Guest guest Posted July 19, 2005 Report Share Posted July 19, 2005 I am bummed out. Yesterday (Monday), Ammachi was in Noo Yawk to give darshan, perform a Puja, and take on her Devi Bhava. I was intending to go, and in preparation had been eating vegetarian for the last few days. I read somewhere that Amma said, "I love my Western devotees, but am upset that so many of them smell like meat-eaters." I figured a few days of careful eating would prevent my carnivorous stench :-) and help raise my consciousness. Monday afternoon I ordered a lunch of Chinese eggplant in garlic sauce, which I ate hungrily with lots of white rice. Then, about an hour before I was supposed to leave home, I was struck with an intestinal upset of explosive proportions! Ugh, was I a mess! Naturally, I cancelled my ride and stayed home near the bathroom. At home and depressed that I would miss this year's chance to see Amma, I surfed the Web and found an astrological Panchanga which informed me that Monday was an Ekadashi day, the eleventh night after the New Moon, observed as a fasting day by Vaishnavas. Not only had I NOT fasted, the foods I ate were all explicitly forbidden to eat on Ekadashi -- rice, garlic, and eggplant. I am not a Vaishnava, but it seemed strange that this breaking of dietary restrictions coincided with my toilet adventure. (A note said that Lord Brahma put a curse on all rice grains eaten on Ekadashi, that they would explode in the devotee's stomach.) Today I spoke to a couple of my Wiccan friends who did manage to get downtown to see Ammachi on Monday. Karen's darshan was particularly moving. When Amma hugged her and blessed a bracelet, she put it on Karen's wrist, saying in English, "from Mother to Daughter." At that moment, Karen says she got a vivid loving image of her own biological mother, dead for several years, and could smell her mother's perfume scent. Karen was concerned that I didn't have Amma's comforting hug, since my father had passed away less than a month ago. And it occurred to me -- don't some Hindus avoid performing Pujas or taking darshan of their Guru for a period (ranging from 11 days to a whole year) after the death of a parent? I intend to light a candle this Thursday to honor Ammachi, and celebrate Guru Purnima. For whatever reason, I was prevented from meeting my Guru this year, but I still keep her image cherished in my heart. Om amriteshvariye namaha -- Len/ Kalipadma __ Start your day with - make it your home page http://www./r/hs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2005 Report Share Posted July 20, 2005 Namste, This is another email which I think I would like to reply.Looking at your id i Guess you are a Hindu who Like the Goddess. I too am a Hindu and I adore Mookambika Devi as my Mother. Your experiences below shows that you are showered with Gods Blessings and the God just wants to awaken you to your true identity. Firstly you should try to be a vegy in future not at the moment for you are still young. Time will tell you when. Secondly what you had experienced is a true experience with Amma. I would like to tell you few things openly. Firstly when you visit a Guru never keep pain or thought in Mind for you see a Guru can sence your Pain immediately for they can read our Mind and Pain for the past days. Predicitions are True s well why? For they can assume things to a lot of extent knowing our pain. If you want the Guru to tell you things about yourself NEver keep your mind full of thoughts keep it empty and then see if Guru can tell you what is it that you have in mind.Believe me they will never even Mind you. Weekness is their target. Sorry to hear about your Parents. Never loose hope for your parents are not with you in Presence but remember they are there watching us and Guiding us no matter what we feel they are there. I talk to Spirits on and off I know they exsists and that they belong to another country their pain is so more than us for they cannot visit their Family but only others. If you wish to reply please do so. Pranam, babitha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2005 Report Share Posted July 20, 2005 Dear Lenji. Namaste. I hope you feel better. I am going to suggest that you should become strictly vegetarian, not because i belong to the "Catholicism of Hinduism" as a Vaishnava (just joking! - as of course you know Vaishnavas are known for orthodoxy with certain issues). I am nevertheless suggesting this because you are a shakti devotee partaking in Sri Chakra worship and such, which requires alot of purity of body, mind, and speech. Thus to be a complete vegetarian would be ideal. Om & Prem Janardana Dasa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2005 Report Share Posted July 20, 2005 , Janardana Dasa <lightdweller> wrote: > Dear Lenji. > > Namaste. I hope you feel better. I am going to suggest that you should become strictly vegetarian, not because i belong to the "Catholicism of Hinduism" as a Vaishnava (just joking! - as of course you know Vaishnavas are known for orthodoxy with certain issues). I am nevertheless suggesting this because you are a shakti devotee partaking in Sri Chakra worship and such, which requires alot of purity of body, mind, and speech. Thus to be a complete vegetarian would be ideal. > > Om & Prem > > Janardana Dasa When you really love HER as you would love your lover. Accepting HER as what SHE is. Thinking about HER at all times. Seeing HER all around you: your mind, body and soul is already purified. Love is the main ingredients here. What does that got to do with food! