Food for Thought

[Guest guest]

Sri Raamajayam

Dear Sri.Suresh Kumar,

You have raised a very valid point. Yes, it is indeed

desirable to have religious establishments(temple staff) familiar in local

languages to not only inspire local Indian population, but dispel "cult notions"

in the wider community as well, to showcase how beautifully our Vaidhika Matham

and belief can peacefully coexist with other religions and communinities.

 

As a first step, probably the temple administrations, can try to keep some

pamphlets ready near the temple entrances, which explains basic questions like

"What is Sanathana Dharma? What are the different philosphies/interpretations

of the Vedas, probably detailing the faith followed at the particular temple?

Why a temple is needed? What are the various Gods and rituals inside the

temple, and why they are performed? How the temple takes part in local events?

 

There could language lessons offered to temple staff or have a translator

service(or spokesperson) subsequently.

 

Also it is AdiyEn's desire that all temples contribute a portion of their income

to Divya DEsams and PAtasAlas, since they are the very roots to our faith and

practice.

 

AdiyEn Sri RAmAnuja DAsan,

 

Sudarsana Dasosmi

 

 

 

L. Suresh Kumar-LSK [lskumar]

Thursday, November 29, 2001 11:47 PM

 

food for thought

 

 

namaskaarams

 

let me share some thoughts with you all. please read my email in

full and then reply.

 

ref /messages//

 

while its all great and nice to discuss hindu philosophy via

emails and like the topics seen on this forum, there are some

important areas which need attention as well.

 

i guess (just a guesss) there may not be many hindus on this list

who are born and raised outside India - in the ages under 35 or

so. how do we target this audience ?

 

while there are many priests in the many temples in usa/canada

and elsewhere nations, not many of them are fluent in english and

in other foreign languages like french / german / spanish.

english fluency, to a great part, is badly missing and needs a

lot of work here.

 

the real danger lies in educated priests unable to present the

many facets of hinduism to the local people in their language or

to answer questions or to defend the religion against mounting

criticism on hinduism and hindu scriptures.

 

when we have functions in our temples, especially abroad, we need

to have our priests explain what is what about these functions,

in simple english to both the kids and adults who are born and

raised outside India. this need is very very acute.

 

all these can be done in parallel and this need not clash with

one another. i hope such needs would be considered in parallel.

 

thank you all

- Suresh

- /messages/lsk/

 

 

 

 

 

Srirangasri-

 

 

 

Your use of is subject to

[Guest guest]

anantha praNAmams to all bhAgavathAs.

One way to address could be, academically educated

people like us, who have keen interest in the

sampradAya could possibly train themselves in the

archaka rituals and take up this profession!! Having

spent time as a normal or sub-normal earthly being so

far, gives one a good understanding of what is to be

communicated to the bhakthas attending the temples and

how is to be communicated. We can even adopt advanced

presentation techniques that we use in our corporate

professional business for effective communivcation.

This may probably address the issue concerning the

role of priests in educating the masses.

 

adiyEn

Suderson - rAmAnuja dAsan

 

--- "L. Suresh Kumar-LSK" <lskumar wrote:

> namaskaarams

>

> let me share some thoughts with you all. please

> read my email in

> full and then reply.

>

> ref /messages//

>

> while its all great and nice to discuss hindu

> philosophy via

> emails and like the topics seen on this forum,

> there are some

> important areas which need attention as well.

>

> i guess (just a guesss) there may not be many hindus

> on this list

> who are born and raised outside India - in the

> ages under 35 or

> so. how do we target this audience ?

>

> while there are many priests in the many temples

> in usa/canada

> and elsewhere nations, not many of them are fluent

> in english and

> in other foreign languages like french / german

> / spanish.

> english fluency, to a great part, is badly

> missing and needs a

> lot of work here.

>

> the real danger lies in educated priests unable

> to present the

> many facets of hinduism to the local people in

> their language or

> to answer questions or to defend the religion

> against mounting

> criticism on hinduism and hindu scriptures.

