Vegetarianism and Occultism by C. W. Leadbeater was published by the Theosophical Society in 1913. Although things are much better a little over a century later, still there is far to go to realize the ideals set forth in the full article. The author’s words may seem intense–but so is the subject. And they merit serious consideration.
Leadbeater begins the article with six reasons for the superiority of a vegetarian diet from a purely physical/health standpoint, which include the following:
- More Nutriment
- Less Disease
- More Natural to Man
- Greater Strength
- Less Animal Passion
- Economy
He then follows with ethical, mental, and spiritual reasons. As an introduction to the article, we list the first of his health reasons. You can read the full article here.
The nutritional value of a vegetarian diet
First: Because vegetables contain more nutriment than an equal amount of flesh.
This will sound a surprising and incredible statement to many people. It must be clearly understood that this is not a question of habit, or of sentiment, or of prejudice; it is simply a question of plain fact. There are four elements necessary in food, all of them essential to the repair and the upbuilding of the body:
- Proteids or nitrogenous foods;
- carbohydrates;
- hydro-carbons or fats;
- salts.
This is the classification usually accepted among physiologists, although some recent investigations are tending to modify it to a certain extent.
Now there is no question that all of these elements exist to a greater extent in vegetables than they do in flesh. For instance, milk, cream, cheese, nuts, peas and beans contain a large percentage of proteids or nitrogenous matter. Wheat, oats, rice and other grains, fruits and most of the vegetables (except perhaps peas, beans, and lentils) consist mainly of the carbohydrates–that is, of starches and sugars. The hydro-carbons, or fats, are found in nearly all the proteid foods, and can also be taken in the form of butter or of oils. The salts are found practically in all food to a greater or less extent. They are of the utmost importance in the maintenance of the body tissues, and what is called saline starvation is the cause of many diseases.
A man was hired by jealous Brahmin pandits to poison Sri Brahma Chaitanya of Gondawali because of his open attitudes and ways. Knowing that if he refused the offered poison the man’s intention to kill him would be revealed and he would be punished, Sri Brahma Chaitanya took the poison and swallowed it. Seeing this, the man fled in terror. By his yoga powers the saint did not die, but he developed chronic asthma.
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