Thespiritualaspectofthevegetariandiet
Everyoneseeksrestandpeace,butthesameremainaselusiveasever.Allour effortsinthisdirectioncometonaughtandprovefruitless.Why?Becausewe work on the wrong lines. Man lives on two planes: One is the outer; the otheristheinner.First,onehastosettlethingsoutside,beforeonecanenterwithintobringpeaceontheouterplane.Therearethreefactorsthatcountagreat deal in this connection: right occupation – right conduct – right diet.
The greatestpurposeofhumanlifeistoknowone’sselfandtoknowGod, andalltherestismeredissipation.
“Soundmindinasoundbody”isa well-knownaphorism.Onehas,therefore, to work for these before anything else. We have to keep both body and mind in a healthy condition before these can be used as instruments for spiritualadvancement. Forthis wehave,ofnecessity,toresorttofood. We cannotdowithoutfoodfor keepingthebodyandsoultogether.
Our first and foremost problem then is food, for food conditions body as wellasmind;righttypeoffood–rightlyearned–rightlytaken–helpsalot inthisdirection.
One must, therefore, earn his daily bread by the sweat of his brow, as the saying goes, and should not depend on others’ earnings. We must for our livelihoodengageinsomehonestandusefulpursuit,maybephysicalormen‐tal, butit must be free from all guile, hypocrisy, ill-will and animosity, for karmic law is inexorable in its working. Every action leads to reaction and thus the endlessseriesrolloninterminably.Hence,theneedforanhonestliv‐ing, howsoever poor it may be. You cannot have riches by honest avocation.
Riches grow by the groans of the poor and the downtrodden – the hewers of woodandthedrawers of water– and thrive on the lifeblood of our fellow be‐ings. We ought not,therefore, run after rich foods and dainty dishes, for these bring in their trainmuch blood-sucking and are tainted with the un‐told miseries of the miserableandthelowlyand,inthelongrun,makeusmis‐
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erableaswell.“Allofusarebeing consumed, in the invisible fires of hell, and yet know it not.”
Food, as you know, is made for man and not man for food. We have to makethe best use of food like all the other things of life. One who is a slave of thepalate cannot do anything useful. By a righteous control of the palate, we cancontrolourentirephysicalandmentalsystems.Asimpledietis morenourishingand wholesomeandconducivetospiritualadvancement thanallthesocalleddelicacies whichthemodernculinaryartprovides.It willalwaysgive a comfortable feeling and serenity of mind, help you to live within yourmeans,howeverlimitedthesamemaybe,without extending yourhandbeforeothers.
WhenI wasabouttoretireafter mylongandmeritoriousgovernment service,I wasasked by mychiefifI wouldliketohavean extension,butI politelydeclinedtheoffersaying,“Idon’t wantany extensionasIknowhow toarrange myaffairswithinthelimitedamountof mypension.”
Now,foodsareofthreekinds:
1.SATVIC –Purefoods;milk,butter,cheese,rice,lentils,pulses, grains, vegetables,fruits,andnuts.
2.RAJSIC –Energizingfoods:peppers,spices,condiments,sourand bitterthings.
3.TAMSIC – Enervating foods: stale foods, eggs, meat, fish, fowl, wine, etc.Out of the above, one should always prefer Satvic or pure foods. These do alot of good; again, even of these, one must partake a little below the saturationpointoftheappetite.Incase wegetdelicious foods, wearetemptedtoeatmorethan whatisactuallyneeded;and the extrafoodtaken,insteadofgiving extra health and energy, rather proves baneful. The food which is notdigested properly and assimi‐latedinthesystemcausescolicpainsandaches;andinsomecaseseven cholera, and one has to pay with one’’s life itself. “Donot overloadthe motorof yourstomach”,else you fallaneasypreytonausea.Asurfeit of even whatisgooddoesproveharmfulattimes.Amoderation in
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victuals and viands helps in the growth of vital powers in man. In the Puranas(ancientHinduScriptures)thereisanallegoryofthefood-god complainingtoLord Vishnu,thesustaineroftheuniverse,thatpeople misusedhima greatdeal. TothisLord Vishnuhumorouslyreplied: “Thosewhoeatyoutoomuch,youmusteatthemup,forthatistheonly remedy!”
Fresh air is the most essential part in our food. One must intake long breaths,retainthemawhile,andexhalethemoutfullysoastocastoutallthe impurities of the body. Besides this, one must drink a lot of pure water and takefruitjuices to flush the system through and through to make one clean, but avoidalltypesofhotandsoftdrinks,spirituousliquors,andintoxi‐cants,fortheyrender the mind and intellect morbid. Grains and fruits shouldformournormalandstaplefoods.
Man,assaidbefore,mustearnhislivelihoodforhimselfbyallfair,legiti‐mate, andhonestmeans.Again,itisthemoraldutyofthehousewifeto cooktheSatvic food with heart engrossed in sweet remembrance of the Lord.Afoodcookedlikethis,withthemindentrenchedintheBelovedand the hands engagedinthe work,becomesaMannafromheavenandproves a blessingtothose who partake of it.
The great Master, Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj,oftenusedtogive usaninstanceofanIndianpeasantwithhishandsontheploughbut singingpaeansofsoulenthrallingsongstohisladylove.Suchindeed shouldbeourattitudeinthesethings.
Inthe year1921,I was workingasanaccountsofficerintheSikhunit No.36.Igotanorderly-cookinthe field.ItoldhimthatI wouldnotmind whathislife wasinthepast,solongashecooked myfood whilerepeating theHolyNamesofGodonhislipsanddidnotallowanyonetoenterthe kitchenanddiverthismindinidletalk.Thecookpromisedtodothisandev‐erythingwent well for two or three days, but on the fourth day, as I sat for my meditation,Ifeltthat mymind wasnotsteady.Inthemiddleofthe night,Icalledthecookandinquiredofhimifthere wasanyoneelsewith himinthekitchen whilehe waspreparingthefood.At firsthedeniedit,
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butultimatelyconfessed that a person had come and had engaged him in conversation and thusdivertedhimfromthe sweetremembranceofGod. He was warnedagainstthis and thereafter he always followed my behests scrupulously. This then isthebestcriteriato weighone’sspiritualadvance‐mentandthepurityofthefoodstuffthatonetakes,bothinprocurationand inpreparation.
SheikSaadi,a great mysticpoetofShirazin Persia,alwayspreachedtodivide the stomach into four compartments: Two for filling with a limited quantityofsimplediet,oneforpureandclear water; whilereservingone fortheLightofGod.
We read of an incident in the life of Hazrat Mohammed, the Prophet of Is‐lam.Onedayaphysiciancameuntohimandofferedhimhisservicesforthe sickandtheailinginthe“Umat,”theProphet’sfollowing.Heremainedthere foraboutsixmonthsinidleindolence,asnoneoftheProphet’sfollowersfell ill.HeapproachedtheProphetandaskedforhispermissiontoleaveasno onethere felt the need of his services. Hazrat Mohammed, with a gentle smile onhis lips, said good-bye to the physician saying: “So long as the con‐gregationfollowedtheinstructions,there wouldbenochanceofanyof them fallingsick,fortheyalllived byonepanacea:‘Toalwayseatalittleless than whatone may, in his hunger, otherwise like to take.– To lead a chaste life withhonestearnings.”
Baba Jaimal Singh Ji, a great Master in His time, used to buy some loaves ofbreadorchapatisandwraptheminapieceofclothandhangthemona branchofatree.Hewoulddevotehimselftomeditationallthedaylongand whenHe wouldgetupfromHisSamadhi,He wouldtakejustoneloafof bread,soakitin water,andpartakeofitbeforegoingintomeditationagain. Whole wheatbreadisacompletefoodinitself.Wedepriveitofvitalelements byremovingthehuskand grindingthe kernelinto whiteflour,thus destroyingthephosphorusandoilinthegrains,makingaterriblemessofit.
I veryoftenwitnessedwith my own eyesHazurBabaSawanSingh’sfood which wasalways verysimpleandconsistedofjustafew wholesomeitems in verysmallquantities.
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AlltheSaintsliveonaveryfrugalrepast.SodidShamasTabrez,aMuslim devout,andSwamiShivDayalSinghJi,bothof whomlived bytheprinciple:“Eatlessandremainhappy.”
Withalifeofsimplefoodandhighthinking coupledwithhighmorals andchasteconduct,oneneedsnotonicswhichglutthemarketinthesedays. Theluxuriousfoodnotonlyupsetsthemotorofthestomach,butleadsto direconsequencesthatattimesprove verydangerous. Veryoftenpersons complainthattheydonotseemtoprogressonthepath,butlittledothey realizethatitisdueto faultydietandwrongliving.ProphetMohammed, weread,livedmostlyonbarley-bread.
TheSatvicfood keepstheheadandheartfreefromalltypesofimpuri‐ties.
We every day read that crime and corruption are on the increase and var‐ious types of special police squads are formed to meet this growing menace. “Eat,drink,andbemerry”istheorderoftheday.Everyone wishestohavea good time in ravelling and in visiting places of enjoyment and in watchingmovies, etc., and all beyond his scanty means. But how to get more money?Nothing but Aladdin’’s wonderful lamp can help you to it. Anhonestmancanhardly keep his body and soul together, but very few can escape the temptationsandsnaresoftheglittering world.Mostofuslivea lustful existence:somesufferingfromthelustoftheeyes,othersofears,and still others of various lusts of the flesh. We have no consideration for the wives,daughters,andsistersofothersandfollowthem blindly.The worldis inthe gripofa fast growingretrogression.
“Amanisknown bythecompanyhe keeps.” If you wanttoknowhow your childrenare growing,havean eyeontheircompanions,andfromthem you caneasilyjudge yourchildren.
We have all been created by God. All of us are embodied souls. Soul is of thesameessenceasthatofGodandGodisinallofus;andweshould,there‐fore,loveoneanother.Thatis whatSt. PaultaughtallHislife.Itiswritten inthe Koran:“Ohumanbeings,dogood;begoodto yourparents,relatives,
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orphans, the needy and the poor, your neighbours, and your fellow beings; sucha life pleases Allah. Allah is within each one of us. The haughty who is selfishisnotcaredfor byGod.”
