Sri
Sri Ravi Shankar’s address at Annam Brahm,
an event that showcased 5,600 vegetarian food items. This initiative also brought to the forefront the unifying power of
food. People of all religions participated in this event with the aim to
showcase the unique cuisines from different communities.
Sri Sri:
“We are part of a Smashta Jeevan - An individual human
being is connected to the whole universe, with all its life forms. Birds,
animals and the life of people should be respected. When we care for nature,
nature cares for us. It makes us complete and completeness is the basis of a
human being. We need to take care of plants and animals. One of the most divine
expressions is to plant a tree. Then we need to take care of people. Ladies
while cooking should take out one handful of grains everyday and once a week or
once a month should feed the poor. It is said that two to three hundred years
back, there was not even one poor or hungry person in India. Such a complete
and capable country we had.
Once again we must resurrect this
country to that state. We should all work towards this.
Life
without joy,
Heart
without compassion,
Mind
without imagination,
And
Intellect without intuition is incomplete.
Life is all celebration. Celebration
happens when all come together, and a society without celebration is no good.
Gujarat is
full of celebration. The amount of dance people do out here, one will hardly
find anywhere else in the world. The whole of Gujarat rises to dance during Navratras.
We are having Diwali. Greeting
each other and singing with each other, we light the lamps on Diwali and
celebrate. A single lamp is not enough, and we have to light the lamp in every
field. Let the light shine on spiritual, social, financial and all other fields
– This is the message for Diwali. While involving in daily activities, we do
get upset with each other, we get upset and we make others also upset. But how
long can you burn in that fire? Diwali is a time to drop everything and start
afresh. That is why in this region, Diwali is immediately followed by the New
Year. So, on this occasion my wish for everybody is to have the light of wisdom
and spirituality in their lives, and the waves of joy keep rising in all
hearts.
Today
is Annam Brahma – the topic is food.
It is said in all our Upanishads that
Food is Brahma, and one should honor it. Like they say "Jaisa ann vaisa
mann" – The state of your mind depends on your diet. Pure vegetarian
food keeps our mind perfect, intellect sharp and body fit. That is why
many scientists today are switching to vegetarianism.
We offer prayers before eating. The food that we eat absorbs the vibrations. Respecting food means respecting farmers, we should always keep in mind that the one who is producing food should always be happy, because that is the origin of the thought cycle. This is our beautiful tradition, with such deep science behind. Food makes us experience the chaitanya (the consciousness), that is why it is called Brahman.
India is famous for its contribution in seven spheres. First is the variety of clothing available. Then is the huge variety of food. After this comes Nritya and Sangeet (Dance and Music) – India is being recognized in these fields also. Then comes tourism - Pravaas Udhyog, and the I.T Industry, and of course India is making its name in the field of Spirituality - Knowledge industry. Like this, India has made an extraordinary mark in these seven spheres. We have to popularize it. It is very important today. These things should be recognized as a world heritage.
© The Art of Living Foundation
