How Sathya Sai teachings are inspiring a shift toward plant-based practices

Sri Sathya Sai Organisations operate within a spiritual, volunteer-driven framework cantered on unity, inclusiveness, and non-imposition. They have started to introduce changes to food practices at local centre and regional levels, through devotees’ initiatives. For example, Region 7 in the UK held celebrations to mark the Centennial of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, where the lunch was fully vegan. Although the Sri Sathya Sai Organisation UK notes that serving a vegan diet is not mandatory, many events clearly label vegan food options - meals free from all animal-derived ingredients such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. These initiatives, like the Ceiling on Desires programme, are rooted in environmental responsibility yet they carry a deeply spiritual purpose, encouraging choices rooted in human values.

Environmental science and the data tell us that in order to address global ecological breakdown systematically, we need to end animal agriculture first and end fossil fuel use second. This is based on systems engineering – the approach needed to bring together work of scientists working on different aspects of the Earth’s life support systems such as biochemical flows, freshwater, ocean acidification, ozone depletion and climate change.

Challenges turned into opportunities

The term vegetarian traditionally referred to a diet that excluded all animal flesh, including meat, poultry, and fish. Over time, however, the word has been stretched and diluted, with some people including fish, eggs, or heavy dairy use within a so-called “vegetarian” diet. This shifting definition has created confusion and led to the emergence of a clearer term: veganism—a fully plant-based diet that excludes all animal products, including dairy and eggs.

Adopting a plant-based diet is now recognised as one of the simplest and most effective personal actions we can take in the face of the climate crisis. Modern animal agriculture is a major driver of greenhouse-gas emissions, deforestation, water depletion, and biodiversity loss. In contrast, plant foods generally require far less land, energy and water, and they produce significantly fewer emissions. By shifting even part of one’s diet toward plant-based options, we reduce pressure on forests, cut methane from livestock, and free up land for ecosystem restoration and carbon absorption. In a world urgently seeking climate solutions, choosing plant-based meals is a practical and compassionate step available to everyone right now.

There is a long-standing use of dairy in Indian devotional traditions (prasadam, yagnas), seen as sattvic and spiritually pure. This mainly stems from the belief that cow milk is essential for health and nutrition. In India, some of 45% of all milk is from water buffalos and 55% from cows. Next to Sathya Sai Baba’s ashram there is a dairy farm called Gokulam. I first visited it in 1988 with my family and then in 1993 with two other consultants (Adam Slee and Ashok Shekdar) to examine waste management practices in Sri Sathya Sai institutions. In Gokulam, they had a total livestock of some 260, comprising cows, bulls and calves. There were also two anaerobic digesters (i.e. biogas plants) which produced energy from the livestock slurry and recycled the organic rich residue back to land – environmentally sound solutions!

Mahatma Gandhi’s commitment to pure vegetarianism was so strong that he refused even milk, believing it violated the principle of ahimsa. When he fell seriously ill in 1917, with dysentery, his family and doctors urged him to take milk as a restorative food, but he initially resisted. Eventually, convinced that his survival depended on it, he accepted goat’s milk—a compromise he viewed with reluctance and even guilt, since he had earlier vowed to avoid any animal’s milk. The reason for choosing goat’s milk was after choosing to fully tend to goat’s needs and only to take the milk after its baby kid was provided.

At the time, neither he nor the medical community understood the role of vitamin B12, which had not yet been discovered. Today, we know that long-term B12 deficiency can contribute to weakness and digestive problems but it can be easily obtained through supplements or fortified foods. Mahatma Gandhi’s struggle reflected both his moral consistency and the limited nutritional knowledge of his era.

In nature, cows would normally get B12 from bacteria in their gut if they graze on soil (containing trace quantities of Cobalt). But modern farming tend to keep cows indoors and often given grain-based diets, which do not provide enough B12. As such cattle feeds are supplemented with Cobalt or in some cases cows are injected with B12. This means that much of the B12 people get by consuming animal products is from supplements given to animals, not from nature. It also shows that humans can just as effectively and safely take B12 directly, without relying on animals as intermediary.

His Message of Love

Sri Sathya Sai Baba emphasised compassion for all beings, and this was evident in His care for the cows at Gokulam. When asked to send non-producing cows to a gaushala, He refused, saying they were part of the family and could not be abandoned simply because they were no longer “useful.” For Him, their worth was rooted not in productivity but in love, responsibility, and the sanctity of all life. His example taught that true care continues even when it is no longer convenient, and that every being deserves dignity throughout its life.

Modern dairy production stands in stark contrast to this principle, involving calf separation, confinement, repeated impregnation, and the early slaughter of young and “spent” cows. Such industrial practices differ greatly from the gentle village dairying of the past and conflict with Swami’s values of love and non-violence. Because dairy and suffering have become so intertwined, it is timely for Sai Organisations to move toward plant-based alternatives that better honour His teachings.

Many are unaware that a significant share of beef in countries such as the United States, Indian subcontinent, and parts of Europe comes from spent dairy cattle. Once milk yields drop, these cows are often slaughtered for low-grade ground beef, commonly used by fast-food chains like McDonald’s. This economic link between dairy and beef is what enables cheap burgers at fast food outlets.

Given that human values such as love, truth, and non-violence lie at the heart of the Sathya Sai Education in Human Values programme, embracing compassion toward cows should come naturally. Swami also taught Ceiling on Desires, Love for All Beings, and Unity of Thought, Word, and Deed - and every devotional meeting ends with the prayer, “Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu,” a reminder that our choices should contribute to the happiness of all beings in all worlds.

The way forward

It is entirely possible to offer traditional prasadams such as kheer (using plant based ghee, made from soya butter) in fully vegan forms without altering the sanctity or spirit of the rituals. Such products allow offerings to remain familiar while being free from harm. Since prasadam is ultimately symbolic and rooted in intention rather than specific ingredients, adopting compassionate, non-violent alternatives allows the Organisation to lead by example in a way that many others are looking to emulate. In the same spirit, serving plant-based meals in Narayana Seva beautifully reflects Swami’s teaching that feeding the poor is feeding God Himself, making vegan food a natural expression of “love in action”.

(Dr Prabodh Mistry is a Biochemical/Environmental Engineer. Undertook ‘Climate Reality Training’ given by Al Gore in 2024. Interested in values, ethics and spirituality. YouTube: https://youtu.be/r53lYOQZaMA)