The Srimad-Bhagavatam was compiled just before the beginning of Kali-yuga, nearly 5,000 years ago, and Buddha appeared about 2,600 years ago. The Srimad-Bhagavatam had therefore predicted his coming. Such is the value of this Writing of Light, which also contains many other prophecies, all of which are being fulfilled one after the other.

This point helps establish the absolute nature of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, in which there appears no trace of error, illusion, deception, or imperfection—that is, of the four weaknesses inherent in all beings conditioned by matter. Liberated souls stand beyond these imperfections, and thus they can see and predict future events, even very distant ones.

Buddha, the Avatar.

At the beginning of the present age, the Lord will appear in the form of Buddha, the son of Anjana, in the district of Gaya, for the sole purpose of misleading those who are jealous of the faithful. This information is intended to avoid any confusion with false Buddhas.

People are unaware of this, but Buddha, who was an Avatar, came to lead all the impious who had been led astray by atheism to theism.

This is why he first wanted to put an end to the habit of the people of that time, of slaughtering animals. Animal killers are in reality, and they are unaware of it, elements of danger on the path to return to God, for they are an obstacle on the path of development and spiritual realization.

The great sage Maharaja Pariksit affirmed that only animal killers can never benefit from the Supreme Lord's sublime message. However, if humans wish to initiate themselves on the path to return to God, they must first and foremost put an end to all animal killing, in any form, and stop eating meat, fish, and eggs.

Killing land and aquatic animals and consuming their flesh distances one from God.

It is absurd to believe that the slaughter of animals does not hinder spiritual realization. The current age, also called the Black Age or the Dark Age, a time of discord, quarrels, hypocrisy, indifference, decadence, and sin, plunges humanity into ignorance of the facts relating to God on the one hand, and existential truth on the other. The degradation of human civilization has begun.