Live Food, Vegetarian Diet and Supreme Health

Diet is in intimate connection with mind. The mind is partially formed of the aura of the food, and plays a large role in determining our mental state. The yogi must have food which brings the purest state of mind. If the food is impure, the mind will be impure. The sadhaka must give direct attention to all dietary rules which are conducive to spiritual evolution. For those who wish to make rapid spiritual progress, regulation of food and a yogic diet are essential.

All of nature is governed by sattva (purity), rajas (active, stimulating) and tamas (impure). These are the qualities of nature from which every material form is created. While individual preference for particular foods is in accordance with the evolution of the mind, the sadhaka rises above tendencies and longings with the understanding that the predominance of sattva in all areas is inarguably necessary for spiritual development.

Sattvic foods bring purity and calmness. Rajasic foods arouse animal passion and restlessness of mind. They create anger, nervousness and high blood pressure. Tamasic foods create laziness, dullness, immorality and inertia. The sadhaka should eliminate all rajasic and tamasic items, including onions, garlic, animal flesh, eggs, fish, dairy, coffee, liquor and any item that is sour, bitter, spicy, acrid or acidic.

Centuries ago, the yogis discovered that the body is made of 5 elements—ether, air, fire, water and earth. In communion with the Infinite, the Rishis penetrated every cell of the physical, emotional and spiritual bodies and discovered the effects of food on them. The inner knowledge was revealed that when food breaks down in the body, it is utilized in the form of the elements, each part of the food breaking down into one of the elemental particles (vitamins). What we eat, we become. The blood, muscles, organs and blood are all manufactured from the food we ingest.

All food originates in the natural world, which absorbs and stores the sun’s energy. The essential building blocks for the body are found in abundance in live food (food that is found in its natural state and does not touch flame). Live fruits and vegetables are the storehouses of nature’s energy. A live diet is the most regenerating and rebuilding diet one can eat. All needed vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and fats are found in abundance in live fruits and vegetables.

Live food also aids in keeping the blood in an alkaline state. In this day and age, it is inarguable that a system in which the blood remains alkaline (versus acidic) is a barrier against disease. Use food for medicine—either to heal in the presence of illness or as preventative to stave off disease and disorders through proper nourishment of the body.

My Guru always said, “When you eat cooked and dead food, you feel cooked and dead.” When the food has been heated, most of the energy in the food has been lost to the atmosphere. Many people are unfortunately digging their own graves each time they eat. From the years I have been studying the effects of live food on the sadhaka, I am convinced a live diet can heal most disease and prevent all health crises.

While a live diet is highly recommended for the masses, for the sadhaka undergoing the precise and intense purification process and seeking direct perception of God, there are many foods that should be avoided (even in their live and natural state) and many that should be increased, due to their subtle influence on the mental plane.

The most conducive diet for the sadhaka consists of juicy fruits and sprouted nuts. These are the foods which will keep the mind and body steady, strong and calm. Fruits are tremendous energy producers and charged with vitamins. They purify the blood, provide complete nutrition and soothe the mind.

Diet plays a large role in keeping up brahmacharya. Various foods (even in their live state) have a very stimulating effect on the mind and excite passions and emotions. Garlic, onions and hot spices stimulate passion. All rajasic and tamasic foods should be eliminated entirely.

One of the highest nutritional food sources are sprouts, which are a tremendous source of nutrients. Sprouted grains are often even more nutritious than fruit, once the fruit has been plucked from the tree. Seeds and grains should be soaked in water for 10-18 hours and then covered with a damp cloth for 12-18 hours at room temperature. It is very easy to do and the most affordable way to receive complete nutrition.

All life is sustained by the love of God. From the Creator, the five elements pour forth the cosmic dream, manifesting all of creation. The organism of the body is truly sustained by God. Offer every piece of food and endeavor to the Lord. Go within and beyond the dualistic forces of nature. Rise above all activities and be one with God.

There is no higher virtue than non-harming. The first and foremost step in the spiritual advancement of an aspirant is non-violence. This includes the giving up of meat. A vegetarian diet is inarguably understood to be the most conducive to spiritual and psychic advancement, and an essential practice for a yogi. A vegetarian diet removes animalistic tendencies and diseases disappear.

Animals are our brothers and sisters. We are here to help and protect them. Animals are made to be loved, not eaten. Animals learn, remember, love and mourn. Every creature loves life and trembles with fear in the face of death. Even a cockroach runs for its life the moment the lights come on. Animals instinctively know when they are destined for death.

The Divine will not ascend if the stomach is a graveyard. The killing of animals for food is a great sin. Instead of killing egoism and the idea of “I” and “mine,” ignorant people kill innocent animals under the pretext of, “survival of the fittest,” or the misunderstanding that meat is needed for health. In reality, meat is not at all necessary for the maintenance of perfect health, vigor and vitality. On the contrary, it is highly deleterious to health.

Jesus says: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” The law of karma is inexorable, unrelenting, and immutable. The pain we inflict upon another will surely rebound upon us, just as the happiness we radiate will come. Those who know this law will not hurt any living being. For those who wish to have rapid spiritual progress, a vegetarian diet is essential.