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Jainarayan
24 January 2017, 09:39 AM
सभी को नमस्कार
Sabhī kō namaskāra

I know I probably mangled that beyond all repair and redemption, but I tried (that's what on-line translators get you). :p

As some of you may know me from over the years I've tried repeatedly to move to vegetarian, with little to (less than no) no success. The excuses are as numerous as the stars in the sky. :rolleyes:

But something is really prompting me to do it. I've always known of Lord Shiva's epithet "Lord/Protector of Animals", Paśupati. I can't watch an ASPCA or HSUS tv ad without crying, seeing dogs, cats, horses, cows, pigs, baby seals and other animals suffering. I don't want to be party to that. In fact, just thinking about this, I'm fighting back tears.

I'm not one for "conversational prayer"... I'm not a "pray-er", never have been, never will be. I get tongue-tied and sound stupid. And though my primary, though not exclusive worship is of Krishna I've been feeling an urge to pray to Paśupati, in rounds of nāma japa and gāyatrī (my signature indicates my belief):

oṃ paśupataye namaḥ

om paśupataye vidmahe
mahādevāya dhīmahi
tanno paśupati pracodayāt

I think doing this as a routine will help me keep the Lord, in this aspect or form in mind, and maybe he will give at least this one enlightenment, though preferably the whole world. I don't know if this is overthought, overkill, or maybe not even proper or correct.

So what do you think?

Anirudh
24 January 2017, 11:22 AM
सभी को नमस्कार
Sabhī kō namaskāra

I know I probably mangled that beyond all repair and redemption, but I tried (that's what on-line translators get you). :p

As some of you may know me from over the years I've tried repeatedly to move to vegetarian, with little to (less than no) no success. The excuses are as numerous as the stars in the sky. :rolleyes:

But something is really prompting me to do it. I've always known of Lord Shiva's epithet "Lord/Protector of Animals", Paśupati. I can't watch an ASPCA or HSUS tv ad without crying, seeing dogs, cats, horses, cows, pigs, baby seals and other animals suffering. I don't want to be party to that. In fact, just thinking about this, I'm fighting back tears.

I'm not one for "conversational prayer"... I'm not a "pray-er", never have been, never will be. I get tongue-tied and sound stupid. And though my primary, though not exclusive worship is of Krishna I've been feeling an urge to pray to Paśupati, in rounds of nāma japa and gāyatrī (my signature indicates my belief):

oṃ paśupataye namaḥ

om paśupataye vidmahe
mahādevāya dhīmahi
tanno paśupati pracodayāt

I think doing this as a routine will help me keep the Lord, in this aspect or form in mind, and maybe he will give at least this one enlightenment, though preferably the whole world. I don't know if this is overthought, overkill, or maybe not even proper or correct.

So what do you think?




Namaste Jainarayan

I read your entire post, don't want to be judgemental. I am not sure reciting a mantra without a conviction to become Vegetarian will help you in any way.
I was a non vegetarian in the past, gave it up as I was drawn into spirituality.

Indian Hindus even though eat non vegetarian food, few days in a week or on festival period eat only vegetarian food. So in my case it wasn't difficult to completely give up.

If you wish to become a total vegetarian or to build the conviction in you try to feel the pain suffered by the animal before becoming a food item for you. Try to think the hand which you use to eat is chopped off and served to the same dead animal which for no mistake (of it) has become the food in your plate. Also put yourself in a position where your loved ones are slaughtered and served as a food to others.

I might be harsh, but it definitely works. Many in my circle of influence have turned into Total Vegetarian following this technique.

Jainarayan
24 January 2017, 12:12 PM
Namaste, and thanks for your thoughts. :)


Namaste Jainarayan

I read your entire post, don't want to be judgemental. I am not sure reciting a mantra without a conviction to become Vegetarian will help you in any way.

I'm not expecting the mantra to do the work for me, I know it will take work. Rather it's to draw me closer to, and keep in mind the God who watches over the animals. I use mantras and various slokas as my prayers. This is a way of praying to Shiva to help me succeed. On the other hand, it may very well be that praying for His help may be a crutch that I should do without. It could be that He just poked me with what I read to embark on this change. Yes, that is a possibility.


If you wish to become a total vegetarian or to build the conviction in you try to feel the pain suffered by the animal before becoming a food item for you. Try to think the hand which you use to eat is chopped off and served to the same dead animal which for no mistake (of it) has become the food in your plate. Also put yourself in a position where your loved ones are slaughtered and served as a food to others.

