Pathways to God by Jonathan Roof, Vol. II

Excerpts shared for educational and spiritual purposes with reverence to the author. This is a non-profit project dedicated to selfless service.

FOOD: The Basis of Life – Chapter VII

1. Unity of Mind and Body

Human life combines material and spiritual elements in a complex interplay. Each aspect strongly impacts the other. In fact, they merge inextricably together. In a great painting, colour and line reflect the spirit of the artist. However, the physical medium also influences the possibilities of the artist's expression. Without physical representation in canvas and oil, the spirit of the creator remains invisible. In a similar manner, our physical bodies comprise the medium through which divinity expresses itself. Our bodies manifest divine will and influence how we experience God. The condition of one's body can affect his level of spiritual attainment. It is well-recognized that our mental attitudes affect' our physical health. For example, psychosomatic illnesses are identified as originating from within our own minds. Asthma or skin rashes often derive from stress or psychological causes. Less well recognized is the fact that our attitudes and behaviour are swayed by the purity of the food we eat. The condition of the physical body also impacts the higher faculties. Our emotional, mental, and spiritual vehicles all derive from subtle aspects of the fare we ingest. So we must exercise great care in choosing the foods we provide to our bodies and senses.

The importance of food to spiritual progress has been observed since ancient times. Early leaders of the Vedic and Jewish religions laid down elaborate rules for the preparation and consumption of food. They understood that the subtle ingredients of the items they consumed impacted their spiritual outlook. Indeed, spiritual disciplines, such as meditation, may fail to achieve success if we ignore dietary cautions.

“The body and life in it are based on food and are sustained by food, 'annam'. So, food decides the level of attainment, high or low. Nowadays, emphasis is being laid on discipline and regulated behaviour (nishta), without reference to food (nashta). However great and learned a person may be, however much he pays attention to the teachings of the Vedanta (the ageless wisdom) and takes care to spread them, if he neglects the strict code laid down for the food that is the very basis of the body and its functions, he cannot succeed.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba   Gita Vahini, p.244

We consume "food" through our mouths, but also through our eyes, ears, skin and nose. For the sights, sounds, and feelings that we provide to our senses also feed our bodies and minds. The books that we read, the television or movies that we view and hear, all contribute to the shaping of our personalities. They supply the raw materials for our thoughts and ideals. We must exercise care in furnishing pure and beneficial sustenance to all of our senses. For example, too much television or loud music fills the senses with "junk food" tasty but containing little or no nourishment.

“Sathwic (spiritual) food should not be interpreted as something Which you take by way of your mouth alone. We have five different organs-sabda, sparsa, rupa, rasa and gandha. That is your ears, eyes, mouth, skin and nose. What you smell, see, hear, touch and eat will all constitute what you take in as food.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Summer Roses on the Blue Mountains, p. 118

Of course, the fare that we consume through our mouths also constitutes an important part of our diet. But the spiritual ideals that we aspire to and the holy company we keep play a more crucial role in our development. Spiritual disciplines open our eyes to our inner divinity. They promote the growth of love and self-sacrifice. When the mind and intellect aspire to universal ideals, the body benefits in improved health. When the higher faculties operate properly, the body and senses are more easily controlled.

“Vedanta (the ageless wisdom) is the best and highest food that man can consume; it keeps your propensities pure, your body in perfect trim, your passions well-controlled, your emotions clear and lucid, your thoughts simple and sincere. Good company, satsang, is more nutritious than fruits and nuts, milk or honey. It will keep you young and fresh, full and free, beyond the disintegrating influence of time and space.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba  Sathya Sai Speaks 7, pp.425-426 

2. Sathwic Food: Pure Oil for the Divine Flame

Spiritual aspirants usually express a keen interest in knowing what constitutes pure and healthful food. But unchanging prescriptions deny the difficulty of stating concrete answers. Cultural preferences and personal dietary needs cloud the issue. What constitutes a correct menu at one stage of life is rendered inappropriate in another stage. Food for the baby provides no satisfaction to a labourer. The labourer's diet demands volumes that would be inappropriate for an office worker. Medical conditions and food availability may dictate particular diets for some aspirants. Even Sai Baba sometimes recommends that one person eat a particular item, while another is advised not to. The doctor prescribes different medicines for patients based on their individual requirements. One method for determining correct foods is to observe the results derived from various diets. A proper diet nourishes the body without causing sluggishness or over-stimulation. A proper balance in eating cares for the body without devoting too much attention to its maintenance. Sathya Sai Baba reiterates the words of Socrates when he says: "We should eat to live and not live to eat." Food is medicine for the body; it maintains health but is not an end in itself.

