Sattvic food, etc.

[Guest guest]

Dear fellow list-members,

 

I deeply enjoyed Linda Sherman's and Ben Hassine's messages on this

topic and wanted to share something a little bit humorous and

philosophical.

 

I remember reading somewhere that Joseph Campbell was quoted as having

said "Vegetarians are those who cannot hear the cries of plants". :-)

 

I also recall reading in Kahlil Gibran's "The Prophet" a very wonderful

segment on a related topic. The Prophet said something to the effect

that when I eat any kind of food, then the prayer should be made to the

spirit of that food that just I am eating your life energy so shall my

life energy be eaten some day. This is also reflective of the Native

American belief in which animals are killed but the hunting itself is

considered a sacred act, in which one sees one's self in the animal

being killed. I have read the accounts of many other spiritual authors

who have eaten meat and believe that not eating the bounties and gifts

given to us by God is to insult God. I have known of people here in the

US who kill their own meat and eat only such meat and to me they are to

be admired for their convictions.

 

I myself have been a vegetarian since age 13 (my parents finally gave in

at that point) and refuse to be any thing but vegetarian. From the time

I was young I could not bear to think of punishing another living

creature and taking their life. Recently I read a PETA pamphlet about

the horrors of the meat-packing industry and I found myself crying. But

I remind myself that there is not only one way in The Way of Life.

Therefore I like to poke fun at vegetarians (including myself) and be

empathetic to those who eat meat for whatever reasons.

 

I also recall reading somewhere that Ramana Maharshi was asked about

"brahmacharya", which is the commonly understood to be the celibate life

of monks and nuns in mainstream Hindu culture. His answer was quite

dramatic for me because he said that brahmacharya is simply to be in the

state of Brahman, which is absolute reality. So he cut through all the

dogma in one swift, simple reply, and this to me is the beauty of a real

master. They point to the final and absolute truth which is really

quite simple.

 

This is not to say that we mustn't observe practices in our life that

support movement towards the state of Union with the Highest Self, but

that sometimes people use up way too much energy focusing on the means

rather than the end.

 

With best wishes for everyone, and on-going marvel at the diversity of

Life,

 

Ashish

[Guest guest]

Sri Ashish Mahajan writes that he:

>wanted to share something a little bit humorous and

>philosophical.

In the same vein,I don't think I would be happy if a

station-master at Delhi, when asked the best route to

Vrindaban, replied:

>sometimes people use up way too much energy focusing

>on the means

>rather than the end.

Bhagavan was not asked to define his statement on

sattvic food, which seems a pity, since he emphasised

"...the regulation of diet is the best of all rules of

conduct...".

Now, my ego would react violently if asked to fast for

more than a day, or even to eat in moderate

quantities.

But keeping to a vegetarian diet, it finds no more

onerous than buying a ticket.In fact, I would much

sooner eat cardboard than a hamburger.

Though respecting the beliefs of North American

Indians, I reserve the right to disagree with them.

And, personally, neither think of myself, nor call

myself, a vegetarian. I eat flesh whenever I feel like

it. But, like human flesh and light-bulbs, haven't

felt at all like it for the last 45 years.My three

children have never tasted or wanted to taste, flesh.

Since therefore I could easily further conform diet to

an ideal,(provided it didn't involve fasting or

anything approaching it!), such a valuable aid to

Self-enquiry would not inconvenience me or be the

slightest cause of effort or concern. I sometimes

think that those who feel the necessity to poke fun at

their own vegetarianism have been "got at" by

carnivores, and feel guilty that they may be thought

of as 'holier than thou'.I don't shrink away from the

world, and -hope- the world doesn't shrink away from

me, despite my outspoken bigotry on everything!

With best wishes,

Nasrudin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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