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When a Guru eats meat || Acharya Prashant, on Raman Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj (2020)
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5 years ago
Nisargadatta Maharaj
Ramana Maharshi
Sattvic Food
Liberation
Purification
Body-Mind Mechanism
Seeker vs. Realized
Ramakrishna Paramhansa
Description

Acharya Prashant addresses a question regarding the seemingly contradictory advice of Ramana Maharshi, who advocated for a sattvic diet, and Nisargadatta Maharaj, who continued to eat meat. He explains that these two statements come from two different points of view. Ramana Maharshi's advice is for a seeker who is still on the path. He offers a method to make the journey lighter and less loaded against oneself. In contrast, Nisargadatta Maharaj speaks from the perspective of one who has already reached the destination. For him, there is a complete separation between himself and the body, which he views as a conditioned mechanism. To interfere with the body, even to purify it by making it sattvic, would be another form of entanglement and identification. Therefore, he chooses not to meddle with the body at all, not even to correct it. This state of complete separation from the body does not exist for a seeker who is still on the way. The speaker points out that many realized beings, such as Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Jesus, had worldly habits like eating fish, meat, or smoking. These are their idiosyncrasies and should not be emulated. Their inner force and urge for liberation were so strong that they reached their destination *in spite of* these obstacles, not because of them. For the common person, these habits are indeed obstacles, and one should not add to their troubles by indulging in avoidable things. The advice of the wise should be followed, not their personal habits. Acharya Prashant further clarifies the concept of teachings being useful but not absolutely truthful. The absolute truth is silent and a void, making it useless for communication. For the truth to be useful, it must be diluted and expressed in the language of the listener, which is the language of the false. He categorizes gurus into three types: the one at the absolute height who is unreachable and thus not useful; the one who has reached the height and descends to teach in a diluted, useful language, who is often misunderstood; and the fake guru, who has never reached the height but pretends to, for self-interest, and is harmful. The seeker should look for what is useful, which is the advice of the second type of guru, rather than trying to emulate the personal habits of the realized, which are their idiosyncrasies.