Oh, I don't have to visualize that any more than I already see too often. It's not even a matter of not watching tv. I'm a member of the ASPCA and get their newsletters and magazines that have photos of rescued animals. It's heart-wrenching, hence the desire and decision to do what I think is the right thing.

Viraja
24 January 2017, 04:29 PM
Jai,

I, on the other hand, think that prayers do not have a specific 'realm of operation' (such as career, marriage, debts, disease) but can act on any sphere where a change is desired -- be it personality or even non-material aspirations such as yours!

But, where is the right answer to your question? I think there is no such thing available, and that the only answerer is 'time and effort'.

So I would just recommend you to start your sadhana with full faith and give it a good try and wait for time and god to answer your prayers.

Good luck!

Best regards,

Viraja

Jainarayan
24 January 2017, 06:45 PM
Jai,

I, on the other hand, think that prayers do not have a specific 'realm of operation' (such as career, marriage, debts, disease) but can act on any sphere where a change is desired -- be it personality or even non-material aspirations such as yours!

But, where is the right answer to your question? I think there is no such thing available, and that the only answerer is 'time and effort'.

So I would just recommend you to start your sadhana with full faith and give it a good try and wait for time and god to answer your prayers.

Good luck!

Best regards,

Viraja

Dhanyavad Viraja. I think you're right... try something and see what happens. I think the gods guide us. :)

Anirudh
25 January 2017, 02:59 PM
Namaste Jainarayan

Oh, I don't have to visualize that any more than I already see too often. It's not even a matter of not watching tv. I'm a member of the ASPCA and get their newsletters and magazines that have photos of rescued animals. It's heart-wrenching, hence the desire and decision to do what I think is the right thing.
Few years one member named Ms Kitty had shared real time issues faced by the people (in west) who want to become Vegetarian. So I don't know about the stumbling blocks you face. Hope you get the conviction to cross all hurdles.

devotee
25 January 2017, 10:38 PM
Namaste Jai,



I know I probably mangled that beyond all repair and redemption, but I tried (that's what on-line translators get you). :p

As some of you may know me from over the years I've tried repeatedly to move to vegetarian, with little to (less than no) no success. The excuses are as numerous as the stars in the sky. :rolleyes:

But something is really prompting me to do it. I've always known of Lord Shiva's epithet "Lord/Protector of Animals", Paśupati. I can't watch an ASPCA or HSUS tv ad without crying, seeing dogs, cats, horses, cows, pigs, baby seals and other animals suffering. I don't want to be party to that. In fact, just thinking about this, I'm fighting back tears.

I'm not one for "conversational prayer"... I'm not a "pray-er", never have been, never will be. I get tongue-tied and sound stupid. And though my primary, though not exclusive worship is of Krishna I've been feeling an urge to pray to Paśupati, in rounds of nāma japa and gāyatrī (my signature indicates my belief):

oṃ paśupataye namaḥ
om paśupataye vidmahe
mahādevāya dhīmahi
tanno paśupati pracodayāt

I think doing this as a routine will help me keep the Lord, in this aspect or form in mind, and maybe he will give at least this one enlightenment, though preferably the whole world. I don't know if this is overthought, overkill, or maybe not even proper or correct.
So what do you think?



I can share you some tips based on my experience in life :

a) The attachment to any habit can either be broken off in one go or it won't be possible ever. It is difficult to detach oneself slowly, it is far easier to do it in one shot.
b) This is very easy or it is impossible ... depends upon what you think.
c) First of all decide, if what you want to change is really beneficial to you and the state today is really harmful. Think and think and think and come toa conclusion.
d) If you come to a conclusion that you must get rid of your attachment to a bad habit, this is what I suggest :

i) Learn to relax to the point of feeling peace within. Whenever you want to relax, tense your whole body for a little while, take a deep breath and exhale it completely and let go all physical and mental tension. If you are truly relaxed, number of thoughts coming to your mind would become very few. See if you are detached from thoughts, if any, are travelling through mind. Let go ... let go ... let go everything .... go within your heart and feel the peace therein.
This exercise will help you to feel the peace inside even if you are in tense situation.

