Vegetarianism

[Guest guest]

Sai Ram Brothers & Sisters ,I have come across this article via a friend of mine

which I found very interesting.It is a long read but very informative.Hope you

enjoy as I did.

 

In Love & Light

Sunil

 

VegetarianismBy Neeta & David Sanders Many of you would say "Why

vegetarianism?" Isn't everyone on the spiritual path vegetarian? Over the past

year or so I have come across several Sai devotees and other spiritual

aspirants who are not vegetarians, so Idecided that this would be a very good

topic to cover to make people aware of why it is so important to be a

vegetarian if you are on the spiritual path, especially if you take Swami to be

your guide and Guru. On November 23 1994, Swami gave a very powerful discourse

and below is a small excerpt from that discourse: "Today, let it be anyone,

whether one deems himself a devotee or not, he should give up meat eating. Why?

Meat eating promotes only animalqualities and demonic tendencies. It has been

well said that the food one consumes determines one's thoughts. By eating the

flesh of variousanimals, the qualities of these animals are imbibed. Hence

those whogenuinely seek to become devotees of God have to give up

non-vegetarian food. Calling themselves Sai devotees or devotees of Rama and

Krishna, they fatten themselves on chickens. How can they be deemed Sai

devotees? Therefore, whether they are devotees in India or outside, they should

give up from this instant meat eating. Those who aspire to become true devotees

of God have to give up meat, liquor, smoking and gambling". (Sanathana Sarathi,

December 1994, page 315) There are several other reasons why adopting a

vegetarian life-style is more beneficial than a meat-eating lifestyle. - The

structure of our body - Health reasons - Ecology and Environment - Animal

Suffering - Karmas - Meat-eating affects our minds - All spiritual masters and

great men are vegetarian1. The structure of our body Studies of human evolution

have shown that our ancestors were vegetarian by nature. Moreover, the structure

of the human body is not suited for eating meat. Carnivores have short

intestines. Their large intestine is very straight and smooth. In contrast,

vegetarian animals have very long intestines - approximately 28 feet. Because

of the low fiber content and high protein density of meat, the intestines of

meat eating animals do not require a long time to absorb nutrients and thus

meat is more well-suited for the carnivores whose intestines are shorter in

length. If humans eat meat, the meat just sits there for a long period of time

causing it to decay and release toxins. This may lead to colon cancer. The

toxins

released also increase the burden on the liver which has to work extra hard to

get rid of the toxins. Thus this may also lead to liver

problems. Our teeth If you look at the teeth of carnivores, they have sharp

fangs which are used in tearing up meat whereas herbivores do not have sharp

teeth. Our human teeth are like those of herbivores and thus God never intended

for us to eat meat otherwise we'd all be looking like Count Dracula with

fang like protrusions. Our nails Meat-eating animals have sharp claws to kill

their prey. God did not give us sharp claws to tear open the bodies of any

animals and so this is

yet another indication that our bodies were not made for meat-eating.

2. Health reasons Meat contains a lot of urokinase protein and urea, which add

to the burden on the kidneys and can destroy kidney function. There are 14 g

ofurokinase protein in every pound of steak. An experiment was done inColumbia

University where living cells were put into liquid urokinaseprotein and the

result was that their metabolic function degenerated. When an animal is hunted

or about to be killed, the animal knows and feelsfear. Thus the animal's heart

rate increases and its body pumps moreadrenaline to its muscles. Even after the

meat is cooked, the adrenaline build-up in the animal's muscles cannot be broken

down and is very high in cholesterol. This leads to cardiovascular disorders.

Heart attacks are the number one leading cause of death in the United States.

Moreover, we also take in all the negative feelings, including fear and anger,

that theanimal was feeling when it was being killed. This leads to

mentalagitation. Meat lacks cellulose and fiber. This causes constipation.

Constipation can lead to more serious ailments like rectal cancer and piles.

