Path of the Masters: Sant Mat - Santmat, Radhasoami - Radha Soami, Satsang, Inner Light and Sound Meditation: Surat Shabd Yoga, Audible Life Stream, Quan Yin Method, Spiritual Science, Spirituality, Kabir, Maharshi Mehi, Kirpal Singh, Gnosticism, Third Eye, Out Of Body Experiences, Near-Death Experiences, Inner Space, the Kingdom of the Heavens Within, Mystic Poetry, Vegetarian Vegan, Ahimsa, Love, and God. The term "Sant Mat" was coined by Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras during the 19th Century.
Vegetarianism and the Yoke of the Lord in the Didache, by James Bean
In an early Christian text called the Didache is a statement to new gentile converts to do the best they can, giving them time to adjust or transition to the ethical ideals of the Jesus Movement: "If thou art able to bear the whole yoke of the Lord, thou wilt be perfect. But if thou art not able, what thou art able, that do. But concerning meat, bear that which thou art able to do. But keep with care from things sacrificed to idols, for it is the worship of the infernal deities."
"The Yoke of the Lord" was a term for the ethical code of the Jesus movement according to the Didache, an early witness to vegetarianism at a time when some of the first gentiles became interested in following Christ. Vegetarianism was part of the Yoke of the Lord and here very opposed to even new converts from day one eating meat sacrificed to idols (“the worship of dead gods” as it’s rendered in another translation). Whoever composed that section of the Didache was part of a sect closer to the James the Just branch than Paul's version of Christianity. See Didache, chapter 6: https://othergospels.com/didache
IMAGE: Fragment of an early Christian scripture called the Didache: “The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles”
A History-based Middle Ground of Sikh Vegetarian History
In the Beas publication about the life and teachings of Guru Nanak there is cited a passage from a Muslim historian saying that Nanak abstained from animal food and enjoined against cruelty to animals: "Having prohibited his disciples to drink wine and eat pork, he (Nanak) himself abstained from eating flesh and ordered not to hurt any living being." (Mohsin Fani, Persian historian, Dabistan-e-Mazahib)
"The Dabestan-e Mazaheb (Persian: دبستان مذاهب) 'school of religions' is a Persian language work that examines and compares Abrahamic, Dharmic and other religions of the mid-17th century South Asia and the Middle East." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dabestan-e_Mazaheb
Usually authorship of this book is attributed to Mohsin Fani, a scholar of comparative religion and who also was friends with the Sixth Sikh Guru Guru Hargobind. "Born around 1615 in Iran, Mohsin Fani was once migrated to India, for the study of the religions there, in the time of the sixth Sikh guru, Guru Hargobind Sahib with whom he had friendly relationships." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohsin_Fani
I found several volumes and translations of the Dabestan-e Mazaheb online including English editions. The one at Scribd seems fairly complete and nicer than some of the others so I downloaded it.
It does contain the passage that's found in the RSSB book about the teachings of Guru Nanak
https://scienceofthesoul.org/books-EN-007-0.html but it's far more informative to cite the whole paragraph of material where the quote is found, bringing greater clarity to the question of vegetarianism and Sikhism from this early source that predates many texts that mainstream Sikhs rely upon. The English translation of this old edition is not ideal but clear enough. I've bracketed in the correct spellings of the various Sikh Gurus.
"Nanac [Guru Nanak] had a great number of disciples. He professed the unity of God, which is called the law of Muhammed, and believed the metempsychosis, or transmigration of the soul from one body to another. Having prohibited his disciples wine and to eat pork, he himself abstained from eating flesh and ordered not to hurt any living being. After him, this precept was neglected by his followers; but Arjun mal [Guru Arjan Dev], one of the substitutes of his faith [successors of Nanak], as soon as he found that it was wrong, renewed the prohibition to eat flesh, and said, 'This has not been approved by Nanac [Nanak].' Afterward, Hargovind [Guru Hargobind, 6th Sikh Guru], son of Arjunmal [Guru Arjan Dev, 5th Sikh Guru], eat flesh, and went to hunt, and his followers imitated his example." (THE DABISTAN OR SCHOOL OF MANNERS, TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL PERSIAN BY DAVID SHEA AND ANTHONY TROVER, page 285, section on the Nanak sect, 1901 edition)
The short passage from the above as quoted by Janak Raj Puri in the Beas publication does make for a good proof-text for the vegetarianism of Guru Nanak and his immediate disciples, but as we can see from the context of the whole paragraph, with this wider field of vision things aren't looking so good for Sikh vegetarianism after the time of Guru Nanak.