ii) Remember that any deprivation (from what we want to enjoy) creates tension in mind. Thoughts run amok and make us restless and drive us more towards our sense-object that we want to enjoy. The more you want to be strong against such such force, more you think over them and that make them still stronger. Result is that you lose out in this fight and the impression becomes still deeper which tells us that it is no use fighting this battle ! This takes away your faith on yourself, mantra you use or even the deity you pray to.
iii) What is remedy for ii) ? Don't fight. Don't try to "become" stronger against them. You just make them stronger. The more you fight, the more you create favouable conditions to lose the battle. What to do ? Relax ! You don't have to be stronger against your temptations. You are already too strong against them ... you have just forgotten your true nature. Stop doubting on your strength. Learn to relax physically and mentally and learn to enjoy the hidden peace within yourself.
iv) Use the tips offered by Lord Krishna in Bhagwad Gita : "Abhyaas" (Practice) and "VairAgya" (detachment) are the tools to be the winner. How to use these tools to get rid of your bad habit ?
a1) Declare now that you are free from the clutches of the habit of meat eating !
b1) You don't want to think over this habit/the taste anymore. You don;t want to fight anything, gain anything ... you are just not interested in meat eating. You don't want to be where it is served, you don't want to see any recipe made of meat. You just don't like it ...
c1) Just think of it ! It is not a great fight. You have just to relax against the temptation of eating only the next time. If you just don't allow only once i.e. the next time, it is won for ever !
d1) Whenever you have any unforced encounters with meals with meat, just focus on your meal and enjoy that ... fully relaxed all the time enjoying the peace inside.

Believe me, if you try the above tips, you will come out winner immediately, just now ! It is so easy !!

OM

Jainarayan
26 January 2017, 09:38 AM
Namaste Jainarayan

So I don't know about the stumbling blocks you face. Hope you get the conviction to cross all hurdles.

Thanks. :)

I'm not exactly sure what the stumbling blocks are either. In the past I blamed it on my veg. diet to be too carb heavy. I do have a tendency to prefer carbs... pasta, rice, pizza, bread, etc. ... and dislike vegs., or at least the way I prepare them. However, I'm slowly learning to sneak vegs into my diet in different ways. I made a biryani-type chicken and rice (a coworker from Chennai turned me on to it) with sweet peas and tomatoes. I can very easily remove the chicken and add beans or chick peas plus other vegs. It was actually pretty good, if not for the fact I used medium grain rice, which came out more than a little sticky. I've since learned to make basmati rice. :)

The main stumbling block, really, is just learning to think outside the box as far as food choices in a society where meat is king. You can't swing a cat by the tail without hitting something without meat it in in some way or another. Family is a problem. Being Italian-American, pasta is a big part of the diet, but the sauce for it (we call it gravy) almost always has meat in it, and the pasta is always sauced before being served: lasagna or baked ziti for example. My family won't respect my choices; they choose to mock me, so I simply don't visit them anymore. When I once politely passed up London broil my sister made, she said "oh, now you worship cows?" with a mock bow. At work, oddly, it's not a problem. Half our warehouse and distribution employees are Indian, so the cafeteria always has something vegetarian. I should probably do take-out from them.

Jainarayan
26 January 2017, 10:13 AM
Namaste devotee. Thanks so much for those in-depth thoughts.


Namaste Jai,



I can share you some tips based on my experience in life :

a) The attachment to any habit can either be broken off in one go or it won't be possible ever. It is difficult to detach oneself slowly, it is far easier to do it in one shot.
b) This is very easy or it is impossible ... depends upon what you think.
c) First of all decide, if what you want to change is really beneficial to you and the state today is really harmful. Think and think and think and come toa conclusion.

I've tossed that around in my mind often. First I have to say that when I quit smoking 22 years ago Jan. 1, it was because I decided it was time. Cold turkey, crushed out my last cigarette at 11:38 pm Dec. 31, 1994, never lit another one since. I did try many times before; "they" say that the more times you try to do something, the more likely you are to eventually succeed, having trained yourself. That may apply here also. I've tried many times to become veg. Perhaps this time is the time.

...


ii) Remember that any deprivation (from what we want to enjoy) creates tension in mind. Thoughts run amok and make us restless and drive us more towards our sense-object that we want to enjoy. The more you want to be strong against such such force, more you think over them and that make them still stronger. Result is that you lose out in this fight and the impression becomes still deeper which tells us that it is no use fighting this battle ! This takes away your faith on yourself, mantra you use or even the deity you pray to.
iii) What is remedy for ii) ? Don't fight. Don't try to "become" stronger against them. You just make them stronger. The more you fight, the more you create favouable conditions to lose the battle. What to do ? Relax ! You don't have to be stronger against your temptations. You are already too strong against them ... you have just forgotten your true nature. Stop doubting on your strength. Learn to relax physically and mentally and learn to enjoy the hidden peace within yourself.

