Abstemiousness means being moderate in eating and drinking. I strengthen it by exercising willpower when I am tempted to eat too much. Eating a vegetarian diet has a moderating impact not only on the body, but on the environment as well. The opposite is gluttony.§
Comparing the actions of one who is abstemious to one who is gluttonous§ |
||
|---|---|---|
Situation§ |
Abstemiousness§ |
Gluttony§ |
At a party with a large assortment of desserts, you…§ |
partake of just a few.§ |
indulge by eating some of each and later don’t feel well.§ |
When invited to enjoy a fresh burger at a neighbor’s barbeque, you…§ |
work out a veggie option with your host.§ |
devour the meat, knowing it’s not the best thing for your health§ |
In snacking while watching television, you…§ |
refrain from eating the snacks after a half hour.§ |
keep eating the snacks all evening and soon find you are gaining weight.§ |
Gurudeva observed: “Overeating repels one from spiritual sadhana, because the body becomes slothful and lazy, having to digest so much food and run it through its system.… A vegetarian diet creates the right chemistry for spiritual life. Other diets create a different chemistry, which affects your endocrine glands and your entire system all day long. A vegetarian diet helps your system all day long. Food is chemistry, and chemistry affects consciousness; and if our goal is higher consciousness, we have to provide the chemistry that evokes it.”§
ASSIGNMENT: For the next two weeks, when tempted to eat or drink too much, restrain that desire by using your willpower, eating and drinking a reasonable amount.§
Date you began this assignment: ____________________§
MY THOUGHTS ON THE BENEFITS OF ABSTEMIOUSNESS: 
§
