May
12
Written by:
Jayanthi
Monday, May 12, 2008
Too much or too little of any type of Food -- whether "sAttvic",
"rajasic" or "tAmasic" is bad. The wise human -- the
"yOgi" -- is he who knows exactly what should constitute his diet. It
is that diet ("aahAra") which is just right for him
("shuddhi"), that which is in absolute consonance with his inner
nature ("gUNa") and which shall promote his all-round wellbeing in
life.
The Gita line above is not merely a call for men to observe moderation in the
consumption of Food. There is a far greater lesson implicit in it. It tells us
that we can learn a great deal about what we should eat, what diet is right for
us, and what food we must avoid by simply following the precept and example of
the 'yOgi-s' of the world.
In the long Vedantic tradition of India, many indeed are the great Masters of
past and present, "achAryA-s" and "guru-s" who in their own
lifetimes observed strict rules of diet i.e. "anna shuddhi". They
knew in their wisdom what balance of 'sattva', 'rajas' and 'tamas' should go
into their diet. (The SriVaishnava 'AchArya', Swami Venkatanathan (13th century
CE), even wrote a useful treatise on "anna shuddi", called
"aahAra-niyamam", which is even today a useful manual of good dietary
practices). The example of such 'yOgi-s' shows us clearly how we must carry out
one of the most important responsibilities in life we have towards ourselves
viz. ensuring our "atma-shuddhi" through "anna shuddi".
Human life is a rather long and hectic journey. One needs the highest and most
refined form of Energy ("prANa") to undertake it. And it is Food,
"annam",
that is the basic fuel needed for travel. Good Food, like good fuel, determines
to a large extent what the quality of the journey-experience shall be.
Thank you for reading.
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Copyright ©2008 Jennifer Jayanthi Kumar
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