A famous couplet (doha) from Kabir says "Jaisa Bhojan Kijiye, Vaisa Hi Mana Hoye, Jaisa Paani Pijiye, Taisi Vani Hoye." "You are what your food is" is an old saying. This is based on a teaching from our shastras including yoga sutras of Patanjali, Bhagwad Gita and Upanishads.
Even Chankaya in Chankaya Niti wrote "Deepo Bhakshyta dhavantam kajjalam Cha Prasuata; Yadanam Bhakshyata Nityam Jayata Ta Drishi Praja" This means that the deepak or the lamp eats away darkness and produces kajal; likewise whatever we eat forms the very essence of our being.
To acquire health and happiness, one needs to live a balanced life. This typically was elaborated in different shlokas in the Bhagwad Gita.
Krishna says to Arjuna (6.17) "Yukaharaviharasya Yuktachestasya Karmasu; Yuktasvapnavabodhasya Yoga Bhavati Duhkhaha." The shloka states that "for the one, whose diet and movements are balanced, who does his actions in a proper manner, whose hour of sleeping and waking up are regular, and who follows the path of meditation is the destroyer of pain or unhappiness."
This message is relevant even today and has been validated by modern scientific research and analysis of data. Moderation and variety is the mantra of the present day concept of any balanced diet. One should be moderate in diet, thinking, recreating and actions.
Lord Krishna further said (6.16) that eating too much food or starving, and sleeping too much or remaining awake all the time is not health–friendly. Such people cannot concentrate or do Sadhana.
Every person is distinct as his or her personality depends upon three attributes called Satwa, Rajas and Tamas. The food one eats and one’s personality are related (17.7). People with predominant Satwa eat food that is greasy, nourishing, appealing and succulent (17.8). People with predominant Rajas eat food that is bitter, sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning. Excess amount of these foods makes one miserable and sick (17.9). People with predominant Tamas in the body prefer to eat half–cooked food which is dry, bad–smelling, stale, defiled and impure.
With regards to the way of eating of the food, Krishna said "while eating, one should concentrate on eating as the food is served to one’s consciousness" (9.27). He further said that even eating leaves, fruits, and water alone can suffice us to keep healthy."
In Chapter 8, Krishna says "whatever you think throughout your life will be your thought at the time of death and whatever is the state of mind at the time of death will be the atmosphere you will get in the rebirth."
Lord Krishna also related the state of mind at death with the liberation. He said that during last minutes of life, a person’s mind remains under the influence of his/her dominant attributes. People who die with a dominant satwa guna, their soul takes rebirth in people who are pure in their mind (14.14).
On the contrary, dying people with predominant rajas guna will have their soul take rebirth in families devoted to action, and if a person’s soul departs when the tamas guna is growing, the soul takes rebirth in people who are unintelligent. The state of mind in the last minutes will be governed only one’s life–long habits and not the last minute alterations in life.
Lord Krishna elaborates that there are four types of food, which are consumed by human beings, and they are the foods, which are eaten, sucked, drunk or licked. They all lead to the increase of digestive fire, which is dependent on prana vayu and apana vayu. The functioning of this digestive fire is dependent on one’s consciousness.
Even Chankaya in Chankaya Niti wrote "Deepo Bhakshyta dhavantam kajjalam Cha Prasuata; Yadanam Bhakshyata Nityam Jayata Ta Drishi Praja" This means that the deepak or the lamp eats away darkness and produces kajal; likewise whatever we eat forms the very essence of our being.
To acquire health and happiness, one needs to live a balanced life. This typically was elaborated in different shlokas in the Bhagwad Gita.
Krishna says to Arjuna (6.17) "Yukaharaviharasya Yuktachestasya Karmasu; Yuktasvapnavabodhasya Yoga Bhavati Duhkhaha." The shloka states that "for the one, whose diet and movements are balanced, who does his actions in a proper manner, whose hour of sleeping and waking up are regular, and who follows the path of meditation is the destroyer of pain or unhappiness."
This message is relevant even today and has been validated by modern scientific research and analysis of data. Moderation and variety is the mantra of the present day concept of any balanced diet. One should be moderate in diet, thinking, recreating and actions.
Lord Krishna further said (6.16) that eating too much food or starving, and sleeping too much or remaining awake all the time is not health–friendly. Such people cannot concentrate or do Sadhana.
Every person is distinct as his or her personality depends upon three attributes called Satwa, Rajas and Tamas. The food one eats and one’s personality are related (17.7). People with predominant Satwa eat food that is greasy, nourishing, appealing and succulent (17.8). People with predominant Rajas eat food that is bitter, sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning. Excess amount of these foods makes one miserable and sick (17.9). People with predominant Tamas in the body prefer to eat half–cooked food which is dry, bad–smelling, stale, defiled and impure.
With regards to the way of eating of the food, Krishna said "while eating, one should concentrate on eating as the food is served to one’s consciousness" (9.27). He further said that even eating leaves, fruits, and water alone can suffice us to keep healthy."
In Chapter 8, Krishna says "whatever you think throughout your life will be your thought at the time of death and whatever is the state of mind at the time of death will be the atmosphere you will get in the rebirth."
Lord Krishna also related the state of mind at death with the liberation. He said that during last minutes of life, a person’s mind remains under the influence of his/her dominant attributes. People who die with a dominant satwa guna, their soul takes rebirth in people who are pure in their mind (14.14).
On the contrary, dying people with predominant rajas guna will have their soul take rebirth in families devoted to action, and if a person’s soul departs when the tamas guna is growing, the soul takes rebirth in people who are unintelligent. The state of mind in the last minutes will be governed only one’s life–long habits and not the last minute alterations in life.
Lord Krishna elaborates that there are four types of food, which are consumed by human beings, and they are the foods, which are eaten, sucked, drunk or licked. They all lead to the increase of digestive fire, which is dependent on prana vayu and apana vayu. The functioning of this digestive fire is dependent on one’s consciousness.
No comments:
Post a Comment