Being Vegetarian, Part 2

Adaptation to change

The question of meat-eating is different for a born vegetarian, living in a country where by tradition meat is not consumed, than for someone who becomes a vegetarian. In the first case, the body is accustomed to functioning without animal flesh for generations and is able to provide adequate blood radiations from other types of foods. The spirit is therefore well adapted to the body, though it should be noted that vegetarian nations are more prone to dreaming and meditating than meat-consuming nations.

In this second case, the people who decide to stop eating meat, had done so for decades and inherited a physical body that was accustomed to eating meat for generations. The suppression of meat cannot therefore be easy. They generally face a problem of adaptation to their new way of life.

The process is similar to that of a smoker who decides to stop this habit. The body no longer receives the nicotine that stimulated the organ functions prior to quitting smoking. The organs then slow down their activity and cannot accomplish the work expected of them. Consequently problems arise: headaches, lethargy, constipation, nervousness, etc. A general malaise also sets in.

Since meat is a type of food rather than a drug, its suppression does not cause acute disorders. In fact there may not be any visible problems for weeks or months thereafter. On the contrary, those who effect the change generally feel better and more energetic. However, problems arise with time.

Initially the body succeeds in maintaining a correct blood radiation because the meat consumed in the past exerts its influence for a while. Since the body does not have any substitute element at its disposal to replace what it found in meat, the composition of the blood and its radiations will be modified. It can then no longer offer a good connection to the spirit, which cannot penetrate the body and manifest with the same force and intensity as before. A certain distancing and pondering sets in. This state, however, only manifests very progressively and for this reason it often goes unperceived until being clearly present. Therefore it is not attributed to the suppressing of meat, that would have occurred quite a long time before.

A person in this situation does not enjoy life as he should. The aim of human life is indeed to give the spirit the opportunity to experience on the earthly plane, and develop the faculties entrusted to it by the Creator. These experiences must be intensely lived according to the spirit’s wishes. In order to feel and to act efficiently, the spirit must be correctly linked to the body. This is not the case for those who eliminate meat consumption. The “lack of presence” of their spirit does not allow them to fully experience their lives. Events glide past them without touching them. Moreover, the decrease in their inner zeal leads to lethargy and lack of interest in external issues, which they actually avoid due to their additional sensitivity. They therefore miss a great deal of experiences and must subsequently make up for lost time.

Should meat be eliminated from the diet or not?

From a spiritual viewpoint, it is not recommended to eliminate meat from the diet of one used to it. By so doing the body is deprived of the possibility to offer a vital link to the spirit through blood radiations. Should meat then continue to be a part of our diet? If so, in what quantity? There is no single answer for everyone as it depends on the one concerned. If a person is too attached and inclined towards materialism, it is necessary to reduce the amount of meat consumption in order for him to open himself more easily to spiritual matters. On the other hand, whenever one “drifts” or “floats” too much, meat consumption should be increased in order to bring him back to reality. These measures can be alternated over time.

Changes can be effected either in the quantity taken at a meal (to be increased or decreased, as necessary), or the frequency of servings (meat consumed daily or every other day). The choice of animal flesh is also important. Red meat contains more toxins and grounds us more than white meat (veal, poultry, lamb) and fish.

The need for meat varies from one individual to another and from one epoch in the evolution of man to another. Needs were greater at the beginning of human history than they are in the present time. Then, the incarnating spirits needed very strong blood radiations that would firmly anchor them in gross matter, which was very alien to them and which they were penetrating for the first time. Now, needs differ in our materialistic world. A reduction in the consumption of animal flesh and a transition towards a more vegetarian diet would be desirable. However, such a transition should be progressive. It cannot be achieved in the course of a single earth-life but must be stretched over several generations.