Satsang SAI BABA AND FOOD

SAI BABA AND FOOD
(SHRI SAI LEELA SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1993)
By Lt. Col. M. B. Nimbalkar (Retd.)

Sai Baba in His teachings had given great shocks to then current
customs and beliefs. His teachings, especially those about food,
were quite revolutionary and reformatory; but of course very correct
and truly beneficial.
NON-VEG FOOD
In our Hindu and Jain, Buddha religions especially, there is a belief
that unless one gives up eating non-vegetarian food, one cannot
attain emancipation or knowledge of the Supreme Spirit. Sai Baba
Himself was an emancipated soul and had full knowledge of the
Supreme Spirit and was capable of giving such experiences to
others. However, He not only had no objection to non-veg food; but
never insisted that His devotees, used to non-veg food, should give
it up. Actually, in His early days, He used to cook non-veg food
Himself in a big pot and after consecrating it through a Moulvi by
reciting fatia, used to send as prasad to Mhalsapati and Tatya
Kote Patil before distributing to others. (Ch. 38, Shri Sai Satcharita).

There might be two reasons for this. One could be that Sai Baba
for His mission of achieving unity amongst Hindus and Muslims,
had adorned Muslim Fakir type of dress and style of living. Hence,
accepting non-veg food was quite appropriate. Secondly, if we
carefully consider the teachings of our scriptures, it will be clear
that not to eat non-veg food is only one of the means to attain
emancipation or knowledge of the Supreme Spirit and not a goal
in itself. Most of the famous suktas in Vedas have been authored
by kshatriya or warrior caste. Sages such as Vishwamitra, kings
like Janaka, who were famous as Brahma-jnani or knowcr of the
Supreme Spirit, were also of warrior caste and non-veg food was
not taboo for them. To give up non-veg food, to avoid killing of
innocent animals for the sake of one's enjoyment of tasty food
or because non-veg food becomes hindrance in achieving
concentration of mind during meditation by increasing attributes
of passion (Rajo-guna) and ignorance (Tamo-guna), is of course
commendable.

But, to say that without avoiding non-veg food one cannot achieve
emancipation or knowledge of the Supreme Spirit is not correct.
Otherwise great seers, like Mohammed Paigamber and Jesus
Christ in other religions, where non-veg food is normally consumed,
would not have been born at all. Moreover in India, do those castes
and communities do not take non-vcg food, do so because they
believe in the principle of .non-injury or not to allow the attributes
of passions and ignorance to increase? They are vegetarians;
because it is customary in their castes for generations, not to
eat non-veg food. These persons have never tasted non-veg food;
and hence they have disgust or aversion to such food. However,
now-a-days, young men and women of these castes, having tasted
it, have started enjoying it in restaurants and hotels. Similarly,
amongst those having vegetarian food also, fried items, full of
pepper and condiments and difficult to digest sweets, although
adhering to the principle of non-injury, do tend to increase
attributes of passion and ignorance, which arc obstacles for
concentration in meditation.

In fact, as a person progresses in his sadhana, his attraction for
non-veg and rich food automatically gets dwindled and is ultimately
lost permanently. Just because one gives up eating meat, fish and
eggs as a result of attending bhajun-melas or visiting temples in old
age, he does not attend eminence amongst the sadhakas. On one
side to give up non-veg food and on the other side to get upset and
get tempted looking at such food or to eat heavy and rich veg food
or in business dealings not to hesitate to rob or cheat a person or
to drive away even by hitting cows and buffalos or birds! Isn't such
vegetarianism useless?

to be contd....
(Source Shri Sai Leela Magazine, September-October 1993)