Food 4 Thought - Veg or Non-Veg?

May 17, 2006

Sai Ram

Just sharing a very frank and honest cogitation with all feloow Sai devotees:

These days there is lot of 'food conciousness' ...even at Brindavan ... i find that some 'devotees' are more interested in the 'Prasadam' than in the 'Darshan' !!

Swami says eat 'sathwic food'.

Swami NEVER says eat only this or only that.

If you intelligentyly and logically think...all our ancestors ..including the Rishis , Munis and Sages thousands of yerars back ....were ALL NON-VEG guys!

Just Think --->

Did you have 'GAS cylinder ' or'piped gas' or Kerosene at that time? NO !

...So it was all NON-VEG stuff. Kill the Fauna ...andf roast it over the fire made thru wood logs !!

And still they achieved the highest wisdom and spiritual quotient.

But many mundane folks ...inspite of being "VEG" ...still hv wasted their years in vain arguments and

Also think abt this ....

Over population of cattle

If every human being was a vegetarian, it would lead to overpopulation of cattle in the world, since their reproduction and multiplication is very swift.

God in His Divine Wisdom knows how to maintain the balance of His creation

appropriately.

No wonder He has permitted us to have the meat of the cattle.

RAM RAM

Thank you & God bless.

Om Sri Sai Ram

Sarvathah paanipaadam Tat sarvatokshi siromukham Sarvathah sruthimalloke Sarvamavritya thishthathi

May 18, 2006

G Balasubramanian <gbsub >

Wed May 17, 2006 5:48pm

Re: [saibabanews] Food 4 Thought - Veg or Non-Veg?

Sai Ram brother,

Can you quote relevant extract from any ancient text to prove that

the Rishis or sages were non-vegetarians? Our understanding is the

Rishis lived on Satvik food only like fruits ,roots and vegetables

and milk.

With loving Sai Rams,

G.Balasubramanian

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"Charlene Leslie-Chaden" <Charlene1939 (AT) hughes (DOT) net>

Wed May 17, 2006 8:28pm

Food 4 Thought - Veg or Non-Veg? charleneleslie

Sai Ram Dear Ones

Swami has been very specific about eating vegetarian. Here are some

of His quotes taken from the book, A Compendium of the Teachings of

Sathya Sai Baba:

"We must teach our students to practice Sai's teachings, so that

their parents can learn through their children studying in our

schools. For example, the parents of a student may be non-

vegetarian. When the student goes home for vacation, he can bring

about a change in his parents by narrating to them with humility the

sanctity of eating vegetarian food. The student can tell his

mother, `Mother, I cannot eat the food prepared by killing another

living being. This is not good for me. This body, which is made up

of flesh, should not be fed on flesh. Our body needs sacred food and

not flesh. Eating of flesh will induce in me animal tendencies. We

should eat only sacred vegetarian food which God has provided for

us.' Thus we can teach the parents through the students." SS March

2002 P 75

"Some people may argue that even cutting the vegetables is an act of

violence because the vegetables and trees have life in them. No

doubt, vegetables and trees have life, but they do not have the

mind. Consequently they do not suffer any pain.....One with the mind

experiences pain and pleasure. Men, animals, birds and insects are

endowed with the mind, not the trees and vegetables. In some trees,

you find the sap oozing out when you pluck their fruit. Oozing of

sap from a tree is a natural phenomenon, but some people mistake it

for tears of suffering. The trees do not suffer any pain because

they do not have the faculty" SS July 2000 P 257

"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. 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. How sinful is it to feed

on animals, which are sustained by the same five elements as human

beings! This leads to demonic tendencies, besides committing the sin

of inflicting cruelty on animals. 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

on chickens. How can they be deemed Sai devotees? How can God accept

such a person as a devotee? 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 and smoking." SS December 1994 P 315

"You should not misunderstand and misinterpret what I say. It is My

duty to convey to you the truth as it exists. Today the reason why

the human population is increasing is because of the attitude of the

people. For man to eke out his living to fill a small tummy of his,

God has created plenty in the world. He has created a large amount

of rice, a large amount of fruit, a large amount of wheat. While

such good food has been created by God, yet we go and eat meat and

fish. And all the fish which we kill and eat are reborn as human

beings." SSIB 1977 P 182

"It is a fact that plants also have life like animals. But animals

are endowed with mind, and nervous systems too while the plants do

not possess the same. The animals cry and weep when they are being

killed. It is not the case with plants; as such, equating killing of

animals and destruction of plants is faulty logic. Further, killing

the animals and eating their flesh leads to the creeping or

dissemination of the animal qualities and behavior in to the man

(meaning that man acquires the beastly qualities by eating animal

flesh). Thus follows our acquiring the beastly qualities - tamasic

nature - of the buffalos or the sheep. Hence, meat eating should be

discarded. Food conditions the nature of the mind. Mind guides the

thinking. Thinking results in action. Actions lead to commensurate

or matching 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 the concomitant evil

effects." SSAL P 132

"There should be some regulations with regard to food. Many doctors

emphasize the value of proteins and recommend meat, eggs, etc.

Proteins in this form build the body but do considerable harm to the

mind. Doctors are primarily concerned with the gross, physical body.

They pay little attention to the subtle form of the mental makeup.