“The 17th chapter of the Gita clearly defines the nature and tastes at the three types of "food" eaten by man. The food that promotes love, virtue, strength, happiness and cordiality are sathwic (conducive to spiritual effort). That which inflames, arouses, intoxicates and heightens hunger and thirst is rajasic (promotes involvement with the world). The food that depresses, disrupts, and causes diseases is thamasic (causes lazy behaviour).”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba    Sathya Sai Speaks 7, p.437

We could follow the example of the fabled devotee Sabari. As a young girl, she ran away from home to avoid an unwanted marriage. Taking refuge in the hermitage of Matanga Rishi, she devoted herself to spiritual practices. Her receptor told her of the imminent arrival of Rama, the divine incarnation. And so she spent all her days preparing for Rama's visit. Sabari took such care in selecting only the sweetest fruits for Rama that she tasted each one to gauge its suitability. She examined each item to see that it provided a fit offering for God-in appearance, taste and healthful nutrition.

And, although we need not taste each item in the market, we could exercise similar care in gauging the suitability of the items that we feed to the Lord within. We may safely conclude that items derived from clean and natural sources provide the best nourishment. For example, fresh organic fruits, nuts and vegetables contain healthful energies and promote pure impulses. They do not suffer from the inclusion of additives, preservatives and colouring agents. They may be purchased directly from field or orchard, while they retain their vitality. Even these provisions satisfy best when cooked lightly. The energy within foods dissipates when cooked too long.

“Uncooked food, nuts and fruits, germinating pulses are the best. Use these at least at one meal, say, for the dinner at night; this will insure long life. And, long life is to be striven for, in order that the years may be utilized for serving one's fellow beings.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba    Sathya Sai Speaks 11, p.149

The use of salt and spices requires some restraint. Excessive salt promotes high blood-pressure and other undesirable effects. Spices add zest to a meal, but may also inflame the senses. The climate of a region seems to bear on what is appropriate. Hotter climates allow for more spices, perhaps as a reflection of the environmental temperature and need for preservatives. In any case, ideal consumption satisfies and sustains the body without causing over-stimulation or heaviness. Tastes that induce one to over-eat cater too much to the senses.

“The food we consume should be tasty, sustaining and pleasant. It should not be too "hot" or too salty; there must be a balance and equilibrium maintained. It should not arouse or deaden. Rajasic food enrages the emotions; tamasic food induces sloth and sleep. Sathwic food satisfies, but does not inflame the passions or sharpen the emotions.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba    Sathya Sai Speaks 9, p.126

Sathya Sai Baba consistently advises us to avoid eating meat. Even as a small child he refused to eat flesh. He offered protection to various animals, which others planned to kill for their meals. He states that animals were not created to provide food for human beings. By eating animals we assimilate low qualities and mean attitudes. Killing animals for food expresses violence, which contradicts the spirit of universal love that spiritual aspirants strive for. Cows, chickens and such creatures inhabit God's creation to evolve along their own paths.

“Rajasic food generates virulent thoughts. By consuming non-vegetarian food we develop brutal mentalities. Those who are practising meditation must abstain from meat. We should also remember constantly that ahimsa, or nonviolence, is the supreme dharma (spiritual duty). It is a sin to kill innocent animals for the sake of filling our stomachs. We must remember that God dwells in all creatures.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba   Summer Showers 1979, p.96

A vegetarian menu best satisfies our health requirements; Modem production of meat introduces antibiotics, hormones and steroids into the flesh, which are then consumed by the eater. The many additives remain in the flesh and generate subtle dangers to man's health and mental state. Sathya Sai Baba states that vegetable proteins provide a cleaner and more healthy source of nutrition than animal proteins.

“Besides this, it is significant to note that those who live on vegetarian food are less prone to diseases, whereas non-vegetarians are subject to more diseases. Why? Because animal food is incompatible with the needs of the human body. Doctors speak about proteins being present in non-vegetarian food, but the fact is that there are better quality proteins in food articles such as vegetables, pulses, milk, curd, etc. Non-vegetarian food not only affects man's body but also has a deleterious effect on his mind.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba   Indian Culture and Spirituality, p.34

Sathya Sai Baba advises against drinking alcohol and ingesting intoxicating drugs. Consumption of liquor induces undisciplined and animal like behaviour. Intoxicants dissipate the body's energy and foster ill health. Alcohol and drugs frequently cause one to act without consideration of consequences or propriety. They often hold prime responsibility for criminal activities and family discord. Money is better spent for the upkeep of the home or for service to others, rather than for the purchase of drugs and liquor.

“By moderating and modulating habits of eating and drinking, one can lay the foundation for a spiritual life. One must prefer sathwic to rajasic foods. By drinking intoxicating stuff, one loses control over the emotions and passions, the impulses and instincts, the speech and movements, and one even descends to the level of beasts. By eating flesh one develops violent tendencies and animal diseases. The mind becomes more intractable when one indulges in rajasic food; it can never be remoulded, if tamasic food is consumed with relish. To dwell in ramathathwa (the reality of God) constantly, one has to be vigilant about food and drink, consumed by both body and mind.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba     Sathya Sai Speaks 5, pp.19-20

3. Moderation: A Sensible Course

Moderating one's eating habits requires the same care as choosing correct foods. Either too much or too little nourishment causes ill health. Moderation in both quantity and frequency of eating produces the best results. However, many variables contribute to determining an individual's needs. One who engages in strenuous activity requires more food than an inactive person. In addition he or she may need to eat more frequently. A spiritual aspirant, on the other hand, may be able to subsist on one light meal a day. But medical conditions, such as hypoglycemia, may necessitate frequent small meals. An appropriate program fits the individual like a well-tailored suit.

“Most illnesses are due to over-eating or faulty eating habits. "Mitha thindi, athi hayi": moderate food gives immense ease. The food must be clean and pure and derived through pure means; and the strength derived from it must be directed towards holy ends.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba   Sathya Sai Speaks 2, p.178

Spiritual aspirants avoid eating too much, or too frequently. Hunger justifies feeding the body, but only in the required quantities. Ending a meal before hunger completely ends affords time for the food to enter the blood stream to satisfy the appetite. By maintaining awareness of eating habits, we can reduce our food intake as we age and our needs diminish. Sathya Sai Baba enjoins us not to waste food. We should take care that our consumption is based on the body's actual requirements.

“Do not eat until you feel proper hunger. Practise the art of moderate eating. When you feel three-fourths full, desist from further eating; that is to say, you will have to stop even when you feel you can take a little more. The stomach can be educated this way to behave properly.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba   Jnana Vahini, p.3

Proper quantities of food promote good digestion. The stomach should not be completely filled, but left with a small capacity. A combination of liquid and solid food provides a mix that can be digested efficiently. Some experimentation helps us to determine what quantities and foods suit our own requirements.

“The correct thing would be to divide the stomach into four equal parts and fill two parts with solid food and one part with liquid food leaving the fourth part empty. Filling the stomach with solid food completely promotes tamoguna (laziness) which is positively an impediment to meditation.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba  Summer Sowers 1979, p.87

Eating too little weakens the body and mind. Excessive fasting injures health just as overeating also causes harm. To paraphrase St. Francois de Sales, "The spirit cannot endure the body when overfed, but if underfed, the body cannot endure the spirit." Although occasional reduction of food intake can clean and purify the system, moderation should be exercised. The body is our only boat to carry us across the river of life. Thus we must maintain its strength. If it remains sturdy but light, we can skip across the crests of joy and the troughs of adversity. Undue fasting is a needless austerity that punishes the body for imagined sins. Starving the body conveys no virtue.

“While doing penance, the Buddha had in the beginning given up food for several days. This resulted in a dissipation of his physical and mental energies. Realizing that a healthy body and a sound mind are necessary prerequisites for effective penance, he went to a nearby village and partook of curds and appeased his hunger. From that day, he continued taking food in small quantities every day. He was thereby able to meditate with great ease and realize the truth.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba   Summer Showers 1979, p.86

If devotees of Sathya Sai Baba engage in excessive fasting, they set a bad example for others. Observers will believe that Sai Baba ruins the health of his devotees. The aspirant may better spend time in service or devotion, rather than concentrating too much on self and body. The body should not become the focus of our attention. Attractive appearance does not justify diverting time from study, service, or devotion. Physical beauty fades like a mirage in the desert. The form is impermanent and subject to disease. We are wiser to spend our time in discovering our own immortal divinity, the atma.

