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Food and the Dharma


In modern Hinduism many people give too much stress on the food.They say certain things should be eaten while certain things are never to be eaten, then only you are a true Hindu.In my view your food makes hardly an effect on being your Hindu.It’s your personal matter that what you eat and what you don’t eat.Yes,certainly food makes an effect on your mental state, not more.If you take vegetarian food,it helps to keep your mind calm.But only vegetarian food is not going to help you attain enlightenment.If vegetarian food could get you enlightenment,then all the vegetarian animals would have got enlightenment.I am not saying that take non- vegetarian food.Again i will repeat that it’s your personal choice what to eat or what not to eat.
The important thing on the path of Dharma is Sadhana or spiritual practice.Whatever you eat ,if you do spiritual practice,you will attain enlightenment sooner than later.

Comments

  1. Please permit me to write a supplement as below.

    While whatever you have said is true, the sages of the past have classified certain types of food as being tamasic and rajasic in nature. Tamasic are non-vegetarian types, whereas certain vegetable types like onion, garlic etc., have been classified as rajasic.

    Those who eat tamasic and rajasic type of food, become less inclined to do spiritual practice (like a lazy person). To keep purity of body and mind satvik food was deemed necessary. This is even more so, if one undertakes a rigorous and intense mantra saadhana say for 40 days or 90 days etc.

    If one were to examine the food aspect without involving spirituality, just as a question as to whether one becomes hindu or not, then yes, I totally agree with you.

    Cheers!
    RV

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks so much for your comment,RV saraswathi ji.

    ReplyDelete

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