And for immediate enlightenment, that is something you have to count on your thousand eons of blessings to be able to receive it from an exceptional, powerful Master. Without that, even if you become ascetic for a long, long time and you even don’t eat anything, it’s not much use. Of course, it might be able to clean some of your karma. But the physical karma alone cannot bring you to liberation or condemn you because spiritual insight is different from the outer knowledge. […]
Hi, loving souls. It’s nice to talk to you again, although we are always communicating inside anyway. I want to discuss something with you. I heard recently that some of you want to eat only one meal a day just because I said to you that I eat once a day. Please do not copy thus, because if you are still working in the bustling world, please do not be too hard on yourself. Eating one meal a day normally is for when you’re in retreat, alone, or with some trusted friends. Otherwise, if you’re still working very hard every day, and then go home, you still need to take care of your people – your family or your pet-people even, your friends and relatives – then you should not. You can try, of course, for a while to see how you go. But do not force yourself, thinking that it will make you become a Buddha quickly. It’s not like that. Because how much you eat also depends on your merit in the past life or in this life.
The venerated enlightened Buddha, He did not have much stress in those days, because there was no pollution, no climate change to worry about… I mean, not that the Buddha worried about life and death, it’s just that the enlightened people, enlightened ones, always care for others – for others – not for themselves.
Now, even when the Buddha was alive, He allowed His monks to take juice in the afternoon. Because at that time, the Buddha Himself and the monks ate only once a day around noon. And normally, after noon, they would not take food. They drank water, of course. You can do that also. But the Buddha expressly said that He allows His monks to take juice – all kinds of leaf juice, vegetable juice, and fruit juice. I will ask the team to print it out for you. Or just a moment, maybe I can tell you.
The Buddha’s instruction is in the Mahāvagga, because there was one ascetic who came to the Buddha to invite Him and His monks for a meal. At that time, it was too late already in the afternoon, because the Buddha and the monks’ Sangha do not take any meal, any solid food, after noontime. They normally eat only at around noon. So, the ascetic Keniya made some juice and offered it to the Buddha. And the Buddha said to him, “Please distribute it to the monks, the bhikkhus.” But then the bhikkhus were very worried, because it was not the time to eat any food, so they declined. And then the Buddha said, “Oh, it’s alright. You can have it.” And then after that, the ascetic Keniya served all the bhikkhus with the juice that he made, until all of them were contented and wanted no more.
Then, because of this occasion, the Buddha also delivered an instruction, addressed the bhikkhus and said, “I allow you, O Bhikkhus, eight kinds of drinkable things: mango-syrup and jambu-syrup, and plantain-syrup, and moka-syrup, and grape juice, and syrup made from the edible root of the water lily, honey and phārusaka-syrup. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the juice of all fruits, except the juice prepared from corn. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, drinks prepared from all kinds of leaves, except drinks prepared from potherbs.” Potherbs, I guess are similar to like peppermint, or rosemary. And the Buddha continued to say, “I allow you, O Bhikkhus, drinks prepared from all flowers, except licorice juice. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of the juice of the sugarcane.” All these are the juices that the Buddha allowed His monks to drink, though it’s already past noontime. And even before this occasion, the Monks were allowed to take food when traveling or in a similar situation when the exact time for the meal was uncertain.
So, in the case that you really consider to take the one meal course per day, then please be advised by the Buddha’s instruction, as I have told you. There’s also honey allowed. But normally, even before that, the Buddha allowed the use of honey for medicinal purposes, and to keep it for only seven days. I don’t take any of the juices. I rarely did, maybe a couple of times in my lifetime. They are nice, they’re OK. You can take them in the afternoon, in case you insist you want to take one meal per day at noon. But be careful, you have to have enough nutrition, because you still work in the world, and are being influenced by the energies of the hungry and appetized people of your surroundings. Now, in case you think by being an ascetic, or eating only once a day, you will become a Buddha, it’s not like that.
You also need to eat according to your assigned karma of this lifetime. I did it myself too. I also was breatharian for some time, and it worked until Heaven stopped me, as it is not useful for my spiritual work. Namely, through more food-related karma, more Blessing will be for the world! For my petite physical body, it does only all it can physically! But I tell you, it was such a freedom, such a floating-like lightness that I was so sad to discontinue!!! I am still sad remembering that.
So please, do not force your body to do it, even though the will is strong and anything you like can be done. But if your karma is designed otherwise or you do not have a very strong spiritual practice and inner spiritual strength, then your body might fail you. So please, you can try for a while to see how it goes. If it doesn’t work, you have to try to readjust to your old menu gradually, as long as it’s vegan. I do not like to make the impression on any of you that asceticism is a must in our practice. No, no, no. No. Please, be normal. Be normal. Enjoy whatever you can afford and in your life. So many things you have avoided already, and I’m very grateful for that. So, try to be moderate in all things. Asceticism in itself doesn’t bring you much. I have to tell you honestly.
The main point is that you practice the right meditation and way of life. You have to be imparted a meditation “method” by a real enlightened and capable Master who has tremendous Power so He/She can give it to anyone that has the fortune to encounter Him or Her and ask for this greatest of all favors on Earth and in the Universe – that is the initiation by Grace for enlightenment. You see, because spiritual enlightenment is something inside of your real being. It’s not from the outer garment, which is the body that houses your soul. Now, suppose the electric cable is very beautiful, and well taken care of, but there is no connection to the electric source, then the light will not brighten up, and any other instrument that needs electricity will not work. It has to be connected to the power of electricity.
Similarly, if we take really good care of the body, but we don’t have a connection with the real source of God Power within, then it’s useless. Of course, the electricity cable has to be well maintained so that the electricity can go through for other uses. But it’s not overdoing the electricity cable. You don’t have to take extra care of the electric cable, but you have to maintain it well, sufficiently. You don’t have to decorate your electric cable with flowers or silk or velvet or any other beautiful cloth. Or paint it all kinds of color, or decorate the electricity box, or the electricity plug – that will not be necessary. OK? That’s it. I hope I have explained sufficiently, because you are intelligent anyway.
And for immediate enlightenment, that is something you have to count on your thousand eons of blessings to be able to receive it from an exceptional, powerful Master. Without that, even if you become ascetic for a long, long time and you even don’t eat anything, it’s not much use. Of course, it might be able to clean some of your karma. But the physical karma alone cannot bring you to liberation or condemn you because spiritual insight is different from the outer knowledge. I have to think of how to explain it. Do I still??
Photo Caption: THE HUMBLEST WORK IS STILL A NEEDED WORK.
