Sai Baba's Quotes on
Vegetarianism
And quotations from Sai
Literature"Today,
let it be anyone, whether one deems himself a devotee or not, he
should give up meat eating. Why? meat eating promotes only animal
qualities. It has been well said that the food one consumes
determines one's thoughts. By eating the flesh of various animals,
the qualities of these animals are imbibed. How sinful is it to
feed on animals, which are sustained by the same five elements as
human beings! This leads to demonic tendencies, besides committing
the sin of inflicting cruelty on animals. Hence, those who
genuinely seek to become devotees of God have to give up
non-vegetarian food. Calling themselves Sai devotees or devotees
of Rama and Krishna, they fatten the chickens. How can they be
deemed Sai devotees? How can God accept such a person as a devotee?
Therefore, whether they are devotees in India or outside, they
should give up from this instant meat eating. […] Therefore, those
who aspire to become devotees of God must give up meat, liquor and
smoking." Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Divine Discorse on 23 Nov 1994, Sanathana Sarathi December 1994
p. 315
"I have been stressing the vital
importance of people giving up this habit of eating non-vegetarian
food even from my boyhood days. Meat eating fosters animal
qualities in man making him descend to the demoniac level; it is a
heart-rending sight to see cows being slaughtered to serve as food
for man. The cow has been worshiped as mother in Bharat since
ancient times... Cow-slaughter is reougnant to the culture of this
country. The provision of drinking water to the people and putting
an end to the killing of animals for food are two prime needs for
the country to regain its pristine glory. Violence in any form is
evil and to kill innocent animals in tantamount to blatant
savagery. I bless the prime Minister (of India) and expect him to
get there two things accomplished furing his tenure." Sanathana
Sarathi December 1994 p. 322
"... it is significant to note
that those who live on vegetarian food are less prone to diseases,
whereas non-vegetarians are subject to more diseases. Why? Because
animal food is incompatible with the needs of the human body."
Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Summer
Showers 1990, p. 34.
"Mother Easwaramma looked after
her child [Sathya Narayena Raju] with love and care. Days rolled
by and the child grew into a boy. He was mithabhashi and
mithaahari (one who spoke less and ate less). Easwaramma was
mystified by the strange behavior of her son. Usually children are
fond of eating. Especially some people would prefer non-vegetarian
items like fish or meat. But her son was totally averse to
non-vegetarian food. He would not even visit the houses where
non-vegetarian food was cooked. Seeing his noble qualities,
Easwaramma realized that the child was not an ordinary one, but
one of divine nature. Her eldest daughter Venkamma also recognized
the divine nature of the child. Together, they brought up the
child with love and care."
Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Divine Discorse on 23 Nov 2003
"In order to have sacred thoughts, give up the vices like
consumption of non-vegetarian food, smoking and drinking
intoxicants." (21 Nov 1999)
"There are certain habits. Members of the
Organization should have some good habits. Jaisa Anna, Vaisa Mann
- as is the food, so is the thought. As is the feeling so is the
experience - Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavati. So we have to partake of food
in a proper way. It is because of food that we have all sorts of
durguna, duralochana and duschinta- bad habits, bad thoughts. So
give up smoking. Also eschewing drinking. This alcoholism and
smoking are ruining your health. One without health cannot achieve
any small thing. Meat eating is also very bad. If you partake
animal food, you will develop animal qualities. As is the food, so
is the head. So you should have regulation of food. Then the
fourth one is gambling. Those in the spiritual field should
immediately give up smoking, drinking, meat eating and gambling.
All these four are bad qualities.
You take this meat eating. Many
people have to kill the animals because of your non-vegetarianism.
You are responsible for the death of those animals. They are
killed because you eat them. This is a sin. What a sin to kill
innocent animals and eat them." (21 Nov 1995)
From the time of our birth till the time this body perishes, we
are making many attempts to earn money and acquire food. In this
process of amassing wealth, we are adopting means and methods
which are adopted also by the birds and animals.
