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The food we consume should be tasty, sustaining, and pleasant. It should not be too salty, too hot, too bier, too sweet, or too sour. It is not to be taken while steaming hot. Food that fans the flames of thirst should be avoided. The general principle is that there should be a limit, a restraint. Food cooked with water should not be used the next day. Even fried articles must be consumed before they develop unpleasant odors. (SSB, Gita Vahini)
The ideal proportion is two parts of solid, one part of liquid, and one part of air. Uncooked food, nuts, fruits, and germinating pulses are the best. Use these at least at one meal. This will ensure a long life. Unlimited food causes trouble. Smoking and intoxicating drinks have to be given up. They are ruinous for the health. Meat eating should also be given up because eating animal food promotes animal tendencies. Gambling has to be given up. Those who take to the spiritual path should avoid as much as possible these four bad practices. (SSB)
Controlling the Vision
Vision must arise from the heart and must be broad. We must actively look beyond differences and see the underlying oneness; that is broad vision. (SSB)
Swami tells us that when we see something disturbing, it goes directly into our heart and forms an impression there. We must take responsibility for carefully monitoring even what we passively take into our senses. There is also an active part to seeing. By actively seeing the underlying unity, we profoundly affect our mental processes. By looking for Swami (or your chosen form of God) in everything, every moment of existence, we eventually see that everything is love, everything is God. We must control the senses not only by watching what comes in, but also by actively using them to experience the divine nature of the outer world as well.
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