“If your body wastes away as a result of these fasts, God will be blamed; so you are only drawing down the calumny of people on the God you adore. They will come to you and say, "What! Before you started this Sai Baba puja (devotion) you were looking much better; now, you have become so thin and frail; you can scarcely move!" and they continue talking against me in the same strain.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba    Sathya Sai Speaks 5, pp. 163-4

Healthy eating maintains the strength of the whole body. It comprises a holy ritual for sustaining the inner life force. Only by maintaining the body can we persevere on our journey of self-discovery. Without the strength we derive from food, we could not perform our own duties or serve others. Proper motivation should direct our consumption. The body should not be fed in response to sorrow or other emotions. Food cannot substitute for the attention or affection that one craves. Careful self analysis reveals whether food is wasted or offered to our inner divinity.

“Eating food is a holy ritual, a yajna. It should not be performed during moments of anxiety or emotional tension. Food has to be considered as medicine for the illness of hunger and as the sustenance of life.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba   Vidya Vahini, p.38

Over-identification with the body results in undue importance being attached to food. If we focus too much attention on the body's needs and appearance, then mealtime usurps more attention than its due. Such attention could be better employed in meditation, study or service. Once we realize our true nature, we overcome excessive attachment to the physical form and its needs.

“When you cultivate the attitude that you are the body, the body will demand from you more food, more variety in food, more attention to appearance and physical comfort. A large portion of the food now consumed is superfluous; man can live healthily on much less.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba     Sathya Sai Speaks 5, p.49

4. Food for Thought

In India the role of food in influencing a person's thoughts and feelings has long been recognized. Even in the days of Krishna, some 5000 years ago, the relationship between food and one's thoughts was known. In one incident related in the epic Mahabharata story, Krishna spoke to his disciple Arjuna about the importance of food. Krishna to Arjuna:

"Food makes man strong in body; the body is intimately connected with the mind. Strength of mind depends on strength of body too. Moral conduct, good habits, spiritual effort-all depend on the quality of the food; disease, mental weakness, spiritual slackness- all are produced by faulty food".

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba   Gita Vahini, p.239

Not only the gross part of food, but also the subtle essence contributes to our development. The coarse elements of food build the physical body. But even the subtle components of food are employed by our emotional and mental faculties. Good or bad character qualities may be ingested with our meals. The purity and quality of our nourishment effects our intelligence and emotional state.

“Sometimes to satisfy our palate we consume all types of food not knowing that through it bad qualities like lust, anger, greed, attachment, arrogance and selfishness grow in us. Many of the different foods that we eat change, in the gross appearance at least, into waste matter which is not of any value and gets excreted out. In a subtle way, the same food is changing into our blood and muscle. Even more subtle parts of this food will appear as our mind. Therefore, either for the distortions in our mind or for the sacred thoughts that generate there from, the food that we take is mainly responsible. Therefore, good qualities like peace, forbearance, love and attachment to truth can only be promoted by taking good food.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba   Summer Showers 1973, p.137

The subtle qualities of food are also influenced by its preparation. The thoughts and feelings of the cook are said to affect a sensitive diner. We know that freshness and cleanliness of food impacts the health of the consumer. Dirty dishes or infections passed on by food handlers can make a diner sick. Improper heating or storage fosters contamination that can cause severe illness. But it is also true that the subtle aspects of food can be polluted by improper handling. The good or bad thoughts that run through the mind of a cook pass subtly into food. A susceptible person may feel the impact of those thoughts.

“There are subtle invisible thought-forms that can pass from one person to another by such means (food preparation). Here, one has to be very careful about food, especially when one is proceeding Godward, through the steep path of yoga.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba   Sathya Sai Speaks 2, p.70

In fact, all aspects of food collection and preparation potentially influence the quality of the food. Not all people are sensitive to these forces, but aspirants can be particularly susceptible due to their spiritual practices. Meditation and pure diet sensitize the seeker to both positive and negative effects of environmental factors.