In the matter of acquiring food, different kinds of strength,
abilities and skills are used by us but these very same skills are
used by animals and birds as well. It is not right that we use all
our knowledge and skill for doing just what the animals and birds
also do. In the process of our spending all our energies in
acquiring food, we are going far away from the aspect of Atma. For
the purpose of feeding ourselves, many lives are being sacrificed.
In this process of our searching for food, many things like trees,
birds, fish and animals are being sacrificed. Because these
various living things are being sacrificed and are merging with
human beings, they have also been acquiring human lives in their
rebirth. None of these Jivas are getting any chance of rising
higher than human lives. The entire life is being spent in making
an effort to be reborn after one's death, thus repeating the cycle
of birth and death.
We are becoming slaves to the process of birth and death. We
should not allow ourselves to become slaves to this process. We
should make an attempt to become one with the great effulgent
spirit.
Summer Showers in
Brindavam, 1974
"On this sacred day of Vijaya Dasami
take an oath to give up vices such as smoking, drinking and
partaking of non-vegetarian food. Many do not realize the
evil-effects of these bad habits. If a smoker blows air on a white
handkerchief, he will find yellow spots on it. This is a sign of
disease. Smoking leads to cancer. Drinking is a demonic quality.
It makes you intoxicated and to forget yourself. Consuming
non-vegetarian food is also a bad quality. When human body itself
is made of flesh, where is the need to consume the flesh of birds
and animals? You should partake of only sacred food. Only then you
will have sacred feelings. For sacred thoughts and sacred deeds,
sacred food is essential." (1 Oct 1998)
"The tongue should be engaged only in speaking the truth, in
speaking sweetly and in consuming what is pleasant and wholesome
for the body. Man degrades himself by consuming intoxicating
drinks and non-vegetarian food and by indulging in smoking. These
noxious habits affect the brain also." (6 Oct 1997)
"Nature can be modified by
nurture; even dogs can cease
to relish meat when they are trained to relish only vegetarian food".
Sathya Sai Speaks Vol XII, Chap. 36
"It is a fact that plants also have
life like animals. But animals are endowed with mind, and nervous
systems too while the plants do not possess the same. The animals
cry and weep when they are being killed. It is not the case with
plants; as such, equating killing of animals and destruction of
plants is faulty logic. Further, killing the animals and eating
their flesh leads to the creeping or dissemination of the animal
qualities and behavior in to the man (meaning that man acquires
the beastly qualities by eating animal flesh). Thus follows our
acquiring the beastly qualities - tamasic nature - of the buffalos
or the sheep. Hence, meat eating should be discarded.
Food conditions the nature of the mind. Mind guides the thinking.
Thinking results in action. Actions lead to commensurate or
matching results and effects. This chain of action between the
food we eat and the results of our actions highlights the fact
that meat eating leads to beastly actions and the concomitant evil
effects." Sathya Sai, The
Avatar of Love, p. 132
"Acts and food which are to be
eschewed.
Nishidda Karmas. These relate to acts which are to be
eschewed. For instance, the spiritual aspirant has to observe
certain regulations regarding food. He must totally eschew
rajasic food like alcoholic drinks and meat. The nature of the
food determines the nature of one' s thoughts,
feelings and actions. If one' s conduct is to be right and proper,
one should carefully observe the
disciplines regarding diet."
Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume XXIX,
Chap. 20
"There should be some regulations
with regard to food. Many doctors emphasize the value of proteins
and recommend meat, eggs, etc. But proteins got in this form serve
only to build the body, but do considerable harm to the mind.
Doctors are primarily concerned with the gross physical body. They
pay little attention to the subtle form of the mental makeup. Most
of the diseases that are prevalent in the world today are related
to the mind. Mental illness seem to outnumber physical ailments.
The Vedhaantha has declared that the mind is the cause of
man' s bondage or liberation. This means that the mind has to be
used properly and turned godwards. Equally the mind is responsible
for health or sickness.
In this context, food is all important. Proteins are present in
milk, curds and vegetables as much as in meat. If in the matter of
diet, the doctors give the right prescription, diseases can be
averted."
Sri Sathya Sai Baba Discourse on
07-02-1993
"Meat is all right for those who
concentrate on the body and want to have strength, but for
spiritual aspirants it is not good."
