Sri Sathya Sai Speaks

While taking our food, if we use exciting words, such ideas which are related to these exciting words will sprout in us also. The lesson that we should learn is that when we take our bath, when we sit for dhyana or when we take our food, we should not think of other activities and other ideas. Too much talk, while we take our food, will also cause harm to us. We should not give room to any kind of talk when we take our food. With a happy heart and with a sacred word, we must undertake to utter this particular verse and then take our food. In this way, whatever has been offered to Brahman will become the prasad which comes to us as a gift of Brahman. The meaning of the verse is that God Himself, who is in a human form in you, is taking the food. Therefore, this changes our food into food for God. While taking food, we should not be excited, and we should not get into passion, but we should eat very peacefully. Even if we cannot perform japa, thapa or yagas, at least if we take care to see that we eat in this manner, we will develop good ideas. The nature of the fire will determine the type of smoke that comes out. The kind of smoke that comes out will determine the type of cloud that it forms. The type of cloud that is formed will determine the type of rain which the cloud yields. The type of rain determines the harvest. The kind of harvest determines the food that we get out of it. The kind of food we eat will determine our ideas. For all our ideas, it is our food that is responsible. If we eat sathwik food, sitting in a clean place, we will have clean ideas by eating that food. There will thus be a good possibility of our getting spiritual ideas.