Spiritual Master Wayne Teasdale

October 2004. Brother Wayne Teasdale has died after a long battle with cancer. A service will be held Saturday, October 23, at 9:30 am at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Bede Griffiths Association (For Wayne Teasdale Grant), C/O John Douglas, Treasurer, Bede Griffiths Association, P.O. Box 851521, Richardson, TX 75085-1521.

Although Brother Wayne is no longer with us physically, his wisdom and the interspirituality movement that he inspired live on and grow daily. Dr. William ("Bill") Hayashi, a professor at Columbia College (Chicago) and multi-traditional practitioner, is a long time friend and associate of Brother Wayne. He offers us this story for inspiration and reflection:

"The most powerful memory I have of Brother Wayne was after a meditation/prayer session with him in the hospital. He shared with me that he had had a vision: He was a Buddhist monk living in a mountain monestery. He had gone too close to the cliff and had fallen over. At first he was very frightened, but then he relaxed and realized that it would be all right. He told me he was fine when he reached bottom."

Brother Wayne Teasdale was a lay monk who combined the traditions of Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism in the way of the Christian sannyasa. A teacher and activist in building common ground among the world's religions, he served on the board of trustees of the Parliament of the World's Religions. As a member of the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, he helped draft their Universal Declaration of Nonviolence. He was also committed to the cause of a free Tibet.

Teasdale was an adjunct professor at DePaul University, Columbia College, and the Catholic Theological Union, and co-ordinator of the Bede Griffiths Trust. He held an M.A. in philosophy from St. Joseph University and a Ph. D. in theology from Fordham University. He lived at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Vegetarian food & Sattvic Diet importance in Spirituality

Ramana Maharshi - Vegetarian food & Sattvic Diet importance in Spirituality

Question : What about diet?


Ramana Maharshi : Food affects the mind. For the practice of any kind of yoga, vegetarianism is absolutely necessary since it makes the mind more sattvic [pure and harmonious].




Question : Could one receive spiritual illumination while eating flesh foods?


Ramana Maharshi : Yes, but abandon them gradually and accustom yourself to sattvic foods. However, once you have attained illumination it will make less difference what you eat, as, on a great fire, it is immaterial what fuel is added.




Question : We Europeans are accustomed to a particular diet and a change of diet affects the health and weakens the mind. Is it not necessary to keep up one's physical health?


Ramana Maharshi : Quite necessary. The weaker the body the stronger the mind grows.




Question : In the absence of our usual diet our health suffers and the mind loses strength.


Ramana Maharshi : What do you mean by strength of mind?




Question : The power to eliminate worldly attachment.


Ramana Maharshi : The quality of food influences the mind. The mind feeds on the food consumed.




Question : Really! Then how can Europeans adjust themselves to sattvic food only?


Ramana Maharshi  : Habit is only adjustment to the environment. It is the mind that matters. The fact is that the mind has been trained to think certain foods tasty and good. The food material is to be had both in vegetarian and non-vegetarian diet equally well. But the mind desires such food as it is accustomed to and considers tasty.




Question : Are there restrictions for the realized man with regard to food?


Ramana Maharshi : No. He is steady and not influenced by the food he takes.




Question: Is it not killing life to prepare meat diet?


Ramana Maharshi : Ahimsa [non-violence] stands foremost in the code of discipline for the yogis.




Question : Even plants have life.


Ramana Maharshi : So too the slabs you sit on!




Question : May we gradually get ourselves accustomed to vegetarian food?


Ramana Maharshi : Yes. That is the way.




Question : Is it harmless to continue smoking?


Ramana Maharshi : No, for tobacco is a poison. It is better to do without it. It is good that you have given up smoking. Men are enslaved by tobacco and cannot give it up. But tobacco only gives a temporary stimulation to which there must be a reaction with craving for more. It is also not good for meditation practice.




Question : Do you recommend that meat and alcoholic drinks be given up?


Ramana Maharshi : It is advisable to give them up because this abstention is a useful aid for beginners. The difficulty in surrendering them does not arise because they are really necessary, but merely because we have become inured by custom and habit to them.




Question : Generally speaking, what are the rules of conduct which an aspirant should follow?


Ramana Maharshi : Moderation in food, moderation in sleep and moderation in speech.

Vegetarianism And Spirituality

"Most Merciful shows mercy to those who have mercy on others.Show mercy to those on earth,and the One above the heaven will show mercy to you."

                                                                                 -  Prophet Mohammed



"Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet"

                                                                                  -Albert Einstein 



"If a man eats meat, he will take on the qualities of the animal he eats and once those qualities enter , the man's anger, his hastiness, and his animal qualities will increase. If he does not kill anthing on the inside he will not kill anything on the inside he will not kill anything on the outside."