“The food one eats has to be pure, free from the subtle evils Radiated by the persons who collect the materials, who cook the dishes and who serve them. Yes; all these have to be carefully watched by the sadhaka (spiritual aspirant).”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba   Sathya Sai Speaks 7, p.144

Sathya Sai Baba tells a story to illustrate the point. A pious Brahmin householder and his wife, who lived in Malur in Mysore state, once invited a monk named Nithyananda to dinner. One day the itinerant sage sought alms at their door. But to properly honour him they requested that he return for dinner the following day. The added time allowed the brahmin and his wife to festoon the doorway and to make arrangements for a special dinner. The wife of the brahmin planned to prepare the meal herself. However, at the last moment she became ill. And so she asked a neighbour lady to perform the task.

During the dinner Nithyananda was overcome by the desire to steal a silver cup, which stood by his plate. He hid the silver vessel in the folds of his robe when he departed from the brahmin's house. That night the monk was racked with regret. He returned to the brahmin's house the following day to admit his guilt and beg for forgiveness. All were aghast that such a revered renunciate could stoop to such a low deed. A wondering servant suggested that perhaps an impure desire may have been relayed to the monk by the food he ate.

Upon examination, it was discovered that the neighbour who had prepared the food was an irrepressible thief. Her evil thoughts were transmitted to the sensitive monk through the food he ate. This incident made clear to all involved the importance of proper thoughts during food preparation.

Even the atmosphere surrounding the growing of food contributes to the purity of the final product. Growing plants assimilate pollution in their environment and pass the impurities on to the consumer of the produce. Organically grown crops and those grown with care in natural settings provide the best nutrition.

“The atmosphere also affects the food man consumes. The pollution in the atmosphere is imbibed by the plants, the plants supply the grain, the grain is the basis of the meal, the meal shapes the character and behaviour of the person who consumes it. When the environment is clean and free from evil vibrations, the food too is pure, and the person develops a tendency to be loving and simple.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba   Sathya Sai Speaks 10, p.85

5. Prayer: A Purifying Fire

It would be almost impossible to ensure that the food we eat is always grown, prepared, and served under ideal conditions. We would have to maintain a vigil at fields and orchards in widely scattered locations. Our cooks would have to remain under constant surveillance. However, a solution to the problem does exist. The simple process of offering a meal to God, before we eat, purifies the repast. Prayer overcomes negative influences carried by food. Like a sacred fire, prayer bums away harmful influences.

“If you eat food without first offering it to God, you will be affected by all the impurities and defects present in it. On the contrary, if you offer the food to the Lord before eating, as suggested in verse 24 of chapter 4 of the Gita ("brahmaarpanam," etc.), it becomes prasad a gift from God, and consequently all the impurities in the food are thereby eliminated.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba   Indian Culture And Spirituality, p.79

Mealtime prayers have been a tradition in most cultures from the earliest times. They express thankfulness and praise of the Lord's bounty. They invoke His blessings on our activities and ask for strength and health. However, they also bless the food for its purification. The idea of holy food, prasad, is common to most religions. It acknowledges the role of food in building our physical and spiritual vigour. It recognizes the divine nature and origin of our sustenance. The food prayer referred to in the Bhagavad Gita, a section of the Mahabharata, is a frequently recited mealtime blessing in India. It contains elements of praise, gratitude and purification. The Indian version of the prayer reads as follows:

Brahmaarpanam, Brahma Havir,

Brahmaagnau Brahmana Hutam,

Brahmaiva Tena Gantavyam,

Brahma Karma Samaadhinaha,

Aham Vaishvaanaro Bhuttva,

Praaninaam Dehamaashritaha,

Praanaapaana Samaa Yuktaha,

Pachaamy Annam Chatur Vidham.

An English translation of the verses is:

The act of offering is Brahman (the universal absolute),

The offering itself is Brahman,

Offered by Brahman in the sacred fire, which is Brahman,

He alone obtains Brahman, who in all his actions,

is fully absorbed in Brahman.

I am Vaishvaanaro, the all-pervading cosmic consciousness,

Having come into existence in all living beings,

and residing within you.

United with the body's energies,

I consume the various sanctified foods.