>

> when we have functions in our temples, especially

> abroad, we need

> to have our priests explain what is what about

> these functions,

> in simple english to both the kids and adults who

> are born and

> raised outside India. this need is very very acute.

>

> all these can be done in parallel and this need

> not clash with

> one another. i hope such needs would be considered

> in parallel.

>

> thank you all

> - Suresh

> - /messages/lsk/

>

>

>

> ------------------------ Sponsor

>

>

> Srirangasri-

>

>

>

> Your use of is subject to

>

>

>

 

 

=====

s v suderson

Volvo, Bangalore

 

 

 

GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month.

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[Guest guest]

0in;margin-left:.6in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra

Mahadesikaya nama:

0in;margin-left:.6in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

yes">                         Food for Thought

0in;margin-left:.6in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

 All of us eat

to live, the primary purpose of food being sustenance of life. It is needless

to expand on the importance of food, as the skipping of even a single meal

makes us feel the gnawing in the stomach. We hear of mahAtmAs who go without

food for days, months and years together, intent solely on communion with the

Ultimate. We hear of the impossible penance performed by Sri Dhruva, barely out

of infancy, and others elder to him, involving fasting for long periods of

time.

 

 All these do

not appeal to us, since they are associated with foregoing food, for which we

have developed a voracious appetite. We have become like the Romans, who lived

to eat, who were gourmets of the highest order and considered savouring the

innumerable culinary delicacies as the principal mission of their lives. It is

rumoured that they would gorge themselves with the finest the cook had to offer

for the day, till they could eat no more. However, undeterred by the filled

stomach rebelling against any more intake, they would forcibly vomit whatever

they had imbibed, to make room in their monstrous bellies for more food.

0in;margin-left:.6in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.6in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Knowing full well that prescribing prolonged fasting

as a means of cleansing the physique and psyche would not be palatable to

gluttons like us, Sri Tirumangai Mannan generously concedes that we need not

undertake continuous and extraordinary fasting as did Sri Dhruva. In fact, he

says that we need undergo no form of arduous physical inconvenience, as the

Lord doesn’t expect it of us-

0in;margin-left:.6in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.6in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">“oon vAda vAda uyir kAvalittu tAn vAda seyyum tavam

seyya vENdA”.

0in;margin-left:.6in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.6in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">(This of course doesn’t mean that we can give up the

occasional fasting ordained on pitru dinam, Ekadasi etc.)

0in;margin-left:.6in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.6in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">To people like us who cannot give up eating and that

too in style, for long periods of time, Sri Nammazhwar prescribes an easy way

out--think of whatever you eat or drink with gusto, as verily the Lord

Himself-“uNNum sOru, parugum neer, thinnum vettrilai yAvum KaNnan emperumAn

endru”. (Though Azhwar’s real purport is that we should regard the Lord as the

source of all sustenance, enrichment and pleasure), this appears to us to be

much easier, for when do fast occasionally, the thought of our empty stomach

and anticipation of the break-fast precludes any thought of the Lord, for which

purpose the entire exercise is intended. The term “upavAsam” which signifies

fasting, literally means “to live near”, indicating that when we forego food,

we are supposed to substitute it by thoughts of the Paramatma and His

auspicious attributes. Hence when we fast, we are said to be mentally nearer to

the Lord. What happens in reality is quite the opposite: on days of fasting,

some people gorge themselves with different varieties of tiffin, avoiding rice

religiously, while there are some who eat nothing but all sorts of fruit, as

“PhalAhAram”.

0in;margin-left:.6in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">In such cases, “upavAsam” takes on a new (and

unintended) meaning altogether, as the person lives not near the Lord, but near

food itself in various forms.

