Vegetarianism - To be a vegetarian on the spiritual path

[Guest guest]

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 I decided 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 animal qualities and

demonic tendencies. It has been well said that the food one consumes determines

one's thoughts. By eating the flesh of various animals, the qualities of these

animals are imbibed. Hence those who genuinely 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 vegetarian

1. 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 of urokinase

protein in every pound of steak. An experiment was done in Columbia University

where living cells were put into liquid urokinase protein and the result was

that their metabolic function degenerated. When an animal is hunted or about to

be killed, the animal knows and feels fear. Thus the animal's heart rate

increases and its body pumps more adrenaline 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 the animal was feeling when it was being killed. This

leads to mental agitation.

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 are inspections

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 is diseased 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 with cancer? 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 Mindell

writes 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 create pasture 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 the United 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 minimum expense.

Animals are crowded together, disfigured and treated like machines 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 a reaction. 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, which means 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 man acquire 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 and effects. 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 Sai Newslette,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 been translated 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 must teach

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 heard nothing."

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 of animals 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 living creatures towards

this goal of liberation and evolve towards higher consciousness. 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.

Wishing you all the best on your spiritual journey!