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buy this rice at a cheaper rate and save some money?' Why do you inquire, Guruji?"
"My student is not keeping well today, so I thought it must have been the impact of the grain he received today. Please be careful of the quality of the food you buy and offer to your family as well as to the monks. It must be for your nourishment, for your healthy living life."
In this way, the Master discovered that not only was the student suffering from the heaviness of the inferior quality of stale rice, but also from the vibrations of greed which the rupee-pinching owner had experienced at the time of buying, cooking, and offering it.
Munishree learned to use the upayoga of eating as an occasion to watch closely which foods he could digest easily and which foods he could not. He observed the way in which his digestive and eliminative system worked until he saw the minute interrelationships among various parts of the body. He found that the system needed at least three hours of space between meals in order that all food be completely digested. He used the practice of fasting to cleanse the body and give the digestive system a rest.
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The sixth lesson in upayoga was "Jayam bhāsanto when you talk, watch your communication with awareness. Be aware of each thought before you verbalize it. Then no harsh or bitter word can pass from your lips. Use only those words which bring honor and glory to life. The words you use for others come back to you. If you want to know the noble or ignoble character of a person, only listen to his manner of speaking when he is in a mood to argue or fight."
In silence, Munishree watched the way in which people often exchanged only words without feelings. It was as if people interacted as strangers at the inn, meeting and parting without any deep connection. He was particularly aware of this, because in silence he had built up a great well of feeling and energy within. He had conserved so much energy which he normally would have expended in words that when he did emerge from silence, his words were accompanied by an
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