Meat-eating is a chief cause of cancer. Experiments show that the burning and

roasting of flesh creates a chemical element, known as

Methyl-cho-lanthrene, which is a powerful cancer causing substance. Mice in labs

that have been given this chemical have developed bone tumors, blood cancer, and

stomach cancer. Most people assume that meat is clean and safe and that there

areinspections done at all butcheries. There are far too many cattle, pigs,

poultry killed for sale every day for each one to actually be examined. It is

very difficult to check whether a piece of meat has cancer in it.Currently the

meat industry just cuts off the head or leg if it isdiseased and removes the

bad parts and sells the rest of the animal. When human cancer cells were

injected into animals, the animals also developed cancer. The same is true for

eating meat with cancer in it. How can anyone know if they are eating a piece

of meat that came from an animal withcancer? A famous vegetarian, Dr. J H

Kellogg of Kellogg's Cornflakes said, "When we eat vegetarian food, we don't

have to worry about what kind of disease the food died of. This makes a joyful

meal!"

Antibiotics, steroids and growth hormones are either fed to the animals or

injected directly so they will be fatter and produce more meat.

People eating these animals will absorb these drugs into their bodies.

A lot of people argue that animal protein is superior to plant protein because

it is considered more complete. Vegetarian food combined can

create complete proteins. The World Health Organization recommends that 4.5% of

daily calories be derived from protein. Wheat has 17% of its

calories as protein, broccoli has 45%, and rice has 8%. Soybeans, tofu, beans

and lentils have 100% of its calories derived from protein. It is very easy to

have a protein rich diet without eating meat. How much

protein does a person need to take in every day anyway? In fact, if a

person takes in more protein than is necessary, it may lead to

degenerative diseases like osteoporosis and obesity. The way to calculate how

much protein is needed is to multiply your weight by 0.36. So if you weigh 110

lbs, your daily protein requirement is 39.6 g. Earl Mindellwrites in the

Vitamin Bible, "A good rice and beans dish with some cheese can be just as

nourishing, less expensive and lower in fat than a steak". It is falsely

believed that meat eaters are stronger than vegetarians. An experiment was

conducted by Professor Irving Fisher of Yale University with 32 vegetarians and

15 meat eaters in which he had everyone hold out their arms for as long as

possible. Among the 15 meat eaters only 2 people could hold their arms for 15

to 30 minutes, whereas amongst the

vegetarians, 15 people held their arms out for 15 to 30 minutes, 9 people for

over 1 hour, 4 people for over two hours and one vegetarian held

his arms out for over 3 hours! Many long distance track athletes keep a

vegetarian diet for the time before their competition. Dr Barbara More, an

expert in vegetarian therapy completed a 110-mile race in 27 hours

and 30 minutes. A woman of 56 years of age broke all records held by young

men. 3. Ecology and Environment Raising animals for meat has its consequences.

Since 1960, some 25% of Central America's rainforests have been burned and

cleared to createpasture for beef cattle. Every 4 oz of hamburger destroys 55

square feet of tropical rain forest! In addition, it only takes 29 gallons of

water to produce a pound of tomatoes while it takes 464 gallons of water for

the production of each pound of beef! So much water is being wasted. World

hunger would end if everyone became vegetarian because if more land were used

to produce crops to feed people instead of producing feed for livestock, then

resources would be more efficiently utilized. In theUnited States alone,

livestock consume 70% of all the grain produced. Moreover, Swami says, "the

reason why human population is on the increase is because all the animals we

kill and eat are reborn as human beings and with the number of animals being

killed for food, it is no wonder that there are so many people in the world"

(Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1977, page 182) 4. Animal Suffering

Are you aware that more than 100,000 cows are slaughtered in the US

every day? Most animals are raised on "factory farms". These facilities are

designed to produce the maximum number of animals for slaughter at the

minimumexpense. Animals are crowded together, disfigured and treated

likemachines before they are slaughtered. As I mentioned earlier when these

animals are about to be killed, they know and they are terrified. Swami said,

"Anything that has life tries to stay alive. No living

creature would give itself up as food for another living being. Animals, birds

and fish also feel the desire to live just as humans do. They

too would struggle, cry and feel the pain in being hurt, just like the

way we would if we were captured and threatened to be killed". The only

difference is that animals cannot verbally express to us the agony that they

feel. It has been reported that pigs that are being slaughtered cry in a manner

similar to the way humans scream." ( Summer Showers, May

1996, pages 131-133) It is said that one visit to a slaughterhouse will make

you a vegetarian for life. Swami says, "Violence in any form is evil and to

kill innocent animals is tantamount to blatant savagery." (Sanathana Sarathi,

December 1994, page 323) 5. Karmas Another reason to be vegetarian is karma.