0in;margin-left:.6in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.6in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">In reply to his son’s query as to the nature of the

Ultimate, VaruNa tells Bhrigu Maharshi that Food is verily to be regarded as

the Brahmam (“annam Brahma iti vyajAnAt”). VaruNA adduces reasons for this

tenet—it is from food that beings acquire the ability to live, flourish and

procreate. Thus the life cycle of every being is dictated by availability of

food, without which no existence is possible. It is for this reason that the

Upanishad enjoins upon us to earn as much food as possible (“annam bahu

kurveeta”), so that not only do we provide for ourselves adequately, but are

also able to offer succour to the poor and needy.

0in;margin-left:.6in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.6in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> “aham annAda:”

says the same Upanishad, echoing the seeker’s claim that he is the one who

partakes of food. The Shruti considers this so significant that it repeats the

statement twice more. We are unable to find anything profound about a person

calling himself the consumer of food, for, that is what we all do and with

regularity. However, the Food meant by the Shruti here is 

an entirely different item, unlike any menu offered

anywhere in the world.

 

 It is to the

Paramapurusha that the emancipated soul refers as Food, when he calls himself

the Eater (“annAda:”). We must remember that once the liberated Atma reaches

Paradise, it spends all its time in blissful enjoyment of the Lord and His

innumerable auspicious attributes. The Lord thus forms a fabulous food—for the

eyes, ears and for the other faculties of the MuktAtmA, who enjoys the Lord

endlessly and in myriad modes. And it is out of the ecstasy born out of this

unique experience that the Shruti repeats itelf—“aham annAdO aham annAdO aham

annAda:”

 

 Azhwars too

characterise the Lord as a delicacy of the highest order—amudam—“ en

amudam”  “ArAvamudam”  “amizhdilum Attra inian”  “enakku tEnE palE

kannalE amudE” etc.  Thus it is the exalted resident of

Srivaikuntam whom the Shruti quotes, when it says “I am the consumer” and what

he consumes is nothing but the Lord and His auspicious attributes.

 

There is one more sentence in the same Upanishad,

which confers a benediction that the person becomes the possessor of food as

well as its consumer—“annavAn annAdO bhavati”. We are unable to discern

anything profound in this, for anyone who has a lot of food, would indeed

consume it. Hence is it not enough for the Shruti to bless us with food,

leaving its disposal to those eminently trained for the same, like us? Should

it separately indicate that we would also become consumers of food?

 

We have to remember that not a single syllable of the

Shruti is redundant, nor does it believe in tautology. We find in several cases

extremely wealthy persons, endowed with all that can be desired in the way of

riches, pitifully unable to indulge their palates, when it comes to food.

Diabetis, heart disease, ulcers of the stomach and numerous other ailments lie

in wait to pounce upon the rich and unwary, condemning them to a life-time diet

of salt -less porridge (“kanji”) or sugarless coffee and tasteless meals, even

though their servants might be eating with gusto their own simple but tasty

repast.  Thus, it would appear that it

is not merely enough to possess a thing, but one has also to be fortunate to

consume and enjoy it. And this is what the Upanishad refers to when it speaks of

a person being “annavAn” as well as “annAda:”.

 

If we take the term “annam” to refer to the

Parabrahmam, after the Shruti vakya “annam BrahmEti vyajAnAt”, we would arrive

at the formulation that one should become the possessor of Brahmam and enjoy it

too. The significance of this too doesn’t strike us at first, till we recollect

the history of Sri VasudEva and Sri DEvaki. Though this couple had the

unimaginable good fortune of begetting the Paramapurusha, they had to part with

Him on the very night of His birth. It is Sri Yasoda and Sri NandagOpa who

derived the maximum pleasure and bliss from the Divine Toddler, as the foster

parents. Thus, though the former couple were “annavAn”s, their fortune did not

extend to being “annAda:”, prompting Devaki to cry out in jealousy—“ nandan

pettranan nal vinai illA nangaL kOn VasudEvan pettrilanE”. Hence the

benediction of the Upanishad that one should not only be the possessor of food,

but also be healthy and fortunate enough to consume it. 

