VEGETARIAN AND
NON-VEGETARIAN

 
In the early years of Beloved Baba's stay at Guruprasad, all the food for Him and the mandali came from Bindra House. But Baba called more and more people to stay for lunch, and the pressure on Naja and the family to provide the food, became too much of a burden. So Baba decided that only His food should come from Bindra House, and the rest was to come from an outside source. Jal Dorabji offered to send the food, and Baba accepted the offer, but insisted that some payment be made. This was set at Rs. l per head, and delicious meals of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes were hence provided.

One day Baba expressed tiredness, and announcing that He was retiring, told all there to have their lunch. Now our Parsi community is fond of jokes and pranks, and Nariman and Meherji decided to tease Sadshiv Patel, a Hindu by birth and therefore vegetarian. So as they went to the lunch, they lightly prodded Patel, saying, 'Patel, why are you still eating vegetarian food?! You have been with Baba for so many years, and you still cling to your vegetarian food! Come on, have a change, have some non-vegetarian food.'

Patel said, 'No, it is not religious scruples that make me stick to this food, but from my childhood I have never eaten non-vegetarian food, and it just doesn't appeal to me. But if you want me to do so, then I'll have some right now.'

Nariman and Meherji immediately backed off, saying, 'No, no we are only teasing you. We are not serious.'

But Eruch, sitting nearby writing letters, overheard the conversation, and when Baba returned to the Hall, brought up the subject of food. You know, when Beloved Baba would come into the Mandali Hall and sit, He would then fold His hands to us, and gesture to us to sit down. And sometimes as He folded His hands, such beautiful hands, I would see an expression of pensive sadness, and I would think: there is the very Heart of eternity, and I do not have the courage to enter it.

After Eruch had narrated what had been said about food, Baba replied, 'No one sitting here is so very important that God is standing behind your chair watching what you are eating.' These were His very words. On the spiritual Path vegetarian and non-vegetarian food has no meaning at all — except that a vegetarian should not take pride in that, nor a non-vegetarian look down on a vegetarian.