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2005 Report Share Posted July 20, 2005 Namaste Kalipadma, Amma hugs lepers and all kinds of ill folks who need what she's dispensing. If she is not able to tolerate the smell of meat-eaters, she must not be able to tolerate most animals and humans the world over. Amma herself has eaten meat, having been fed fish by birds (I have read). This past June's visit by Amma, I also chose not to eat meat for several days out of respect for Amma's traditions. But one must honor one's own traditions, also. I think DB posted a quote from the Dalai Lama on this list recently that said exactly that - to make pilgrimages of other religions, but to honor one's own as well. I feel that this is what one's relationship with the guru teaches - not just how to honor the guru's traditions, but how to honor oneself while honoring each person one meets. I'm sure there's always some source material you can go to that will reinforce whatever view you are subscribing to at any given point in time, but ultimately, it's about compassion, acceptance, love. I am sorry you missed Amma's physical embrace this year, but I'm sure you still received Her Grace. Mary Ann , "NMadasamy" <nmadasamy@s...> wrote: > , Janardana Dasa > <lightdweller> wrote: > > Dear Lenji. > > > > Namaste. I hope you feel better. I am going to suggest that you > should become strictly vegetarian, not because i belong to > the "Catholicism of Hinduism" as a Vaishnava (just joking! - as of > course you know Vaishnavas are known for orthodoxy with certain > issues). I am nevertheless suggesting this because you are a shakti > devotee partaking in Sri Chakra worship and such, which requires > alot of purity of body, mind, and speech. Thus to be a complete > vegetarian would be ideal. > > > > Om & Prem > > > > Janardana Dasa > > > When you really love HER as you would love your lover. Accepting HER > as what SHE is. Thinking about HER at all times. Seeing HER all > around you: your mind, body and soul is already purified. Love is > the main ingredients here. What does that got to do with food! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2005 Report Share Posted July 20, 2005 Respectfully, i said: thus, to be vegetarian IS IDEAL. The keyword is ideal. You're absolutely correct: Food has got nothing to do with devotion to HER. God only knows how many Vaishnava or Shakta devotees in Bengal eat fish or goat. Cheers, Janardana Dasa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2005 Report Share Posted July 20, 2005 , Janardana Dasa <lightdweller> wrote: > Respectfully, i said: thus, to be vegetarian IS IDEAL. The keyword is ideal. You're absolutely correct: Food has got nothing to do with devotion to HER. God only knows how many Vaishnava or Shakta devotees in Bengal eat fish or goat. > > Cheers, > > Janardana Dasa .... And indeed non vegetarian too is IDEAL. My keyword too is Ideal, which I find questionable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2005 Report Share Posted July 20, 2005 To each his own. Om & Prem Janardana Dasa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2005 Report Share Posted July 20, 2005 Actually to not eat food at all is IDEAL (LOL, but only half joking)...if you can manage to stay alive!! -yogaman , "NMadasamy" <nmadasamy@s...> wrote: > , Janardana Dasa > <lightdweller> wrote: > > Respectfully, i said: thus, to be vegetarian IS IDEAL. The keyword > is ideal. You're absolutely correct: Food has got nothing to do with > devotion to HER. God only knows how many Vaishnava or Shakta devotees > in Bengal eat fish or goat. > > > > Cheers, > > > > Janardana Dasa > > > > ... And indeed non vegetarian too is IDEAL. My keyword too is Ideal, > which I find questionable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 --- Mary Ann <buttercookie61 wrote: > Namaste Kalipadma, > > Amma hugs lepers and all kinds of ill folks who need > what she's > dispensing. If she is not able to tolerate the smell > of meat-eaters, > she must not be able to tolerate most animals and > humans the world > over. Amma herself has eaten meat, having been fed > fish by birds (I > have read). Of course. Amma was born amongst fisher-folk in Kerala. I'm sure she ate fish in her youth, cooked by her mother if not