Yes, the harder you fight against something the stronger the fight becomes. Like trying to swim against a rip current. You don't give in to it or you drown that way too, but you don't panic, and just swim across it.


iv) Use the tips offered by Lord Krishna in Bhagwad Gita : "Abhyaas" (Practice) and "VairAgya" (detachment) are the tools to be the winner. How to use these tools to get rid of your bad habit ?
a1) Declare now that you are free from the clutches of the habit of meat eating !
b1) You don't want to think over this habit/the taste anymore. You don;t want to fight anything, gain anything ... you are just not interested in meat eating. You don't want to be where it is served, you don't want to see any recipe made of meat. You just don't like it ...
c1) Just think of it ! It is not a great fight. You have just to relax against the temptation of eating only the next time. If you just don't allow only once i.e. the next time, it is won for ever !
d1) Whenever you have any unforced encounters with meals with meat, just focus on your meal and enjoy that ... fully relaxed all the time enjoying the peace inside.

Believe me, if you try the above tips, you will come out winner immediately, just now ! It is so easy !!

OM

It's about time I read Bhagavad Gita again. It's good to get a booster shot regularly. :)

It's true that if you say "I won't [insert habit you want to break] just this time" or I'll do [insert thing you want to start doing] just this time" every time, the habit is established or broken. The funny thing is that I really don't care for meat anymore. I haven't had any mammal flesh in a while now, and I really don't miss it. It's just been chicken, fish and eggs, and not even a whole lot of that, and of course dairy. Maybe it's because I'm telling myself I don't care for meat, or maybe I really am losing my taste for it because it's time. Either way, I think that's important.

Now I have to remember and put into practice what we're saying here. :)

c.smith
26 January 2017, 03:18 PM
Hari Om!

Devotee Ji's words are so very powerful as am certain that you've seen and will take to heart. They can apply to so many situations and are a good reminder for me as well. Thank-you Ji!

If I may, would like to share something that was reminded of while reading in Life Positive Magazine, one that is sent here to residence from India. It states that everything we tell ourselves is stored and believed by our subconscious mind. If I tell myself that I am a vegetarian, it will become so. This is along the lines of affirmations but on a more subtle level. What we believe is true for us!

Thanks for allowing me to share. Hope there is something valuable here.

All the best in your ventures.

Om

Eastern Mind
27 January 2017, 08:51 PM
Namaste Jai,


a) The attachment to any habit can either be broken off in one go or it won't be possible ever. It is difficult to detach oneself slowly, it is far easier to do it in one shot.

OM

Vannakkam: This part reminded me of what my Guru told me one time. "If you have to cut a dog's tail off, do you do it an inch at a time, or all at once?"

Aum Namasivaya

markandeya 108 dasa
28 January 2017, 06:49 AM
Namaste,

According to some researches there is usually a fall back of about 80% who go from meat to veggie or vegan and then back to meat again. Vegans usually say that most people take to vegetarian/Vegan diets for health reasons, look better, feel fitter, lose weight rather than moral reasons, so they think having some restraint according to a moral code helps people to stay vegan/vegetarian for longer.

When I was Brahmacari part of our seva was to speak to new guests who came for Sunday visits, in London at the time most normal people visiting wanted to be more vegetarian and more spiritual but found it hard due to lack of support in the external world. Usually the best advice was to tell people to visit more often, associate with devotees more often, eat more prasadam, that will purify the mind and the base desires that have been programmed by an impersonal society.

So I think to last being a vegetarian and to give more power to ones sadhana to improve good energy sadhu sangha is important, being with like minded people who have the same or similar habits and goals. This can give strength. I have seen many debates that turn people away from being veggie or vegan due to types of militant fanaticism, so just getting a strong view wont always help, it can add to suppression, conversion or awakening to a higher energy of mind is transformed naturally and with some effort and concentration on a higher cause, these perfections are within spiritual disciplines that surely in these times of open information supports ahimsa diet.

