Food

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends

Namaskar

Starting from plants, insects and animals upto human beings

all love food. Each person has his own likings and dislikings

but broadly speaking there are three kinds of foods enjoyed by

three categories of men. Among animals there are herbivores,

carnivores and the mixed. The herbivores,like the domestic

cattle, feed of food of plant origin and are calm in their

behaviour, whereas the carnivores like tigers and jackals

prey on herbivorous animals and are ferocious. Animals

those eat mixed food of both plant and animal origin, like

cats and dogs,are intermediate in their character.

Similar transition can also be found in the behaviour

of humans depending upon the kind of food they eat.

Since the body and the mind are products of food,

peaceful and Sattvic type of food will make a man

physically healthy and mentally peaceful,the Tamsic food

will make him wicked and restless.

 

Men of Sattva quality choose that food which promotes

the Divine virtues. Sweet and ripe fruits, fruit juices, dry

fruits and nut milk, curd butter, fresh garden vegetables,

bread cooked rice, peas, beans, daal etc are nutricious,

easily digestible and contain a lot of vitality.

They provide balanced nutrition in proteins and carbohydrates,

fats, minerals and vitamins. Carbohydrates and fats

provide enough energy, while nuts, beans

and milk provide ample proteins. Vegetables and fruits

being rich in vitamins and minerals aid digestion and

supply the roughage necessary for clean bowel movement.

This type of food is charged with Prana, the vital principle

of life, necessary for spiritual unfoldment. Sattvic food keeps

the body active, flexible and alert. It develops patience,

non-irritability, composure in sense organs, intelligence,

memory, mental calmness, concentration and inner happiness.

 

Rajsic people are passionately active and sense indulgent;

they prefer the foods those encourage sensuality. They do not relish

simple food.They love spices, salty, sour, pungent and bitter food.

While sattvic man eats slowly while Rajsic man eats all the

time in hurry. They eat too much spices in huge quantity

and suffer from indigestion and many kinds of disorder.

 

Spices when eaten in proportionate quantity, it works like

medicine in many diseases, but in large quantities have negative

effect on body and mind. Strong spices like mustard, asofoetida,

vinegar, garlic, onion, chillies etc. have therapeutic value.

When its huge quantity is used it disturbs the normal

physiologial process in the body.

 

Yogis believe that substances like garlic,mustard and onions

increase passion and irritability.

Excessive heating of the food affects the nutritive value.

Food which is fried and oil is used repeatedly that is harmful

because it contains toxic substances. Properly cooked food

digests easily.

 

Tamsic persons do not like sattvic or rajsic food. They

love animal flesh,insects and worms. They cook and keep it

for many days in order to make it stale or ferment it

which gives them a special taste and flavour. They love

alcohol,tobacco and opium. Their minds are dull and inactive,

right and wrong,day and night make no differene to them.

Their food is devoid of all good qualities.It does not help

in spiritual evolution.

 

With Regards

Teji

[Guest guest]

>

> Starting from plants, insects and animals upto human beings

> all love food. Each person has his own likings and dislikings

> but broadly speaking there are three kinds of foods enjoyed by

> three categories of men. Among animals there are herbivores,

> carnivores and the mixed. The herbivores,like the domestic

> cattle, feed of food of plant origin and are calm in their

> behaviour, whereas the carnivores like tigers and jackals

> prey on herbivorous animals and are ferocious. Animals

> those eat mixed food of both plant and animal origin, like

> cats and dogs,are intermediate in their character.

 

the term herbivore is a misnomer - in fact all herbivores are also

insectivores, and derive much of their nutrition and protein needs from

munching down mouthfuls of squirming, squiggling bugs that call these

plants their home

 

further, from simple observation, i wonder how anyone could suggest

that herbivores are more sattvic

who has seen ruminants such as mountain goats during the rut - males

will engage in life threatening demonstrations of their physical

prowess by running full tilt at each other's head, all for sex (a

supposedly tamasic pursuit) - when one of the herd gets pulled down by

a predator, do any of the animals help out to protect the young or old?

no, they stand there and watch, or run away...

 

in contrast, carnivores such as wolves could be seen to be the epitomy

of communal living, with a firmly established hierarchy of extended

family members and often adoptees that is much closer to human society,

in which each member contributes to the same task of benefiting the

entire tribe - besides which, who can say a mother or father wolf

lolling about in the grass with their little cubs is tamasic?

 

anyone can make an argument from any one piece of information, but like

the sage Atreya told the first council on ayurveda, "one cannot attain

true knowledge without shunning one’s bias for a partial aspect of the

truth"

 

i would consider all these animals to be sattvic because they know

their dharma, and don't suffer from the confused human tendency to make

irrelevant value judgments that get in the way of being the essence of

oneSelf

 

Caldecott

todd

www.toddcaldecott.com