The Fifth Sikh Guru Arjan Dev rediscovered? this lost? prohibition about eating flesh once taught by Guru Nanak and revives the precept of vegetarianism during his day. But then, soon enough, it fell by the wayside again with even Arjan's own son Hargobind eating meat and going on hunting trips.
So the above-quoted short passage from the Dabistan-e-Mazahib about the vegetarianism of Guru Nanak initially sounded quite good in support of vegetarianism, but a wider view of the whole text portrays vegetarianism as being forgotten by Sikh Gurus number Two, Three, and Four. Guru Five brings vegetarianism back. And I should also include Guru Arjan Dev's Adi Granth scribe Bhai Gurdaas, as his collection of poetry verses or vaars called Vaaran Bhai Gurdas, also affirms vegetarianism. Bhai Gurdaas Ji said: "They eat meat by cutting throats, what will their own condition be?" (Vaar 24, Pauree 17)
And then, according to the very same Dabistan-e-Mazahib by Mohsin Fani, Arjan's own son Hargobind, Sikh Guru Number Six, ate meat, went on hunting trips, thus presenting the latter Sikh gurus as meat-eating sat gurus. No more mandated* vegetarianism in the sangats of the Sikhs after the time of the Fifth Sikh Guru and his scribe Bhai Gurdaas.
* Not a precept all disciples must follow.
For a One Hundred Percent Vegetarian Version of Sikh History We Have the Namdharis
Now what's presented above represents a kind of middle path or middle ground on the question of vegetarianism and Sikhism. There is the smaller Sikh sub-sect called the Namdhari's that, in their timeline or version of reality, present all Ten Sikh Gurus as being staunch and adamant vegetarians, including Guru Gobind Singh. For instance in alternative Namdhari texts this is attributed to Guru Gobind Singh:
"One who does not steal, commit adultery, slander anyone, gamble, eat meat or drink wine will be liberated in this very life (i.e. Jeewan Mukt)". (Guru Gobind Singh, 10th Sikh Guru, Sudharam Marag Granth -- Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s “Updesh” to Bhai Daya Singh ji which is mentioned in “Sudharam Marag Granth”, and also found written in some old handwritten volumes of Sri Guru Granth Sahib): https://web.archive.org/web/20180329213659/http://www.info-sikh.com/PageM1.html
“His Disciples, Soaked in The Bliss of Nam, gave up opium, hashish, poppy, liquor and various other intoxicants. They would not eat meat. They would not steal. They foreswore adultery and deception. They Practised Saintliness.” -- Sri Guru Panth Parkash): http://namdhari.faithweb.com/panthparkash.htm
If one reads those alternative Namdhari scriptures and histories, according to them there were no meat-eating satgurus going on hunting trips after all. That would be the one hundred percent vegetarian version of Sikh history.
Meet the Meat-Eating Satgurus Going on Hunting Trips, A Carnivorous Version of Sikh History
If one wishes to customize their personal version of Sikh history in the pro-meat direction, this is easily accomplished as well, with many supporting scriptures at hand and much pro-meat lore about each of the Ten Sikh Gurus, even with a critical critique of Mohsin Fani's Dabistan-e-Mazahib, AND yet another Granth attributed to Guru Gobind Singh. This one's called the Sarbloh Granth or Sarabloh Granth, "a voluminous scripture, composed of more than 6,500 poetic stanzas. It is traditionally attributed as being the work of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarbloh_Granth
"The Dabistan-i-Mazahib, from which I have culled and translated the account of the Nanak-panthis, the followers of Guru Nanak, is generally acknowledged to be the work of Shaikh Mohsin Fani." (from the Introduction)
"I have been strictly literal in my rendering, with the result that not unoften the diction and idiom of the English language had to be sacrificed to keep it as near the original as possible. For this I crave the readers’ indulgence. I have given my explanations of the doubtful points in footnotes, and, although some of them have grown disproportionately lengthy, I hope the discussions therein will not be found wholly uninteresting." (page 198)
He quotes the Dabistan-i-Mazahib and adds some footnotes/commentary:
"'Holding wine and pork unlawful, he abstained from animal food 6 and enjoined against cruelty to animals. After his death meat-eating became common among his disciples. And when Arjan Mai, who is one of the prophetic order of Nanak, found that evil, he prohibited people from meat-eating and said: “This practice is not in accordance with the wishes of Nanak.” 7 Eventually Hargobind, son of Arjan Mai, ate meat and hunted, and most of his disciples followed his practice.'
