Is vegetarianism supported by the Gita - Yes, I believe so

March 12, 2007

Gandhiji has experimented a lot with diets and its effects on mind which can be read from "MY EXPERIMENTS WITH TRUTH".

vijay

On Behalf Of HarshaMonday, 12 March 2007 6:03 AMadvaitin ; Subject: Is vegetarianism supported by the Gita - Yes, I believe so

We would all agree that for a Self-Realized person, the diet does not make a difference. Certainly, you are right that one should not feel special in being a vegetarian. However, if one is not inclined to eat meat, why should one force oneself just so that others can be happy, and less troubled, etc. If we do things which are not natural for us in order to be accepted by others and to appear in the mainstream, we create an inner conflict. There is no point in that. I am not a pure vegetarian (eat eggs once in a while) but do understand the value of sattvic diet. Yogic texts are very clear on various types of foods and their effect on the body and the mind. If one has gone beyond all that, it is wonderful indeed.In Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna states, "If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it:' (Bg. 9.26). To me this seems to suggest that Bhagavan is sanctioning a diet based on leaves and fruits and water as the best one for spiritual growth. My liberal interpretation would include all or most vegetables (spinach, broccoli, etc as well as fruits and nuts). Because Sri Krishna is known to favor butter and dairy products, one could argue that Bhagavan is sanctioning the use of yogurt and milk and dairy products as long as the animals are treated well. Of course, all the food taken has to be in moderation. Sri Krishna is very clear about that and states, "There is no possibility of one's becoming a yogi, O Arjuna, if one eats too much, or eats too little....."Anyway, that is my homespun wisdom for today. Namaste and love to allHarshaadvaitarules wrote: Hello Tony,

If one sees all meat/vegetables/fruit/grain as the same material as that from which the BMI is composed, does it matter whether one eats meat as opposed to other types of food? If all phenomena is just movement in the one, what difference does it make?

I don't eat meat but frequently I question whether this is necessary. If anything, particularly in the west, it seems to make one stand out as different, friends and relatives go to special trouble to meet your dietary preferences when eating at their homes, it can lead to a feeling of being more special, better than, and if anything can strengthen the idea of being separate.

regards,

Dot.

March 12, 2007

We would all agree that for a Self-Realized person, the diet does not

make a difference. Certainly, you are right that one should not feel

special in being a vegetarian. However, if one is not inclined to eat

meat, why should one force oneself just so that others can be happy, and

less troubled, etc. If we do things which are not natural for us in

order to be accepted by others and to appear in the mainstream, we

create an inner conflict. There is no point in that. I am not a pure

vegetarian (eat eggs once in a while) but do understand the value of

sattvic diet. Yogic texts are very clear on various types of foods and

their effect on the body and the mind. If one has gone beyond all that,

it is wonderful indeed.

In Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna states, " If one offers Me with love and

devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it:' (Bg.

9.26). To me this seems to suggest that Bhagavan is sanctioning a diet

based on leaves and fruits and water as the best one for spiritual

growth. My liberal interpretation would include all or most vegetables

(spinach, broccoli, etc as well as fruits and nuts). Because Sri Krishna

is known to favor butter and dairy products, one could argue that

Bhagavan is sanctioning the use of yogurt and milk and dairy products as

long as the animals are treated well.

Of course, all the food taken has to be in moderation.* Sri Krishna is

very clear about that and states, " There is no possibility of one's

becoming a yogi, O Arjuna, if one eats too much, or eats too little..... "

*Anyway, that is my homespun wisdom for today.

Namaste and love to all

Harsha

advaitarules wrote:

> Hello Tony,

> If one sees all meat/vegetables/fruit/grain as the same material as

> that from which the BMI is composed, does it matter whether one eats

> meat as opposed to other types of food? If all phenomena is just

> movement in the one, what difference does it make?

>

> I don't eat meat but frequently I question whether this is necessary.

> If anything, particularly in the west, it seems to make one stand out

> as different, friends and relatives go to special trouble to meet your

> dietary preferences when eating at their homes, it can lead to a

> feeling of being more special, better than, and if anything can

> strengthen the idea of being separate.