                                                                                 - Bawa Muhaiyaddeen 



“Our food is not just food: it is you. What you eat, you become. If you eat something which is fundamentally based on murder, on violence, you cannot rise above the law of necessity. You will remain more or less an animal. The human is born when you start moving above the animals, when you start doing something to yourself which no animal can do. Vegetarianism is a conscious effort, a deliberate effort, to get out of the heaviness that keeps you tethered to the earth so that you can fly — so that the flight from the alone to the alone becomes possible. The lighter the food, the deeper goes the meditation”

                                                                                   – Osho



“If a man can control his body and mind and thereby refrains from eating animal flesh and wearing animal products, I say he will really be liberated.”

                                                                                    – The Buddha, Surangama Sutra

“Oh, my fellow men, do not defile your bodies with sinful foods. We have corn, we have apples bending down the branches with their weight, and grapes swelling on the vines. There are sweet-flavored herbs, and vegetables which can be cooked and softened over the fire, nor are you denied milk or thyme-scented honey. The earth affords a lavish supply of riches, of innocent foods, and offers you banquets that involve no bloodshed or slaughter; only beasts satisfy their hunger with flesh, and not even all of those, because horses, cattle, and sheep live on grass.”

                                                                                       - Pythagorus



“It is significant to note that those who live on vegetarian food are less prone to diseases, whereas non-vegetarians are subject to more diseases. Why? Because animal food is incompatible with the needs of the human body.”

                                                                                        -Sri Sathya Sai Baba



“It ill becomes us to invoke in our daily prayers the blessings of God, the Compassionate, if we in turn will not practice elementary compassion towards our fellow creatures.”

                                                                                         -Mahatma Gandhi



“Would you kill your pet dog or cat to eat it? How about an animal you're not emotionally attached to? Is the thought of slaughtering a cow or chicken or pig with your own hands too much to handle? Instead, would hiring a hit-man to do the job give you enough distance from the emotional discomfort? What animal did you put a contract out on for your supper last night? Did you at least make sure that none went to waste and to take a moment to be grateful for its sacrifice?"

                                                                                           -Anonymous

“Truly man is the king of beasts, for his brutality exceeds theirs. We live by the death of others: we are burial places! I have from an early age abjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men such as I will look on the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men.”

                                                                                            -Leonardo da Vinci

10 Tips For Spiritual Growth

Spiritual growth is the process of inner awakening, and becoming conscious our inner being. It means the rising of the consciousness beyond the ordinary existence, and awakening to some Universal truths. It means going beyond the mind and the ego and realizing who you really are.
Spiritual growth is a process of shedding our wrong and unreal conceptions, thoughts, beliefs and ideas, and becoming more and more conscious and aware of our inner being. This process uncovers the inner spirit that is always present, but hidden beyond the ego-personality.
Spiritual growth is of great importance for everyone, not only for people who seek spiritual enlightenment and choose to live in far away or secluded places. Spiritual growth is the basis for a better and more harmonious life for everyone, a life free of tension, fear and anxiety.
By discovering who we really are we take a different approach to life. We learn not to let outer circumstances influence our inner being and state of mind. We manifest composure and detachment, and we develop inner power and strength, all of which are very useful and important tools.
Spiritual growth is not a means for escaping from responsibilities, behaving strangely and becoming an impractical person. It is a method of growing and becoming a stronger, happier and more responsible person.
You can walk on the path of spiritual growth, and at the same time live the same kind of life as everyone else. You do not have to live a secluded life in some far away place. You can raise a family, work or run a business, and yet at the same time engage in practices that lead to inner growth.
A balanced life requires that we take care not only of the necessities of the body, feelings and mind, but also of the spirit, and this is the role of spiritual growth.
10 tips for spiritual growth:
1. Read spiritual and uplifting books. Think about what you read, and find out how you can use the information in your life.
2. Meditate for at least 15 minutes every day. If you do not know how to meditate, it is easy to find books, websites or teachers who can teach you meditation.
3. Learn to make your mind quiet through concentration exercises and meditation.
4. Acknowledge the fact that you are a spirit with a physical body, not a physical body with a spirit. If you can really accept this idea, it will change your attitude towards many things in your life.
5. Look often into yourself and into your mind, and try to find out what is it that makes you feel conscious and alive.
6. Think positive. If you find yourself thinking negatively, immediately switch to thinking positively. Be in control of what enters your mind. Open the door for the positive and close it for the negative.
7. Develop the happiness habit, by always looking at the bright side of life and endeavoring to be happy. Happiness comes from within. Do not let your outer circumstances decide your happiness for you.
8. Exercise often your will power and decision making ability. This strengthens you and gives you control over your mind.
9. Thank the Universe for everything that you get.
10. Develop tolerance, patience, tact and consideration for others.
Spiritual growth is the birthright of everyone. It is the key to a life of happiness and peace of mind, and the manifesting the enormous power of the inner spirit. This spirit is equally present within the most material person, and within the most spiritual person. The level of the manifestation of spirituality is dependent on how much the inner spirit is close to the surface, and on how much it is covered and hidden, by thoughts, beliefs and negative habits.