Food For Thought
The body is a chariot in which the soul resides. What we put inside ourselves and nourish ourselves with, both physically and spiritually, is of paramount importance.
While many people choosing a vegetarian diet do so primarily for reasons of health or animal ethics, another viewpoint favouring both vegan and vegetarian nutrition is demonstrated in the lifestyle of many practitioners of meditation and supported by a persuasive body of spiritual teachings – and many spiritual seekers have come to the conclusion that vegetarianism paves the way to faster spiritual development.
A number of humanity’s most respected meditation masters have taught that our diet has an impact on the development of our consciousness – the clarity or restlessness of our minds, the expansion and refinement of awareness and the functioning of our subtle body and nerves. Sri Chinmoy is a fully realised spiritual Master dedicated to inspiring and serving those seeking a deeper meaning in life. Through his teaching of meditation, lectures and writings, and through his own life of dedicated service to humanity, he tries to show others how to find inner fulfilment. Sri Chinmoy says,
"The vegetarian diet plays a most important role in the spiritual life… When we eat meat and fish, the aggressive, animal consciousness enters into us. Our nerves become agitated: they become restless and aggressive, and this can interfere with our meditation. But the mild qualities of fruits and vegetables on the other hand, help us to establish, in our inner life, the qualities of sweetness, softness, simplicity and purity. So if we are vegetarians, it helps us to strengthen our own existence." (Source)
The food we eat significantly adds to or subtracts from the quality of our inner spiritual life and impacts on the subtle world of our consciousness. To paraphrase Bruce the shark from Finding Nemo, "[Animals] are our friends, not food!!" The food offered at The Blue Bird ranges from lacto-ovo vegetarian (including eggs and dairy) to vegan (no eggs, no dairy). What’s more, it is made by people who meditate and who fervently believe in preparing food with fun, joy and love.
– writen by Toshala Elliott, owner/manager/chef of The Blue Bird vegetarian café.
Related Link:
- The Body: Humanity’s Fortress – by Sri Chinmoy
Return to the Articles Index page.
Being members of the