garlic and onion

August 12, 2004

Wherfrom come the rule not to eat garlic and onion?

I can understand that meet, fish and egs should not be eaten, but why garlic and

onion?

Alexandra

August 12, 2004

I've read and heard that some Brahmins will not consume Garlic and Onions

because they are polluting. Why??? Well eat them and smell yourself obviously!

hahaha

In a message dated 8/12/2004 12:45:24 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

alexandra_108 writes:

Wherfrom come the rule not to eat garlic and onion?

I can understand that meet, fish and egs should not be eaten, but why garlic

and onion?

Alexandra

August 12, 2004

Whilst living in Bengal with various families I noted that during Ekadasi,

many people although not fasting will consume only veg food, if they usually eat

meat.

As far as meat eating and Shaktism go....I got teased a lot for being a

vegetarian Kali worshipper! Eventually I started eating meat simply out of

hunger.

Most Bengalis eat meat and if I stayed vegetarian while living there I would

have gone hungry quite a lot eventually I just gave in and went with the flow

of things. Plus, it is no secret that Kali Ma likes blood sacrifice.

After the slaying of goats/chickens etc. they become holy prasad and I chose

not to pass it up.

In a message dated 8/12/2004 2:25:49 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

kalipadma writes:

Shaktas fast for particular religious reasons, or to have astrological

effects, but not generally on Ekadasi days. (I was practicing a fast

every Tuesday for several months, to offset a bad Mars transit, for

example.)

August 12, 2004

alexandra_108 wrote: Where from come the rule not to eat garlic and

onion? I can understand that meet, fish and eggs should not be eaten,

but why garlic and onion?

Where do you get your information that we should not eat meat, fish

and eggs? And where do you get the information too that we should not

ear garlic and onion. I think You are asking the question in a wrong

group, vegetarian group is the best place to ask such question dont

you think?

I know an Iyer who does not take anything that grows underground. And

There are a lot of medicinal properties in garlic. Want to know more

look for a book on this. There are plenty out there.

Onion I am told, increases your libido. So for those who are celibate

or people who cannot control their sexual drive, Onion is a big NO!

NO!. This is mother nature gift to us [ so how can it be bad?], at

least better then taking Viagra.

August 12, 2004

Alexandra is assuming that the food restrictions common to Vaishnava

Hindus apply to all Hindus. They don't. Most of the members of Shakti

Sadhana, if they practice Hinduism, are Shaktas. We Shaktas have

different views about food.

Vaishnavas, generally, are strict lacto-vegetarians. (NOT Vegans!

Vaishnavas will often eat milk products, honey, and other animal-derived

foods. They just avoid flesh, fish, and eggs.) There are restrictions

on eating certain root vegetables like garlic and onions, perhaps (as

Nora suggests) because they "inflame sexual passion." In recipes that

call for garlic or onions, Vaishnavas will substitute Hing, an herb

called Asafetida (or Devil's Dung) in the West.

Vaishnavas also fast twice each lunar month, on the Ekadasi days

(eleventh day after the Full or New Moon).

We Shaktas (like all observant Hindus) will not eat beef. The cow (and

bull) symbolize Mother Earth, and are never slaughtered for food. (They

are milked, however, providing us with butter, cheese, yogurt, etc.)

Chosing to eat any other flesh foods is left to the individual. Even

vegetarian Shaktas will eat prasad (leftovers from a puja) during

Navaratri or Kali Puja, because in many Kali and Durga temples, goats,

chickens, and an occasional waterbufflo are sacrificed to the Goddess.

Shaktas fast for particular religious reasons, or to have astrological

effects, but not generally on Ekadasi days. (I was practicing a fast

every Tuesday for several months, to offset a bad Mars transit, for

example.)

-- Len/ Kalipadma

On Thu, 12 Aug 2004 04:14:22 -0000 "N. Madasamy"

<ashwini_puralasamy writes:

> alexandra_108 wrote: Where from come the rule not to eat garlic and

> onion? I can understand that meet, fish and eggs should not be

> eaten,

> but why garlic and onion?

>

> Where do you get your information that we should not eat meat, fish

> and eggs? And where do you get the information too that we should

> not

> ear garlic and onion. I think You are asking the question in a wrong

>

> group, vegetarian group is the best place to ask such question dont

> you think?

>

> I know an Iyer who does not take anything that grows underground.

> And

> There are a lot of medicinal properties in garlic. Want to know more

>

> look for a book on this. There are plenty out there.

>

> Onion I am told, increases your libido. So for those who are

> celibate

> or people who cannot control their sexual drive, Onion is a big NO!

> NO!. This is mother nature gift to us [ so how can it be bad?], at

> least better then taking Viagra.

>

______________

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August 12, 2004

"Where do you get your information that we should not eat meat, fish and eggs?

And where do you get the information too that we should not ear garlic and

onion."

Hinduism has a vegetarian tradition, so some Hindus do not eat meet, eggs, fish,

they say it it tamasic food and people who want to make spiritual progress

should only eat sattvic food.

The libido thing: In many Indian cookbooks I read recipes including asafoetia

(sorry if the writting is wrong!) and I heard that this is prescribed also in

Ayurveda for incrase of libido, not garlic or onion, so why are they

traditionally omnited by people who want to eat pure and sattvic foods only?

