Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Policy of Vegetarianism!

Below are a series of 5 reasons why vegetarianism is important for our individual and collective health. The reasons discussed are;

1. Health 2. Karma 3. Spiritual Vibration 4.Compassion 5 Environment & Ecology


1. HEALTH


There are 3 sub-factors (i) bio-chemical (ii) bio-pranic (iii) bio-mechanical as to why science and medicine indicates vegetarianism is better for our health

(i) Bio-chemical = Endocrinal/Digestive

Meat has more toxins, uric acids, lipids etc. than eating a vegetarian diet and takes more energy out of system to digest. It is a misconception that enough proteins cannot be assimilated from a vegetarian diet. Sources are plenty via dhals, beans, curds, etc.. as well as optional supplements such as from Spiralina. In addition, meat is fried and grilled in oil as opposed to vegetarian foods that can be boiled or eaten fresh.

(ii) Bio-pranic
= Pranic/Nervous

Consumption of meat grants less prana from the Sun as it is further down the food chain. Photosynthesis of plants using light, ionisation and enzymes gathers more prana as well as energies that science is now researching into harnessing for alternative energy sources as wella s bio-fuels. Thus, meat is really a secondary source of prana rather than leaves, fruits, nut and roots. In addition, less prana is lost when a vegetarian diet involves less frying in cooking items unlike meat.

(iii) Bio-mechanically = Musculo-skeletal

According to anthropological science, our teeth have not been designed for vegetarianism with smaller incisors and more massetor teeth of herbivoires.

2. KARMA


The cosmic law of accountability into the Wholeness of the inter-dependent Universe (individually and cosmically) follows the law of reflection, reaction and resound that Swami talks about and we, in acceptance or perhaps ignorance of our ability to trace all causes, call events "karmic". This refers to the Christian doctrine of "as you sow so you reap" or Newton's law that "every action has a corresponding and equal reaction".

Thus, causing suffering to mother nature and her expressions (including animals), in the forms of prakriti (nature) that makes up by the 5 elements, has repercussion of imbalance that results in disasters natural or accidental as a symptom of this same law and phenomena.

And, by taking the more accepted and open "Secret" that thoughts are things as well as the law of attraction, violent thoughts through our electo-magentic neural wiring and holographic brain/minds magnetise and participate in the inter-dependent distribution of these natural forces.

With the higher the development of collective consciousness and potential for powerful thoughts, the greater the sensitivity that ripples this effect of pain.

This accumulation of thought is believed in the Indian metaphysical system to be held in the causal or akashic plane. Our 7 levels of chakras connected via our endocrinal and nerve plexus correspond to this 7 higher and lower astral planes that hold this psychic positive or negative thought residue on the collective level.

But more relevantly, animals have greater development of consciousness and therefore sensitivity over planet life to experience pain and the karmic effects of killing traced back to the cause often being man greed over need as the unnecessary and often inhumane reason for the suffering of too many animals.

To take it further and accept the law of karma into a Darwinian level of evolution of mind through reincarnation, then the concept also suggests that the law of sacrifice allows plants to evolve through consumption via humans to a higher life form at a natural pace whilst the mental association allows this to happen for animals through pets and domestication by example of human qualities onto animals.

3. SPIRITUAL VIBRATION & GROWTH


This point follows the logic and swami's teachings that food carries a certain vibration whose essence influences and makes up the mind, as all 3; the food, mind and thoughts; are part of the same constituents of nature.

Indian metaphysical teaches that nature is made up of 3 qualities called gunas and 5 elements. The 3 gunas are satwa (harmony), rajas (activity) and tamas (inertia). The combination of these elements contribute to this balance of gunas in nature. A predominance of ether is associated with satwa at one extreme and earth with tamas at the other whilst fire adds the rajas component for activity. It is all common sense and can be inferred quite logically based on subjective correspondence.

The AUM of Hinduism are these 3 gunas with nature as GOD.

A = Generation => Brahma or Raja Guna (of activity) and, subjectively correlates to the waking state and, objectively to the day time.

U =Organisation => Satwa Guna (of harmony) and, subjectively to dream states and, objectively to twilight hours

M = Destruction => Tamo Guna (of inertia) and, subjectively to deep sleep states and, objectively to night time

Thus, food can be satwic, rajasic or tamasic. Generally, vegetarianism is advocated because its matter is more ether promoting and satwic but not always the case. Some non-met items such as garlic and onions are often avoided by spiritual seekers as they carry more tamas as well as being considered as nourishing the reproductive glands and thereby the sex drive. Not only that, satwa is associated with freshness which allows the food to not lose its quantity of prana.

However, as established above, thoughts are also believed to be part of our electro-magnetic system and can transmit its imprint in matter much as technology and software has proven through externalising natures potential. Thus, as swami says, food is influenced by the thoughts of others. Consequently, the spiritual vibration of food depends on the accumulated imprint from the level of production to processing to cooking to eating. This is why swami advocated chanting the Brahmapranam mantra or Gayatri mantra with a prayer to wash off the negative vibration as well as offer it to God in gratitude and surrender.

Most notably, eating animal products is supposed to be harmful in adding more of these subtle imprint of tendencies into the human psyche by its consumption.

4. COMPASSION


This reason is purely due to the sensitivity of any evolved human being to the expansion of consciousness that allows him to feel others and animals as themselves and not therefore, want to hurt them in any way or form. The examples are many from Buddha to Christ to Saint Francis of Assisis to Ramana Maharishi. Ramana would not even allow flowers to be plucked but rather use those already fallen to save the plant form suffering. And the one rule he was strict about was the importance of a vegetarian, satwic diet on ones spiritual growth.

5. ECONOMICS & ECOLOGY


The last reason is purely the selfish capitalistic consumerist attitude, greed, as well as ignorance that has led MNCs such as Mcdonalds to rape the land and trees for cattle to cater to mans insatiable palate.

The media and habits have so conditioned man that he has to continue in the belief that meat is a must and necessary component of a healthy diet. Health has largely been tied in with political and media related consumerist propoganda... from drugs, to smoking to meat eating... it has created an addiction for more.

Eating is an obvious biological "must" and research has been directed to other more optional habits such as the obvious destructive habits of smoking and alcohol on health; disregarding the effects of the high level of low density lipids and other factors in red meat on heart disease, strokes and other diseases such as mad cow disease.

I guess we are not born smoking but have always eaten meat so this acquired habit is harder to kick!


So Swami has often repeated and reminded us to give up smoking, alcohol and meat ... so if you have not given meat up yet.. perhaps these above points have provided ample reason..?!

2 comments:

Hamish said...

Nice article Suren.

Having been a meat-eater all my life, as you pointed out, its a "habit" that's a lot harder to kick than smoking. However, as the intensity of one's spiritual sadhana increases, I find that meat eating along with all the other unwanted habits slowly lose its grip on the mind.

Here's the approach that I adopted when trying to develop a sustainable vegetarian diet.

I started off by dedicating Thursday's & Saturday's as vege days (in reverence to Guru and Saturn). Slowly the vege days grew to include Monday and Friday (in respect to Shiva and Lakshmi - Sai Baba)

Slowly I found that I was able to flip the whole thing around and set aside Sunday and Wednesday as non-veg days and I'd satisfy any desires I had for meat on those days. Slowly, what I am beginning to find is that the more I'm veg, the less inclined I am to want to eat meat.

I don't profess to be 100% veg but I'm getting there and the step by step approach has worked for me. Perhaps it will for others?

JiVa said...

Sounds like the right approach, neither repressive nor indulgent, but making friends with that devil called the monkey mind. As long as the insight is there with some kind of resolution the rest is the intelligent strategy to not let the mind trick oneself with the ego of guilt and pride; success and failure and let it split the psyche by hiding in the subconscious.

I know Jegas approach and advice for smoking is to always remember to offer it to Swami and tell Him ones wish to quit but that it is His will not mine. This seems to effectively get rid of the identification. Also by inviting swami to enjoy it with oneself in gratitude allows the mind to not play games and start complaining or rationalising. Jega also suggested offering half of the cigarette rather than smoking the lot; bit like your 2 days a week approach.

It's eventually all about understanding the mechanisms and mysteries of the mind rather than controlling it. By this method wisdom makes the habit fall off by itself, much like the tadpole tail does when the time is right.

And then there is the substitute of higher, alternative, but subtler inner bliss that gradually weanes the mind away from it misapropration of happiness in habits. For this swami gives us the uplifting solutions of bhajans and vibratory methods such as sacred sounds that churn the consiousness until the law of attraction invites the good and high life which includes the palates desire for satwic fresh vegetarian, life promoting foods adding its light harmonious quality to the mood and mind