Most of the diseases that are prevalent in the world today are

related to the mind. Mental illnesses seem to outnumber physical

ailments. The Vedas have declared that the mind is the cause of

man's bondage or liberation. This means that the mind has to be used

properly and turned godward. Equally, the mind is responsible for

health or sickness. In this context, food is all important. Proteins

are present in milk, curds and vegetables as well as in meat. If, in

the matter of diet, the doctors give the right prescription,

diseases can be averted." SSN Spring 1994 P 37

"Research has revealed that nonvegetarians and alcoholics are more

prone to heart ailments than vegetarians. If the vegetarian food

consumed is balanced and wholesome, it should contain liberal

amounts of vitamin C and vitamin E, which are available in

vegetables like carrots, etc. The presence of these vitamins prevent

heart ailments in large measure. Every effort should be made to keep

the human body healthy. Health is wealth. The acquisition of wealth

cannot be enjoyed by a person with poor health. Health is more

important because it gives physical and mental strength." SSN Summer

1994 P 3

"I have been stressing the vital importance of people giving up this

habit of eating non-vegetarian food even from my boyhood days. Meat

eating fosters animal qualities in man making him descend to the

demoniac level. It is a heart-rending sight to see cows being

slaughtered to serve as food for man. The cow has been worshiped as

mother in Bharat since ancient times.....Cow-slaughter is repugnant

to the culture of this country. The provision of drinking water to

the people and putting an end to the killing of animals for food are

two prime needs for the country to regain its pristine glory.

Violence in any form is evil and to kill innocent animals is

tantamount to blatant savagery. I bless the Prime Minister (of

India) and expect him to get these two things accomplished during

his tenure." December 1994 P 323

"Today, anyone who believes they are devotees of God should give up

eating meat. Why? Meat eating promotes animal qualities. It has been

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

develop cruelty when you eat the flesh of cruel animals. Not only

this, but how cruel it is to kill other living things that are

sustained by the same five elements as human beings. So people who

want to be devotees of God must give up eating meat completely. How

can you call yourselves devotees of Sai, or Rama, or Krishna, when

you kill animals? Those people are real demons. Such people never

get the grace of God. So whoever they are, whether Indians or from

other countries, they should follow Swami's command. Give up eating

meat, now!" SSN Spring 1995 P 33

"In spiritual endeavors there can be no stability and no

concentration when meat is eaten. As the food, so is the mind. If

one partakes of meat, one will have animal thoughts. For example, if

the mutton of sheep is eaten, you must ask yourself `What is the

quality of the sheep?' They only follow, follow, follow. If you eat

mutton, you lose discrimination. If you eat pork, you will develop

the quality of the pig, i.e., arrogance. These things not only

damage our thoughts, but they amount to violence. It is a sin to

kill the animal. You may reply that an animal was killed by the

butcher. That is incorrect; it is only because you are eating them

that the animals are being killed. If you stop eating animals, then

no one will butcher them to sell in the market. Thus, sin is

committed by the one who eats as well as the one who kills. Because

of this incorrect type of food, we lose human qualities and acquire

animal qualities." SSN Spring 1995 P 16

"By drinking intoxicating stuff, one loses control over the emotions

and passions, the impulses and instincts, the speech and movements,

and one even descends to the level of beasts. By eating flesh one

develops violent tendencies and animal diseases. The mind becomes

more intractable when one indulges in rajasic food; it can never be

remolded if thamasic food is consumed with relish. To dwell in

Ramathathwa (reality that one is God) constantly, one has to be

vigilant about food and drink, consumed by both body and mind." SSS

VOL V P 19

"Factory farming in the United States in the past several decades

has led to deplorable conditions in which animals are raised for

meat. Apart from being subjected to untold suffering and pain, they

are fed disease causing chemicals and hormones which eventually end

up in our bodies. One frightening example which is quoted in John

Robbins' book Diet for a New America 1987, concerns a government

report which found that more than 90% of the chickens produced from

most of the flocks have leukosis, which is a form of chicken cancer.

Our minds have become so programmed to accept all this as the normal

state of affairs that we do not question the moral and ethical

validity of the practices of the society we live in. Food is

recognized essentially as fuel for the body and its role in the

development of our mind and the spirit is largely ignored. However,

the Hindu belief is that the more satvic the food, the more pure

will be our thoughts.....

"According to Swami, `In spiritual endeavors, there can be no

stability or concentration when meat is taken.' Mahatma Ghandhi had

also once said, `I feel that spiritual progress does demand at some

stage that we should cease to kill our fellow creatures for our

bodily wants'." Indira Pradhan, Ohio, USA, in the SS May 1996 P 129

"Everybody needs vitamins A, B, C, D and E. Vitamins and proteins

are available in sathwic food. Proteins are in butter, milk and

wheat; vegetables contain lots of vitamins. Both Indians and

foreigners, due to habits, take to non-vegetarian foods and also to

drinking alcohol, thereby damaging their lives. Health is essential

to all human beings. When one is healthy, one can take to spiritual

pursuits more easily. But, at this time we are spoiling our health

with our own hands. We should not to the feeling that

people will be happy with only food, shelter and clothing.

"The United States of America has a great name as being the land of

Kubera (the embodiment of wealth). The people don't fall short of

food, and there are no obstacles to pleasure. In spite of this, the

number of deaths is more than in any other country. These are not

ordinary deaths, they are unfavorable deaths. What is the reason for

this? Is it that they have no food, medicines or cures for diseases?

No! In Europe there is freedom. In Sweden, the government helps to

provide all conveniences and comforts. There is no dearth of

conveniences in the individual's life. Yet, the rate of suicide in

Sweden is the highest of all countries. Not only that, but the

number of divorces is also the highest. What is the reason behind

that? It all depends upon the food that causes mental agitation."

SSN Spring 1995 P 15