BENEFITS OF BEING A VEGETARIAN

By Sant Rajinder Singh
Agenda
The Pioneer
http://www.dailypioneer.com
Sunday, May 31, 2015

To be able to concentrate in meditation, we need to be
calm and collected. If we eat meat, our consciousness
will be affected, writes Sant Rajinder Singh

In the last decade, we have witnessed an explosion of
scientific knowledge that has made more information
available to humanity than in all previously recorded
history. Due to the dedicated research of scientists and
doctors, we now understand more than ever before about
our physical body and what measures promote good health.
As more evidence is coming to light about the beneficial
effects of maintaining a vegetarian diet, the number of
vegetarians around the world is steadily on the rise.
Throughout history, many great philosophers, mystics,
saints, and enlightened thinkers have recognised the
value of vegetarianism. It is only recently that science
has confirmed the views on vegetarianism explained by
these great people. More and more people are realising
that this diet can increase the health and well-being of
our body, mind, soul, and the planet.

Books, journals, magazines, and newspaper articles have
published research on the health benefits of a
vegetarian diet. Doctors and nutritionists widely
recommend that people reduce their consumption of meat,
high-fat foods, and eggs as a health measure. They
encourage the increased use of vegetables, fruits, and
whole grains in one's diet to cut down on cholesterol in
the body and to minimise the risks of heart attacks,
high blood pressure, strokes and cancer. The results of
medical findings have already had a far-reaching impact
on the food and restaurant industries. We find more
foods are being produced without animal products. If we
look back even 20 years, a vegetarian eating at a
restaurant hardly had any choices offered on the menu.
Today, we can find a variety of delicious vegetarian
dishes at most restaurants. Natural food stores and
vegetarian restaurants abound in most cities. Even large
grocery chain stores carry a large variety of vegetarian
foods. Those who carefully consider the advantages of
vegetarianism will see that the quality of their life
and health can be greatly improved on such a diet.

Longtime vegetarians have testified to the changes they
experienced when they gave up meat. Many have reported
that they felt more energetic, not only physically, but
also mentally. Animals that do not eat meat, such as
elephants, horses, and mules are known for great
strength and endurance. Having more stamina, vegetarians
tend to exhibit improved efficiency and concentration in
their physical as well as intellectual work.

There is an expression, "You are what you eat." In
countries of the East where vegetarianism has been the
diet for thousands of years, people recognise that
whatever they eat forms a part of their body and also
influences their thoughts. They believe that if they eat
the flesh of an animal, the mental and emotional
vibrations or characteristics of the animal will form a
part of their own nature. Today, science is researching
the effect that our own stress hormones have on our body
and the damage that long-term stress does to our organs.
Imagine eating animals whose last days or minutes of
life on earth were drenched with the hormones released
in their state of fear they were in when they were about
to be slaughtered. Those who eat meat are ingesting not
only the flesh, but all the hormones of stress that are
released due to the animal's fear as well. Thus, many
people brought up in the traditions of the East prefer
to live on plant foods, which are more conducive to
mental equipoise.

Many enlightened beings have traditionally advocated a
vegetarian diet for spiritual and moral reasons. For
those pursuing a spiritual path, a vegetarian diet is
essential for several important reasons. First,
spiritual teachers have always taught that we are more
than just a body and a mind; we are also soul. They have
also taught people the process of meditation to help
rediscover our true nature as soul. To help gain
proficiency in the spiritual practices, vegetarianism is
a helping factor. To be able to concentrate in
meditation, we need to be calm and collected. If we eat
the flesh of dead animals, our own consciousness will be
affected.

In the East, vegetarianism has been considered
essential to spiritual development. Spiritual teachers
promote a life of non-violence. Helping factors for
spiritual growth include developing the ethical virtues
of non-violence, truthfulness, purity, humility, and
selfless service. The vegetarian diet is a natural
byproduct of non-violence, in which no harm is done to
any living creature. That is why saints through the ages
have recommended a vegetarian diet. Vegetarianism also
improves the health of the planet. Ecologists are
concerned about protecting the living creatures on
earth. Environmentalists have pointed out that one
solution to the problem of food shortages is better
utilisation of our resources. For example, the amount of
grain needed to feed one cow to provide meat for one
person could feed many times that number of people.
Ecologists have also shown that raising cattle and
processing meat requires much more fuel, water, and
energy than is used to produce grains and vegetables.
Vegetarianism is one effective means of conserving our
vital resources.

People around the world are becoming more enlightened
and concerned about obtaining the highest quality of
life. They are more interested in solving the mysteries
of the universe and more keen to find personal
fulfillment and lasting happiness. We are simultaneously
concerned about the welfare of our global community and
the preservation of our planet.

How we maintain the health of our body, mind, soul, and
planet is a choice each has to make. A balanced
vegetarian diet will result in improved health and
fitness, greater mental equipoise, and higher spiritual
attainment. Following the vegetarian diet can help us
achieve the health and purity of our body, mind, soul,
and planet. We will not only be contributing to peace
for ourselves and all life, but we will also be doing
our part toward making Planet Earth a haven of joy and
peace. Being a vegetarian can help us attain a healthier
body, mind, soul, and planet. Along with this, we can
augment our well-being through meditation. Vegetarianism
prepares the groundwork for the health of body, mind,
and soul. Meditation can add to our overall health by
reducing stress, and can put us in touch with the soul.
If we sit in meditation, we can take steps towards a
healthier state of well-being.

- The writer is a spiritual leader.

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