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Re: Hindu diet: Someone please explain
In article <4a5jh6$9u9@babbage.ece.uc.edu>,
Ramakrishnan Balasubramanian <rbalasub@ecn.purdue.edu> wrote:
>Non-stimulating food means food which is not excessively hot, sour, sweet etc.
right
>People have classified meat, eggs, spicy hot, very sour foods, onions etc as
>Rajasic.
Meat and eggs are Tamasik, please see the description of tamasic foods in
the Bhagavad Gita for this. Meat is decomposing, tasteless, leads to
distress, etc.
>>That is very interesting. I myself NEED poultry for my metabolism,
I highly doubt this.
>If I may offer a suggestion, you need not be overly concerned about food.
>One can profitably spend all that energy on some form of meditation.
Rajasik & tamasik "energy" would indeed be difficult to engage in meditation
since they agitate the mind & senses and lead to laziness & delusion
respectively.
>Vegetarianism was not considered an absolute must, atleast in the Rigveda and
>Puranas.
However, note that the Rg also _extremely_ regulates any legitimate meat-eating.
There are certain astrological times (new moon only), certain conditions,
certain animals, etc that can be sacrificed in a prescribed way. Also, part of
the ceremony requires the sacrificer to acknowledge that he stands to be
sacrificed the same way in a future life.
As a side note, only certain Puranas (the ones described as Rajasik and
Tamasik) allow meat eating. The topmost Purana, the Bhaagavata first of all
says that animal-killers will never become attracted to Hari katha. Then,
Bhrigu Muni gives a long polemic in the Fourth Canto of the Bhagavatam
against the Shaivites, in which the followers of that school are described
as hypocrites and atheists, largely because they eat meat and drink liquor
and other intoxicants.
>Even in the Ramayana, Rama is described as eating meat.
Strictly not true, at least for the Valmiki Ramayana, which is the most
authoritative one currently available.
>the notable exception
>being ISKCON members who apparently convinced Rama to become vegetarian :-).
Rama does not need to be convinced to be a vegetarian by any person, He
has already demanded such Himself; as Krishna He requested that one offer
Him a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water. He does not say "Offer me slaughtered
animals."
>Milk and milk derivatives are considered good food (Satvic) in general.
In particular, they are praised for improving the intelligence and are
considered essential for any yogi by Ayur-Veda.
>Ramakrishnan.
Yours,
Vijay
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