Dairy products, eggs, onions, garlic and spirituality

Question: What about eggs and milk and other dairy products?

Sri Chinmoy: Dairy products are fine. They do no harm because they do not have that kind of destructive vibration. But those who practise Kundalini Yoga and want to open the spiritual centres should not eat dairy products either. If one wants to open any of the six major centres, dairy products are harmful because they prevent the centres from opening. But if one wants the inner experience of Peace, Light and Bliss and does not care for the opening of the chakras, he can eat any dairy product.

Question: Why are eggs acceptable to some vegetarians and not others?

Sri Chinmoy: Again, it depends on the individual. If one is fussy and says that eggs come from an animal, then naturally he will try to shun the animal consciousness in eggs. The egg comes from the chicken and the chicken comes from the egg, so the story repeats itself; it is all animal consciousness from that point of view. But if one wants to separate the consciousness, saying that in eggs one doesn't see the immediate presence of the animal consciousness, then one can take eggs. It entirely depends on how the individual regards eggs and the creatures that produce eggs. Everything is in the mind. The mind tells us that something is harmful or that something is not harmful. Sometimes there is great truth in what the mind says, for there are things that can be really harmful. Again, there are some things which the mind rejects that are not at all harmful.

Question: Do you feel that onions and garlic are tamasic or harmful to the health?

Sri Chinmoy: Onions and garlic are far from tamasic. They are rajasic; they are dynamic. Both onions and garlic, when taken in small quantity, are good. Onions help considerably in forming blood, and also they help in curing eye defects. Garlic is good for curing rheumatism. But again, everything has to be taken in moderation. If we take onions and garlic beyond proportion, then naturally it will tell upon our health.

Excerpt from The Illumination Of Life-Clouds, Part 2 by Sri Chinmoy

We have to take food in order to keep our body fit. We can drink milk, we can take vegetables, we can take eggs, we can take so many things besides meat. If we eat vegetables and other foods, they will not harm us in our spiritual life.

When you are asking about controlling passions, you are asking a very spiritual question. Spiritual people have to deal with food in a different way from a gluttonous, voracious eater, a greedy person who eats to please his tongue. A spiritual person, an aspirant, will eat primarily to keep his body fit. He knows that if he takes mild food, vegetables and so forth, this will help him to conquer his passions. At the same time he is offering to the body the food which the body legitimately demands. If the body becomes one with the divine Consciousness, then naturally it will try to fulfil God the way God wants to be fulfilled. God has given us a variety of foods and it is we who have to know what food we should take in order to expedite our spiritual progress. But again, how fast do you want to go? If you are content to go slowly, you can continue to take the food that you are taking now since you are fond of it. Try to diminish the quantity; in that way you can progress slowly. But the important thing is to start.

Whatever you feel is wrong in your life, whether it is passion or something else, try to minimise it and gradually it will be totally eliminated. You have to start from where you are standing and one day you will reach your goal. If you feel that it is too difficult, then it will always remain impossible. But if you feel that it is not only possible but practicable, then soon you will see that it is not only possible and practicable, but inevitable. You can do it, you are bound to do it and you will do it.