 

When the Shruti blesses us to possess as well as

consume food, when Sri Kalian waives requirements of prolonged fasting, etc.,

do they mean, ipso facto, that we can eat anything, any number of times,

anywhere? Does it mean that there need be absolutely no control over the quantum,

content and frequency of our intake?

 

The same Shruti prescribes the number of meals per day

for various classes of beings—“TasmAt dvirahnO manushyEbhya: upahriyatE,

prAtascha sAyamcha”  “Trirahna: pasava:

preratE, prAta: sangavE sAyam”.

 

It is clearly enunciated here that human beings should

confine their meals to two, one in the morning and one in the evening/ night.

This appears to rule out the mid-day meal imbibed during “lunch” time, the

tiffin taken in the evening, as well as the innumerable cups of tea and coffee

that are poured in during the day. When we seek confirmation of this, we find

that the same Shruti prescribes “parishEchana mantra” only for two meals a

day—“satyam tvartEna parishinchAmi iti prAta:” in the morning and “RitantvA

satyEna parishinchAmi iti sAyam parishinchati”. It therefore appears to be

pretty clear that only two meals per day are the permissible quota, for human

beings.  The Shruti also tells us that

it is only animals, which are entitled to eat thrice a day (which doesn’t speak

much of people like me).

 

The Upanishad also has a few vital tips about food.

For one thing, it tells us never to be critical of or to refuse food—“annam na

nindyAt, tat vratam”. The next time we say we don’t like this item of food or

that, we would do well to remember this dictum. This would perhaps include

wasting food too—the next time we leave something uneaten on our plate, or

force food upon our already satiated guests or children with the mistaken

impression that it constitutes hospitality, we should think twice.

 

And on the days of the annual shraddham for one’s late

parents, one is supposed to fast till its performance and also after consuming

“pitru sEsham”. Consumption of coffee or tea, not very desirable even on

ordinary days, is totally taboo on the day of the ceremony, either before or

after the shrAddha.

On that day, the normal rule of two meals doesn’t

apply and one is supposed to go without the normal night meal. Consumption of

“bhakshaNam” in the night doesn’t appear to have the sanction of the Shastra.

This is because the bhAgavatas who bless us by officiating in the shrAddham as

VisvEdEva, Pitru and Sri MahAvishnu are exhorted by us to eat well, so that

hunger doesn’t affect them in the night, necessitating another meal—“yathA

rAtrou kshut na bhavEt, tathA bhunktvA”.

When we expect that those who officiated in our karma

should go without food that night, is it fair for us to eat again? 

Considering that “ShrAddham” is that

performed with absolute dedication (“shraddhayA kartavyam iti shrAddham”),

non-adherence to the aforesaid simple rules might well vitiate the entire

proceedings and result in our forefathers made unhappy, while the entire

exercise is aimed at pleasing them.

 

Sri Kulasekhara Perumal says he would have no truck

with those obsessed with food, to the exclusion of everything else—“uNdiyE

udayE ugandOdum im mandalam tannodum kooduvadillai yAn”. He perhaps refers to

those who indulge themselves in excesses, as far as food is concerned—eating

more frequently than is prescribed, eating items which are specifically

proscribed, eating on days or parts of days on which fasting is recommended and

eating before offering the food to the Lord.

 

 It is here

that compendiums like Swami Desikan’s “AhAra niyamam” come to our rescue,

laying down in detail what can and cannot form part of our menu. It is

compliance with these dicta regarding intake, which made our elders enjoy rude

good health even in their advanced years and it is the non-adherence to these

simple rules that is the cause of many an ailment in our generation. By our

elders’ standards, most of what we eat today would probably come under the

category of “Junk Food”, affording nutrition to neither our physique nor our

soul. Recognising the importance of good nourishment and its capability to

prevent and cure disease, millenia before our present day doctors did, the

Upanishad terms Food a panacea for all ills—“tasmAt sarvoushadham uchyatE”. It

would therefore appear that while Food for thought is always welcome, the same

doesn’t apply to food for the palate.

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka

SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Dasan, sadagopan

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