For those of you not familiar with the law of karma, this is the law where

every action leads to areaction. Just like the Bible says, "As ye sow, so shall

ye reap." So when one kills animals, or causes others to kill for them in order

to satisfy one's desire for meat, one incurs a karmic debt which must be

repaid. Baba says that we have made many karmas in our previous births and we

can't go back in time to change what we have done. But now that we are aware of

Swami and the spiritual path, we must at least strive not to make any new bad

karmas and eating a vegetarian diet is the easiest step to avoid bad karma.

Some people may say, "But I don't actually kill the animal, the butcher kills

the animal. But Swami says, "If you had no desire to

eat meat, then the butcher would not have the need to kill and sell the

animals." (Sathya Sai Newsletter, Spring 1995, page 16) You might say that

killing a plant also creates karma, but the level of karma is not as high. Let

me give you an example. If you go into a

man's garden and pick a rose, the man might get upset with you for doing

this. What if you take his cow? He will get even more upset. Thus eating

plants gives you the lowest level of karma. Swami says, "It is a fact that

plants also have life like animals. But animals are endowed with mind, and

nervous systems while plants do not possess the same. Animals cry and

weep when they are being killed. It is not the case with plants. Plants do

not feel pain." (Sathya Sai the Avatar of Love, page 132) 6. Meat-eating affects

our minds On the spiritual path, one is always told to eat a satvic diet,

whichmeans a simple and wholesome diet free of spice and taste so that you are

eating just to live, and not living to eat and satisfy your taste buds.

Besides, a satvic diet leads to a clearer mind which aids in spiritual

practices such as meditation. Swami says that eating meat makes manacquire

beastly qualities and demonic tendencies. These are Swami's words: "Food

conditions the nature of the mind. The mind guides the thinking. Thinking

results in action. Actions lead to corresponding results andeffects. This chain

of action between the food we eat and the results of our actions highlights the

fact that meat eating leads to beastly actions and evil effects"(Sathya Sai

Avatar of Love, page 132) Swami goes on to say in the book Conversations with

Sai Baba by Dr. John Hislop that "meat gives the blood its effect, like passion

and similar qualities. Dirty thoughts come with fish. Fish has a bad smell".

Swami in one of His discourses explained how each type of meat affected our

minds. These are our beloved Bhagavan's words: "If the mutton of

sheep is eaten, you must ask yourself 'What is the quality of the sheep?'

They only follow, follow, follow. Thus you lose discrimination. If you eat

pork, you will develop the quality of the pig, i.e. arrogance."(Sathya

SaiNewslette,r Spring 1995, page 16) 7. All spiritual masters and great men

are vegetarian People argue that Jesus ate meat but there is growing evidence

that Jesus and His immediate followers were vegetarians. Swami Himself says

that the New Testament was written many years after the crucifixion of Christ

and a lot of the information in the Bible today is incorrect as it has

beentranslated from the original Hebrew text and rewritten many times. Swami

had materialized the original Bible for a devotee a few years ago. In one

version of the Bible called "The Essence Gospel of Peace", it tells

us that one day the disciples asked Jesus, "What are the sins we must

shun, that we may never more see disease?" And Jesus answered, "It was said

to them of old time "Thou shalt not kill", for life is given to all by

God, and that which God has given, let not man take away. For I tell you

truly, he who kills, kills his brother. And from him will the Earthly Mother

turn away and Satan will have his dwelling in his body. And the flesh of

slain beasts in his body will become his own tomb. He who kills, kills

himself and who eats the flesh of slain beasts, eats the body of death".

In the book of Genesis 1:29, we read, "And God said, 'Behold I have given you

every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth,

and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it

shall be for meat.'" This clearly shows that God never intended for man to eat

animals. The great Pythagoras also preached vegetarianism "Beware O mortals,

of defiling your bodies with sinful food! There are cereals, fruits, sweet

vegetables and herbs which the flame can render palatable and mellow.

