A thought for Food & food for Thought -Part 7 of 7 (Concluded)

[Guest guest]

(continuing from Part 6)

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Dear friends,

 

In the 6th chapter of the Bhagavath-Gita there is a

line which finally sums up the Vedantic view of "anna

shuddhi".

 

"nAth-yashna-tatsu yOgOsti

na chykAnta-mashnataha: I"

(Bhagavath-Gita. Ch.VI.16)

 

 

"The path taken by the Wise-Ones (Yogi) in the journey

of life", says the Gita, "is not for he who eats too

much or too little."

 

Too much or too little of any type of Food -- whether

"sAttvic", "rajasic" or "tAmasic" is bad. The wise

human -- the "yOgi" -- is he who knows exactly what

should constitute his diet. It is that diet ("aahAra")

which is just right for him ("shuddhi"), that which is

in absolute consonance with his inner nature ("gUNa")

and that which shall promote his all-round well-being

in life.

 

The Gita line above is not merely a call for men to

observe moderation in the consumption of Food. There

is a far greater lesson implicit in it. It tells us

that we can learn a great deal about what we should

eat, what diet is right for us, and what food we must

avoid by simply following the precept and example of

the 'yOgi-s' of the world.

 

In the long Vedantic tradition of India, many indeed

are the great Masters of past and present, "achAryA-s"

and "guru-s" who in their own lifetimes observed

strict rules of diet i.e. "anna shuddhi". They knew in

their wisdom what balance of 'sattva', 'rajas' and

'tamas' should go into their diet. (The SriVaishnava

'AchArya', Swami Venkatanathan (13th century CE), even

wrote a useful treatise on "anna shuddi", called

"aahAra-niyamam", which is even today a useful manual

for good dietary practices). The example of such

'yOgi-s' shows us clearly how to we must carry out an

important responsibility towards ourselves viz.

ensuring our "atma-shuddhi" through "anna shuddi".

 

Human life is a rather long and hectic journey. One

needs the highest and most refined form of Energy

("prANa") to undertake it. And it is Food, "annam",

that is the basic fuel needed for travel. Good Food,

like good fuel, determines to a large extent what the

quality of the journey-experience shall be.

 

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(CONCLUDED)

 

Rgds,

 

dAsan,

Sudarshan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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