offered by birds. > > This past June's visit by Amma, I also chose not to > eat meat for > several days out of respect for Amma's traditions. > But one must honor > one's own traditions, also. You, too, eh? I admit that when I've been eating vegetarian food, I feel lighter, and my "psychic senses" (if that's what you'd call them) become sharper. It is said that the Witches of Europe would go on a "white fast" periodically, avoiding all meat and flesh-derived foods, to sharpen their magickal or psychic skills. I'm not certain what "my own traditions" are, exactly. My parents were Jewish, but never in my memory kept a Kosher kitchen. My body regularly rejects beef and turkey (should I by accident eat these) by responding with a gout attack. Non-Kosher foods like pork and shrimp don't seem to negatively affect me (and I'm fond of them, though don't over-do). And of course, my intestinal adventure occurred after several days of vegetarian eating. A cleansing crisis? Or Lord Brahma's Ekadashi curse? Who knows. > I think DB posted a > quote from the Dalai > Lama on this list recently that said exactly that - > to make > pilgrimages of other religions, but to honor one's > own as well. I > feel that this is what one's relationship with the > guru teaches - not > just how to honor the guru's traditions, > > but how to honor oneself while honoring each person > one meets. Tibetans are one of the exceptions to the general Buddhist tendancies towards vegetarianism. It gets COLD in Tibet, and bodies crave animal fats for internal heating. Also, there are fewer options for varied and delicious plant-derived foods in Tibet. The Tibetan Buddhists still practice <ahimsa>, insofar as they hire non-Buddhists to act as butchers for their flesh-derived food. > I'm > sure there's always some source material you can go > to that will > reinforce whatever view you are subscribing to at > any given point in > time, but ultimately, it's about compassion, > acceptance, love. I am > sorry you missed Amma's physical embrace this year, > but I'm sure you > still received Her Grace. I agree, Mary Ann, I agree. -- Len/ Kalipadma __ Start your day with - make it your home page http://www./r/hs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 actually John the baptist survived on Honey and locusts. childofdevi <childofdevi wrote:Actually to not eat food at all is IDEAL (LOL, but only half joking)...if you can manage to stay alive!! -yogaman , "NMadasamy" <nmadasamy@s...> wrote: > , Janardana Dasa > <lightdweller> wrote: > > Respectfully, i said: thus, to be vegetarian IS IDEAL. The keyword > is ideal. You're absolutely correct: Food has got nothing to do with > devotion to HER. God only knows how many Vaishnava or Shakta devotees > in Bengal eat fish or goat. > > > > Cheers, > > > > Janardana Dasa > > > > ... And indeed non vegetarian too is IDEAL. My keyword too is Ideal, > which I find questionable. Beliefs of hinduism Sri chakra Traditions Divine Visit your group "" on the web. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 , Len Rosenberg <kalipadma108> wrote: > > Tibetans are one of the exceptions to the general > Buddhist tendancies towards vegetarianism. It gets > COLD in Tibet, and bodies crave animal fats for > internal heating. Also, there are fewer options for > varied and delicious plant-derived foods in Tibet. > The Tibetan Buddhists still practice <ahimsa>, insofar > as they hire non-Buddhists to act as butchers for > their flesh-derived food. > > -- Len/ Kalipadma Len, Not all Buddhists are vegetarian. Chinese tended to eat veg because they were directly impacted by Bodhidharma's presence (the reason is a guess only), but Thai, Vietnam and Japanese buddhists are generally meat-eaters also. Sorry to hear you missed the darshan with Amma.... especially so because of your father's demise and that you would have liked to see her. anyway, all for the best..... regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 Well said, Nora. Thank you for this. , "NMadasamy" <nmadasamy@s...> wrote: > > When you really love HER as you would love your lover. Accepting HER > as what SHE is. Thinking about HER at all times. Seeing HER all > around you: your mind, body and soul is already purified. Love is > the main ingredients here. What does that got to do with food! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 Hm, where can we find good locusts this time of year? Are locusts grasshoppers, BTW? Was Quay Chang Cain a Buddhist? , sankara menon <kochu1tz> wrote: > > actually John the baptist survived on Honey and locusts. > childofdevi <childofdevi> wrote:Actually to not eat food at all is IDEAL (LOL, but only half > joking)...if you can manage to stay alive!! > > -yogaman > > > , "NMadasamy" <nmadasamy@s...