle:
Eating eggs ignores the value of life and forgets that animals, like humans, have the divine presence of Waheguru inside them.
Consuming animal products, including eggs, creates a karmic burden. Gurbani teaches that harming animals, even for food, leads to negative consequences:
When plant-based alternatives exist, choosing to exploit animals for food reflects greed and tyranny:
Sikhi promotes contentment (santokh) and simple living. Choosing to harm animals for unnecessary foods like eggs, when plant-based alternatives are available, is unjustifiable:
Sikhi rejects all forms of exploitation and cruelty. Guru Nanak Dev Ji refused food obtained through falsehood and injustice, equating it to eating carcasses:
By abstaining from eggs, Sikhs honor the Guruโs teachings and live in harmony with Waheguruโs creation. Consuming plant-based alternatives is a way to practice Sarbat da Bhala (welfare for all) and uphold the principles of compassion and justice.
Even though eggs are unfertilized, the production of eggs involves significant harm and exploitation. The hens are often confined in harsh conditions and subjected to painful procedures. The harm caused is not limited to the egg itself but extends to the suffering the hens experience.
Sikhi teaches that all living beings have the divine light of Waheguru within them, and every life is sacred. Even if the egg is unfertilized, the exploitation and suffering of the hen involved contradict the Sikh values of kindness, compassion, and respect for all beings.
There are plenty of plant-based sources of protein, such as lentils, beans, tofu, quinoa, and nuts. Our body can thrive on plant-based foods, which align with Sikhi’s core values of compassion and non-violence. Plant-based sources of protein are abundant and do not require the suffering of animals.
Raising animals for food involves cruelty, exploitation, and unnecessary suffering. Just because chickens are raised for food doesnโt justify further exploitation. Ethical alternatives are available that do not require harming or exploiting any animal.
Sikhi teaches us not to exploit or harm any living being, regardless of the purpose. Chickens raised for eggs often face inhumane conditions and are slaughtered when they are no longer “productive.” Sikhi’s values of kindness and respect for life do not support the exploitation of any being.
The egg industry involves the forced breeding, confinement, and eventual slaughter of animals. Sikhi teaches us to live with compassion and not exploit any living being. While eating meat is certainly harmful, consuming eggs also supports industries that cause immense suffering to animals. Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s teachings guide us to avoid causing harm in any form.
While it is natural for animals to lay eggs, the commercial egg industry disrupts this natural cycle through inhumane practices. Hens are manipulated to lay eggs at unnatural rates, leading to health problems and suffering. True respect for nature involves allowing animals to live naturally and free from exploitation.
Sikhi emphasizes that all beings should be allowed to live in their natural state, without suffering or interference. The unnatural manipulation of hens for egg production goes against this principle. Hens, like all creatures, deserve to live freely, without being exploited for their reproductive cycles.
While free-range eggs may seem like a more humane option, the reality is that even these hens suffer. They are often kept in overcrowded conditions and still face painful procedures like beak trimming. Ultimately, no egg production is cruelty-free, as it still involves the exploitation of animals. Sikhi emphasizes the importance of not causing harm to any creature, and that includes refraining from exploiting animals in any form, no matter the conditions.
While eggs are not meat, they are still a product of animal exploitation. The hens used for egg production endure stress, confinement, and eventual slaughter once they stop laying eggs. The moral question isn’t just about whether an animal is killed; it’s about whether the animal is exploited for human benefit. Consuming eggs supports an industry that violates the Sikh principles of non-violence and compassion.
If you reject meat for ethical reasons but justify eating eggs, you’re selectively following the principle of non-violence. Sikhi teaches us not to exploit or harm any being, regardless of whether itโs for meat or eggs. Supporting one form of exploitation while condemning another is inconsistent and hypocritical.
