How can Swami Vivekananda be called a saint when he was a non-vegetarian?

[Śrī Anil asked: Padanamaskaram Swami! The above question was raised in an internet discussion forum. Please grace us with Your response to the same. At Your Lotus Divine Feet-anil]

Swāmi replied: O Learned and Devoted Servants of God! Even Lord Śrī Rama, who was an Incarnation of God, was a non-vegetarian. A saint is lesser than God. Even Śrī Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, the Guru of Vivekananda ate fish. Sometimes, the Incarnation neglects a certain point in order to stress on other important points, which are more important. Killing animals and birds for non-vegetarian food is certainly a sin as preached by God Buddha and God Ṛṣabhadeva, the first tīrthaṅkara of Jainism. Even Jesus consumed non-vegetarian food, but He criticized people killing animals and birds for food. If the followers can initially follow all other important points preached by the divine preachers, then later, they can also concentrate on following this point of vegetarianism too. We should not imitate what God does. We should follow what God says. Some critical points have certain hidden backgrounds and there is always an underlying meaning behind the actions of God.

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