When a Swami met a US President

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When a Swami met a US President

SWAMI MEETS PRESIDENT COOLIDGE

"Swami Yogananda, Hindu lecturer, yesterday prescribed a daily

regimen for President Coolidge.

"No meat would be allowed the President under the daily menu

prescribed by the Swami..."

 

On January 24th, 1927, Swami Yogananda, accompanied by Mr. John

Balfour, second secretary of the British Embassy, had the pleasure of

an interview with President Coolidge at the White House.

 

The Washington Herald for January 25th reported the event in the

following words:

 

"Swami Yogananda, East Indian educator and philosopher, was presented

to President Coolidge yesterday at 12:30 by J. Balfour, second

secretary of the British Embassy.

 

"He was greeted with evident pleasure by Mr. Coolidge, who told him

he had been reading a great deal about him. This is the first time in

the history of India that a Swami has been received officially by the

President.

 

"Questioned as to his impression of the President after the interview

the Swami said: `I found him looking much healthier than his pictures

would indicate. He was very calm and quiet, and I felt that he

required health and calmness in order to discharge his many duties.'

 

"During the interview, which lasted several minutes, the Swami

said: `Mr. President, it is only spiritual understanding between all

nations that can bring lasting peace. If the Navy is scrapped and the

machine guns are destroyed, that will not stop war, for the people

still would fight, if their weapons were but stones.'

 

"Continuing, the Swami declared that he was interested in America

because it is a very powerful factor in the world.

 

"To this the President replied: `That is very true. It is only the

spiritual understanding between nations that can bring lasting

peace.' "

 

Swami Outlines Ideal Diet for President Coolidge

 

The Washington Post for January 15, 1927, printed the following

paragraphs about Swami Yogananda's suggested ideal diet for the

nation's Chief Executive.

 

"MEATLESS COOLIDGE MEALS

 

PRESCRIBED BY

 

YOGANANDA"

 

------------

 

"Ice Water Barred From Regimen of

 

President in Diet

 

.....Advocated by Swami—Be `Actively Calm' and `Calmly Active'

 

"Swami Yogananda, Hindu lecturer, yesterday prescribed a daily

regimen for President Coolidge.

 

"No meat would be allowed the President under the daily menu

prescribed by the Swami, who told the President that he must do no

worrying, but be calmly active and actively calm. Drinking of ice

water was disapproved because it chilled the stomach. Partial fasting

is extremely good—not eating because the dinner bell rings, but

eating only with the signal of strong hunger, was another precept.

 

"Other laws by which the chief executive should live, according to

the Swami, were:

 

"Morning and evening sit in introspective silence, thinking of your

most important engagement with the Soul within.

 

"Exercise 15 minutes. Walk 30 minutes. Eat in 30 minutes. Study one

hour. Meditate one hour and a half. Write two hours. Think four

hours. Sleep eight hours, and smile from within all hours."

 

"He had noticed in the newspapers that the President's physicians

were changing his menu and was prompted to send a balanced food and

health menu because of his admiration for America which gave him a

deep concern in the health of the President, the Swami explained. The

daily menu called for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as follows:

 

"Breakfast—Orange juice, with pulp and seeds, mixed with a

tablespoonful of thoroughly ground pecan or pistachio nuts; thick

grape fruit juice with two raw eggs beaten into it; toasted bran

muffins buttered.

 

"Lunch—Fruit salad of five dates, handful of seedless raisins,

thoroughly mixed with dressing of three tablespoons thick cream and

tablespoonful of thoroughly ground almonds or peanut butter. For

variety from day to day different fruits or an uncooked vegetable

salad or dessert may be eaten, the approved list being Avocado pears,

fresh pineapple, apples, oranges, grapefruit, tips of new

cauliflowers, shelled green peas, chopped lettuce or spinach,

pineapple with whipped cream and nuts.

 

"Dinner—Fruit salad; a cooked vegetable salad with fresh-made

mayonnaise or Thousand Island dressing; nut-meat loaf, made of whole

wheat and ground nuts; half a glass of milk with boiled prunes or two

tablespoonfuls of raisins or six seeded dates, or thick creamed or

boilhttp://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/5185/2-2coolidge.htmled

rice and chopped dates."