[Sri Ramakrishna] some questions (important to me) ...

November 28, 2001

" SRK Child " <srkchild

> 3. Does eating / diatery habits harm your spiritual life ?

Swami Vivekananda says:

<<One party says that those that take animal food suffer from all sorts of

bodily complaints. The other contradicts this and says, " That is all fiction.

If that were true, then the Hindus would have been the healthiest race, and the

powerful nations, such as the English, the Americans, and others, whose

principal food is meat, would have succumbed to all sorts of maladies and ceased

to exist by this time. " One says that the flesh of the goat makes the intellect

like that of the goat, the flesh of the swine like that of the swine, and fish

like that of the fish. The other declares that it can as well be argued then

that the potato makes a potato-like brain, that vegetables make a vegetable

brain-resembling dull and dead matter. Is it not better to have the intelligence

of a living animal than to have the brain dull and inert like dead matter? One

party says that those things which are in the chemical composition of animal

food are also equally present in the vegetables. The other ridicules it and

exclaims, " Why, they are in the air too. Go then and live on air only. " One

argues that the vegetarians are very painstaking and can go through hard and

long sustained labour. The other says, " If that were true, then the vegetarian

nations would occupy the foremost rank, which is not the case, the strongest and

foremost nations being always those that take animal food. " .

The Shastras also differ, and rather confuse one, on this point, In one place

the Shastra dictates, " Kill animals in Yajnas, " and again, in another place it

says, " Never take away life. " The Hindus hold that it is a sin to kill animals

except in sacrifices, but one can with impunity enjoy the pleasure of eating

meat after the animal is sacrificed in a Yajna. .

In the West, the contention is whether animal food is injurious to health or

not, whether it is more strengthening than vegetable diet or not, and so on. .

One party says, " Indigestion is due to animal food. " The other says, " That is

all stuff and nonsense. It is mostly the vegetarians who suffer from stomach

complaints. " Again, " It may be the vegetable food acts as an effective purgative

to the system. But is that any reason that you should induce the whole world to

take it? " .

After carefully scrutinizing all sides of the question and setting aside all

fanaticism that is rampant on this delicate question of food, I must say that my

conviction tends to confirm this view-that the Hindus are, after all, right; I

mean that injunction of the Hindu Shastras which lays down the rule that food,

like many other things, must be different according to the difference of birth

and profession; this is the sound conclusion.>>

--The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, vol. 5

_______

Get your free @ address at

November 30, 2001

dear kendra,

one who is not doing sadhana can eat anything which he

likes,but when starts serious sadhana he has to adhere

to strict rules in eating,not forced ones,but

according to dictates of his inner being.As one

advances in sadhana one naturally cannot take meat and

settles down with simple vegetarian food.Advanced

yogis like Babaji can stay put without food for

centuries.It all depends what mental state you are in.

satyapremi.

--- Kendra Crossen Burroughs <kcburroughs

wrote:

<HR>

<tt>

& quot;SRK Child & quot;

& lt;srkchild & gt;

& gt; 3. Does eating / diatery habits harm your

spiritual life ?

Swami Vivekananda says:

& lt; & lt;One party says that those that take animal

food suffer from all sorts of

bodily complaints. The other contradicts this and

says, & nbsp; & quot;That is all fiction.

If that were true, then the Hindus would have been the

healthiest race, and the

powerful nations, such as the English, the Americans,

and others, whose

principal food is meat, would have succumbed to all

sorts of maladies and ceased

to exist by this time. & quot; One says that the flesh

of the goat makes the intellect

like that of the goat, the flesh of the swine like

that of the swine, and fish

like that of the fish. The other declares that it can

as well be argued then

that the potato makes a potato-like brain, that

vegetables make a vegetable

brain-resembling dull and dead matter. Is it not

better to have the intelligence

of a living animal than to have the brain dull and

inert like dead matter? & nbsp; One

party says that those things which are in the chemical

composition of animal

food are also equally present in the vegetables. The

other ridicules it and

exclaims, & quot;Why, they are in the air too. Go then

and live on air only. & quot; & nbsp; One

argues that the vegetarians are very painstaking and

can go through hard and

long sustained labour. The other says, & quot;If that

were true, then the vegetarian

nations would occupy the foremost rank, which is not

the case, the strongest and

foremost nations being always those that take animal

food. & quot; .

& nbsp; & nbsp; The Shastras also differ, and rather

confuse one, on this point, In one place

the Shastra dictates, & quot;Kill animals in

Yajnas, & quot; and again, in another place it

says, & quot;Never take away life. & quot; The Hindus

hold that it is a sin to kill animals

except in sacrifices, but one can with impunity enjoy

the pleasure of eating

meat after the animal is sacrificed in a Yajna. .

