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    Spiritual Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet
    Spiritual Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet
    Spiritual Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet
    Ebook77 pages52 minutes

    Spiritual Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet

    By Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

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    About this ebook

    The health benefits of a vegetarian diet are well known, as are the ethical aspects. But the spiritual advantages should be studied by anyone involved in meditation, yoga, or any type of spiritual practice.

    Although diet is commonly considered a matter of physical health alone, since the Hermetic principle “as above, so below” is a fundamental truth of the cosmos, diet is a crucial aspect of emotional, intellectual, and spiritual development. For diet and consciousness are interrelated, and purity of diet is an effective aid to purity and clarity of consciousness.

    The purification of our subtler levels depends upon the purification of our physical entity. This makes sense when we realize that all that goes to constitute a human being is formed of energies of various types, and the only source of energy is that which is brought into the body through sunlight, air, and food. And it is material food that provides by far the greatest amount of the energy from which our multilevel complex is shaped.

    When we realize that any physical object has all the levels which we do, namely, the physical, biomagnetic, sensory, intellectual and will bodies, we can understand the importance of the kind and quality of food we eat. For not only does the physical substance of the food become assimilated into our physical body, so also do the subtler energies become united to our inner levels.

    The Spiritual Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet explains in detail about how diet affects not only the body, but the mind, the will, higher perceptions, and conscious evolution, all of which are so important for an effective spiritual life.

    The next section, Christian Vegetarianism, continues with a consideration of the esoteric side of diet, as well as the vegetarian roots of early Christianity, as well as an insightful exploration of vegetarianism in the Old and New Testaments.

    The Spiritual Value of Vegetarianism

    The major thing to keep in mind when considering the subject of vegetarianism is its relevancy in relation to our explorations of consciousness. We need only ask: Does it facilitate my spiritual growth–the development and expansion of my consciousness? The answer is Yes.

    For anyone interested in exploring the spiritual advantages of a vegetarian diet, this book is essential reading.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAbbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)
    Release dateFeb 27, 2017
    ISBN9781370170586
    Spiritual Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet

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    • 5/5
      Excellent book! Succinct and to-the-point, Swami presents the best arguments for adopting a vegetarian diet, based on the manifold spiritual benefits. From energy bodies to meditation to Saints, the author illustrates the WHY of the vegetarian diet. This is important for anyone on a spiritual path. Do your body, mind, and soul a favor, and read this book! Your spiritual practice will benefit.

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    Spiritual Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet - Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

    Spiritual Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet

    and

    Christian Vegetarianism

    Abbot George Burke

    (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

    Light of the Spirit Press

    Cedar Crest, New Mexico

    Published by

    Light of the Spirit Press

    lightofthespiritpress.com

    Light of the Spirit Monastery

    P. O. Box 1370

    Cedar Crest, New Mexico 87008

    www.OCOY.org

    Copyright © 2017 Light of the Spirit Monastery.

    All rights reserved.

    Contents

    Spiritual Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet

    Christian Vegetarianism

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    Spiritual Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet

    The mind

    Bondage and liberation are states of mind. The mind, as a mass of vibrating energy, is limited by the constitution or condition of that energy. If the energy is heavy or inert, little can be done with it to produce the state of silence and clarity needed to reflect the truth of spirit. Certain elements darken the mind and make it thick or heavy, vibrating very slowly–sometimes seemingly not at all. On the other hand, some elements lighten the mind, making it fluid and subtle, vibrating at a very high level. It is this latter condition that is needed for attaining the state of liberation–or rather, the state that liberates the spirit from the illusion of bondage and suffering. It is really the mind that becomes liberated, but that liberation also affects the essentially ever-free spirit and sets it free. To attain such liberation the mind must be purified and refined, vegetarian diet being one of the best and strongest means for its purification.

    Diet and consciousness

    Although diet is commonly considered a matter of physical health alone, since the Hermetic principle as above, so below is a fundamental truth of the cosmos, diet is a crucial aspect of emotional, intellectual, and spiritual development. For diet and consciousness are interrelated, and purity of diet is an effective aid to purity and clarity of consciousness.

    The purification of our subtler levels depends upon the purification of our physical entity. This makes sense when we realize that all that goes to constitute a human being is formed of energies of various types, and the only source of energy is that which is brought into the body through sunlight, air, and food. And it is material food that provides by far the greatest amount of the energy from which our multilevel complex is shaped.

    When we realize that any physical object has all the levels which we do, namely, the physical, biomagnetic, sensory, intellectual and will bodies, we can understand the importance of the kind and quality of food we eat. For not only does the physical substance of the food become assimilated into our physical body, so also do the subtler energies become united to our inner levels. This is the teaching of the Chandogya Upanishad: Mind consists of food. That which is the subtle part of milk moves upward when the milk is churned and becomes butter. In the same manner, the subtle part of the food that is eaten moves upward and becomes mind. Thus, mind consists of food (Chandogya Upanishad 6.5.4, 6.6.1,2,5).

    We cannot get a marble statue from clay, nor can we get wheat bread from barley meal–the end product is still going to consist of the nature of the material started with. So it is with all our bodies, gross and subtle. They will reflect the character of the food which has gone into their formation.

    The esoteric side

    Nothing that exists is solid matter. All physical objects are formed of molecules that are formed of atoms that are formed of particles that in the ultimate analysis are vibrating energy–not things at all. The only difference between gold, wood, water, and living human flesh is the pattern or behavior of the energy of which they are composed. If we go through the whole range of relative existence from the bottom–where we are–right up to the top, to (but not including) the realm of pure spirit, it is all energy of varying kinds, though one in essence.

    The same is true of our individual, private universe we call me. It is composed of successive layers of energy from very subtle to very gross. All the levels of energy that exist in creation exist in us as well. We are actually

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