Satsang SAI BABA AND FOOD

Baba used to say :
"The mind of the person fasting is never at ease, then how
could attain the Paramartha (goal of life)? God is not attained
on an empty stomach; first the soul has to be appeased. In
short, when all organs get their proper nutrition and are
sound, we can practise devotion and other sadhanas to
attain God.

Therefore, neither fasting nor over-eating is good. Moderation
in diet is really wholesome both to the body and mind."
(Ch. 32, P. 177-178, Shri Sai Satcharita) Also in Ch. 19,
Baba persuaded Mrs. Radhabai Deshmukh, who had
determined to remain without food and water unto death so
long as Baba did not give her Upadesh Mantra, to give it
up and narrating His own experience with His Guru,
explained to her a simplest method of achieving oneness
in the God -"You,look at Me and I look at you."

The Sanskrit word for fasting is 'Up + vaas', which means
seat near. Since the fasting is done for religious purposes,
it means seating near God. In other words on that day one
has to think and act with pure mind and meditate on God's
form. But, we hardly do this. On the contrary, on that day
since we continue to attend to our normal secular business
and other duties, we also continue to indulge in immoral
activities such as telling lies, cheating others etc. There
are many methods of observing fast, narrated in our
religious books. But, at present the following methods are
in vogue:

(i) To accept only fruits and milk avoiding meals both by
day and night.
(ii) To accept only fruits and milk by day and eat the meal
after sunset.
iii) To eat the meal once by day and accept only fruits
and milk at night.

But, do we observe these also correctly? Whatever you
eat during fasting days must be in small quantities. The
idea is to give rest to our digestive system. But, instead,
what do we do? Fruits we hardly eat. But, other so called
permitted items we eat in full and a number of times. One
meal also, which we eat, is not only over-eaten; but is
also extra rich, The result is indigestion. Thus there is
neither any religious nor health benefit. Sai Baba probably
had realised this and that is why He stopped His devotees
from observing such fasts in the name of religion.

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