1. Note from the editor

Dear Bhagavatas,
We give below excerpts from chapter 15 of "Hinduism Rediscovered" dealing with Aahaara Niyamam.

Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy

2. Excerpts from chapter 15 of "Hinduism Rediscovered"
Section 3 Aahara Niyamam
(dietary regimen- lord Krishna's prescription)

Like a doctor who studies the symptoms of a patient to diagnose the nature of the disease and then proceeds to prescribe appropriate medicines to cure the causes of the ailment, lord Krishna has indicated the symptomatic behavior of persons influenced by the various Gunas. he then proceeds to prescribe correctives to improve the health of the soul afflicted by the undesirable Gunas. these correctives are not from any external sources like drugs, pills, caplets, injections etc. but by a simple process of regulating our dietary habits. he catalogues what can be consumed and what should be avoided to augment Satva Guna, and what would trigger Rajo Guna and what would steep one in Tamo Guna.

When you are ill, you take medicines. we also see it marked on the bottles or packages of food items / medicines the contents (e.g.) protein, vitamins, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, iron, folic acid etc. with indication of calories, carbohydrates, fat, cholesterol, sodium, potassium etc. of these items. the chemical compound that constitute the ingredients, break into enzymes etc., strengthen the natural elements in the body to fight against the killer germs that cause disease.

This is true not only of physical infirmities but also of mental and psychological afflictions. numerous psychiatric medicines are administered to mental patients to bring them on the road to recovery. Thus, it is clear that even in modern medicine, what is ingested has mind- altering effects of the happy kind, while drug, dope etc. have also mind altering effects of the unpleasant kind.

`Ayurveda' even goes to the extent of asserting that certain types of foods actually tend to prolong life. while no food can extend life beyond what one is destined, it only means that a dietary regimen can save one from `near-death-experiences' known as `ghandams' - acting as antidotes to the toxic substances that have the potency to cut short life.

"Ayurveda' prescribes that a proper dietary regimen would promote healthy development of both body and mind and reduce, if not totally eliminate, the need for medicines.

The interaction between the body and mind and the role of three Gunas in the process can be recognized by careful observation. when you are depressed in mind, your body debilitates and is unable to function with the optimum efficiency it is normally capable of when your emotions are normal. conversely, when you are physically healthy, you are able to think clearly, speak effectively and act correctly. if your body runs, your mind also runs as fast; if you fall sick, your mind also suffers a setback. and, mind is only a representative of your `atma' or soul.

So long as one does not understand the difference between the body and the soul and does not keep the interaction under control - one would be subject to the sway of emotions of pleasure and pain. This difference can be understood and this chain of interaction can be broken only by a `sadhu' (saint) or `satvik' -( pious) a person who trains himself by a strict regimen of body - mind control. In other words, these satviks are those who have achieved a state where bodily conditions do not have any effect on the mind (and therefore the atma or soul) and vice versa.

Even on the death bed, even when exposed to severest heat or benumbing cold, even while suffering from excruciating pain, even when they have gone without food indefinitely (as in the case of Mahatma Gandhi and Jai Prakash Narain) - they can keep their mental facilities intact and in fact, in finer fettle, more agile and clearer than even when being physically normal. in short, these `satviks' have divorced the body - mind relationship and broken the chain successfully.

While it is impossible for the average person to achieve this absolute state, it is definitely within the competence of everyone to endeavor to achieve an equilibrium in the interplay of the Gunas by proper discipline in habits - the most important of which are food habits. a conscious effort will be required to train oneself in this discipline. This will facilitate a slow but steady advancement leading ultimately to this absolute state. that is why Hinduism advises measures to achieve `a healthy mind in a healthy body'.

As the elimination of the effects of Rajo Guna and Tamo Guna would automatically ensure the effects of Satva Guna, we will consider the reaction of these Gunas on the mind of a person.

When the `Rajo' type of person goes to a birthday party his mind will yearn to be the `birthday baby'; when he goes to a wedding, his mind would like to don the wedding robe of the groom; when he goes to attend a funeral of `somebody' his mind will not hesitate to be that `somebody'; when he meets one who has achieved fame, wealth or power his mind would at once ask why he should not be `that one'.

Astonishingly avaricious, dubiously devious, and wonderfully wayward are the characteristics of a Rajo type of person. He is impatient to achieve objectives but the very impatience would cause impediments to the very objectives he desires to achieve.

But, one thing is clear. It is in this propensity to incessant activity of the `Rajo' type of persons that the whole world revolves, with attendant pleasures and pains.

When such a person reaches a stage when all his needs had been denied, when his ways had led him to undesirable ends, and when he is immobilized having reached his nadir, when he realizes that after all he had been running after a mirage - then and then only would he realize the efficacy of `Satva' and the deception of `Rajo'.

Let us now consider the effect of Tamoguna on the mind of a person. He becomes sinful, sluggish, stupid, sullen, dull, depraved, degenerate, devoid of any sense of responsibilities, inert - eating whatever and whenever he gets (even putrefied food) sleeping wherever and whenever he can, and dies when his time comes - he is so lazy that even for putting food into his mouth, he would need someone to help. The only way to retrieve him to normality would be force and flog him into incessant activity.

Our sages and seers have laid down the do's and dont's to help us avoid Tamoguna completely, regulate Rajoguna on desirable lines and promote Satvaguna.