AMasterSaintalwaysenjoins:
1.Loveandreverenceforallcreationfromthehighesttothelowest
2.Observanceofnon-violence eveninthedepthsoftheheart
3.Truthfulness
4.Non-injurytoone’sfeelingsbythoughts,words,symbols,anddeeds
5.Kindlytreatmenttowardsall
6.Cheerytemperament
7.Faithintheinnategoodnessinman
8.Avoidanceofgivingbadnamestoothers
9.Non-indulgenceinslanderousandamoroustalkandidlepursuits
10.Avoidanceofaccusationsfortheyboomerangwithgreaterintensity
Ifoneis keenforGod-realization thenonemustnothurtanyone’sfeel‐ings,forheartistheseatofGod.
Haveyoueverrealizedthatamangoseedwhenembeddedgathersallthe sweetnessfromthesoil, whileapepperseedattracts all the bitterness in it. Asamanthinks,sohebecomes.Nothingisgoodor bad in the world but our thinking makes it so. We, like the one or the otheroftheseeds,drawupon impulsesfromtheatmosphereassuitsour ownmentalmake-up.
WehaveinMahabharata,the greatepicpoemofancientIndia,thatouter signs of a chaste and clean life are good deeds. Just as a tree is known by the fruit it bears, so is a man by what he does.
This is a great teaching of a great value. It helps a man to flourish and re‐ceive a good name both here and hereafter.Hewillbethefriendofallcrea‐turesforheresolvesnottohurtorkillanyofthem,noteventhehumblebee northelowlyant.Suchapersonwillsurelyknowthe Truthoneday.
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Prince Dhritarashtra, the son of Kuru, the mighty King of Bharat, once hurleda rebuke on Gandiva, the mighty bow of Arjuna, the Pandav Prince. Arjunagot angry and, touched to the quick, put his arrow on the Gan‐diva. LordKrishna, who happened to be near at hand, asked Arjuna as to what he wasdoing. Arjuna replied: “I, as a Khastriya Prince, had taken a vowthatifanyone wouldbutsaya wordagainst mymightybow,I wouldnot sparehim.”Lord Krishna said, “O Arjuna, could you tell me the fruit of Dharma or Righteousness.Isitpainorpleasure?”Arjunarepliedthat DharmaorRighteousnessconsistedonlyintheresultantloveandharmony.
Soonemustfirstthinkoftheresultbeforedoingorevencontemplating anydeed.Itwillcertainlyprolongone’sspanoflife.
Apersonwithavirtuouslifewillneverentertainanyevilideaagainstany personandwillneverlosehistemperandget excited.Suchaonegetslongevityinlife.Thelifeprocessiscalculated bymeansofbreaths.Normally, breathingisgoingon veryrhythmically–some10to12perminute.But whenapersonisinaparoxysmofrageandis excited,hetakes20to23 breathsinaminute.Thusthereisa veritabletruthhiddeninthesayingthat gooddeedsorvirtuesprolonglife;whileevildeedsorvicesshortenthespan ofone’’slife.
Remember, you may even do meritorious deeds, but if you do not live a goodmorallifeyouarenowhere.TrytolivebythepreceptoftheMasterand thenalone your wordscanhave weightwith yourfriends..Youcannot preachofchastitywithlustinyourheartandaleerinyoureyes.Youcannot dupepeople for any length of time. Sooner or later the cat will be out of the bag. Thepublic cannot trust you blindly for long and take you at your face value. Excuseme,ifI weretoquestionasto whysocietiesandpreachers veryoftengetabadname?Itisbecausetheydonotlive bytheteachings theypreachtoothers.
A Godly person is possessed with a right mind and a right heart. He has bothwithin and without a perfect spring of peace. His dealings are fair, open,andunquestionable. Truthspringsfromthe verybottomofhisheart. Theaudience is spellbound and gets a feeling of comfort by hearing him, as
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his utterances are drenched from the cooling effect of the loving and chaste thoughtswithin him and everyone feels satisfied. As one among many, he stands as atowerofstrengthbecauseofthepurityofhisheart.Lord Ten‐nyson,a greatpoet,speakingofSirGalahad(oneoftheKnightsofthe Round Table)putsinhismouththe words:“Mystrengthislikethestrength oftenbecause myheartispure.”
It is said that out of the abundance of heart a man speaks. On the other hand,ifapersonisselfishandmischievous,hecutswithhis ownaxethe treeofhislifeon whichhesitswithcomplacency.Everyonewillbeafraid ofhimand live in terror of him. People dread even to see his face and con‐sider himan ominous being. If such a person goes anywhere, people shun him outright, evenfromadistance,andconsiderhimanunluckyanath‐ema.
Arighteousperson,ontheotherhand,hashis eyesonhis weaknessesand throughself-introspection, weedsthemoutone byone.SwamiShivDayal SinghJiadvisesthatoneshouldpickuphisfailuresonebyoneandcastthem out.AllotherSaintshavesaidthisthinginthesamestrain.
1.Lovethyneighbourasthyself.
2.Dountoothersas you wouldwishthemtodounto you.
The wholeofthereligiousphilosophyhangs bythesetwocardinalprinciples.Ifoneputsbeforehimthesetwogolden rules,hislifewillsurelybe transformed. The person who has neither an element of sympathy in his heartnor a human touch is not fit to be called even a man, and he cannot knowGod.He whotreatshisenemieslovinglywilldisarmtheminnotime.
