(2)
THE FIVE
FIRES
There is another important section in it dealing with the Panchaagnis, the
Five Fires. There are five kinds of Fire-principle, Agni. Udara-Agni,
Manda-Agni, Kaama-Agni, Soka-Agni and Badavaa-Agni. Udara-Agni
refers to the burning sensation caused by hunger, fire in the stomach.
Manda-Agni
refers to the burning feeling caused by excessive eating resulting in
indigestion. Kaama-Agni is the burning agony in the mind caused by
numerous
desires and passions. Soka-Agni does not refer only to consuming grief
caused by worldly disappointments and losses. It pertains also to the
burning sorrow felt by one who is yearning for God, thirsting for
experiencing oneness with the Divine.
Divine
discourse-May 30, 1991
The dreams
that you experience are actually the reactions of your food and habits.
There is an intricate and inseparable relationship between food, head and
God.
Food plays a vital role in the spiritual path.
When we consume the right kind of food, it helps us in our effort to
understand Divinity. As is the
food, so is the mind. Only one with pure mind can understand Divinity.
In order to cultivate purity of mind, you should partake of pure and
Sathwic food. You should consider food as God. It is said, Yad Bhavam Tad
Bhavati (as you think so you become). If you consider food as mere
Padartha (matter), it will remain so. Depending on the feeling, it
undergoes change. Take for instance, the magnetic power in the body. It
gets transformed into electric power. It gives rise to sound energy and
develops Tejas (effulgence). Jewellery shines with added brilliance when
it is polished. Likewise every man is endowed with Tejas which is known as
Chaitanya Shakti (power of consciousness).
Top
Embodiments
of Love!
Consider food as Parartha (God) and not mere Padartha (matter). Take care
that the food that you eat helps you maintain good health. Do not consume
stale food. It is like poison.
"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
Top
"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.
Top
"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)
Top
"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.
Top
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
Top
"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
Top
©
copyright 2004
www.saibabaofindia.com/sathwicfood
|