Indialover
28 January 2017, 07:09 AM
Vannakkam Eastern Mind … what a strange example … how many dog's tails has this Guru cut off so far?

devotee
28 January 2017, 09:50 AM
Namaste,



According to some researches there is usually a fall back of about 80% who go from meat to veggie or vegan and then back to meat again.

This is true. Why ? This is because of failing to fill in the vacuum created due to removing an addiction and deprivation from physical enjoyment following that. This gap can be filled by feeling of spiritual enrichment coming from association with spiritual people, chanting mantra, bhajans, spiritual discourses etc. However, imo, the best spiritual enrichment/satisfaction comes from within and it comes instantly.

Actually, all our hunger of seeking worldly enjoyment in one thing or the other comes from our inner restlessness. This restlessness is the nature of Jiva and this is the root cause behind its birth. This restlessness is for searching its lost paradise i.e. its natural blissful state. It doesn't understand why this restlessness is and keep looking for it in different types of addictions birth after birth.

It is very easy to find the inherent peaceful state within our heart. It is not exactly our true blissful state but just a shadow of it but it works. Whenever we can offload the burden of the worldly affairs which lies on our head, we should practise to rest within our heart with all our organs. The inner peace and satisfaction prevailing there is quite powerful to fill in the gap created by abandoning any addictive habit. Just visualising that I am resting within my heart with all my sense organs, all my desires dissolved in the blissful peace prevailing there gives much higher level of spiritual satisfaction than indulging in any worldly addictive physical/mental habits. Taking a deep breath slowly and releasing it in one go, thinking that all desires and restlessness have gone out with the outgoing breath and I am going to rest within my heart all with myself which is utterly peaceful and blissful in nature can do the trick.

OM

devotee
28 January 2017, 09:58 AM
Namaste Indialover,


Vannakkam Eastern Mind … what a strange example … how many dog's tails has this Guru cut off so far?

Sorry, Indialover ! Such comments for any Guru is highly unacceptable on this forum ! Guru is Brahman. Just because He is Eastern Mind's Guru doesn't mean that you can ridicule him in this way. In his post Eastern Mind has clearly stated that this example was given by his Guru. Still you have chosen such remarks for Him ? You are requested to please modify your post suitably.

OM

Indialover
28 January 2017, 11:48 AM
Sorry devotee, I did not grow up in Indian culture. For me no human is Brahman. Especially not when he brings examples in which an animal is tortured.

But should he be Brahman he will for sure not feel ridiculed ... Brahman gave me a brain to use it.

Pranam

Eastern Mind
28 January 2017, 05:56 PM
Sorry devotee, I did not grow up in Indian culture. For me no human is Brahman. Especially not when he brings examples in which an animal is tortured.

But should he be Brahman he will for sure not feel ridiculed ... Brahman gave me a brain to use it.

Pranam
Vannakkam: I will explain the context for you. Perhaps that will help. I was maybe 18 years old at the time, and was in a friendship relationship with a person where I realised that it had to be broken off as there were some very significant obstacles and differences to overcome. It was a one on one conversation between myself and Guru, probably not something he would have recorded, but something that would work with his one devotee present (me) at that moment. So the Guru's analogy was all about how to go about it. If you HAVE to (Suppose the dog's tail is stuck in a trap, or there is a cancer on the end of it.) how would you go about it? Of course this applies in life to a lot of things, quitting smoking, terminating contracts, filling a tank of gas, leaving an internet forum, and much more. The point is that a sudden break, all at once, will be more effective than a gradual one. Vegetarianism ... same thing. Just do it. Get it over with. Don't try gradual. Gradual doesn't work as well. This is how I became a vegetarian, and also how many others have. You wake up one day and you're a vegetarian. In the long run, this method involves less pain.

Just as a side note here ... My Guru's 3 main books are titled 'Dancing with Siva, Living with Siva, and Merging with Siva

devotee
28 January 2017, 08:34 PM
Namaste IL,

Sorry devotee, I did not grow up in Indian culture. For me no human is Brahman. Especially not when he brings examples in which an animal is tortured.

But should he be Brahman he will for sure not feel ridiculed ... Brahman gave me a brain to use it.

Pranam

It is unfortunate to see you defending your language used for a Guru in the name of your love for animals. How do you know in what context it was said ? For you, if no human being is Brahman then I am afraid, you are wasting your time on this forum. We Hindus consider that not only every human being but everything in this universe is Brahman and nothing else. "Sarva Khalu idam Brahman". Guru is considered SakshAt Param Brahman i.e. in as pure state as Brahman is.

