Brahmacharya

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Pradeep, that was very helpful. Question: How does one practice brahmacharya with the organ of taste (i.e., mouth)? Is it less a matter of what we eat, than how - i.e., as an offering to God? Brad

 

PS - Reminds me of the three monkeys: "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." Wonder what culture that was from? Then, with your addition, we'd also have: "Taste no evil, feel no evil."

[Guest guest]

Ramakrishna , " Brad Stephan " <brad@w...> wrote:

 

> PS - Reminds me of the three monkeys: " See no evil, hear no evil,

speak no evil. " Wonder what culture that was from?

 

 

Namaste,

 

http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/bulletin_board/8/messages/383.html

 

HEAR NO EVIL, SPEAK NO EVIL, SEE NO EVIL -- " ...Said of people who

don't want to be involved. The origin of the proverb is unknown. The

proverb is often represented by three monkeys covering their eyes,

ears, and mouth respectively with their hands. The seventeenth

century legend related to 'The Three Wise Monkeys ' is said to have

read, 'Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.' The saying was

carved over the door of Sacred Stable, Nikko, Japan... " From " Random

House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings " by Gregory Y.

Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996). Hiroko Matsuda posted, You

can see a photo of the carved monkeys at: http://www1.sphere.ne.jp/oh-

world/oh-world/oasis/toshogu/monkey2.htm Additional information

from " How Did It Begin: A fascinating study of the superstitions,

customs, and strange habits that influence our daily lives " by R.

Brash (Pocket Book, New York, 1969) : " It is a fallacy that the Three

Wise Monkeys, who hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil, are

indigenously Japanese. It is true that they have had their domicile

there for many centuries. But originally they came from China and

were introduced into Japan by a Buddhist monk of the Tendai sect,

probably in the 8th century A.D. The monkeys were at first always

associated with the blue-faced deity Vadjra, a fearsome god with

three eyes and numerous hands. Their characteristic gestures of

covering their ears, eyes and mouths with their paws were a dramatic

pictorial way of conveying the command of the god. This shows an

early realization of the psychological fact that a striking picture

is more impressive and lasting more than a spoken message.

Nevertheless, the story has been told in various traditions in prose

and poetry. It dates back to at least the 7th century and is part of

the teaching of the Vadjra cult that if we do not hear, see or talk

evil, we ourselves shall be spared all evil. In the folk etymology

and by a play on words the very names of the three monkeys – Mizaru,

Kikazaru and Iwazaru – express their three gestures and thus anyone

by merely referring to them immediately proclaims their message. "

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder