The Saint-Scientist Vallalar has a precise answer for what you came here for, which is why spiritual people are vegetarian. You have likely felt that there is a connection between what you eat and how you feel, not just physically, but on a much deeper level. Below, you will learn about the science of spiritual physiology that Vallalar taught β and the three-stage transformation of the human body that he claimed depends on it.
Much writing about spiritual diet stays at the level of ethics or personal purity. While many traditions connect vegetarianism to non-harming, Vallalar presented a reason that is categorically different: it is a prerequisite for the physical transmutation of the body into light. To understand why this matters, we need to look at the man who claimed it.
The Life and Teachings of Vallalar
Ramalinga Swamigal, known as Vallalar, was a 19th-century Tamil mystic whose collected writings, the Thiru Arutpa, remain one of the most extraordinary spiritual records ever produced. His life was filled with remarkable feats β though he dismissed anything supernatural, insisting that everything he did was a science. He demonstrated an ability to heal the sick, bilocate, and live without food for long periods. On January 30, 1874, accounts from those present record that he locked himself in a room in Mettukuppam and was never seen again β his body never found. This event is documented by government records and by British Collector John Henry Garstin.
Spiritual Physiology: The Body as a Conductor for Grace-Light
For Vallalar, the choice to eat only plants is not a dietary preference or a moral stance. It is a matter of spiritual physiology. He taught that the human body is an instrument designed to receive and embody a divine force he called Arut Perum Jyothi, the Vast Grace-Light.
In his work Nithya Karma Vidhi (Rules for Daily Practice), he specified which plant foods were most conducive to this process. His reasoning was direct: eating flesh makes the physical body too dense. It clogs the subtle, non-physical channels known as nadis, through which the grace-light must flow.
A body hardened by a diet of flesh cannot become a vessel for this light. The plant-based diet is the first step in preparing the physical container, making it subtle and pure enough for the immense work of transformation to begin. It is the groundwork for creating what he called the deathless body.
Why Spiritual People Are Vegetarian According to Vallalar
The density caused by meat consumption is only part of the equation. Vallalar taught that food is not just substance; it is information. The flesh of an animal carries the energetic imprint of the fear and pain it experienced at the moment of its death. Consuming that flesh introduces those vibrations of suffering directly into the human system.
These imprints of fear and violence actively obstruct the flow of compassion and light. They work directly against the very qualities a spiritual practitioner seeks to cultivate. This is why Vallalar insisted that the entire path is founded on Jeeva Karunyam β active, boundless compassion toward all living beings. Vallalar taught that none of the advanced techniques can take root without Jeeva Karunyam, which is the practice of preventing suffering in other living beings.
A plant-based diet is the physical expression of Jeeva Karunyam. It aligns oneβs daily, physical actions with the highest spiritual principle. To practice compassion while consuming the result of another beingβs suffering was, in his science, a fundamental contradiction that would halt all progress.
The Three Stages of a Body Transformed by Light
The ultimate purpose of this compassionate diet and the associated practices is the complete transmutation of the physical body. Vallalar documented a three-stage process, which he himself underwent, turning the mortal body into an immortal body of light.
First is the Suddha Deham, or Pure Body. This stage is achieved through a strict adherence to Jeeva Karunyam, a plant-based diet, and sincere devotion. The physical body becomes free from disease, the aging process slows dramatically, and the skin takes on a natural luster. It becomes a perfected, healthy human form.
Next is the Pranava Deham, or Primal Body. As the practitioner deepens their connection to the grace-light, the physical body becomes increasingly subtle. It is said to become almost translucent, sustained more by Arut Perum Jyothi than by physical food. Accounts from those who knew Vallalar state that in this stage, his body no longer cast a shadow.
The final stage is the Gnana Deham, or Wisdom Body. Here, the physical form dissolves completely, merging into the Vast Grace-Light. This is the deathless body, a perfected form made of pure consciousness and light. This ultimate transformation is what witnesses and government officials documented in 1874. While this process has parallels in other traditions, like the Rainbow Body of Tibetan Buddhism, Vallalarβs detailed, scientific path remains distinct.
The central practice for drawing the grace-light into a body prepared by diet and compassion is the constant recitation of the Mahamantra:
AruαΉ Perum JΕti β AruαΉ Perum JΕti β
TaαΉi Perum KaruαΉai β AruαΉ Perum JΕti
The Vast Grace-Light. The Vast Grace-Light.
The Incomparable Great Compassion. The Vast Grace-Light.
One Concrete Action to Begin Today
This teaching can feel immense, but the starting point is simple and physical. The work does not begin with esoteric practice, but with what is on your plate.
Replace one animal-based meal today with a plant-based option from Vallalarβs Nithya Karma Vidhi. Choose simple, sattvic foods like rice, lentils, gourds, or stem vegetables like drumstick (moringa). As you eat, do so with the intention of preparing your body to be a clearer vessel. Notice any subtle shift in your physical lightness or mental clarity afterward. This is the beginning of a personal experiment in spiritual physiology.
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