Onion and garlic

[Guest guest]

Our Humble Obeisances Jaya Srila Prabhupada

 

We would be appreciate if somesoul could send statements concerning the ill

effects of onion and garlic to consciousness. Full article would be still

better.

 

ys muniraja dasa

[Guest guest]

>From Kurma's blog... (http://www.kurma.net/faq/q1.html)

 

This is my most-often-asked question. Today Miss Harsha Advani from Pune,

India, wrote and asked it again:

 

"...my query is why shouldn't onion and garlic be consumed in sattvic diet?

what are it's side effects or consequences?"

 

onions and garlic:

 

My reply:

 

Dear Miss Advani,

 

You may know that onions and garlic are botanical members of the Allium

family - along with leeks, chives and shallots. According to Ayurveda,

India's classic medical science, foods are grouped into three categories -

sattvic, rajasic and tamasic - foods in the modes of goodness, passion and

ignorance. Onions and garlic, and the other Alliums are classified as

rajasic and to some extent tamasic, which means that they increase passion

and to some degree ignorance.

 

Those that to pure brahmana-style cooking of India, including

myself, and Vaishnavas - followers of Lord Vishnu, Rama and Krishna - like

to only cook with foods from the sattvic category.

These foods include fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, dairy products,

grains and legumes, and so on. Specifically, Vaisnavas do not like to cook

with rajasic or tamasic foods because they are unfit to offer to the Deity.

 

Rajasic and tamasic foods are also not used because they are detrimental to

meditation and devotions. Of course some of the Alliums have specific health

benefits; garlic is respected as a natural antibiotic. In recent years, the

cardiovascular implications of vegetable Alliums has been studied in some

detail, although the clinical implications of onion and garlic consumption

from this point of view are not well understood (Block 1992; Briggs et al.

2001).

Nevertheless, despite medical comings and goings, alliums are still avoided

by spiritual adherents because they stimulate the central nervous system,

can act as a natural aphrodisiac, and disturb meditation.

 

You may be aware that strict Buddhists also do not eat any of the Alliums

for the same reasons as adherents of India's Ayurveda - they disturb

meditation. If you visit any strict vegetarian Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, or

Japanese restaurant anywhere in the world you will most likely find no

Alliums in any of the cooking.

 

One reason is because in ancient Buddhist Tao writings, one sage Tsang-Tsze

described the Alliums as the "five fragrant or spicy scented vegetables" ,

and that each have a detrimental effect on one of the following five organs

- liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and heart.

 

Tsang-Tsze said that these pungent vegetables contain five different kinds

of enzymes which cause "reactions of repulsive breath, extra-foul odour from

perspiration and bowel movements, and lead to lewd indulgences, enhance

agitations, anxieties and aggressiveness,"

especially when eaten raw.

 

That in a nutshell is why I don't cook with garlic and onions.

 

Kurma

 

 

Muniraja (das) (Helsinki - FIN) [Muniraja (AT) pamho (DOT) net]

Friday, 23 September, 2005 4:46 PM

Ganga IDS; Free Forum (Announcements); Holistic Health (and related

topics) (Sender: Ganga.IDS (AT) pamho (DOT) net)

Onion and garlic

 

Our Humble Obeisances Jaya Srila Prabhupada

 

We would be appreciate if somesoul could send statements concerning the ill

effects of onion and garlic to consciousness. Full article would be still

better.

 

ys muniraja dasa

 

 

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