Food Habits
Question: Bhagavan, should we follow any discipline or regulation in our food habits? Is it necessary for our spiritual pursuit? Sai devotees all over the world are vegetarians because of your teachings. This is amazing. We have nobody to explain matters regarding our food habits. Please direct us.
Bhagavan:
As is the food, so is the mind.
As is the mind, so are our thoughts.
As is the thought, so is the action.
As is the action, so is the result.
Therefore, the results depend on the food you eat. You should follow discipline in your food habits meticulously and unerringly. Food, head, and God are interdependent on each other and should be viewed in this order. As is your food so is your head, as is the condition of your head, so is the manifestation of God in you.
You should not eat too much. You must eat to live and never live to eat. Eating in excess is a tamasic [dull] quality. If you eat once a day, you are a yogi [practioner of yoga], if you eat twice a day you are a rogi [sick]. If you eat satwic [pure, soft, and balanced] food in moderate quantity, you develop a satwic or pious mind. If you eat rajasic [spicy, hot] food, it will result in a rajasic or emotional, agitated mind. If you consume tamasic food [meat, alcohol, etc.] your mind will become tamasic or bestial, dull, and passive. So, it is food that shapes the mind. Your actions and the consequences of your actions in turn are influenced by the state of your mind.
You should also be concerned with the cleanliness of the vessels and utensils used for cooking; purity of the materials, sanitary method of preparation or cooking, and purity of thought of the person who cooks the food. You shouldn’t eat food offered to you anywhere and by anyone.
A few years ago there lived a sanyasi [ascetic] who on invitation, dined at the residence of a businessman. That night the sanyasi, a celibate and spiritual seeker, could not sleep. Finally, he fell asleep very late, and had a dream in which he saw a sixteen‑year‑old girl shedding tears. The sanyasi was very disturbed and went to his guru and told him about the dream. The guru meditated for some time and explained to him the reason behind the dream.
The day on which the businessman invited him for dinner, happened to be the eleventh day after the death of his sixteen‑year‑old wife. The widower was performing traditional funeral rites. Since the sanyasi ate the food cooked for the occasion, the girl who had died appeared in his dream with tears in her eyes. This young girl’s father happened to be very poor and was having difficulty maintaining his family. So, much against her wish, he gave her in marriage to this aged businessman. Out of frustration, she committed suicide by jumping into a well. The businessman had to perform customary funeral rites and requested the sanyasi to come over to his house for a meal. This is the whole story behind the sanyasi’s dream. Therefore, use discrimination when accepting food offered to you.
A similar thing happened once to a disciple of Swami Nityananda [great, modern saint]. One day he ate food outside the ashram [residence of a religious community and its guru]. While returning, he stole a silver tumbler from a house and brought it to the ashram. Soon however, he repented that he had resorted to the petty crime of stealing. He was very remorseful. Next morning, he went to his guru and confessed. Because of his spiritual power, Nityananda understood why his disciple chose to steal. He said to his devotee, “The food you had outside the ashram was prepared by a cook who at one time happened to be a thief, and as a result you developed the instinct to steal.” Cooks must have purity of thought.
Furthermore, you should feel your body as light after eating as before eating. The best thing is to keep half your stomach empty. The remaining half should be filled with water. Tubers are not good for the body. You should not drink whole milk. You should mix some water in your milk and then drink it. You should have a minimum interval of four hours between two meals. You should eat food which gives you enough calories needed for sustaining the body. You shouldn’t consume excessive amounts of oily foods and fried curries. Sleep a while after lunch and walk a mile after dinner. Work hard and eat well.