> > wrote: > > , Janardana Dasa > > <lightdweller> wrote: > > > Respectfully, i said: thus, to be vegetarian IS IDEAL. The keyword > > is ideal. You're absolutely correct: Food has got nothing to do > with > > devotion to HER. God only knows how many Vaishnava or Shakta > devotees > > in Bengal eat fish or goat. > > > > > > Cheers, > > > > > > Janardana Dasa > > > > > > > > ... And indeed non vegetarian too is IDEAL. My keyword too is Ideal, > > which I find questionable. > > > > > > Beliefs of hinduism Sri chakra Traditions Divine > > > > > > Visit your group "" on the web. > > > > > Terms of Service. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 It's not important for this conversation, but the "locusts" in this reference are locust bean, or carob bean/fruit, also known as "St. John's Bread." It's my understanding that carob beans were a traditional animal food and famine food in Biblical times. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/carob.html , sankara menon <kochu1tz> wrote: > > actually John the baptist survived on Honey and locusts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 Thanks for the clarification I was making jokes, actually, but I didn't know that about carob bean. , "msbauju" <msbauju> wrote: > > It's not important for this conversation, but the "locusts" in this > reference are locust bean, or carob bean/fruit, also known as "St. > John's Bread." It's my understanding that carob beans were a > traditional animal food and famine food in Biblical times. > > http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/carob.html > > , sankara menon <kochu1tz> > wrote: > > > > actually John the baptist survived on Honey and locusts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 "survived on honey and locusts"?? hmmm....it sounds very nourishing to me (dont ask me to eat it though LOL). Mary Ann: come to Seattle and get them, there are some locusts like creatures here (they could be cockroaches though, but locusts, cockroaches.. all the same LOL). I would have shipped you some were it not for the fact that I dont like to kill them. Janardana Dasa: Well said, to each his/her own ideal. There is some himsa involved in eating plants or animals. So the best eating habit from the standpoint of ahimsa is not to eat at all. After all, food like sex is only a disposable habit..... -yogaman , sankara menon <kochu1tz> wrote: > > actually John the baptist survived on Honey and locusts. > childofdevi <childofdevi> wrote:Actually to not eat food at all is IDEAL (LOL, but only half > joking)...if you can manage to stay alive!! > > -yogaman > > > , "NMadasamy" <nmadasamy@s...> > wrote: > > , Janardana Dasa > > <lightdweller> wrote: > > > Respectfully, i said: thus, to be vegetarian IS IDEAL. The keyword > > is ideal. You're absolutely correct: Food has got nothing to do > with > > devotion to HER. God only knows how many Vaishnava or Shakta > devotees > > in Bengal eat fish or goat. > > > > > > Cheers, > > > > > > Janardana Dasa > > > > > > > > ... And indeed non vegetarian too is IDEAL. My keyword too is Ideal, > > which I find questionable. > > > > > > Beliefs of hinduism Sri chakra Traditions Divine > > > > > > Visit your group "" on the web. > > > > > Terms of Service. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 childofdevi wrote: Janardana Dasa: Well said, to each his/her own ideal. There is some himsa involved in eating plants or animals. So the best eating habit from the standpoint of ahimsa is not to eat at all. After all, food like sex is only a disposable habit..... hmmmmmmm I beg to differ on this. Not eating is like denying your body the basic nutrition it needs. It is like torturing your body. Its also a suicide. From my perspective, that is also not good. Your body is a sacred temple where you need to take care like your own home or your pooja room. Neglecting your body, is neglecting the Divine. I know of a wise man who just consume banana and milk. My take is this, no harm in eating what you like weather meat or plants. Being vegetarian or nonvegetarian to me is not the issue. The issue it to get ourself attach to the act of "eating". Some people are obsess with food. They will go or do anything to get their favourite food but will not put an effort to do something in spiritual aspect. You live to eat or eat to live? My husband and me choose to consume more vegetable not because of religious reason, but health. We have aged and as such our metabolism and our way of living too have changed. As such it is just practical to change our dietary habit. But when we go back and stay with our inlaws [ who are nonvegetarian ] we eat whatever they cook. Why? because we do not want to trouble them. We learn to adjust ourselves to the situation. And we do not want to hurt their feelings as you know sometimes how mother-in-laws are. So the main reason here is that : not to cause inconvenience and hurt another person's feeling. For to us which ever way, we are okay. If we stay in a vegetarian home for a month, we eat whatever being offered, and we will still be okay. If