[footnote] 6. "Here Mohsin-Fani or his informant seems to have erred. There is nothing in the teachings of Guru Nanak to condemn the use of animal food. On the other hand we find him cooking a deer, which a disciple had presented to him at Kurukshetar during his visit to that place. When the Brahmans expressed their horror at his cooking of flesh on the occasion of a Solar Eclipse..."
[footnote] 7. "There is no such sentence traceable in the sayings of Guru Arjan in the Guru Granth Sahib."
Dr. Ganda Singh is correct that the Adi Granth doesn't contain that passage from Guru Arjan Dev. Mohsin-Fani didn't say it was from the Granth. Mohsin-Fani was friends with Hargobind, the Sixth Sikh Guru and son of Guru Arjan Dev. In other words he was there, was a contemporary, was not just relying upon the Granth. It would be absolutely wonderful to know the source for that particular citation. Indeed! Indeed!
In his footnote # 6 Dr. Ganda Singh then goes on to quote a few standard Granth verses that are often used to call into question the legitimacy of vegetarianism. The same passages are used over and over and can be found here -- see key word search of "meat" in this topical edition of the Granth: https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.1918/page/n263/mode/2up?q=meat
Dr. Ganda Singh mentions a story about Guru Nanak cooking a deer but doesn't actually share with the reader where he found this. No citation is given, just a mention of the story followed by the standard verses from the Granth used to bolster the position of mainstream Sikhism in opposition to vegetarianism. However, I am acquainted with that particular deer meat story, where it's located!
It's interesting to notice that Dr. Ganda Singh here has attempted to refute the vegetarianism of Guru Nanak as recorded in a mid-17th century history book by the Persian scholar Mohsin Fani, a contemporary and friend of the Sixth Sikh Guru, by calling upon a hagiographical collection of apocryphal verses composed at a later date long after the time of the Tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh mainly used by the Nihang sect. (Usually historians give more weight to earlier texts over later ones, and neutral ones over self-serving sectarian ones.) This collection of stories about the Sikh Gurus, including about Guru Nanak eating deer meat, are attributed to Gobind Singh in a collection of writings known as the Sarbloh Granth. Most don't believe the Sarbloh Granth to really represent the compositions of Gobind Singh. "It is traditionally attributed as being the work of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru. Scholars, on the other hand, attribute the work to after the Guru's death, being authored by an unknown poet. The work is mostly revered by the Nihang sect." -- Sarbloh Granth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarbloh_Granth
"The Sarbloh Granth is a text associated with Guru Gobind Singh - which has not been translated into English. This website holds the only repository of translations of the Sarbloh Granth."
Guru Nanak As Meat-Eating Satguru? Guru Nanak and Meat
"When Guru Nanak visited Kurukshetra he cooked deer meat which attracted the attention of the local Pandits who questioned the Guru's actions. In a reply the Guru mentioned that this is the Dharam of a warrior, to which the Pandits replied:
"The Pandit then said, "Warriors always have weapons with them, you have adorned the garb of an ascetic. Without weapons how can I recognize you as a warrior?"
"Guru Nanak said, "I do have weapons with me - the recitation of the name of the Creator Kartar is my sharp sword. The large bow that I have is the True Congregation Satsangat.
"The practice of controlling the senses are the numerous arrows, and I use all of them to quickly kill the Deer-like-mind. In the fire like awareness of Braham the All-pervasive I cook this meat in an offering hom*. This is forever my mindset.
