Prabhupāda: Why you discriminate. If you are slaughtering animal and you are comparing that killing of the vegetables and the killing of the animals is the same, then killing your son and killing an animal is also the same. Why do you discriminate? Just kill your own son and eat.
Paramahaṁsa: He's a human being, though.
Prabhupāda: Ah, therefore there is discrimination. Discrimination is the better part of valor. Whom should we kill? It is all right, jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. But there is important. If you eat vegetables there is no crisis; you can go on. So discrimination is there. It is a fact - an animal is eating another animal. It may be vegetable or animals, but they are disturbing. Therefore it is said, "As it is allotted." You should eat such and such. Not that indiscriminately you can eat everything. If you think killing of animal and killing of vegetable is the same, then killing of your son and killing of animals or vegetable is the same. Why do you discriminate? What is your answer?
Gaṇeśa: So if we discriminate between the animals and the plants, well, what about the discrimination between the human beings and the animals? Is it not all right to kill animals and not human beings?
Prabhupāda: No. You discriminate actually. You do not kill human beings, but you kill animals. Similarly, you discriminate: instead of killing animal, kill vegetable. Importance. Just like this grass. There are enough supply of grass, but you cannot have enough supply of cows. Therefore discrimination is, it is better to live on grass than on animal. Now, still they are eating seventy-five percent other than animal. They are not eating only animal. Why not twenty-five percent more? In the market they are not eating animal. When the animal-eaters I see, they have got a little flesh, and surrounded by salad and these peas and so many other things. Why don't you eat only meat?
Śrutakīrti: Because we require a balanced diet.
Prabhupāda: No, you cannot supply. If everyone eats meat only, then one day all animals will be finished.
Paramahaṁsa: But we want to have a balanced diet, with meat and vegetables and fruits.
Prabhupāda: That balance of diet, it can be done by grains and vegetables. Why should we kill animals? We know that the balance can be done. You learn from us that balanced food can be done.