meat being offered, you take it. And it is still okay with us. Consume not because we enjoy, but we do not want to hurt the feelings of the person offering it. We would not even tell the person about it for it will cause such inconvenience for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 If Saint John ate carob, he was a vegetarian. If he ate locust grasshoppers, he was a carnivore. (Since he ate honey, he was not a Vegan. I am amazed at the number of Westerners who assume that Hindu vegetarians are Vegan, and become upset to find veggie Hindu cuisine includes honey and lots of milk products!) -- Len/ Kalipadma --- msbauju <msbauju wrote: > > It's not important for this conversation, but the > "locusts" in this > reference are locust bean, or carob bean/fruit, also > known as "St. > John's Bread." It's my understanding that carob > beans were a > traditional animal food and famine food in Biblical > times. > > http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/carob.html > > , sankara menon > <kochu1tz> > wrote: > > > > actually John the baptist survived on Honey and > locusts. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2005 Report Share Posted July 22, 2005 Nora: I think we are in complete agreement. Eat if you cannot do otherwise, do not eat if you can manage without eating (and dying LOL)... of course this is not meant for all. See http://www.fruitnut.net/index2.htm?PAG=25BreathGiri,REF= -yogaman , "NMadasamy" <nmadasamy@s...> wrote: > childofdevi wrote: Janardana Dasa: Well said, to each his/her own > ideal. There is some himsa involved in eating plants or animals. So > the best eating habit from the standpoint of ahimsa is not to eat at > all. After all, food like sex is only a disposable habit..... > > > > hmmmmmmm I beg to differ on this. Not eating is like denying your > body the basic nutrition it needs. It is like torturing your body. > Its also a suicide. From my perspective, that is also not good. Your > body is a sacred temple where you need to take care like your own > home or your pooja room. Neglecting your body, is neglecting the > Divine. I know of a wise man who just consume banana and milk. > > My take is this, no harm in eating what you like weather meat or > plants. Being vegetarian or nonvegetarian to me is not the issue. > The issue it to get ourself attach to the act of "eating". Some > people are obsess with food. They will go or do anything to get > their favourite food but will not put an effort to do something in > spiritual aspect. You live to eat or eat to live? > > My husband and me choose to consume more vegetable not because of > religious reason, but health. We have aged and as such our > metabolism and our way of living too have changed. As such it is > just practical to change our dietary habit. But when we go back and > stay with our inlaws [ who are nonvegetarian ] we eat whatever they > cook. Why? because we do not want to trouble them. We learn to > adjust ourselves to the situation. And we do not want to hurt their > feelings as you know sometimes how mother-in-laws are. So the main > reason here is that : not to cause inconvenience and hurt another > person's feeling. For to us which ever way, we are okay. If we stay > in a vegetarian home for a month, we eat whatever being offered, and > we will still be okay. If meat being offered, you take it. And it is > still okay with us. Consume not because we enjoy, but we do not want > to hurt the feelings of the person offering it. We would not even > tell the person about it for it will cause such inconvenience for > them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2005 Report Share Posted July 22, 2005 Of course there is Bala and ati bala referred to in Ramayana childofdevi <childofdevi wrote:Nora: I think we are in complete agreement. Eat if you cannot do otherwise, do not eat if you can manage without eating (and dying LOL)... of course this is not meant for all. See http://www.fruitnut.net/index2.htm?PAG=25BreathGiri,REF= -yogaman , "NMadasamy" <nmadasamy@s...> wrote: > childofdevi wrote: Janardana Dasa: Well said, to each his/her own > ideal. There is some himsa involved in eating plants or animals. So > the best eating habit from the standpoint of ahimsa is not to eat at > all. After all, food like sex is only a disposable habit..... > > > > hmmmmmmm I beg to differ on this. Not eating is like denying your > body the basic nutrition it needs. It is like torturing your body. > Its also a suicide. From my perspective, that is also not good. Your > body is a sacred temple where you need to take care like your own > home or your pooja room. Neglecting your body, is neglecting the > Divine. I know of a wise man who just consume banana and milk. > > My take is this, no harm in eating what you like weather meat or > plants. Being vegetarian or nonvegetarian to me is not the issue. > The issue it to get ourself attach to the act of "eating". Some > people are obsess with food. They will go or do anything to get > their favourite food but will not put an effort to do something in > spiritual aspect. You live to eat or eat to live? > > My husband and me choose to consume more vegetable not because of > religious reason, but health. We have aged and as such our > metabolism and our way of living too have changed. As such it is > just practical to change our dietary habit. But when we go back and > stay with our inlaws [ who are nonvegetarian ] we eat whatever they > cook. Why? because we do not want to trouble them. We learn to > adjust ourselves to the situation. And we do not want to hurt their > feelings as you know sometimes how mother-in-laws are. So the main > reason here is that : not to cause inconvenience and hurt another > person's feeling. For to us which ever way, we are okay. If we stay > in a vegetarian home for a month, we eat whatever being offered, and > we will still be okay. If meat being offered, you take it. And it is > still okay with us. Consume not because we enjoy, but we do not want > to hurt the feelings of the person offering it. We would not even > tell the person about it for it will cause such inconvenience for > them. Visit your group "" on the web. Start your day with - make it your home page Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2005 Report Share Posted July 22, 2005 Why would it be ideal not to eat? If/when an organism needs food it would be himsa not to eat. , sankara menon <kochu1tz> wrote: > > Of course there is Bala and ati bala referred to in Ramayana > childofdevi <childofdevi> wrote:Nora: > > I think we are in complete agreement. Eat if you cannot do otherwise, > do not eat if you can manage without eating (and dying LOL)... of > course this is not meant for all. See > > http://www.fruitnut.net/index2.htm?PAG=25BreathGiri,REF= > > -yogaman > > > , "NMadasamy" <nmadasamy@s...> > wrote: > > childofdevi wrote: Janardana Dasa: Well said, to each his/her own > > ideal. There is some himsa involved in eating plants or animals. So > > the best eating habit from the standpoint of ahimsa is not to eat > at > > all. After all, food like sex is only a disposable habit..... > > > > > > > > hmmmmmmm I beg to differ on this. Not eating is like denying your > > body the basic nutrition it needs. It is like torturing your body. > > Its also a suicide. From my perspective, that is also not good. > Your > > body is a sacred temple where you need to take care like your own > > home or your pooja room. Neglecting your body, is neglecting the > > Divine. I know of a wise man who just consume banana and milk. > > > > My take is this, no harm in eating what you like weather meat or > > plants. Being vegetarian or nonvegetarian to me is not the issue. > > The issue it to get ourself attach to the act of "eating". Some > > people are obsess with food. They will go or do anything to get > > their favourite food but will not put an effort to do something in > > spiritual aspect. You live to eat or eat to live? > > > > My husband and me choose to consume more vegetable not because of > > religious reason, but health. We have aged and as such our > > metabolism and our way of living too have changed. As such it is > > just practical to change our dietary habit. But when we go back and > > stay with our inlaws [ who are nonvegetarian ] we eat whatever they > > cook. Why? because we do not want to trouble them. We learn to > > adjust ourselves to the situation. And we do not want to hurt their > > feelings as you know sometimes how mother-in-laws are. So the main > > reason here is that : not to cause inconvenience and hurt another > > person's feeling. For to us which ever way, we are okay. If we stay > > in a vegetarian home for a month, we eat whatever being offered, > and > > we will still be okay. If meat being offered, you take it. And it > is > > still okay with us. Consume not because we enjoy, but we do not > want > > to hurt the feelings of the person offering it. We would not even > > tell the person about it for it will cause such inconvenience for > > them. > > > > > > > > > > Visit your group "" on the web. > > > > > Terms of Service. > > > > > > > > > > Start your day with - make it your home page > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2005 Report Share Posted July 22, 2005 re: eating and not eating my friends, in the bible there is a passage, 'it is not so important what goes in the mouth as what comes out of the mouth' there are stories of those who have existed for long periods of time without eating for example, the woman saint in paramahansa yogananda's book, autobiography of a yogi and the perfect master upasni maharaj who was said to have gone without food or water for a year the story is included in [search words] lord meher online, the biography of meher baba these were highly developed saints, mystics their activity