As the Food, So the Thought

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.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba Discourse, Oct 1, 1998

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 outnumbers physical ailments. The Vedanta 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 god-ward. Equally the mind is responsible for health or sickness. 
In this context, food is very 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, July 2, 1993

You should not misunderstand and misinterpret what I say. It is my duty to convey to you the truth as it 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 large amount of wheat. While such good food has been created by God, 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

The third need is satwic [pure] 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 qualities. 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 rajoguna.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba Discourse, December 29, 1985

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.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba Discourse, November 21, 1995