Insofar as you can, try to do no injury to anyone. Be good to all and you willbeatpeacewith yourselfandbearadiatingcentreofloving grace around you. The prayers of others to whom you may have done good, will help you.The good thoughts of others will swarm around you with a bene‐diction. The veryideaofdoinggoodwill firstaffect youandwilldrawall goodvibrationsfromthesurroundingatmosphere.
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Inanutshell,wehavejustlaida“PanchShila”orfivefundamentaltruths on which wecanbuildthe wonderfulmansionofspirituality.Theseare:
1.Non-violenceinthought, word,anddeed
2.Truthfulness
3.Chastity
4.Loveforallandhatredfornone,irrespectiveofposition,wealth, orlearning
5.Selflessservice–physicalandfinancialandawillingshare inthejoysandsorrowsofothers
“ThelivingMastercutsasundertheGordianknotofaninitiate.”
“ThediscipleoftheMasterrefrainsfromsins.”
Those whowillfollowtheabovewillenrichtheirliveshereandhereafter. Theywillcontroltheirmindandoutgoing faculties bycomingincontact withthelivingWordofGodthroughthelivingMaster-Saint.
(Circular Letter “The spiritual aspect of the vegetarian diet”
by Sant Kirpal
Singh, issued in July 1958
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Withalifeofsimplefoodandhighthinkingcoupled withhighmoralsandchasteconduct,oneneedsno tonicswhichglutthemarketinthesedays.
Theluxuriousfoodnotonlyupsetsthemotorofthe stomach,butleadstodireconsequencesthatattimes proveverydangerous.
Very often persons complain that they do not seemto progressonthePath,butlittledothey realizethatitis duetofaultydietandwrongliving.
KirpalSingh
Diet naturally plays a major role in the problem of life. We need food for theupkeepofourphysicalbeing.Wearecompelledbynaturetoexistinthis worldaslongasourallottedspanoflifeisdeterminedbydestiny,orkarmas do not run out. For our very existence we have to subsist on one thing or another.Manisquitehelplessinthisrespect.Thelawofkarmaisnature’’sunseenmethodof keepingthe worldinitsiron grip,soasto keepitpeopled andgoing.It,therefore,becomesallthemorenecessarythatmanshould guardagainstcontractingeatinghabitsthougthlessly,heedlessly,andindiscriminately. As we cannot do without food, we must select at least such articlesofdietasmayprovetheleastharmfulinourspiritualpursuit.Ourdiet should not contract for us unnecessary karmic debts which it may be possi‐bleto avoid byalittlecare. Withthisendinview,letusstudynature.
Man’’s diet comes mainly from earth; i.e. land, air, and water. We also see thatlife existsinallthatismovingandstatic.Themovingcreatureslive uponeachother,as wellasonstaticcreation–towit, vegetables,plants, shrubs,herbs,trees,andthelike.Man,however,makesfriendswithand lovescreatures (birds and animals), who live upon other life– and makes them his pets.Theancientsknew wellthatman,bird,andanimal wereall boundupwith the same karmic bond. Man with the thought of common brotherhood worked hard both for himself and for his pets. He tilled the land,grewfruits,andproducedfoodbothforhimself,hisbirdfriends,and hiskineand oxen.Butincourseoftime,hegrewease-loving,withtheresult thathefirstpreyedupontheanimals’milkandthenupontheirfleshas well.
Accordingtothemoral,social,andspiritualcodesofconduct,onemust notinterferewiththelivesofanyanimalinGod’’screation.InIndia,this standardoflivingisenunciatedasAhimsaornon-injurytoalllivingcrea‐tures.This led to the vegetarian diet as contra-distinguished from the nonvegetariandiet.As wethinkdeeply overthenaturalandunnaturalphases ofdiet, wecometoabetterunderstandingoftheproblemofGunasorthe
Aharordiet
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innatepropensities, natural inclinations, and latent tendencies that are in‐borninallsentientbeings.
Dietmustbeclassifiedintograins,cereals,vegetables,andfruitswhich areclassedasSatvicorSatogunidiet.Thisdietispureandproducesserenity andequipoise,befittingsagesandseers.Thesaintsandhermitswhoretired tosecludedcavesandhutsformeditation,alwayspreferredkand(pota‐toes), sweetpotatoes,zamikundorartichoke,etc., which growanddevelop underthe ground.Theyalsotookmool(theediblerootsofmoolalso grow undergroundlikeradish,turnip,andbeetroot)andphal.Thephal(fruits) providedthemwithsufficientvitaminsandorganicsaltsintheiroriginal formto keepthem fitforalifeofconcentrationandmeditation.Someof thefoodsnaturallygrowinabundancewhileothersareproducedwithsome effort.The grainsandcereals weremeantforthegeneralpublic.