level may have been spent in constant meditation they demonstrated that the physical body is illusion i have heard that those who did not eat lived on prana, breathing it from the air breatharians believe this i heard an interesting interview years ago of a breatharian who said he ate chicken and cake the interviewer asked him why he was supposed to be living on breathing the air alone but still ate chicken and cake the breatharian answered that because he lived in the poisonous cities he had to eat poison food the point of fasting is mastery and non-attachment to food and the physical body ahimsa is non-violence to animals so that animals will not have to undergo pain in harvesting their meat it is why i am a vegetarian, yet i make no judgment about what others eat empty ritual or endless ablutions that punish the body are of no particular spiritual value since the body is in illusion the body is the vehicle of soul to gather experiences in the physical plane [if we] honor the body and are grateful for what it affords us yet may we be unattached so that we are not bound to the body that way, when we drop the body we will not be drawn to reincarnate again, if that is ones aim not eating, if you live in the world and must work and deal with high stress levels will probably result in weight loss, nutrient loss, and eventual decay of the body organs yet for a while, hunger might go away and serenity from non-attachment to food might result this is a good experience in terms of being freed from the fears of not eating these fears are very primal and probably go back to the animal form however, after you have proved this point to yourself and had the experience would it not be pride and ego to continue to fast if it resulted in death? i hope this helps with love, dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2005 Report Share Posted July 22, 2005 Humans are also animals. The woman in Paramahansa Yogananda's book was having problems with her mother in law, who had made some kind of derogatory comment about her weight, I think, and it was in reaction to that difficult relationship and her own internal emotional pressures that she stopped eating. Just b/c she didn't need to eat didn't mean she was more advanced mentally/physically/spiritually. Good point about ego and fasting. MAV , elixirbooks@j... wrote: > re: eating and not eating > > my friends, > > in the bible there is a passage, 'it is not so important what goes in the > mouth > as what comes out of the mouth' > > there are stories of those who have existed for long periods of time > without eating > for example, the woman saint in paramahansa yogananda's book, > autobiography of a yogi > and the perfect master upasni maharaj who was said to have gone without > food or water for a year > the story is included in [search words] lord meher online, the biography > of meher baba > these were highly developed saints, mystics > their activity level may have been spent in constant meditation > they demonstrated that the physical body is illusion > i have heard that those who did not eat lived on prana, breathing it from > the air > breatharians believe this > > i heard an interesting interview years ago of a breatharian who said he > ate chicken and cake > the interviewer asked him why he was supposed to be living on breathing > the air alone > but still ate chicken and cake > the breatharian answered that because he lived in the poisonous cities > he had to eat poison food > > the point of fasting is mastery and non-attachment to food and the > physical body > ahimsa is non-violence to animals so that animals will not have to > undergo pain in harvesting their meat > it is why i am a vegetarian, yet i make no judgment about what others eat > empty ritual or endless ablutions that punish the body are of no > particular spiritual value since the body is in illusion > the body is the vehicle of soul to gather experiences in the physical > plane > [if we] honor the body and are grateful for what it affords us > yet may we be unattached so that we are not bound to the body > that way, when we drop the body we will not be drawn to reincarnate > again, if that is ones aim > > not eating, if you live in the world and must work and deal with high > stress levels > will probably result in weight loss, nutrient loss, and eventual decay of > the body organs > yet for a while, hunger might go away and serenity from non- attachment to > food might result > this is a good experience in terms of being freed from the fears of not > eating > these fears are very primal and probably go back to the animal form > however, after you have proved this point to yourself and had the > experience > would it not be pride and ego to continue to fast if it resulted in > death? > > i hope this helps > > with love, > dean > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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