An extract from M.K. Gandhi's autobiography

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> > >The brahmachari's ideal food is fresh fruit and nuts.

> > >

> > > It has been a matter of great effort ever since I began to take milk.

> > > I have not the least doubt that milk makes the brahmacharya vow

> > > difficult to observe.

> > >

> > > Let no one deduce from this that all brahmacharis must give up milk. I

> > > have yet to find a fruit substitute for milk which is an equally good

> > > muscle-builder and easily digestible.

> >

> > Nuts are generally considered as not good for brahmacaris.

> > Srila Prabhupada suggested to take milk everyday.

> >

> > How Gandhi's statements go together with our understandings?

> I think that everyone has to see his personal diet.For me grains in

> the night are no problem,but can not take sour things.I dont believe in

> very general rules.I dont digest milk nicely, but so many dont have any

> problem.What Gandhi wrote I take as his personal preference which is not

> at all for everyone.Most westerners lost semen in great quantity before

> joining KC so milk is greatly needed to build up finer tisues.Someone who

> was all life restraint doesnt need so much extra nourishment.He can live

> on very austere diet but still his brain is nourished from the up going

> semen. Your servant

> Damana Krishna

Thank you Damana Krsna Prabhu for your comment.I would agree with your

observation on general rules.

 

Constitution according to different doshas will change personal preferences

even in strict diets.If someone is daily physically drained,needs more

nutrition,and will have no problem digesting more milk.

 

I personally observed that reducing milk(from cup to half a cup or even

less) intake before sleep helped very much with "peacefull sleep".If we take

milk,we take half a cup and ,as Krsna Krpa Prabhu said,very hot,"tongue

burning" hot.Othervise it does not go up the brain.Quality of milk matters

so much.It is not possible to compare fresh milk from cows protected by

devotees,and milk from any market,even organic."Devotee cow's" milk is

"brain years"=) ahead.

 

Regarding nuts-if you are living only on fruits ,nuts are necessary for

essential fats in the body,as I understood from books(and devotees who

practiced it) about "raw" vegetarian diet.I personally never practiced it.

Almonds are most acceptable I heard ,of corse in moderation.Some roast it

lightly and say that way they are easier to digest.

 

Again you have to see individually how much .

 

But I think everyone will agree that diet is secondary factor(although

important).First and foremost is Krsna Consciousness as BV Madhava Maharaja

reminded us in his previous letters,and even MK Gandhi was aware- as seen

from his notes. It is nice to share these insights he(Gandhi) had as Srila

Prabhupada said that Gandhi threw British out of India just by being fully

celibate after his 36 year of age.Of course being raised in Indian family

and living in last century,the samskaras he had were much better than those

of us born in the west and in mleccha families.It is so sad to see how much

culture (and general consciousness of people) in India has deteriorated only

in last 10 years,especially in big cities like Mumbai or Delhi.

 

ys

 

Mayapur das