* as in homage
"Gurpratap Suraj Prakash Granth 1843, author: the Great Poet Santokh Singh
For those desirous of customizing their Sikh history in a pro-meat direction, the Sarbloh Granth and other related writings of the Nihang sect will not disappoint. Do a few key word searches of "meat" at the Manglacharan Sarbloh Granth website and you'll find lots of stories about all ten Sikh gurus being meat-eating satgurus.
Final Thoughts, My Conclusions About This Particular Hall of Mirrors History
Out of all these versions of Sikh history the Namdhari one seems the most pleasant. Being vegan, my personal preference or confirmation bias would be to have all ten Sikh gurus portrayed as lacto-vegetarians if not "level five vegans" (Simpson's reference). Unfortunately, the claims of the Namdharis fall short. An ethereal, visionary or ghostly apparition of Gobind Singh in the year 1812 appointing Balak Singh as the 11th Guru is a rather strange fictitious tale, making the Namdharis not exactly a reliable go-to source on matters of Sikh history.
Guru Gobind Singh would have been one hundred and forty six years old in the year 1812. A Wiki Entry for Guru Balak Singh, Founder of the Namdhari Sikh Sect:
"Namdhari Sikhs believe he was the successor of Guru Gobind Singh, a stance that differs them from mainstream Sikhism. According to Namdharis, Guru Gobind Singh did not die from the wounds inflicted by the assassination attempt on his life in 1708, but instead lived-on as a recluse under the pseudonym of "Ajapal Singh", passing on the guruship to Balak Singh before his death. Namdharis believe Guru Gobind Singh lived to the ripe-old age of 146 when he died in the year 1812, long enough to be contemporary with Namdhari Guru Balak Singh and pass on the Guruship to him."
The extra-meatiness and sword collecting of the Nihangs seem to represent a later, much different version of Sikhism attempting to rewrite Sikh history, to remake it after their own image, doctrines, dogmas, and diet.
Mainstream orthodox Sikhism's deliberate ignoring of pro-vegetarian passages that are to be found in the Adi Granth, also in the Vaaran Bhai Gurdas, and references by historians such as Shaikh Mohsin Fani, have a familiar religious ring. If one needs to turn a blind eye, to be in denial or ignore something, that something is probably worth exploring.
See, Sikh And You Will Find: The Vegetarian Diet, Sikh Gurus and Scriptures, A Collection of Passages:
I do suspect the 'middle path' account of Shaikh Mohsin Fani, author of the Dabestan-e Mazaheb (Dabistan-i-Mazahib) is likely to be closest to the truth on the question of vegetarian ethics and Sikhism.
The latter five Sikh gurus seem quite distant and different from the earlier Five, and from Sant tradition generally, which requires adherence to a vegetarian diet and a meditation practice that includes Surat Shabd Yoga. The execution of Guru Arjan Dev in 1606 brought to an end the lineage of Sikh gurus that were Sants, as some have already suggested. I believe they are correct and now have joined their ranks as sharing that point of view myself. With the death of Guru Arjan Dev, from that point forward we get "meat-eating satgurus" who "went on hunting trips". And the poetry of the Dasam Granth and other later collections of spiritual poetry are for the most part not compatible with, or of the same vibe, depth or spirit as, that of the compositions of anyone we would conceive of as a Sant such as Paltu Sahib, Dariya Sahib, Tulsi Sahib, Charan Das, Sahjo Bai, Guru Nanak, etc... (Most Sikhs also don't put the Dasam Granth on the same level as the Adi Granth.)
One can even read the writings of Sant Dariya of Bihar as expressing criticisms of Sikhism:
"Likewise, when the beheaded goat is brought to your house,
Your children are all excited with joy.
You give little pieces to your children
And eat away the rest of the meat yourself."
"As long as the discipline of the Sound Current is preserved unadulterated, The line of succession will truly continue. But when it is mixed with outer rituals and display of external garbs, My Sound Current will part company. My divine essence will depart And souls will go into the mouth of Kal."
"External garbs"...like the Khalsa dress code: baggy shorts, a sword, a wooden comb, an iron bracelet, and unshorn hair?