Satvic,orpurediet ofmool,kand,phal,andcow’’smilk,etc.,prolongs lifeand cures a number of diseases and ailments. Its utility has come to be real-izedevenbythemedicalscience.Now-a-days,manymedicinesarepre‐paredfromherbs,fruits,and grains,andthesehavebeenfoundtobe very effica-cious. Again, all natural curative methods of sunbathing, seabathing, mud-bathing, waterbathing, massage, physiotherapy, naturetherapy, and chromotherapy are producing wonderful results. The Satvic foods and sim‐ple livingareconducivetothedevelopmentofthehighestcultureorcivi‐lization. Wemustrememberthatfoodismadeformanandnotmanfor food.Eattoliveandnotlivetoeat,shouldbeourmaximinlife.Byfollowing this course, wecreate receptivity for higher things in life, ethical and spiri‐tual,leadinggraduallytoself-knowledgeandGod-knowledge.
Rajsic orenergyproducingdiet includesbesides vegetarianfoods,prod‐uctslike milk, cream, butter and ghee, etc., from animals other than cows, if takeninmoderation.InancientIndia,theuseofmilk wasrestricted mainlytotheprincelyorder,astheprincesneededextraenergyforkeeping undertheircontrol rough, turbulent and barbarious people not living up to any set principles of life. The milking of dairy cattle was permissible only after the cows werebredandtreatedwithextracare,andsufficientmilkwas
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leftintheiruddersforfeedingtheir ownoff-spring,thecalf.Theresidueof milk wasallowedtomanunderspecialcircumstances.Thisspecialrulewas intendedtopreventdegenerationoftheearlycivilization.Rishis,inancient times,alsomadealimiteduseofmilk,leavingasufficientamountfortheuse and growthoftheanimalprogeny.TheRishislivedaloneincomparative isolation,devotingmostoftheirtimetomeditation.
Thetraditionalcustomofusingonlytheresidueofmilkisstillprevalent insome of the villages in India. But today, man in his lust for unbridled power,isviolatingallthelawsofnatureunderthepretextoftheso-called freedomthatheclaimsforhimself.Manhasunfortunatelycometobelievein theprincipleofthe“survivalofthe fittest”andhas,therefore,topaydearly forhisunwisechoiceinthematter.
Theonlyconsiderationofmantodayistoobtainasmuchmilkaspossi‐ble, even at the cost of the calves themselves. In some places, he throws them inboiling water immediately after they are born, and applies milking machinestothecow’’sudderstodrawoutthelastdropofmilkinorderto keeppacewithtradecompetitionandprofit-making.Thisis whatsome proudlycallhightechnicalskillandcivilization.Ourbuddingreformersof todaythrustsuchtradesandpracticesonmaninsteadofimprovingagri‐cultureandrearing and developing livestock, both of which are harmless pursuits,andcouldrelievethepressureof wantsomuchtalkedaboutthese days.
Tamsic, or stupefying diet, consists of meat, liquors, garlic*, etc.; or, in fact,anyotherdiet,naturalorunnatural,staleorfresh.Those whoresortto freeand uncontrolled eating, live to eat and not eat to live. Their aim in life is hedonisticandtheirsloganis “eat,drink,andbemerry”.Theyindulge headlongin whattheycallthe sweetpleasuresoflife.When blessedwith smallpowersofconcentration,theydirectalltheirenergies(mentalan physical)towardsgloryofthelittleselfinthem,the egoisticmind.Manis pleasedtoterm this course of action as the higher reaction of civilization.
*)withinthevegetariandietgarliccanbeusedwithouthesitation
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The Mastersofthehighestorderstrictlyprohibitthissortoflivingto
thoseseekingtheknowledgeofthespiritinmanandthe finalliberationof thesoulfromtheshacklesofmindandmatter.
Willthinkingpersonsjuststopawhiletocogitateonandrealizethetrue position of man? Why is he so proud to call himself, or to be called, the no‐blestofcreatures,theroofandcrownofthecreation?Whitherismanmov‐ingheadlong?Ishenotstandingonthebrinkofaterrificprecipice,withan extremelysharpdeclivity,readytotoppledownatanymoment?Hehas,by hisconduct,exposedhimselfrecklesslytochancewindsofNature’s vengeance.
Hourlyhestandsindangerofbeing swepttothedeepestdepthsofphys‐icalandmoralannihilation.
Manhastakenhislessonsindietfromthebeastsofthejungleandacts likea wild creature. He delights in taking the flesh not only of the harmless creatureslikekineandgoats,deerandsheep,theinnocentfowlsoftheair and fishofthe water;butactuallypartakesofthehumanfleshandthehu‐man bloodtosatisfyhisinsatiatehungerforgoldandriches.Hehasnot yet finished his course of self aggrandizement which he proudly calls progress. HemightwellponderoverthebasicprinciplesonwhichtheMastersadvise andprescribevegetablediet.Vegetables,too,containlifeinalatentform,as hasnow been proved by scientists all the world over. Still, as we have to play ourpartinthispanoramaoflifeonthestageofthe worldandhavethere‐foretomaintainourselvesto keepbodyandsoultogether, wehavetode‐pendupontheproduceofthesoil.
Yes,ofcourse,thereislifeinvegetables,fruits,andgrains.Theessential element of life is growth and decay. The truth of this can be traced from the earliest times. It is not a new verdict, though some of the scientific minds haverediscoveredthistruthandlayclaimtoitastheir own.