For long, it had been fashionable for the westernized Indians themselves to decry Indian vegetarian foods of grains and cereals like rice and wheat which they said were stupid and merely ' belly filling carbo hydrates' without any nutritional value. They plumped in for disproportionate doses of vegetables and fruits with a liberal allowance of meat, poultry, fish, eggs. That food habits regulate the bodyclock and insure against disease and deterioration has been proclaimed by our ancestors but has been accepted by modern research only now:

Leading nutrition organizations and prominent food trade councils have now endorsed the us department of agriculture's selection of `food - guide - pyramid' as the graphics to convey the types and amounts of food that should be consumed daily. Judy Dodd, president of the American dietetic association and Barbara Shannon, President of the society for nutrition education advocate - "consumption of grains, cereals and rice as the staff of life followed by fruits and vegetables to make calorie intake more manageable, putting serving sizes in perspective, reducing fats and oil while increasing milk, yogurt and cheese group to ensure a `balanced diet' - as a valuable source of energizing complex carbohydrates while giving a sense of fullness and satisfaction"1 (vied Annexure showing the ' food pyramid' recommended by them and accepted by the us department of agriculture.)

It will be seen therefrom that the much maligned rice group has now regained its pride of place with over 40 % of the total intake since the 'stupid and belly filling carbohydrates' has not at all been stupid but highly sensible since it has been recognized as an important source of energy with the fruits and vegetables group ranked only secondary to the rice group while the much trumpeted meat and fat group has plummeted to a new low, if not wholly eliminated. now, the nutrition experts say that such a balanced diet should consist of 'heavy breakfast, light lunch and a lighter dinner'- precisely the reverse of what most people do in the USA.

What the modern researchers are stumbling upon by strenuous efforts over long periods of research by trial and error methods exposing innumerable `subjects' of study to be the `guineapigs' in their experiments - had been spelled out in unambiguous terms millions of years back by our great sages and seers in our sacred scriptures, "annam pranamayam", `yad annenarohati' cooked rice is life itself; that which is nourished by rice food' - are sayings pregnant with significance today as they were in the Vedic, Purusha Suktha days. in fact, `annam' -( cooked rice) is equated with `Sri Lakshmi', the goddess of wealth, prosperity and health and therefore worthy of highest regard never to be maligned ( Annadvesha).

This `annam' has been variously described as sweet, juicy, pleasant, life saving, life promoting, bestowing equilibrium, strength, health and happiness both physiologically and psychologically which are the characteristics of `satvik' type of food.

For it is said `from the Satva, knowledge is born" (BG 14/17). the food which is full of the quality of Satva is the cause of growth of knowledge. they promote energy and health, they also promote pleasure and happiness.

They are enduring in their effects on the tissues of the body and on mental well being. the foods that promote longevity, mental vigor, energy, health, pleasure and happiness as they are full of sweet juices and are rich having lasting effects and agreeable. such food is dear to those governed by Satvaguna. (bg17/8)

The food which is full of the quality of `Rajo' would trigger such undesirable experiences such as vatham (muscular) pitham (bile) kapam (bronchial) vayu (gastric) etc. such foods are those that are bitter, sour, too salty, too hot, too cold, too pungent, astringent, emaciating and inflaming. (bg17/19)

The `Tamo' type of food are those that are not fresh (i.e.) kept over for a long time, that have lost their taste, that are consumed by re-heating and therefore giving a different taste due to passage of time, those that are left over, those that are unholy (i.e.) not fit as an offering to god, such food is called `amedhya' - (that which is not only not conducive to `medha' or intellect) but positively destructive of intellect and therefore, diverting the mind into undesirable channels. (BG17/10)

Again, as to the quantum of consumption, in BG6 (16 & 17) Lord Krishna advises moderation in food habits. He says that one who eats too much, one who does not eat at all, one who walks a lot, one who does not walk at all, one who feels exhausted all the time, the one who never get exhausted, one who sleeps all the time (may be by imbibing sedatives) and one who always keeps awake (by imbibing stimulants) such persons will not be able to attain `yoga'. He further avers that yoga is the destroyer of misery to him who has proper food, who is properly active and who has proper sleep and wakefulness.(BG 6 /16 and 6 / 17)

We see this in practical life also that people given to extremes in their habits would not be able to function normally physically and / or psychologically because the equilibrium of body and mind is impaired by such extreme habits.

Smriti explains the ideal quantity of food that can be consumed: "only half the stomach should be filled with food; one quarter with water; the remaining quarter should be left empty for air to circulate"2.

As for the ideal type of food, it should contain all the six tastes viz. sweet , salty , sour, bitter, pungent and astringent.

"Eatng moderately, walking 100 feet after taking food, sleeping moderately, speaking moderately, lying on the left side - if one follows this regimen he has no use for a doctor".-3

Does it not remind us of the saying "after supper, walk a while" etc.

Also, there is a saying- which requires that one should eat that which is agreeable to the body-system, moderate in quantity, tasteful and vegetarian.4

A person who eats only one full meal a day is a `yogi '( fit to do yoga); one who eats twice is a `bhogi' ( fit to enjoy life) and one who eats more than twice is a `rogi ( fit to suffer disease)'.

It may be mentioned in this connection that while even animals eat only when they are hungry, man is perhaps the only creature who indulges in indiscriminate eating whenever and wherever he finds an opportunity (not necessarily necessity to eat) - drinking, boozing, gobbling up at any time and every time, anywhere and everywhere under pretext of `socializing' and otherwise regardless of the quality or quantity of what is consumed resulting in pernicious syndromes on physical and psychological levels.

Ayurveda' also calls attention to six circumstances which contribute to disease: "too much drinking (including too much intake of food), too much sexual intercourse, day time sleeping, keeping awake at night, suppressing the urge to expel excreta and urine - these six circumstances lead to disease"5.

Incidentally, here is another sloka which describes how one acquires old age prematurely - "man becomes old by too much walking; horses by not walking; a woman by not having sex; clothes that are dried in heat for long".