5. DIET: As already discussed under the caption of CHASTITY, diet plays an
important and integral part in the life of a spiritual aspirant and as such
should be given its due importance. All prohibited foods and drinks should be
scrupulously eschewed even in the face of medical advice, as none of these can
lengthen the scheduled life-span nor are, in fact, conducive to nourishment. It
is certainly, a wrong notion that flesh or eggs give extra vigor or strength;
on the contrary, these things flare up the carnal appetites which in the long
run result in gross dissipation of energy. It is gratifying to learn that the people, all the world over, are
gradually coming to realize the benefits of the vegetarian diet, and the
leaders of this thought have taken upon themselves the duty of propagating its
importance among the masses. So far, the world has witnessed no less than
fourteen Conferences held in different parts. India, too, had the good fortune
to hold one in the year 1957 when representatives from different countries of
the world gathered together to exchange their views in the time-honored and
historic capital - Delhi. An advanced section of public opinion has, of late, begun to lay
greater stress on what they call "vegetable-ism" as distinct from
"vegetarianism". If we, for instance, look at goats, horses, bulls
and elephants, we find how healthy and strong they are, so much that in all
mechanical terminology, we calculate the load-capacity in terms of
"horsepower." St. Paul in his Epistles to the Corinthians said "Meats for
the belly, and the belly for meats; but God shall destroy both it and
them." "Again, it is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine,
nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth." And God said, “ I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is
upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a
tree-yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.'" (Genesis 1:29) "The Gospel of the Holy Twelve:" "Therefore ye shall eat no flesh, nor drink strong drink; for
the child shall be consecrated to God from his mother's womb, and neither flesh
nor strong drink shall be taken, nor shall razor touch his head." Now Mary and Joseph, His parents, went up to Jerusalem every year
at the Feast of the Passover, and observed the feast after the manner of their
brethren, who abstained from bloodshed and the eating of flesh and from strong
drink. "... and eat not that which is set before you. That which is
gotten by the taking of life, touch not for it is not lawful to you. ... The
son of Man is not come to destroy but to save; not to take life, but to give
Life to body and soul." MERITS
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