>

> regards,

> Dot.

>

March 12, 2007

Many years ago, Sri Sadananda ji wrote this excellent article on the

topic

http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_z_otherlang_english/vegetarian.txt

<http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_z_otherlang_english/vegetarian.txt>

March 12, 2007

Indeed, quite excellent. Thank you for sharing this Bhatnagar-ji. I

noted that the date of the article was 1994. Sada-ji has been offering

gems to us for decades now!

Harsha

bhatnagar_shailendra wrote:

> Many years ago, Sri Sadananda ji wrote this excellent article on the

> topic

>

> http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_z_otherlang_english/vegetarian.txt

> <http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_z_otherlang_english/vegetarian.txt>

>

March 12, 2007

Namaste Harshaji.

You are right, Harshaji. Here is a little more home-spun wisdom,

which I believe I quoted here onece before.

They say: " He who eats once a day is a yogi, twice a bhogi and

thrice a rogi " .

Most of us tragically fall in the third category.

All vegetarian items are not sAttwic. The term sAttwic food needs a

definition. Since gastric processes have a bearing on our breathing

and vital airs (prANAs) and prANAs dictate the condition of the mind

(Recall " UpadeshasAra " by Bhagwan Ramana Maharshi - " prANarodhanAt

lIyate manaH " ), can we say sAttwic food is that which calms the

gastric processes and bestows clarity of mind? This, of course, is a

difficult definition to apply as gastronomy varies from person to

person. The background in which one grew up is also a very deciding

factor. My food can be another's poison.

The food we get in most of our high-profile vegetarian joints are

least sAttwic. Most of them are excessively creamy and cheesy and

thus worse than some of the meat preparations. If we remove

psychology, this applies to most of the items we distribute as

praSAd - laddus, bedas, barfis and other non-sweet items cooked in

cream, butter, oil and what not. I remember Sw. Chinmayandaji once

dumping our favourite vegetable pulav in the non-sAttwic bin.

Thus, I would not set hard and fast rules on what food an aspirant

should eat. Each one has to decide this by seeeing what tells best

on one's mental clarity and alertness. Nevertheless, if my Hindu

background is not accused of making me biased, I would say vegetable

sources provide a desirable variety if selected and prepared

prudently.

PraNAms.

Madathil Nair

___________________

advaitin , Harsha wrote:

>

> Of course, all the food taken has to be in moderation.* Sri Krishna

is

> very clear about that and states, " There is no possibility of one's

> becoming a yogi, O Arjuna, if one eats too much, or eats too

little..... "

>

> *Anyway, that is my homespun wisdom for today.

>\

March 12, 2007

I-am-not-the-doer ..... anbudanHarsha wrote: We would all agree that for a Self-Realized person, the diet does not make a difference. Certainly, you are right that one should not feel special in being a vegetarian. However, if one is not inclined to eat meat, why should one force oneself just so that others can be happy, and less troubled, etc. If we do things which are not natural for us in order to be accepted by others and to appear in the mainstream, we

create an inner conflict. There is no point in that. I am not a pure vegetarian (eat eggs once in a while) but do understand the value of sattvic diet. Yogic texts are very clear on various types of foods and their effect on the body and the mind. If one has gone beyond all that, it is wonderful indeed.In Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna states, "If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it:' (Bg. 9.26). To me this seems to suggest that Bhagavan is sanctioning a diet based on leaves and fruits and water as the best one for spiritual growth. My liberal interpretation would include all or most vegetables (spinach, broccoli, etc as well as fruits and nuts). Because Sri Krishna is known to favor butter and dairy products, one could argue that Bhagavan is sanctioning the use of yogurt and milk and dairy products as long as the animals are treated well. Of course, all the food taken has to be in moderation. Sri Krishna is very clear about that and states, "There is no possibility of one's becoming a yogi, O Arjuna, if one eats too much, or eats too little....."Anyway, that is my homespun wisdom for today. Namaste and love to allHarshaadvaitarules wrote: Hello Tony, If one sees all meat/vegetables/fruit/grain as the same material as that from which the BMI is composed, does it matter whether one eats meat as opposed to other types of food? If all phenomena is just movement in the one, what difference does it make? I don't eat meat but frequently I question whether this is necessary. If anything, particularly in the west, it seems to make one stand out as different, friends and relatives go to special trouble to meet your dietary preferences when eating at their homes, it can lead to a feeling of being more special, better than, and if

anything can strengthen the idea of being separate. regards, Dot. PEACE through SURRENDER ...

