Vegetarianism is a cultural movement as it advocates non-violence against animals. People should come together and practise this principle. It is a divine duty to spread the value of non-violence among as many people as possible. Publish pamphlets on vegetarianism and distribute them among people. Also, encourage people to grow crops to popularise vegetarianism. Vegetarianism should slowly spread from country to country and from people to people to pave way for ahmisa (non-violence) to rule the world. Though this may take some time, a definitive beginning in this regard has to be made.
Be a strict vegetarian and work whole-heartedly in this regard. Stress upon being a vegetarian. This is a divine way of practising non-violence. By practising vegetarianism, you will become purified along with your family and the society you live in. Mercy, truth and non-violence will slowly gain a foothold in society.
By adhering to a vegetarian diet, man’s mind blossoms. His spiritual endeavour is infused with a new energy and he overcomes his pride. It is important to hold seminars, conferences and discussions on vegetarianism to popularise it among people. These discussions should revolve around the merits of vegetarianism and its qualities to encourage people to take to vegetarianism. This is my desire.
Food is not merely to satisfy our tongue. Food has an essence in itself known as Satva. This ultimate essence of food is not vitamins or minerals. Satva is a more subtle form of good. The food you eat is not for enjoyment. It has to attain Satvas otherwise you get only the grosser part of it. Eat minimum possible food during your period of sadhana. If you overeat you burden your digestive system. You will not be able to extract Satva from the food. Satva is substance which nourishes the thoughts and the nervous system. When thoughts are fed with Satva they are refinded and pure. You will be able to live in higher consciousness. Therefore, it is beneficial for our sadhana to be in fasting from time to time. When the body is kept light and pures it is far more capable to extracting satva from food.
Prayer
Devotion in God is often referred to as prayer. Neither can God exist without devotion nor can devotion exist without God. God exists because of prayer. For someone with no devotion, there is no God. Only an ignorant person questions the whereabouts of God. God reveals himself within the heart, which is dominated by true devotion. Everyman is God as well as devotee. A true devotee becomes God by the virtue of his devotion. Krishna is Radha while Radha is Krishna. To become a devotee, one should have devotion. To practise devotion, one should earn discretion, which is possible only through enlightenment. Such enlightenment can be achieved by seeking a Guru who razes the tall towers of arrogance built by man, thereby expediting liberation.
A guru-shishya relationship, although dominated by discipline, is also filled with love. In the presence of the Guru, a disciple is also filled with love. In the presence of Guru, a disciple slowly does away with the false pride in him. He earns the goodwill of the Guru and finally achieves the truth within himself. But some shrewd people, after reading a few books, start their spiritual journey without a Guru, thinking that they can achieve enlightenment alone. But no one can become a Guru without becoming a Shishya, a God without becoming a devotee and an Advaitin without expunging the arrogance within him.
Such people are bereft of a surrendering nature. This is demonic arrogance. Such people always nurse the notion that they are all knowing. They fail to see the God in everybody. They are pseudo Gurus and can never bring out the God within the devotees. While the bud is the disciple, the flower is the Guru. It is a state that cannot be bypassed.
The article has been taken from the book Touch Stone by Gurumatha Amma