& nbsp; & nbsp; In the West, the contention is whether

animal food is injurious to health or

not, whether it is more strengthening than vegetable

diet or not, and so on. .

One party says, & quot;Indigestion is due to animal

food. & quot; & nbsp; The other says, & quot;That is

all stuff and nonsense. It is mostly the vegetarians

who suffer from stomach

complaints. & quot; Again, & quot;It may be the vegetable

food acts as an effective purgative

to the system. But is that any reason that you should

induce the whole world to

take it? & quot; .

& nbsp; & nbsp; After carefully scrutinizing all sides of

the question and setting aside all

fanaticism that is rampant on this delicate question

of food, I must say that my

conviction tends to confirm this view-that the Hindus

are, after all, right; I

mean that injunction of the Hindu Shastras which lays

down the rule that food,

like many other things, must be different according to

the difference of birth

and profession; this is the sound

conclusion. & gt; & gt;

--The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, vol. 5

_______

Get your free @ address at <a

href= " " ></a>

</tt>

<tt>

Sri Ramakrishnaye Namah

Vivekananda Centre London

<a

href= " http://www.vivekananda.co.uk " >http://www.vivekananda.co.uk</a></tt>

<tt>

November 30, 2001

Respected one

Are u following SRF-Yonandaji's methods for sadhana?

In divinefriendship

kapil

satya sarma <satyapremi wrote: dear kendra,

one who is not doing sadhana can eat anything which he

likes,but when starts serious sadhana he has to adhere

to strict rules in eating,not forced ones,but

according to dictates of his inner being.As one

advances in sadhana one naturally cannot take meat and

settles down with simple vegetarian food.Advanced

yogis like Babaji can stay put without food for

centuries.It all depends what mental state you are in.

satyapremi.

--- Kendra Crossen Burroughs <kcburroughs

wrote:

<HR>

<tt>

& quot;SRK Child & quot;

& lt;srkchild & gt;

& gt; 3. Does eating / diatery habits harm your

spiritual life ?

Swami Vivekananda says:

& lt; & lt;One party says that those that take animal

food suffer from all sorts of

bodily complaints. The other contradicts this and

says, & nbsp; & quot;That is all fiction.

If that were true, then the Hindus would have been the

healthiest race, and the

powerful nations, such as the English, the Americans,

and others, whose

principal food is meat, would have succumbed to all

sorts of maladies and ceased

to exist by this time. & quot; One says that the flesh

of the goat makes the intellect

like that of the goat, the flesh of the swine like

that of the swine, and fish

like that of the fish. The other declares that it can

as well be argued then

that the potato makes a potato-like brain, that

vegetables make a vegetable

brain-resembling dull and dead matter. Is it not

better to have the intelligence

of a living animal than to have the brain dull and

inert like dead matter? & nbsp; One

party says that those things which are in the chemical

composition of animal

food are also equally present in the vegetables. The

other ridicules it and

exclaims, & quot;Why, they are in the air too. Go then

and live on air only. & quot; & nbsp; One

argues that the vegetarians are very painstaking and

can go through hard and

long sustained labour. The other says, & quot;If that

were true, then the vegetarian

nations would occupy the foremost rank, which is not

the case, the strongest and

foremost nations being always those that take animal

food. & quot; .

& nbsp; & nbsp; The Shastras also differ, and rather

confuse one, on this point, In one place

the Shastra dictates, & quot;Kill animals in

Yajnas, & quot; and again, in another place it

says, & quot;Never take away life. & quot; The Hindus

hold that it is a sin to kill animals

except in sacrifices, but one can with impunity enjoy

the pleasure of eating

meat after the animal is sacrificed in a Yajna. .

& nbsp; & nbsp; In the West, the contention is whether

animal food is injurious to health or

not, whether it is more strengthening than vegetable

diet or not, and so on. .

One party says, & quot;Indigestion is due to animal

food. & quot; & nbsp; The other says, & quot;That is

all stuff and nonsense. It is mostly the vegetarians

who suffer from stomach

complaints. & quot; Again, & quot;It may be the vegetable

food acts as an effective purgative

to the system. But is that any reason that you should

induce the whole world to

take it? & quot; .

& nbsp; & nbsp; After carefully scrutinizing all sides of

the question and setting aside all

fanaticism that is rampant on this delicate question

of food, I must say that my

conviction tends to confirm this view-that the Hindus

are, after all, right; I

mean that injunction of the Hindu Shastras which lays

down the rule that food,

like many other things, must be different according to

the difference of birth

and profession; this is the sound

conclusion. & gt; & gt;

--The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, vol. 5

_______

Get your free @ address at <a

href= " " ></a>

</tt>

<tt>

Sri Ramakrishnaye Namah

Vivekananda Centre London

<a

href= " http://www.vivekananda.co.uk " >http://www.vivekananda.co.uk</a></tt>

<tt>

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