It was so nice to find in English the old history of the Sikhs according to Mohsin Fani. What he was saying about Nanak and Guru Arjan Dev being the main enforcers of vegetarianism, mandating vegetarianism as a universal precept for all Sikhs, perfectly aligns with the contents of the Adi Granth. Years ago I compiled a collection of vegetarian verses of the Granth. Those also happen to be from Guru Nanak and Arjan Dev! Also there's one from Arjan's scribe Bhai Gurdaas (in his collection of verses known as the Bhai Gurdas Vaaran), and the Granth has pro-veg verses from Kabir.
Perhaps one of those other guru lineages branching off one of the earlier Sikh gurus fared better at preserving the teachings of Guru Nanak. Hard to say. That might be good to explore, if there's any substantial information about those other sects available, such as the Nanak Panthis.
Note: The account in the Dabistan-i-Mazahib states: "After him [Nanak], this precept was neglected by his followers; but Arjun mal [Guru Arjan Dev], one of the substitutes of his faith [successors of Nanak], as soon as he found that it was wrong, renewed the prohibition to eat flesh, and said, 'This has not been approved by Nanac [Nanak].'" And history repeats. Others in Sikhism would do the same and adopt a vegetarian diet. There's always been a minority of Sikhs who have been vegetarian. No doubt much more could be said; more texts from various Sikh sects could be cited. Vegetarianism @ Sikh Wiki: https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Vegetarianism
Video: The Wise Guru Nanak: Passage from Sarbloh Granth:
The Karmic Law of the Vegetarian Diet, by Huzur Baba Sawan Singh
Sawan Singh: “I must point out that animal food, even if a single particle is eaten, is detrimental to spiritual progress.” (Spiritual Gems, Letter 21)
“A human being cannot comprehend the existence of God and His creation until he has succeeded in getting his soul free from the bondage of the five Tattwas, the twenty-five Prakritis, the three Gunas, Maya and Mind — all of which are enveloping it here — until he has emancipated his soul from every one of these errors and taken it beyond the sphere of mind and intellect, and opened his internal vision. Only then is the soul able to know itself and understand what it is made of.
“After that, it becomes fit to seek its Creator and to find out the ocean from which it originally descended, as well as the means to regain it. Consequently, before a disciple has succeeded in getting rid of these chains, it shall be sufficient for him to know that this world can be divided into two parts, land and water.
“The creatures of water live upon each other. Nature has not provided them with any other means of subsistence. Big fish are eating the little ones, etc. The same holds true of the land. Lions and tigers eat up wolves and jackals. The latter subsist on the meat of sheep, goats, etc. They, in turn, eat plants. Hawks eat smaller birds. Birds eat insects, and men eat most every form of life, so far as climate and special circumstances of their own countries permit.
“Every grain, every plant, has life in it. Hindu philosophy has acknowledged this fact since very ancient times. Dr. Bose has demonstrated this fact to the European world by his experiments, showing that plants feel and breathe, and have souls. If a ray of light is allowed to penetrate a dark room, the microscope reveals numberless germs floating in the air of that room. The whole room seems to be full of this germ life. When we breathe, these tiny creatures go inside of us and die. When we walk, numberless creatures are killed by contact with us, and countless others are crushed beneath our feet. The same is true when we drink water. The microscope reveals myriads of tiny creatures in a tumbler of water; and these we drink to their death every day. Souls would appear to be literally packed together in all space in our world. If we put down a needle point on the earth, countless germs may be found beneath its point.
“And so, in our world, life is everywhere destroying life. In such a world where one creature is eating up another, it is impossible to expect either justice or peace of mind. (There is no rest or security anymore.) Therefore, when the ancient sages found that in this world creatures were destroying each other, they decided it was better to give up the world. They found that in such a world there could be no peace of mind, and it was impossible to attain bliss until and unless the soul breaks away from the bonds which have kept it enchained; and that it was folly to regard the pleasures of this world as a means to happiness, because they lead to hell and further bind the soul with Karma and dirt.
“They determined that it was impossible to find peace of mind in any worldly object, and that happiness lies within man himself and that ocean of which he is a drop. Therefore, the Sages thought, as long as they were confined in the prison of this world, they would adopt the course which was the least harmful; they would subsist on creatures the killing of which was the least sinful. They discovered that all living beings of this world could be divided into classes as regards the composition of their bodies and the number of elements they contain. By elements they did not mean the ninety or so elements discovered by modern scientists, but the main conditions or divisions of matter.