An English prayer, based on this translation, embodies the same sentiments:

O Lord, Thou art the food,

Thou art the enjoyer of the food,

Thou art the giver of the food,

Therefore, I offer all that I consume

At thy lotus feet.

Offering food to God, who resides within us, acknowledges His roles in providing and digesting our meal. It affirms our own innate divinity and acceptance of His will. Prayer requests the Lord's blessings for our activities and devotes our actions to Him. In addition to sanctifying the food, it dedicates our strength to serving His purposes.

“Even the food you take should be to propitiate Him who is resident in your bodies as the universal dweller, eager to digest the food we place in it. It is the Lord who receives the food, digests it, and supplies strength thereby to the various parts of the body.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba   Sathya Sai Speaks 10, p.269

One might ask if God is truly aware every time food is offered to Him. Many stories illustrate the omnipresence of the Lord in this regard. One of the best known instances relates to Shirdi Sai Baba, the previous incarnation of Sathya Sai Baba.

One time a lady devotee sought Shirdi Sai Baba's blessing by preparing a special meal for Him. She cooked a splendid dinner and laid it out in preparation for His arrival. To her horror a stray dog wandered in and headed for the dishes. Fearing the loss of all her hard work, she chased the dog away from the sumptuous fare. Confident of her preparations she invited Shirdi Sai to the table.

However, to her surprise Shirdi Sai Baba refused the meal that she had so lovingly arranged. He said "No, you drove me away when I wanted it; now I don't want it?" For, the Lord who resides in all beings was also resident in the stray dog. Shirdi Sai Baba disclosed in this incident the presence of God in all beings. God resides in each creature, and so He is immediately aware when food is offered to Him.

6. Dedicating Your Strength to Serving Others

Some gourmets devote great attention to the preparation of their meals. They employ elaborate recipes and special methods to enhance the taste and appearance of their edibles. Whole books and magazines expound upon the subject, reflecting the desire of such people for new taste sensations. In such a manner, many people cater to the desires of the body. However, the task of food preparation need not be so complex. The nourishment of the body does not demand so much concern. Time may be better spent in the quest for self-knowledge or in serving others.

“If you spend your life in merely searching for your food, what is the use? This cannot certainly be the purpose of your life. Truly man's requirements for his daily sustenance and upkeep are very few but the time men spend in fulfilling their requirements is much larger than their need demands.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba     Summer Roses On The Blue Mountains, p.101

Realization of truth and universal love afford more fitting goals for us than the pursuit of food. Our lives offer greater promise than the mere survival of the body. God provides for our basic needs, as he provides for animals in the wild. Indeed, every person is dear to God and he ever looks to our needs. Our distress concerning food and money is mostly misplaced. Worry does not contribute in the least to the providence that we receive.

“God, who finds the food for the frog that is trapped between a pair of large stones, will certainly provide food for the human beings who are so close to him. Under such circumstances, it is not right that man should hanker after food. On the other hand, he should go after realization of truth and develop faith in God.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba    Summer Showers 1973, pp.47-48

Little is accomplished if we eat simply to sustain the body with no thought of serving others. What is the use if we live for 100 years, but never contribute to the well-being and happiness of those around us? Will the world notice our departure? All our striving is in vain if we cannot develop a spirit of self-sacrifice. Even the attempt at self knowledge justifies our efforts on earth. After self-knowledge arrives, service to others naturally follows.

“Every person consumes quantities of food, but does not stop to calculate what he does in return to the society that helped him to live; the food must be transformed into service, either of one's best interest, or of the interests of others.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba     Sathya Sai Speaks 3, p.152

Proper eating habits and pure food, dedicated to God, aid our progress toward self-realization. We require strength provided by healthy fare, but food should not distract us from our higher quests. The body must be maintained as a fit vehicle to carry us across the river of life. But the form is only a vehicle and not a goal in itself. Our true nature is atma, the divine consciousness which resides within. Our goal must be to look beyond the body, personality, and mind to the eternal consciousness where God is found.

“People who want to develop themselves along the path of the atma (the inner divinity) must have good health and for this purpose, the control of food is essential. By eating clean food, we can get a clean mind and through a clean mind, we can get a clear idea of the goal. Through such a clean concept of the atma, we will be able to get rid of illusion or maya.”

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba     Summer Showers 1978, p.173