Know over No

An underlying principle of the Veda is that KNOW is much better than NO.

What does this mean?

In short, it means that there are no rules just an encouragement to “do your own research,” gather your own information and from that information - have the KNOWledge to make a decision.

For example, there is nothing in the Veda to say that one should be a vegetarian. Or not drink alcohol.

Indeed, to the contrary, for some body types, eating some seafood or meat, is a very important part of their diet and similarly, alcohol is from time to time, prescribed for medicinal uses (though as far as I KNOW, this is quite rare).

But the point is - when you do your own research, you can make your own decisions. If you are drinking alcohol every day and your life is perfect, keep going. But if life doesn’t seem to be working out as you hoped, and then you stop drinking alcohol and all of a sudden life turns around in your favour, you now KNOW that maybe alcohol isn’t part of your most evolutionary path and you now KNOW that saying NO to alcohol is the best decision for you.

And in that way, we become conscious designers of our own happiness rather than blind followers of the suggested path to happiness by others.