Nor are you denied milk, nor honey. The bountiful earth offers you an

abundance of pure food and meals obtainable without slaughter and

bloodshed." Gautama Buddha advocated vegetarianism and till today all Buddhists

are vegetarians. He said to Ananda, one of His close disciples, "You mustteach

people to put an end to killing and brutal cruelty. If one is trying to

practice meditation and is still eating meat, he would be like a man closing

his ears and shouting loudly and then asserting that he heardnothing." George

Bernard Shaw, the great author, was a vegetarian and one day

got very sick and visited the doctor. The doctor told him that he had to

start eating meat in order to survive. George Bernard Shaw said, "My

situation is a solemn one. Life is offered to me on condition of eating

beefsteaks! But death is better than cannibalism!" He put in his will that his

funeral would not be followed by mourning coaches but a procession of animals

and a travelling aquarium of live fish all wearing white scarves. He ended up

living until the ripe old age of 98 and he did have the procession ofanimals

when he died. The list is endless of all the great spiritual masters and other

famous men who have advocated vegetarianism. If I started to quote each and

every one of them, this article could turn into a whole book! But let me

quickly list a few great names in history who were vegetarian: Virgil, Horace,

Plato, Ovid, Petrarch, Pythagoras, Socrates, Mahatma Gandhi, Shakespeare,

Voltaire, Sir Isaac Newton, Leornardo Da Vinci, Charles Darwin,

Benjamin Franklin, Emerson, Albert Einstein, Leo Tolstoy and many more.

There was a time when vegetarianism was regarded as a "cult of the

crazy". People would make jokes about it. Nowadays, vegetarianism has almost

become a fashionable way of life. Many Hollywood actors and pop stars

are vegetarian realizing that it promotes a healthier lifestyle. These

include Paul Newman, Madonna and Paul McCartney to name just a few.

Vegetarianism is not an end in itself. It is only a means to the end.

The end is the Vision of the One-in-all. Swami says "It is the

responsibility of man, having reached the pinnacle to lead himself and all

livingcreatures towards this goal of liberation and evolve towards

higherconsciousness. When we begin to recognize this Unity indiversity,

sacred thoughts will begin to permeate our attitudes and actions. It would

then become meaningless to take the life of an animal, no matter for what

reason, least of all for food." (Summer Showers, May 1996, pages 131-133). Here

is a word of warning to all you strict vegetarians out there. Did you know that

gelatin is made out of the bone and hide of animals. Of late, I have been

finding this ingredient on a lot of foods out there, foods that you wouldn't

ordinarily even think gelatin was in, such as peanuts, chip dips, marshmallows,

salad dressings, most yogurts, ready to eat pastas and pasta sauces,certain

breath mints and candies. So before you buy anything, it is advisable to check

the ingredients. Also watch out for those Indian mithais (or sweet desserts)

with silver foil on them. The silver foil is made paper-thin by being pounded

between animal tissue. So next time you pick up an Indian sweet that is so

beautifully decorated with silver on it, please think twice. For all you new

vegetarians out there, eating vegetarian food doesn't have to be boring. There

are a lot of soy products out there that can make

vegetarian cooking a delight. Vegetarian food is no longer just peas,

beans and carrots.

 

RegardsSunil LalaTechnical Support Manager

MeadowdaleAfrican ProductsTel :+27 11 458 5352Fax :+27 11 458 5353Cell :

0836403253E-Mail: Sunil.Lala (AT) afprod (DOT) co.za

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[Guest guest]

Hi Tony,

 

Amarnath has mentioned the book "Eat To Live" and Dr.

Furman's various resources and websites.

 

Definitely read the book, a fast read...it explains

how one can get all of the protein they need from a

vegetable and fruit based diet.

 

You add beans, some grains, nuts and seeds and you'll

get all of the nutrition you really need.

 

I have been working with it now for a month and it has

been really great. There is a lot of support on his

website for people who are interested in learning how

to change their lives in this way.

 

You do not have to be unhealthy to do this although

many people are suffering from the side effects of the

American Diet.

 

He has helped people who have been very ill for years

completely reverse their illness, as well as reversing

the need to take the medications they have been using

with these illnesses.

 

Plus the membership center has many awesome recipes,

so that you can learn how to eat in this way.

 

Thanks Amarnath!!!!!

 

 

--- Tony <ammastony > wrote:

 

> I am not sure what it is but I feel so much better

> when I attempt to eat no meat with a lot of veggies.

> Especially is I work out but when I play basketball

> for hours I get a little run down. I guess it's a

> protien issue.....

>