7/26/2019 Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi's Views on Food World Vegetarian Congress 1957

1/2

Vegetarian

Food & Diet

A Vegan Diet

http://www.facebook.com/InternationalVegUnionhttp://www.ivu.org/

7/26/2019 Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi's Views on Food World Vegetarian Congress 1957

2/2

12/14/2014 World Vegetarian Congress 1957

http://www.ivu.org/congress/wvc57/souvenir/ramana.html

D: What about those not so accustomed

M: Habit is only adjustment to the environment. It is the mind that matters. Thefact is that the mind has been trained to think certain foods tasty and good. Thefood material is to be had both in vegetarian and non-vegetarian diet equallywell. But the mind desires such food as it is accustomed to and considers tasty.

D : Are there restrictions for the realized man in a similar manner?

M: He is steady and not influenced by the food he takes.

D : Is it not killing life to prepare a meat diet ?

M : Ahimsa stands foremost in the code of discipline for the yogis.

D : Even plants have life.

M : So too the slabs you sit on !

D : May we gradually get ourselves accustomed to vegetarian food ?

M : Yes, that is the way.

The following Extracts from "WHO AM I?" were written by Sri RamanaMaharshi himself:

"Regulation of diet,- restricting it to sattvic food* taken in moderate quantity, isof all the rules of conduct the best and it is most conducive to the developmentof the sattvic qualities ** of the mind. These, in their turn, assist one in practiceof Atmavichara or enquiry in quest of the Self."

Besides these, a devotee, Sri A. Devaraja Mudaliar, who is a permanent residentof our Ashram is able to report the following:-

About 1940, when he wanted to become a vegetarian and was worried whetherhis taking to strict vegetarianism which prescribed as a preliminary step for all

spiritual progress might lead to any deterioration of his physical fitness, heplaced his problem before Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, and got thefollowing reply :

"Vegetable food contains all that is necessary for maintaining the body."

* simple and nutritious food which sustains but does not stimulate the physicalbody,** Purity of heart. self-restraint, evenness of temper, tenderness towards all

beings, fortitude, freedom from desire, hatred, and arrogance are theoutstanding virtues of the sattvic mind.