Hislop, Jonh S., Conversation with
Sathya Sai Baba, p. 19
"You should not misunderstand and
misinterpret what I say. It is my duty to convey to you the truth
as is exist. Today the reason why the human population is
increasing is because of the attitude of the people. For man to
eke out his living to fill a small tummy of his, God has created
plenty in the world. He has created a large amount of rice, a
large amount of fruit, a alrge amount of wheat. While such good
food has been created by Good, yet we go and eat meat and fish.
And all the fish which we kill and eat are reborn as human
beings." Summer Showers in
Brindavan 1977, p. 182
"Meat and alcoholic drinks take a
heavy toll on man's health, causing many a disease in him".
Sri Sathya Sai Baba Discourse on
21-01-1994
"The third need is
satwic food. This means that none of the edible items should
be excessively sour, bitter or hot. You should eschew rajasic
food like fish or meat. Even good satwic food should
not be taken in excess. Some people consume so much of satwic
food that even though it is satwa, it develops
rajasic qualites. It is only satwic when you sit for
the meal with a light stomach and get up from it with a light
stomach! If you sit with a light stomach and get up with a weighty
stomach, it becomes ramona."
Sri Sathya Sai Baba Discourse on
29-12-1985
"The third category is described as
"Madhyapaanoratha daanavah" (One who is addicted to
intoxicating drinks and meat eating and leads a sensuous life is a
demonic being). Such a person is intensely selfish and has no
feeling or consideration for others. A wicked person, swayed by
evil motives and evil actions, is described as a demon."
Sri Sathya Sai Baba Discourse on
25-12-1991
"... with meat the body will get the
proteins, but mental proteins will not be there. If you are keen
on spiritual life, eating meat is not worthwhile; but if you are
keen on wordly life, it is all right. There is another spiritual
reason. When you kill an animal you give him suffering, pain,
harm. God is in every creature, so how can you give such pain?
Sometimes when someone beats a dog he cries, he feels so much
pain. How much more pain then in killing. Animals did not come for
the purpose of supplying food to human beings. They came to work
out their own life in the world. When a human being is dead, the
foxes and other animals may eat, but we have not come to provide
food for those that eat the human body; we have not come for that
ourpose. Similarly, man eats the animal, but the animal has not
come to provide man with food."
Hislop, Jonh S., Conversation with
Sathya Sai Baba, p. 19
"Madhya paana ratho
dushtah" (The demonic human being
revels in intoxicating drinks). Eating meat and drinking liquor
are demonic vices. Those indulging in drink lose all sense of
propriety, have no compassion or love and become demons.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba Discourse on
03-07-1994
"How is individual transformation
to be achieved? There are some bad habits among individuals such
as smoking, drinking liquor, meat eating and gambling. These bad
habits not only degrade the individuals but also inflict
hardships on their families. These bad habits have to be given
up for the individual to manifest his inherent goodness. One's
personality can blossom only when he leads a mora life."
Sri Sathya Sai Baba Discourse on
07-02-1993
"Members of Sai Organizations
should cultivate certain desirable practices. For instance, they
should regulate their diet, because one's food influences ones
thoughts. Smoking and intoxicating drinks have to be given up.
They are ruinous for the health. Meat eating should also be
given up because eating animal food promotes animal tendencies.
The fourth evil that has to be ot rid of is gambling. Those who
take to the Spiritual path should avoid as much as possible
these four bad practices."
Sri Sathya Sai Baba Discourse on
21-11-1995
"It [meat] is not good for spiritual life which needs "mental
proteins", and also because it means making an animal suffer and
be killed." Hislop, Jonh
S., Conversation with Sathya Sai Baba, p. 19-20
"But a little milk, butter and cheese are acceptable because no
harm is done in obtaining them."
Hislop, Jonh S., Conversation with Sathya Sai Baba, p. 20
"An important aspect of Swami's
teachings, a point he again and again emphasizes, is to take only
pure food. Avoid eating animal food... That type of consumption is
not likely to promote spiritual progress."
Rodriguez, Brigitte, Glimpses of the
Divine, p. 225 |