It is expected that anyone who wants to associate with Hindus should respect the basic tenets of Hindu Dharma. It is in Abrahimic religions where people keep struggling the whole life to worship True God. For them, God is some whimsical KIng sitting high up in the sky and keeps acting as he desires. Sorry, in Hindu Dharma, God is non-different from this universe. Yes, in some beings the Brahman Consciousness is manifest much more than in others. Gurus are those who have gained one-ness with Brahman and that is why they are considered equivalent to Brahman.

However, I don't think you are here to listen to such logic here. The way you are responding, gives a bad taste of your poor behaviour.

OM

Indialover
29 January 2017, 04:15 AM
Thank you Eastern Mind for clarifying the context and your own statement

*** probably not something he would have recorded ***

We found agreement in an open discussion.

Pranam

Arjuni
03 February 2017, 10:58 AM
Namaste Jai:

My feeling is that any prayer to Lord Śiva can only create benefit!

You wrote about your past veg diet being too carb-heavy, and yes, this will certainly make a vegetarian lifestyle harder, with too much quick energy from sugars and not enough grounding from good fats and proteins. Learning different preparations of vegetables and taking more vegetarian protein foods (like dals and nuts, and curd and paneer if you take dairy) will surely help you succeed. Vitamin B12 is also vital for keeping your spirits high and your mood stable, so it's worth taking a supplement for this important nutrient if you don't eat many B12 foods (e.g., tofu, soymilk, and cheese).

What pleases me most about being vegetarian is that I no longer feel guilty and hypocritical about my meals; I wasted so much energy on stress and worry and feeling bad about myself, but now taking food is simple and even joyful. Instead of focusing on what you are missing, it might help to think about how good you will feel when your deeds align with your wishes and beliefs. I wish you best of luck in your efforts (and am happy to provide recipes and advice if you'd like to PM me).
And one more bit of "food for thought": believing yourself "tongue-tied and stupid" in prayer is perhaps a thought originating with ego, no? We don't laugh at children who are learning to talk or call them fools when they misspeak, and Lord shows us even more compassion. Letting go of that feeling of silliness is a part of trusting surrender to the Divine, and one of the most wondrous aspects of performing pūjā. :)

Jainarayan
08 February 2017, 01:20 PM
Namaste Jai:

My feeling is that any prayer to Lord Śiva can only create benefit!

You wrote about your past veg diet being too carb-heavy, and yes, this will certainly make a vegetarian lifestyle harder, with too much quick energy from sugars and not enough grounding from good fats and proteins. Learning different preparations of vegetables and taking more vegetarian protein foods (like dals and nuts, and curd and paneer if you take dairy) will surely help you succeed. Vitamin B12 is also vital for keeping your spirits high and your mood stable, so it's worth taking a supplement for this important nutrient if you don't eat many B12 foods (e.g., tofu, soymilk, and cheese).

What pleases me most about being vegetarian is that I no longer feel guilty and hypocritical about my meals; I wasted so much energy on stress and worry and feeling bad about myself, but now taking food is simple and even joyful. Instead of focusing on what you are missing, it might help to think about how good you will feel when your deeds align with your wishes and beliefs. I wish you best of luck in your efforts (and am happy to provide recipes and advice if you'd like to PM me).
And one more bit of "food for thought": believing yourself "tongue-tied and stupid" in prayer is perhaps a thought originating with ego, no? We don't laugh at children who are learning to talk or call them fools when they misspeak, and Lord shows us even more compassion. Letting go of that feeling of silliness is a part of trusting surrender to the Divine, and one of the most wondrous aspects of performing pūjā. :)

Namaste Arjuni...

Thanks for the tips and support. :)

I've been doing fairly well in starting by eliminating anything with mammary glands from my diet. I had one slip up, for which I kicked myself since I had other options. Old bad habit. I still have chicken but I'll eventually eliminate that and fish. I'm not one that can do it cold turkey; though I really haven't tried, so maybe I am selling myself short. I am beginning to plan and make some meals around rice, pasta, legumes, adding some vegs. I am learning to make biryani. I made it with chicken, but why not just a rice and vegs, and paneer biryani? I had chanda masala the other day. I do have to watch the starch, because it is soooo easy to rely on. Oddly, for someone of my "huskiness" (5' 5", 217 lbs), a peanut butter sandwich (preferably on whole grain), and a glass of milk (whole please, none of that thin watery stuff lol) is really pretty filling for me. I do think I can do this. :)


And one more bit of "food for thought": believing yourself "tongue-tied and stupid" in prayer is perhaps a thought originating with ego, no? We don't laugh at children who are learning to talk or call them fools when they misspeak, and Lord shows us even more compassion.

