Ritual of eating [contd...]

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The following commentary is by

Swami Shivananda, (1887–1963),

Divine Life Society, Rishikesh

 

There are three kinds of food that a man can eat.

(Sattwic, Rajasic and Tamasic).

According to the gunas (Sattwa, Rajas, Tamas),

a man's taste for a particular food is determined.

 

All foods have different properties. Different foods exercise different effects

on different

compartments of the brain or the mind. A confection of sparrow, meat, fish,

eggs, onion

and garlic excites passion. Fruits, barley, etc. render the mind calm and

serene. The nature

of food greatly influences the being of a man. Man feels a desire for particular

foods

according to his guna or temperament.

 

The body is the instrument by which man accomplishes all his purposes in the

world. It is

the horse that takes him to his destination or goal (moksha or liberation).

Therefore, it

should be kept clean, strong and healthy. The body is a mould prepared by the

mind for

its activities. There is an intimate connection between the body and the mind.

The nature

and condition of the body has a vital effect upon the mind and activities.

Therefore, the

materials or foods that build the body and the mind should be pure, wholesome,

nutritious, substantial and bland.

 

Everything in this world is threefold. The food is either Sattwic, Rajasic or

Tamasic

according to its character and effect upon the body and the mind. You can find

out the

nature or temperament of a man from the nature of the food he takes. You can

find out

your own nature, whether you are Sattwic, Rajasic or Tamasic from your

predilection to

particular food and then abandon the Rajasic and the Tamasic foodstuffs and take

to the

Sattwic diet.

 

Sattwic food

 

Pure food increases the vitality and strength of those who eat it. It augments

the energy of

the mind also. Sattwic food produce cheerfulness, serenity and mental clarity

and helps

the aspirants to enter into deep meditation and maintain mental poise and

nervous

equilibrium. It supplies the maximum energy to the body and the mind. It is very

easily

assimilated and absorbed.

 

A Sattwic man relishes juicy food and other foods which are attractive in form,

soft to

touch and pleasant to taste, which are small in bulk but great in nourishment

like the

words from the lips of a spiritual preceptor. Sattwic food is highly conducive

to health.

 

Eat that food which will develop Sattwa in you. Milk, butter, ghee, (clarified

butter),fresh

ripe fruits, almonds, dates, green dal, barley, wheat, cereals, tomatoes,

parwar, torai,

karela (names of Indian vegetables), plantains etc., are Sattwic.

 

Abandon fish, meat, liquors, eggs, etc., ruthlessly if you want to increase

Sattwa and attain

Self-realisation. The mind is formed of the subtle portion of the food. " As is

the food so is

the mind " - says a Hindi proverb. If you take Sattwic food, the mind also will be

Sattwic.

The seven elements (dhatus) of the body (chyle, blood, flesh, fat, bone, marrow

and

semen) are formed out of food.

 

Ideas and concepts are generated in the mind corresponding to these seven

elements. As

is the constitution of these elements, so is the constitution of the mind. Just

as water is

rendered hot when the pot that contains it is placed over the fire, so also the

nature and

constitution of the mind is according to the nature and constitution of the food

or the

seven elements.

 

Rajasic food

 

Food of a passionate nature produces restlessness in the mind, evil thoughts,

excitement,

craving now for one and then for another, pain, trouble and disease. The Rajasic

man

always plans to prepare various kinds of preparations to satisfy his palate. He

takes salt,

chillies, mustard, cloves, condiments, pungent pickles etc., in excess. Tears

flow from his

eyes and water dribbles from his nose and yet he will not leave the hot and

pungent

articles. The palate remains unsatisfied until the stomach is completely filled

with pungent

things, till the tongue is burnt with chillis. Ladies' fingers (an Indian

vegetable), puri,

kachori (Indian food preparations), pungent condiments, meat, fish, eggs,

sweets, fried

bread, curd, brinjal, carrots, black-gram, onions, garlic, lemon, masur, tea,

coffee, betels,

tobacco are Rajasic articles of food.

 

Rajasic food distracts the mind. It excites passion. Give up salt. It excites

passion and

emotion. Giving up of salt helps in the control of the palate and thereby the

mind. The will

power is also developed. Snake bite and scorpion sting will have no influence on

a man

who has given up salt. Onions and garlic are worse than meat.

 

Tamasic food

 

Cannabis indica (ganja), bhang, opium, cocaine, charas,

chandoo, all stale and putrid articles, are Tamasic.

 

The man whose taste is of a Tamasic nature will eat food in

the afternoon that has been cooked on the previous day.

He also likes that which is half-cooked or burnt to a cinder.

 

He and all the members of his family sit together and eat from the same dish or

plate,

food that has been mixed into a mess by his children.

 

The food eaten by Tamasic people is stale, dry, without juice, unripe or

overcooked. They

do not relish it, till it begins to rot and ferment. They take prohibited foods

and drinks.

They take liquors, fermented toddy, etc. They are horrible people with devilish

tendencies.

 

Beef, wine, garlic, onions and tobacco are Tamasic foodstuffs. They fill the

mind with

anger, darkness and inertia.

 

The eating of meat and alcoholism are closely allied. The craving for liquor

dies a natural

death if meat is withdrawn from one's diet. The question of birth-control

becomes very

difficult in the case of those who eat meat. To them mind control is next to

impossible.

Mark how the tiger, eating meat, and the cow or elephant, living on green grass,

are poles

apart! The one is wild and ferocious while the other is mild and peaceful.

 

The first and foremost step in the spiritual advancement of an aspirant is the

giving up of

meat. The Divine Light will not descend if the stomach is loaded with meat.

Manu, Jesus,

Buddha exhorted the people to refrain from using liquors, intoxicants and drugs

as these

are deleterious in their effects. No spiritual progress is possible without

abandoning them.

 

Purity of food leads to purity of the mind. Sattwic food helps meditation. The

discipline of

food is very necessary for the successful practice of Yogic sadhana. If the

palate is

controlled, then all the other senses are also controlled. Boil half a litre of

milk along with

some boiled rice, ghee (clarified butter), and sugar. This is called Cheru. It

is an excellent

food for Yogis. This is for daytime. For the evening meal, half a litre of milk

will do.

 

Milk is the best food for yogis but even a small quantity is harmful to some and

may not

agree with all constitutions. If one form of diet is not suitable, or if you

feel constipated,

change the diet and try some other Sattwic articles of food. This is common

sense.

 

Milk should not be boiled too much. It should be removed from the fire as soon

as the

boiling point is reached. Too much boiling destroys the nutritive principles and

vitamins

and renders the milk quite useless.

 

A fruit diet exercises a benign influence on the constitution. This is a natural

form of diet.

Fruits are very great energy producers. A fruit and milk diet helps

concentration and easy

mental focussing. Barley, wheat, milk and ghee, all promote longevity and

increase one's

power and strength. Fresh fruit juice and the water wherein sugar-candy is

dissolved are

very good beverages. Butter mixed with sugar candy, and almonds soaked in water,

can be

taken. These cool the system.

 

Live a natural simple life. Take simple food that is wholly agreeable to your

system. You

should have your own menu to suit your constitution. You are yourself the best

judge to

select a Sattwic diet (that suits your constitution).

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