Theos-Talk Archives (March 2003 Message tt00402)

Sunday, March 23, 2003

Re: A philosopher's diet ?


Dear Friend:


On the subject of diet, Theosophy as I have found it, says primarily:

"What comes out of the mouth is more important than what one pus into
it."


So there are (Theosophically speaking) three levels of diet:
spiritual, psychic, and physical. All three are under the control of
the Real man-Mind within, the Thinker and the Chooser. We are always
choosing our destiny and framing our future moment by moment. So
"attention" is important. Motive is important. The consideration of
others is important.

The Chinese have a proverb: "The longest journey begins with the
first step." So let's look at the steps we can take, little by little
with perseverance, and some hope of success.

We are tenants of one of the finest and most complex of organisms --
our bodies. Note that the body makes itself, and usually our
interference results in harm, trouble, pain, and disease for it. So
what is our duty to the body: to keep it well protected, and let it
do its own work for us.

You ask about feeding it and the influence that a special diet might
have on our "spiritual" advance. Well, it is also reasonable to think
that our physical and psychic (emotional and mental) bodies will
change for the better if we strive to acquire and employ spiritual
WISDOM. Such wisdom is all-inclusive and shows the inter-play and
relation of the three planes to each other.

Where do we get WISDOM? -- for body, "psyche" (soul-mind), and the
"spirit ? We have to go to "spiritual" school and learn the
dimensions of spiritual relationships -- relationships that have
always been in existence, but which we have usually missed out on
detecting. This becomes a serious thing. Theosophy does deal with
it. You will find that both Mme. Blavatsky and Mr. Judge have dealt
with diet here and there in their writings, and what I will do is to
attempt to collate those here for you to consider.

Spirituality does not begin with ascetic physiological practices, but
in order to secure the most sensitive physical body, one has to feed
it the freshest of food, and as far as possible take no life from the
higher animals to satisfy one's tastes alone. It is said that it
takes 7 years for the body to completely renew itself, and some parts
do it very much faster than that. But that is a task the body
undertakes if we will let it. We ought to be far more concerned with
our emotions and minds and their "food."

The moral diet is superior to the physical one: what one views,
reads, discusses, listens to, all these have an impact on the psychic
sensitivity of our inner body the astral. It is the astral that forms
the basis for the physical and also it links Mind to body. The
psychic is a wider designation than "astral" as it includes the
emotional nature (good and bad) as closely allied to our desires, and
likes. Yet, it is we the REAL PERSON -- the Mind-being -- who is the
ruler and teacher of the "psychic nature." We all have these three
divisions. Each has a "diet" that will affect the others.

As an advance warning: It is the psychic nature that we may find to
be the most difficult to persuade to change -- specially if it has not
been much disciplined by us heretofore. That "diet" then will require
a special study, and this is a separate matter entirely.

The rule for advanced students who desire to live well-disciplined and
spiritually guided lives, is for their physical foods : No meat, no
Alcohol ( unless medically required, and prescribed by a competent
physician). No killing. No excesses of any kind. And this will also
include: Sharing whatever we have with others who may need it more
than we do. Seeking to obey Karma in all respects, and making no
adverse Karma for ourselves, or others, by excesses in interpretations
or exaggerations of dietary, or any other rules. And no attempts to
enforce our views and self-disciplines on any one else. [ It is not
possible to grade others' advance by what they may eat or do not eat.]

One's karma, and our place of living and duties to the world, as to
ourselves, will largely determine what we eat, and where we are most
needed for our true work--as a spiritual being in embodiment.

The nature of the Universe and our Earth on close examination, will be
found to be a vast cooperative of mutually interactive beings from the
sub-atomic, level on up to the highest beings we can imagine -- all
help and support others. All illustrate in their lives some aspect of
cooperation, compassion, universality and generosity. [ From the
immortal atom to the IMMORTAL MAHATMA, there is a complete ladder of
achievement and procedure. The "little atom" has its own small
universe, and the duties of the MAHATMA include a far vaster
responsibility for our Earth, and the rest of the Universe. ]

Remember that the SPIRIT in Man and Woman are of the same immortal
essence The "SPIRIT" cannot be killed. They (as human beings --
embodied Minds) improve themselves by study of the laws of nature, and
deciding how to best (under Karma) they can serve others around them.
It is a change in orientation from extreme selfishness to a universal
generosity.

The UNIVERSAL always survives, the personal and physical always
perishes, and is changed again and again. Each incarnation is like a
day spent at school -- the School of Life. We have all been at this
business of self-improvement for countless incarnations. We ought to
be proficient by now.

Milk, cheese and dairy products are permissible so long as the calves
or kids are not deprived. Unfertilized eggs are also said to be
permissible. To be a vegetarian is recommended. To eat nuts, grains,
fruits, seems to be superior to killing living productive plants. To
eat a part of a plant, leaving enough for it to regenerate, seems
reasonable. The aim is to produce as little disturbance or pain and
suffering in nature and among her creatures as we can.

A vegetarian diet is preferable to a meat one. We need to study
nutrition so as to balance our needs (not our likes) sensibly.
Vegetarianism and nutrition go hand in hand. But there are cases
where a meat-eating person cannot easily change to being a vegetarian.
[A "Vegan" is an extreme.] They may be forced by the changes now
deep-seated in their bodies, to continue to eat some meats, in which
case, a change to fish and fowl is preferred, if possible.

The key is common sense and moderations in all things.

As to the moral reason: The Buddha said it well:


THE FIVE RULES

Kill not--for pity's sake--and lest ye slay
The meanest thing upon its upward way.

Give freely and receive, but take from none
By greed, or force, or fraud, what is his own..

Bear not false witness, slander not, nor lie;
Truth is the speech of inward purity.

Shun drugs and drinks which work the with abuse;
Clear minds, clean bodies, need no soma juice.

Touch not thy neighbour's wife, neither commit
Sins of the flesh, unlawful and unfit.

-------------------------

I hope this is of help,

Dallas

====================



-----Original Message-----
From: e r
Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2003 12:23 AM
To:
Subject: RE:	DIET ? i want to be a philosopher

that's a sweet answer dallas, thanks. actually light of wisdom is the
main
thing i am looking for, this is why i am here (this group). i highly
respect Madame's knowledge. and i am not a person of 'too much words,
ornated remarks'..this is what i like in H.P.B's world, most of the
stuff is
direct and simple.

cut