Vegetarianism

[Guest guest]

Dear Sriman Kannan,

Jai Srimannarayana !

Keeping aside doing harm to fellow creatures in adopting

non-vegetarianism, it must be noted that indiscriminate consumption of

food is anyhow harming ourselves body and soul. Human beings are not

born to control proliferation of every other being just by eating

them. The food we eat is responsbile both for our growth as well as

our decay, just as water can make us survive or kill like

drought/floods. Everybody knows how oneself undergoes though to his

dislike every moment various uncontrollable emotions like anger, greed,

reactions to dwandas/duels like joys/sorrows, heat/cold,

happiness/unhappiness, gains/losses and finally the everlasting lust

etc. These emotions needs to be controlled one day or the other. Our

sastras, itihaas, puranas suggest control of inputs to our senses is the

only way out. These inputs (not only in the form of food but inputs to

other senses like ears, eyes, nose and touch) are classified as those

promoting Sattvic/Rajas/Tamas and the details of these intake are

explicitly dealt in Srimadbhagawadgita (Chapter 17).

 

If we recognize the unbearable hardships we face from all the

sense organs including its king the mind (Manas), we will certainly

like to avoid all the Rajasic and Tamasic inputs with full faith, just

as a terminally ill patient totally sticks to all the restrictions put

by his doctor without questioning to avoid the pain. Thus our sastras

and acharyas not only categorized non-veg items but also many vegetarian

items which promote Rajas/Tamas like onions, garlic, drumstick, gongur,

old food, etc. and other foods which are not offered to Lord

Srimannarayana. Thus a Mumukshu who realizes the pains of duality from

the senses, at once rejects all the rajasic/tamasic food in addition to

sticking to the Tiruvadi of Acharya/Emperuman/Emperumanaar without any

second thought.

 

Simple rules of food our acharyas say all should know are

What to eat ?

When to eat ?

Where to eat ?

How to eat ?

How much to eat ?

 

 

Jai Srimannarayana

 

Dr.Kilambi Ramakrishna Ramanuja Dasan