Nowletuscometothepoint.Intheentirecreation,thelawofnature holdsthatlifedependsuponlife.Likecreaturesinother gradesofcreation, manalsomaintainshimselfbyeatingsomethingcontaininglife.Outwardly
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it appearsthatwithregardtocontractingkarmas,manisinthesameboat withothercreaturesinthelowerstrataoflife–animals,reptiles,andthe like.
Naturehasoneotherpropelling wheel working inthismaterial world; thelawofevolution.Itprovidesthatalllivingbeingspassfromoneposition toanother.Astheytravelfromoneorderofcreationtothenexthigher,each beinghasaseparate valuefromthelowerone.Thebasisofdeterminingthe face value,as wellastheintrinsic value,ismatterandintellect.Themore valuable the constituents of matter present in a being in prominent form, themoretheintellectandmorethe valueofthebeing.Saintsapplythislaw inthe solution of the problem of diet for man. Whether he heeds it or not, Saintsplacethislawbeforeman,sothathemayreformhisdiet,andavoid,as muchaspossible,aheavyloadofkarmicchainsin whichheisinextricably held fast.
Eachkindofdiethasitsowninherenteffectonman, detrimentaltothe acquisitionofthehighestaim:self-knowledgeandGod-knowledge.This lawcoincideswith whatmangenerallyaccepts,althoughheisunawareof thereasonsforhisactions.Comparingthefollowingdatain everydaylife willconfirm,toman’ssurprise,that whathetakesasacceptableinsocial livingremainsintotalagreementwiththelawofnaturehere explained.
Theman’’sbody,withallthe five Tattwas (orcreativeandcomponentelements–earth, water, fire,air,andether)infullactivity,is valuedthemost. Thisis whyhetopsthelistofbeingsinthecreationandisconsiderednext toGod–hisCreator.Man’skillingoffellow-creaturesisconsideredtobethe mostheinousofcrimes, whichmeritscapitalpunishmentorthedeathpenalt.y.Next valueisplacedonquadrupedsandbeastshaving four Tattwas in activeoperationinthem,the fifth,ether,beingalmostabsentorforminga negligibleportion.Thewantonkillingofanother’sanimal,therefore,entails apenaltyequivalenttothepriceoftheanimalinquestion.Thencomesthe placeofbirds,with threeactiveelements inthem–viz. water, fire,andair, and hence are considered of a nominal value. Lesser still is the value placed oncreatureswhohave two elements active –viz.earthandfire–andtheoth-
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er three existing in a dormant or latent form, as in reptiles, worms, and in‐sects, which (in general) are killed and trampled without the least compunc‐tion asno penalty attaches in their case. Least value is placed on roots, veg‐etables,and fruits in which the element of water alone is active and predom‐inates, while the remaining four elements are altogether in a dormant state.
Thus, karmically considered, the vegetarian and fruitarian diet, consti‐tutestheleastpain-producingdiet,andmanbypartakingofthese,contracts theleastkarmicdebt.Heis,therefore,tobecontentwiththistypeoffood,as longas he cannot dispense with it and take to something which may involve noconsequence at all.
(Extractfromthebook“TheWheelofLife:Thelawofactionandreaction” bySantKirpalSingh,AppendixI,chapter2,“AharorDiet”)
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SantKirpalSinghatManavKendra
Questionsandanswers
Question: The people who are interested in Your teaching are very often asking why weshouldnoteat eggs,becausethe eggsthesedayshavenoliving germs inthemandcannotbedevelopedinto chickens.
SantKirpalSingh: First of all, where is the surety that every egg does not havethatelementinit?Aretheysure?Therearesomanyeggsmixedtogether. When theysell eggsintheshops, yousee,thereisnodifferentiation.You cannotearmark definitely what is infertile or fertile – first thing. The other reason eggsarenottobeusedisbecausetheyflareuppassions.Anyfood whichflaresuppassionsisnottobeused.Theysayitisverycoldin… Ihave been thereforthreemonthsandneverusedany eggs.Ineverfelttheneces‐sityforit.If yourstomachisallright–eatlessthan youactually want–no diseasewill overtake you.Sothatisthereasonforthat.
Question: Oftentimes you are invited by non-initiates and they offer you certainfoodswhichweareexpectedtotake;ifyoudonottakethefoodtheywillbe offended.
SantKirpalSingh: Ifanybodyoffers youpoison,are yougoingtoaccept? Politelyrefuse;especiallypoison.Onemancametome.“Thereissome‐thingintheBible which says, whatever is offered should be accepted.” He quoted somethinglikethatandsaid,“Ifanybodywilloffermeanyfood,I willaccept.”And because of that condition he was not initiated. I did not give him initiation.Ifanybodygives youmeatand youeatit,then?Youare toseeto what youaretaking.Afriend wouldnotliketogive youpoisonif hecomestoknow that it does not suit you. If a friend offers you something, andheknowsfully wellthatitdoesnotsuit you–willhepress youtotake it?No.Commonsense.Theseareonlylameexcuses,Iwouldsay.Thosewho reasoninthis way wantsome excusetohavethatfood,that’sall.
SofarithasneverhappenedthatIwasinvitedanywhereandtheypressed meto eat meat. Sometimes even the other people did not have any. If they ate itthemselves,theyneverinvitedme.Buteveniftheyshouldinviteme,if
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fleshfood was there, I would not take it, that’s all. Only take what is neces‐sary.InAmericawewereinvitedby…toabanquetsosumptuousthateven the kingscouldnotoffersomanykindsof fish,somanykindsofmeat. Plates werepassedouttous.Itookonecupoftea!Otherswhowerewithme did not partake.They werealsopassingonthedishes.Morethan fifty,sev‐enty,eightykindsofplates werepassedon.And… waswiseenough,ashe alsodidnottakethings.
Question: Sometimes you are invited, not by friends, but by colleagues, or by your chief,andifyoudon’taccepttheinvitation,youwillhurtthem.
SantKirpalSingh: Iftheyinviteme,Iwillgo.Iwilltakeonly whatisre‐quiredofme.Theycannotforcethefoodin yourmouth.
Question:Wealso gosometimestococktailparties;it’sveryimportant. We takeonlygingerale,orsomenutsorsomething.
SantKirpalSingh: Yes, take what suits you. Generally if they know, they don’t preparedishes youcannoteat.Ifthey’reignorant,thenthat’’sanother reason.Eventhen youneednotshow yourdistaste;takeonly what you want.Theseare verylittledailydyings, yousee. Wemustuseourcommon sense.AsItold you,ifsomebodygivesyoupoison,wouldyouacceptit,even from a friend?Sopolitelysenditoff,politelyrefuse.“Well,itdoesnotsuit; thankyousomuchanyhow.”Whenoncetheycomeincontactwithyouand know,theydon’tforce.Ifoutofignorancetheypreparesomething,well,don’t hurtthem.Senditoffinapolite way.
Question:Ilikeeatingverymuch…(Everyone chucklesbutMasterstops themsaying,“No,no.Itisaquestion forall.Notone– everyone–mostofus aredoingit.”)…butIdon’t wanttothinksooftenofeating.However, sinceI managea vegetarian kitchen, my profession draws my mind there. Would another job help resolve this?
SantKirpalSingh: I think I have told you so many times. Do one thing at a time, wholly and solely. When you are in the kitchen, be there doing your job. Take onlyfoodthatagreeswith youandonlyasmuchas youneed.Let onehalfof yourstomachbe filledwithfood,onefourthbe filledwith wa‐
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ter,andonefourthleft vacant.Thebestcriterionistoleavethetable when you’restillhungry.Eatamorsellessthanyouneed.Havecontroloverthat part.Noneedofchangingyourprofession.Itwillbeallrightifyoubehave likethat.
Question:Master,ifyousuddenlyhavetostartcookingmeatinyourjob,or sometimestheyaskyoutodothingswhichyou'renotaccustomedtodo...
SantKirpalSingh:Lookhere,ifitispartofyourduty,doit,butdon'ttake ityourself.BabaJaimalSingh,theMasterofourMaster,wasamilitary man.Hewasgiventhedutyofdistributingthemeattothesoldiers.All right,hekepthisownfood.Ifyourdutybindsyoutocook,youarenotto partake,yousee.Induecourse,avoidsuchduty.Somebodywrotetome, “Well,itismydutytotaste.”[Masterchuckles.]They’repaidforthat,yousee. Sometimeshundredsofthousandsofrupeesarepaidforthat,onlyfortast‐ingfood.Thenwhattodo?Well,ifyoutasteit,certainlyyouingestit,and havetheeffectofit.Yes?
Question:SomeonehereinIndia,aSikhgentleman,askedmeifIwouldmind sittingatthesametablewithotherswhoweretakingmeat,andIsaid,butnot onmyplate.
SantKirpalSingh: Whatdoyoudointheplanes?Intheairplanesyou canhavevegetarianfoodifyoutellthemyouwantit.Onetimetherewere noarrangementsprovidedforvegetariansandeveryfewhourstheykept runningupwithbiscuits,withfruit,withthisandthat.“Wearesorry,we didnotknow.”Thesearelameexcusesgiven,that'sall.Whentheycometo know,theyneverpressyou.Thisisourweakpoint,yousee.Atheartof heartswewantitandwantsomeexcuse.”HowcouldIhurthisfeelings?He maynotbeabletotakeit...”Beamanofprinciple!
Well,beingamanofprinciple,wealsoneedtoknowhowtospeak.Last nightIwastellingyouaboutthis.Therearewaysandwaystorefuseathing withouthurtinganybody.Kabirsaid,ifamanknowshowtospeak,itisof suchgreatvaluewhichcannotbecomprehended.Thisisamanwhosimply knowshowtospeak.RememberItoldyoutherearetwodifferentwaysof
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addressingablindman:“Oh,blindman,”and“Well,whendidyoulose yoursight,please?”Thesamething–butwithvastdifferenceineffect.One iscrowingover,“Oh,blindman!”Andtheother,“Well,dearfriend,when didyouloseyoureyesight?”Isitnotthesamething?Thedifferenceliesin themodeofexpression.Onephrasemakesourfriendsenemies.Theother phrasemakesenemiesourfriends.