“There are five such classes of substances. According to their classification, under class one, came all of those creatures in whom all five of these substances are active, that is, man. In the next class came those in which only four substances are active and one dormant, and that is quadrupeds. In them there is no sense of discrimination, because in them the Akash Tattwa is dormant. In the third class fell creatures in which only three substances are active, namely air, water, and fire. They are birds. They lack earth and Akash. The fourth class is made up of insects, in which only two substances are active, air and fire. Then comes the last class, the fifth, in which only one element or substance is active, that is, the vegetable world. In them, water is the only active element. Experts have proved that, in many vegetables, there is as much as ninety-five percent water. When the creatures of the other four classes are killed or injured, they cry out in pain, but not so the vegetables, though they have life. So the Sages concluded that the eating of vegetables was the least sinful, (the least burdened with karma). Although the eating of vegetables produced some karma, yet it was of a light nature, which could be easily worked off by spiritual exercises. They thus chose the course of least resistance, and so abstained from the killing of other forms of life.
“The method of practice of the Sound Current is the only method by which to escape this jail into which we are born. This method is natural, and it was not designed by man. It is as old as the beginning of creation. The Creator is ONE, and therefore the Way to reach Him is ONE, and it is in the interior of every human being. It is incapable of alteration, modification, addition, or improvement. Man is to reach the ocean of his Origin by means of ascending the Sound Current, irrespective of any caste, creed, nationality, or sex. It is a practice for the awakening of powers within us. By slow degrees, our souls will emerge from the grave of the body or vacate it. In the body there are nine openings through which the soul communicates with this world, and these the soul learns to close and to fix its attention at the back of the eyes. Then it begins to traverse higher planes. When it attains Turya Pad (astral), it will acquire control over the mind, senses, lust, anger, avarice, attachment, and egotism. At present the soul is under the control of mind, which itself is under the control of the senses. When we gain the astral, after leaving the material, the soul gains control over the mind. When we get beyond the astral and the heavens and hells which are within the astral, all of these are left behind. The soul will then hold these in contempt, and then it will go to Brahm Lok, or the Causal plane, which contains Mukti, or Salvation planes.
“Brahm is also the servant of Par-Brahm. Therefore, leaving Brahm, the soul should go to the ParBrahm, where it will be freed from all its shackles. On reaching Par-Brahm, all the material, astral, and causative coverings of mind and matter that envelope the soul are removed. Then the soul is pure spirit. This is self-realization. Here there is no form, no cover, no shape, no youth nor old age — only the soul, shining in its pure radiance — a drop of existence, knowledge, and bliss, capable of comprehending the Great Ocean, its Creator. Now the drop tries to reach and mingle with the Ocean.
“So, it is here, in Par-Brahm, that one begins to realize the full significance of Sant Mat. Hence, the only medicine for all of our ailments is the practice of the Holy Sound together with the Master’s spiritual help and guidance. The Master is not a body only. He is the Power which guides and helps us at every stage and in every region during our inward spiritual journey. When we are in the physical body, He instructs us in His physical form. When we go inward to the Astral Planes, He is in the Astral Form, and, as we proceed further, He assumes the form of each region all the way up to Sach Khand (our true home).”
— Huzur Baba Sawan Singh — Published by Ruhani Satsang
Also See: The Karmic Law of the Vegetarian Diet Podcast @ Youtube:
Vegetarian Christianity: No Fishes With Their Loaves - Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcast
The earliest references to the story of Jesus Feeding the Five Thousand do not include any mentions of fish, only bread. The early church father Irenaeus, writing between 180 and 188 AD, does not say anything at all about the fish, only bread in connection with this Miraculous Feeding of the Multitude as if the gospels he was reading at the time didn't include anything about fishes with the loaves. The historian Eusebius, Arnobius, and several other early Christian writings also never include anything about "fishes" with the loaves, only the loaves, only the bread. It was originally an account about people being given bread. This has lead to some, including Keith Akers, author of the book, The Lost Religion of Jesus: Simple Living and Nonviolence in Early Christianity (also see his wonderful scholarly book, Disciples), to conclude that the making of this popular miracle story into a fish tale must have taken place sometime after Irenaeus and 188 AD. After that date must be when the final edit took place, when fish got added to the story about the Feeding of the Five Thousand, transforming it into the more familiar Sunday School version people are acquainted with. Today, we examine the case of the missing fish, as well as textual variations between different manuscripts of the New Testament, including the spectacular example of a vegetarian saying of Jesus present in the Old Syriac-Aramaic Evangelion Da-Mepharreshe manuscripts of the Gospel of Luke but not present in the Greek manuscripts. This is another installment in a series of podcasts documenting the vegetarianism of the original Jesus Movement, also known as the Ebionites, Nasoraeans, grandchildren of the Essenes, Hebrew Christians, The Apostles, the Disciples, Christianity-Before-Paul: the folks in the early church Paul was arguing with about diet, including James the Just of Jerusalem.