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March 12, 2007

Pranams.

The food which caters to people with differing temperaments is clearly listed

by Bhagwan Krishna in the Gita.

ayuh-sattva-balarogya-

sukha-priti-vivardhanah

rasyah snigdhah sthira hrdya

aharah sattvika-priyah

Aharah, foods; ayuh-sattva-bala-arogya-sukha-priti-vivardhanah, that augment

life, firmneess of mind, strength, health delight; [Life-a brilliant life;

firmness of mind or vigour; strength-ability of body and organs;

happiness-pleasure of mind; delight-great joy even at seeing other persons

prosperous.] and which are rasyah, succulent; snigdhah, oleaginous; sthirah,

substantial, lasing in the body for long; [beneficial to the body for long.] and

hrdyah, agreeable, to one's liking; are sattvika-priyah, dear to one endowed

with sattva.

katv-amla-lavanaty-usna-

tiksna-ruksa-vidahinah

ahara rajasasyesta

duhkha-sokamaya-pradah

Aharah, foods; ayuh-sattva-bala-arogya-sukha-priti-vivardhanah, that augment

life, firmneess Foods that are katu-amla-lavana-atyusna-tiksna-ruksa-vidahinah,

very bitter, sour, salty, very hot, pungent, dry [Without fat.] and burning; and

duhkha-soka-amaya-pradah, which produce pain, sorrow and disease; [Pain,

immediate suffering; sorrow, grief arising from not having that desired food.]

are rajasasyaistah, dear to one having rajas.

yata-yamam gata-rasam

puti paryusitam ca yat

ucchistam api camedhyam

bhojanam tamasa-priyam

Bhojanam, food; which is yata-yamam, not properly cooked [Yata-yamam lit.

means 'crooked three hours ago', that which has lost its essence; but here it is

translated as 'not properly cooked to avoid tautology, for the next word

gata-rasam, too, means lacking in essence.-Tr.] (-because food that has lost its

essence is referred to by the word gatarasam-); gata-rasam, lacking in essence;

puti, putrid; and paryusitam, stale, cooked on the previous day and kept

over-night; and even ucchistam, ort, remnants of a meal; and amedhyam, that

which is unfit for sacrifice;- this kind of food is tamasa-priyam, dear to one

possessed of tamas.

Not only does this mean that these foods are liked by people of the varying

temperaments but also, on the flip side, these foods develop the respective

qualities in the individual. For example consuming spicy food tends to make a

person get better endowed with rajas while alcohol no doubt helps the tamasic

qualities in an individual gain ground. Hence Bhagawan

Shankara prefaces these slokas by saying

" The liking of persons possessing the qualities of sattva, rajas and tamas for

foods that are divided into three groups, viz succulent, oleaginous, etc., is

respectively being shown here so that, by knowing the presence of the qualities

of sattva, rajas and tamas (in oneself) from the indications of the degree of

one's preference for particular foods as are succulent, oleaginous, etc., one

may avoid foods having the characteristics of rajas and tamas, and accept food

with the characteristics of sattva. "

The food we consume has three constituents -

the first portion that caters to the tongue or the organ of taste, - and

whether it is samosas or chocolate this is the portion that drives our eating

for the vast majority of us

the second portion caters to the gross body - this is what is medically known

as carbs,fat,protein, caloric value,etc.

the third portion caters to the subtle body - this principle is of course

outside the realm of objective science, but is endorsed by our scriptures as

well as can be a matter of our own experience.

Consuming sattvic foods will make the mind-intellect develop sattvic

qualities, and so on.

