Message #42149

[guest587]

I think being a vegetarian is a luxury of living in a functioning society. But not every luxury is considered advantageous for spiritual prosperity.

I'm watching a series called "Alone" where contestants try to survive in the wild, something our ancestors did.

I'm told the one vegetarian who tried to survive had to eat meat in order to continue. She was quickly becoming malnourished and lacking essential vitamins and minerals. Her lifestyle choice was killing her.

Considering the importance of our spine and the spiritual mysteries of our body- to me that would mean striving for optimal health with our neurons, our blood, our cells- etc. and considering that eating meat provides us with nutrients that you can not get anywhere else...

I wonder how much of being a vegetarian has more to do with Indian tradition than considering actual spirituality. The case for every individual is most certainly unique. Are the tribes who still live off the land and eat meat, who have shamans and pray to God and feel they are in tune with Mother Earth- are they somehow less spiritual than the Indian man who says to be vegetarian?

I mean no insult to injury- I respect your lifestyle decision Steve, it doesn't mean I have to follow the same. And I don't think it means I am barred from Gods Grace. Or maybe it means I am hurting my cause? I can't say. I tried being vegetarian in my 20's and I was also becoming malnourished. A man at 6'5 should not weigh 180lbs, but that happened and people were becoming concerned. I do recall having strong spiritual experiences, but I can't say whether or not being vegetarian is what is responsible for that. Why? Because I had strong spiritual experiences while I ate meat as well... I think it had more to do with an outside force waking me up to a greater reality. Once in a trance like state I held my arm and said, "too skinny" as if it came from my higher self.

While I do think keeping our body in optimal health is important I at times struggle with *knowing* what's right and feel that perhaps I need to include more vegetarian meals, still maintaining adequate protein intake. I do this as conscious as I can- supporting small farms that allow the animal a natural and happy life, or supporting hunters and fishers who harvest from the wild. And in most cases I try to pick businesses that are practicing things that are good for the animal and the environment. So, I could start there. Maybe a vegetarian meal every other day.

I remember even Gurunath who did not say we must become vegetarian but to limit our red meat intake and to include plenty of leafy greens as much as possible.

Can sincerity, prayer and meditation allow us to experience the subtler realms and be sensitive to higher dimensions?

I am asking with serious curiosity, not to say whose lifestyle is better- I am not here to condemn a vegetarian and I am not here to insult Sri Yuketswar or Yogananda- or the millions of spiritual aspirants who follow a vegetarian diet. Swami Vidyadhishananda is vegetarian and told me the monks in the mountains survived off nothing but green elixir. Then there are accounts of saints who did not need to eat food and could survive off sunlight.

Was it their Faith that carried them to that level of experience? Sometimes I also felt, not grounded enough, if I started fasting or practicing vegetarianism. Maybe each individual is meant to discover what works best for them.

With everything I've read and experienced- as far as nutrition goes, I am extremely hesitant to go back to being a vegetarian but I admire your choice Steve, because I think you have so much faith around your decision- and I think that carries you through any potential health deficiencies. But maybe I'm mistaken.