Vegetarian Christianity: No Fishes With Their Loaves - Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcast - Listen and/or Download @:
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Light and Sound on the Path -- Sant Mat Fellowship Online
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Teachings of Baba Jaimal Singh of the Radhasoami Faith;
Spiritual Discourses of Baba Somanath, Disciple of Huzur Baba Sawan Singh;
A Prayer For Peace or Ahimsa -- Praises To A Formless God;
Ethical Guidance From Kabir and An Introduction to Sant Mat Spirituality;
Overcoming Distracting Thoughts So We Have Great Meditations;
The Living Spiritual Path of Sant Mat Based in Bihar, India, Parts 1-5 (so far -- more to come);
The Vegetarianism of the Jesus Movement: The Syriac-Aramaic Clementines & The "Yoke of the Lord" in the The Didache
Veg Sayings of Jesus, Rumi, Rabia & Bawa Muhaiyaddeen in Sufi Islamic Sources
The Original Jesus Movement (Ebionites) Recognized Those in India Who Worship the One God, are Vegetarians, and Follow the Same Peaceful Ethical Precepts;
Loaves Without The Fishes in Early Christian Writings;
Vegan & Veg Teachings in Buddhism;
Rules For Being Guru, By Swami Vyasanand Ji Maharaj;
Reincarnation in Gnosticism, and... Let the Gnostics Be Gnostic;
The Gospel of THOMAS and Initiation Into the Mysteries of the Kingdom of the Heavens, also Kirpal Singh on Initiation;
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene and Gnostic Spirituality;
The Science of Spirituality According to Swami Santsevi Ji Maharaj;
The Goal of Sant Mat Spirituality and Meditation: Our Path Back to the Source;
Meditation Practice According to Swami Santsevi Ji Maharaj;
Meet the Unknown Guru of Radhaswami: Maharaj Girdhari Sahib;
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Remembering the Forgotten Self (Soul) Lost in the Dust of Creation
Rumi: "You think of yourself as a citizen of the universe. You think you belong to this world of dust and matter. Out of this dust you have created a personal image, and have forgotten about the essence of your true origin."
Stevan L. Davies: "I think that Gnosticism is about discovering the way that God has turned into you, and then realizing that if you can describe how it is that God turned into you, you can reverse the process."
Over the many centuries there have always been mystical branches of Judaism, Kabbalah, Sethian Gnosis, and others that have had an ethical, peaceful philosophy of life, adhered to a vegetarian diet, had living teachers or Masters of the Name, a system of initiation into holy names, and the #meditation practice of ascension of the soul through several upper worlds of Light and Sound, with the goal of reuniting with the Supreme Being. Sometimes these teachings get lost or partially forgotten over time, but there is evidence for their existence, and the quest of the mystic soul is to REMEMBER. (from one of my blog entries)
Like Galileo discovering new worlds through the lens of his telescope, mystics have been trying to tell humanity for eons of something quite similar. The reason why the contemplative state of being is still hidden from most of us is that, unlike Galileo’s telescope, in order to look through this particular lens, the third eye or inner vision, we mustn’t focus on the outward sensory impressions, but go in the opposite direction: into Inner Space. Look through the lens of the third eye during meditation to access the world of within. Tune the inner radio dial, listening for the subtle inner sounds coming from beyond the silence. This is how to access the Kingdom of the Heavens, the Inner Space within you. (from one of my blog entries)
"Look within yourself with the inner eye.