Thesearecommonsensethingsnotlaiddowninbooks.Howmany thingscanyouwriteinbooks?SointhephysicalpresenceoftheMaster, youlearnmanythingswhicharenotgiveninbooks,indetail,becauseHe haspassedthroughlifelikeyouasaman;Hehasnotbeenarecluse.He knowsallthesedifficulties,Hehasmetwiththem,andHecantellyouhow tomeetwiththem.Howcanamanwhohasnoexperienceoftheworld adviseyou?Weneedsomebodytoguideuswhohasbeenlikeus,passed throughtheworld,andknowstheinsandoutsoftheworld.Yes?Comeon up.Ilearnmanythingsfromyoupeople,too.
Question:Sothenifaccordingtothelawsofnature,weeatsomethinglike cookiesthatmightcontaineggs,itwillhaveitsinfluence,whetheroneknows itornot?
SantKirpalSingh: Ifyouareinmeditationregularly,evenone–youwill beaffectedbythelittlestthing.WhenIwasanaccountsofficerwithsome regimentinthefiringline,itwasgivenanorderlytohelpme,tocookfor meandlookafterme.Itoldhim,“Lookhere,Icannotberesponsiblefor yourlifebutonethingyoumustguardstrictly.Letnobodyenterthe kitchenwhenyoucookthefood.Andyouwillonlygoonwiththerepeti‐tionoftheNameofGodorreadsomescriptures–nothingmore.”He obeyed.Fortwoorthreedaysitwasallright.Mysystemwasatmidnight, whilepeopleweresleeping,Iwasawake,meditating.Onenight,Ifound somethinginmymind–someramification.Icalledhimaboutoneinthe morning.“Lookhere,whowasinthekitchen?”–“Nobody.”–“Whydoyou tellalie?”Thenheagreed.“Yes,therewasaman;weweretalking.”
Soifthereismuchfilthwithinyou,alittlemorefilthwon'taffectyou.But ifyou'vegotnofilth,evenalittlegrain,half,one-fourthofagrainwillaffect
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you.Justseeit.Somoneyshouldbeearnedbyharddintoflabour–honest earning.Andthefoodearnedthatwayshouldpassthroughthehandsof thosewhoarepiousandrighteous.Everythoughtofthemanbringing food,willhaveeffect.Thequalityofthefoodshouldalsobepacifying.Then theonewhocooksit,hiseffectisalsothere.IntheolddaysinIndia,they didnotallowanybodytoenterthekitchenbeforetakingabath,andwhen theywerecookingtheywereonlydoingremembranceofGod.Theresult wasthatwhoeveratethefoodwaschanged.Sowedon'tcare.Ifwewould careforthefarthings,poundswouldbesaved,woulditnot?
Wedon'tcareforwhatweconsidertriflingthings,buttheydoaffectus. Evenyourhonestearningsareaffectedbythemanystagesthroughwhich ithastopass.Andallthingsarisewhere?Well,I'mtalkingfromacommon sensepointofview,yousee.Ifmanhasagoodthoughtandfoodpasses throughhim,thatfoodwillcarrygoodeffect.Whenyoueatthat,itwilladd toyourgood.Ifitpassesthroughsomelustyman,thosesamethoughtswill comeup.Alsoevilthoughts–thinkingevilofothers–willhaveitseffect. Younowknowhowweshouldbecautiousaboutourkitchens.
Question:Master,thenwhenwetravelandeatinotherkitchens,restaurants, andthings,ifwedoourSimran,isthatenough?
SantKirpalSingh: Welllookhere,haven'tyoustrongwillforce?Infuse yourthoughtsintoit.OncewewereinthehillswithourMaster.Therewas nothingelsetoeatexceptmeatandbreadinthattown.WeaskedMaster, "Well,whatshallwedo?Thereisnoshopthatcansellusvegetarianfood." "Nevermind,"Hesaid,"Buytheloavesofbreadfromoneplaceandbuymilk orcurdfromsomewhereelse."Itiswewhohavetoguardit.Foodthatgoes indefilesyou,andwhatgoesoutofyoualsoaffectsyou.
Soifyouwillunderstandtheprincipleofthought,rightthoughtswill comefromrightunderstanding.Rightunderstandingisveryclear.We're allequalsasmen,assouls.WearebrothersandsistersinGod.Thesame poweriscontrollingus,calledbyanyname.Man-bodyisthetemple.Have
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it–becomeaconsciousco-workerofthatPower.Forthosewhohavebe‐cometheconsciousco-workers,there'snohighorlow;therearenoHin‐dus,Mohammedans,orChristians,yousee.We'reallcompanions,that's all.Longyarnsorlectureswon'thelpyou,Itellyou.Youhavetocometo rightunderstanding.Nolecturewillhelpyouunlessyoulecturetoyour ownself.Weknowsomanythings–sothatiswhyitissaid,“Wanted:Re‐formers,notofothers,butofthemselves.”Ifyoureformyourlife,then...
(Excerptfromthebook “TheLightofKirpal”,chapter49and69,andfromthebook “SpitualElixir” byKirpalSingh
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Regardinglaxityintheprescribeddiet,Iwishtosayto allaspirantsonthePaththatitisnecessary,solongas oneisinthephysicalbody,thatvegetarianismshould bestrictlyadheredto.
Anyrelaxationinthematterofdietwouldnotonlybe adefinitehindranceinmeditationbutwouldunnec‐cessarilycontractkarmicreaction.
Therealgoalistouseeverymeanspossibletoriseinto fullGod-consciousness.
KirpalSingh