Alexandra

August 12, 2004

"Alexandra is assuming that the food restrictions common to

VaishnavaHindus apply to all Hindus. They don't. Most of the members

of ShaktiSadhana, if they practice Hinduism, are Shaktas. We Shaktas

havedifferent views about food."

You can say that again. I know of an experience Shakta who always

joke : I am strictly a non vegetarian. LOL.

"Vaishnavas, generally, are strict lacto-vegetarians. (NOT Vegans!

Vaishnavas will often eat milk products, honey, and other animal-

derived foods. They just avoid flesh, fish, and eggs.) There are

restrictions on eating certain root vegetables like garlic and

onions, perhaps (as Nora suggests) because they "inflame sexual

passion." In recipes that call for garlic or onions, Vaishnavas will

substitute Hing, an herb called Asafetida (or Devil's Dung) in the

West."

I know of certain Buddhist sect totally avoid Garlic and Onion. So

perhaps this practices does not only confines with the Hindus only.

"We Shaktas (like all observant Hindus) will not eat beef. The

cow (and bull) symbolize Mother Earth, and are never slaughtered for

food. (They are milked, however, providing us with butter, cheese,

yogurt, etc.)Chosing to eat any other flesh foods is left to the

individual"

The Balinese are prominently Hindus but they eat beef and pork.

"Even vegetarian Shaktas will eat prasad (leftovers from a puja)

during Navaratri or Kali Puja, because in many Kali and Durga

temples, goats, chickens, and an occasional waterbufflo are

sacrificed to the Goddess."

It is my belief that the left over food esp from the puja is the best

and most auspicious, not only during Navarathri but on any puja. Best

is the left overs from a holy woman/man especially from your own

guru.

I remembered during my younger days living in a village, during

festivals we put the food in a big tray and about 5- 6 of us will

share. It is customary that we always invite a holy man/woman to join

in the group. It is said that the presence of this holy man /woman

brings "taste" to the food being consumed. I never understand

then but now I know.

August 12, 2004

Thank you for explaining.

August 12, 2004

Eating foods that increase libido is not necessarily proscription;

many aphrodisiacs like Ashwagandha, Gokshura are highly recommended

because they are sattwic in nature, while they increase libido, they

also increase self control; in Ayurveda having constant and

uncontrollable sexual desires is actually a sign of sexual weakness.

Garlic and onion are generally categorised as tamasic and they dull

the mind; but they also have great medicinal value. Hing is also an

aphrodisiac and it dulls the mind as well. I believe the general

avoidance of garlic and onion comes from the Bhagavad Gita, where

Lord Krishna advises Arjuna against eating these (thats why most

vaishvavas avoid this) but Hing was not proscribed (I think the Lord

just forgot to mention Hing, after all he only had so much time

before the battle), so it is taken.

Garlic and onion are also proscribed according to several yoga books;

when I began first practicing pranayama, I could not take any food

having garlic or onion (as pains would come in various parts of the

body) - so there may be something to it. Being a vegetarian is bad

enough, but when you also ask for food without garlic and onion,

people think you are from another planet:-)

-yogaman

, alexandra_108

<alexandra_108> wrote:

> "Where do you get your information that we should not eat meat,

fish and eggs? And where do you get the information too that we

should not ear garlic and onion."

>

> Hinduism has a vegetarian tradition, so some Hindus do not eat

meet, eggs, fish, they say it it tamasic food and people who want to

make spiritual progress should only eat sattvic food.

>

> The libido thing: In many Indian cookbooks I read recipes including

asafoetia (sorry if the writting is wrong!) and I heard that this is

prescribed also in Ayurveda for incrase of libido, not garlic or

onion, so why are they traditionally omnited by people who want to

eat pure and sattvic foods only?

>

> Alexandra

August 12, 2004

On Thu, 12 Aug 2004 06:53:24 -0000 "N. Madasamy"

<ashwini_puralasamy writes:

>

Len wrote:

> "We Shaktas (like all observant Hindus) will not eat beef...

Nora responds:

> The Balinese are prominently Hindus but they eat beef and pork.

Balinese eat beef? Okay. (The rules of Hinduism must've gotten lax as

they moved futher Eastward!)

I've heard some Hindus state that they look down on eating pork. It's

considered "lower class" or low caste meat. And the pig is sacred to

Lakshmi (especially as Varahi, the pig-headed goddess), so some avoid

pork to stay on Lakshmi's good side.

My ancestors were Jewish. All pork products were not Kosher, and

forbidden. When my grandparents (both pairs) moved to the United States,

they stopped keeping Kosher. My mother made a terriffic pork roast, and

I'm very fond of bacon. (I guess I'm also unlikely to convert to Islam!)

My body immediately responds to the eating of beef (usually by mistake)

with a painful gout attack. So no beef for Len.

-- Len/ Kalipadma

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August 12, 2004

"Being a vegetarian is bad enough, but when you also ask for food without garlic

and onion, people think you are from another planet."

Yes, and how to get taste in your food without them?

Alexandra

childofdevi <childofdevi wrote: