the Old Testament establishes the right of humans to be omnivores, an assumption that still prevails in the West. Other traditions, however, have viewed things very differently. In India, for example, vegetarianism has long been customary, since Buddhists, Jains and Brahmins all reject animal slaughter, while Hindus avoid both beef and pork, and Muslims eschew the latter. India’s sacred cows are a striking symbol of this different belief system: revered for their life-giving milk, the animals wander freely and are fed by people as they pass.