The whole expanse inside is replete
with the refulgence of the Divine Light."
-- Dadu Dayal, the Compassionate Mystic
“Sant Kabir Sahab asks: ‘You have lost an object in one place and you are looking for it in an entirely different place. How could you possibly find it?’ Let us consider this dilemma in view of the way people usually attempt to find peace, joy and contentment. People wander ceaselessly through life, always seeking to acquire material resources, thinking they will thus achieve their goal of happiness. However, as the saints tell us, even if we acquire all these physical possessions – status, fame, or wealth – we are still unable to attain true peace, joy and happiness. The peace we seek is not found in the outer material world but only in the inner world of the soul. The outer manifest world is merely sensory. It is transitory and ever-fleeting. But within us lives the Supreme Being whose true form is peace and bliss. The Divine is unmanifest (without physical form), eternal, and beyond the senses. Only by turning inward and ceasing the outward wandering, will we be able to attain lasting joy and eternal peace.”
– Swami Santsevi Ji Maharaj – Finding Peace Within – Light and Sound on the Path
“Bring the sky beneath your feet and listen to Celestial Music everywhere.” -- Rumi
PODCAST: The Vegetarian Apostles and Scriptures of the Original Jesus Movement
The Vegetarian Apostles and Scriptures of the Original Jesus Movement ...also...Prayers for the World to Go Vegan -- Spiritual Awakening Radio With James Bean @ Youtube:https://youtu.be/LfuezdWESNo
One thing that might be rather surprising to most people that can be learned by doing a study of the gospels, acts and other literature of the Hebrew Christians -- the Ebionites -- the Christianity that Existed Before Paul -- is that, rather than some imagined Sunday school notion of a fish market in the village of Galilee being operated by the disciples of Jesus, there is significant evidence that the Original Jesus Movement and well-known apostles became vegetarians. And furthermore, this vegetarianism of the disciples and Jesus Movement is fairly widely known and mentioned by the early church fathers. It's not that this information is coming from recently discovered writings dug up in the Middle East. Rather, these are old texts that have been with us since the early days of Christianity but didn't seem all that meaningful and significant to a pro-meat carnistic population. Vegetarians however would indeed be most interested finding this out!
EBook: Evidence That Jesus and The Original Aramaic Christians Were Vegetarians: "James was a vegetarian…." (Professor Robert Eisenman, James the Brother of Jesus) "James, the brother of the Lord, lived on seeds and plants and touched neither meat nor wine." (Epistulae ad Faustum XXII, 3) "The Apostle Matthew partook of seeds, and nuts, hard-shelled fruits, and vegetables, without flesh." (Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor, Book 2, Chapter 1) Peter said, "I live on olives and bread, to which I rarely only add vegetables." (Clementine Homilies 12,6; also see, Recognitions 7,6):
"Jacobus [James], the brother of Jesus, lived of seeds and vegetables and did not accept meat or wine." (Saint Augustine)
"The consumption of animal flesh was unknown up until the great flood. But since the great flood, we have had animal flesh stuffed into our mouths. Jesus, the Christ, who appeared when the time was fulfilled, again joined the end to the beginning, so that we are now no longer allowed to eat animal flesh." (pro-vegetarian early church father Hieronymus [St. Jerome] who apparently read the Gospel of the Hebrews and was influenced by Ebionite views)
"Sacrifices were invented by men to be a pretext for eating flesh." (Clement of Alexandria)
"The steam of meat meals darkens the spirit. One can hardly have virtue if one enjoys meat meals and feasts. In the earthly paradise [Eden], no one sacrificed animals, and no one ate meat." (Saint Basil the Great)
* Questions? Seeking information on how to be initiated into the meditation practice (Inner Light and Sound of God), or trying to locate a satsang meetup in your area of the world? Email me here: James (at) SpiritualAwakeningRadio (dot) com
All for the Love of Wisdom and Radio, Jai Sat Naam, Jai Guru, Radhasoami, Satya Raam, Bandagi Saheb, In Divine Love, Light and Sound, Peace Be To You,
James
Spiritual Awakening Radio
God is the Ocean of Love, and Souls are Drops from this Ocean.
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