So much win in that statement!

I haven't begun my prayer routine to Lord Shiva yet, having just finished a 40 day promise to Maa Lakshmi to do one 108 round of her gayatri every day for those 40 days. I didn't want to have too many irons in the fires, as it were. That is, have my attention divided (I am horribly superstitious... it comes from having Italian grandparents lol).

c.smith
08 February 2017, 11:33 PM
Hari Om!

Maybe this will help.

Was on a fruit and milk (only) lifestyle, taking a more satvik approach and trying to steady body and mind. Latest check-up with doctor, she said to get more protein and less fiber. She's Indian and Hindu so she understands the eating habits and reason for such but relied on results from lab for advice.

Initially when thought of protein, went to tofu, nuts, etc. Like them so no issue.

Friend not knowing about the vegetarianism suggested chicken. "How about a nice, hot, crispy chicken sandwich from" such and such fast food place. Quite honestly, just the thought of putting a chicken in my mouth made me sick. Hadn't had that thought in such a long time. Yes, the suggestion had been made by others along the way, but somehow visualizing it this time made me gag! A living creature, something that I have respect and love for. It has a soul. How could I put that in my mouth and EAT it? Just beyond gross.

Something to think about.

Om

markandeya 108 dasa
09 February 2017, 03:11 AM
Namaste

From some research I have done, the thing that is addictive in meat is the fats, the fats are addictive, so it can be a process of going cold turkey, for a while. Extremes are not good and can cause health issues, so to supply that addiction it is good to replace those cravings of fats with more healthy fats, coconut oils, organic milk products, cheese, ghee etc, why not fry up some eggplant and pakora, have a heavy Paratha, treat yourself.

Fats also have a calming and grounding effect if taken in right way. Some fats are good for the body too, then when craving is calmed its good to do some cleansing of the body, some fast, maybe fruits for 3 days, for Vaishnavas following ekadasi is good, one can either do full fast, some even do not take water for 24 hour period, I would advise strict fasting should only be done if the inner vibration is at a a certain level or the sheer craving can cause imbalance. Drinking lots of water or liquids in the morning and adapting some foods that will slowly reduce the cravings which fats bring.

It maybe also worth while adjusting our diets to your lifestyle, if its very busy modern life then the body needs more energy, so to much of simple diet will leave one feeling drained, if were less busy or use less mental and physical energy then light foods are good, its good to adjust according to circumstance.

According to Ayurveda as far as I know and some research in science it takes 7 years for the body to have completely new set of cells, so there will be a craving period depending on how much fatty meats was digested. So if one gives up eating meat dont be suprised that there is some craving, but your not craving for dead innocent animals, its a craving for fats, its normal and one can also feel some attraction, but that is where tolerating and developing mind comes in, and that is why Sadhana is very good to help raise the vibration so one can tolerate the urges of mind and senses with a bit more power. And as C.Smith said when one has purified the body the thought and sight and of eating meat just has no attraction at all. So the cravings is for fats, not meat , replace them wisely.

Everything is vibration, the product of meat has gone through a process of violence, many images have shown animals with tears in their eyes and look of fear, they know their fate, they are sentient beings, so at the time of slaughter fear and anxiety is stored in the final product, which is then passed on, along with subtle vibrations of violence that the innocent animal feels that is then passed into ones own vibration and will hamper giving rise to pure feelings of compassion for all living beings.

For some tips on some cooking and seeing food as medicine this page is quite useful

https://www.facebook.com/Ahimsa-Cooking-447219685487500/?fref=ts



Pranams

kaay
04 March 2017, 06:38 AM
Hello and Namaste,

If you have desire to move towards and eventually become a vegetarian , do so. As everything is in our mind how we perceive things. Vegetarian diets are more healthier than non vegetarian diet. Just by eating the right kind of food we can remain healthy and fit. Eat vegetarian food and heal yourself naturally!

SuryaVedanta754
17 October 2021, 03:51 AM
www.vegan.com

has excellent information on transitioning to a vegan diet