So when prescribing food for a warrior who needs to have great valor, bravery,

and hence a predominantly rajasic temperament, rajasic food is of course best.

But for someone who wants to undertake a study of vedanta, and study and

understand the subtle turths about his own nature, wants to lead a life of

contemplative self-enquiry, the best diet is one that is sattvic. A rajasic

temperament will ease our mind to stray in a hundered directions and a tamasic

temperament will ease it into sleep or dullness. A alert, pleasant, sattvic mind

endowed with sufficient vitality is the most ideal mind for undertaking

atmavichara.

What are some dietary items that fit the sattvic qualities listed - fresh

fruits, cooked vegetables, milk and milk products such as ghee, butter, yogurt,

sweets - all this fall in this category. They are pleasant to eat as well.

Now vegetariansim is not specifically mentioned - but can be inferred by two

ways.

One of course is that no meat products will ever fit into the " sattvic " mould,

based on the qualities listed.

Secondly, in the 13th chapter, Bhagwan has clearly listed ahimsa as one of the

foremost qualities in a ideal student.

Ahimsa is nonviolence. There is no meat-eating without violence, without

killing another living being. There is of course no two thoughts about this. Now

one may argue that even plants are living things, and there is certainly himsa

involved in killing them as well.

Let us consider this. First of all, when we eat fruits and vegetables, these

are products of the plant which will go to waste eventually. The ripe fruit will

at some point simply drop off from the plant and so as far as fruits and

vegetables go, there is no violence to the plant itself. Moreover, the plant is

not something which has an advanced level of consciousness that enables it to

feel fear,pain, and distress unlike say a lamb or a cow.

Many people who consume meat will choose not to consume it on certain holy

days or occasions - showing that there is a part of them that does regard this

practice as being less desirable.

Sant Kabir writes with his characteristic conviction:

" They fast all day, and at night they slaughter the cow; here murder, there

devotion; how can this please God? O' Kazi, by whose order doth thou use thy

knife. "

" When you declare the sacrifice of an animal as your religion, what else is

sin. If you regard yourself a saint, whom will you call a butcher ? "

So clearly, the writings are clear. Vegetarianism is a well-accepted and

universal recommendation for a spiritual seeker. At the same time, being

judgemental about people who do not embrace it is also best avoided. Being

vegetarian does not make you a saint nor does consuming meat a demon - far from

it.

With regards to the valid point about all this being movement in the one or

" all this is brahman " - this is actually a beautiful sloka from the Gita that

many Hindus recite prior to the meal " Brahmarpanam Brahma Havir Brahmagnau

Brahmana Hutam Brahmaiva Tena Ghantavyam Brahmakarma Samadhinaha " " The act of

offering is Brahman, the oblation is Brahman By Brahman it is offered into

Brahman. " The point here is - yes - the eater, the eating and the eaten are all

the One, but when you regard yourself as a eater, then you are already in

duality - what you intend to eat cannot then be clubbed into a homogeneous set.

One has to exercise choice in this regard.

Finally I understand our innate discomfort at " standing out " - its always a

bit awkard to declare your choice in the midst of people who dont understand.

This is almost as true for alcohol as well - most people in the West would

consider not consuming alcohol as being an oddity as well ( " not even wine? " is a

common question) This of course should not be just cause for us to indulge in

alcohol.

Standing up for what you believe to be right and drawing a line for what you

think is acceptable for you is a must for us as seekers, and I think there are

plently of people who will appreciate you for it as well. If one wishes to not

inconvenience one's host, one can always find something to eat which is

vegetarian, or better eat and then go! Moreover this also forces you to an

extent to develop satsangati - a friend circle consisting of people who share

your beliefs and value-structures.

Nair-ji its nice to hear back from you after a long time.

Tony-ji its nice to agree with you for once!

Harsha-ji thank you for your kind words, and best wishes with your

website/blog. Not a word of what i write has even an iota of originality - so

please ever feel free to use any of what i write in your website if you think it

will be of any use to anybody.

Warm regards,

Hari OM

Shri Gurubhyo namah

Shyam

Madathil Rajendran Nair <madathilnair wrote: