"Many people have the misconception that fresh, healthy, vegetarian food tastes bad. In fact, the vegetarian cuisine can be quite sophisticated and satisfying. Fresh, natural, local ingredients are favored by the best chefs in the world for the culinary masterpieces they create. Such ingredients are not only better for our health, but they improve the flavor of our meals also.”
- Gananathamritananda Giri
Promoting Vegetarianism
Eating a vegetarian diet is one of the best ways we can reduce waste, and minimize harm to living beings and the environment and is considered basic to spiritual practice. For there to be any true spiritual realization, the mind must be pure. One of the best ways spiritual seekers can bring about mental purity is by eating a vegetarian diet. Adopting a vegetarian diet is considered the first step for the practice of Yoga. The practice of Yoga consists of eight consecutive steps for the practice. The first step is called yama, and is a group of restraints. It is stated that these restraints must be implemented before it could be expected that any of the subsequent practices of Yoga will have an effect. The first and foremost yama is ahimsa, non-violence. The practice involves minimizing harm to others including nature and all living beings so much as possible. This not only the principle practice of Yoga, but also the highest and most crucial moral standard of the Hindu traditions in general. It is traditionally practiced by abstaining from meat, poultry, fish, seafood and eggs. Many spiritual traditions throughout the world have recommended a strict vegetarian diet for the same reasons, and most world cultures have eaten a largely vegetarian diet until very recently. We encourage all sincere spiritual seekers and all who wish to reduce suffering and minimize harm to the environment to switch to a vegetarian diet. If everyone in America simply ate a vegetarian diet one day a week, the impact would be significant. The world would be a better place for us all to live in.
To Learn more about the reasons for vegetarianism
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Vegetarian Cookbooks
To help inspire people to eat healthier foods, to cook more, and to incorporate more vegetarian recipes into their repertoire, we are releasing a series of Vegetarian cookbooks. The dishes have been created from Swamiji's vast knowledge of the culinary arts according to the dietary principles of Ayurveda. We have published our first cook book of South Indian style recipes as an ebook. We are working now to publish printed copies also which will be available through the website, in book stores, and on Amazon.
Buy or Preview our First Cookbook
Buy or Preview our First Cookbook