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Satvic diet : what is it?
Some time ago i posted a posted a funny conversation i
over heard about "walking goat- cauli-flowers"
i got this reply from Shri Eswar Josyula to my earlier post,
which others also might like to read: [i have permission to
post].
From: josyule@ind3.fim.wpafb.af.mil (Eswar Josyula)
Message-Id: <199602022130.QAA22603@ind3.fim.wpafb.af.mil>
GOPAL Ganapathiraju Sree Ramana (gopal@ecf.toronto.edu) wrote on SRH:
Newsgroups: soc.religion.hindu
Subject: Saatvic diet: what is it?
>Preamble
>========
>This is *not* another thread on non-veg bashing. This
>is about the future of saatvik aahaara for those who
>believe in veg diet.
>
>An interesting conversation i overheard
>========================================
>
>1: how can you have vegetarian food tomorrow? the
>multi-nationals are not going to let genetic
>engineering lie unutilized. we already have
>tomatoes with alterned fish genes in them. and
>it is only a matter of time that almost all
>vegetables are going to have non-vegetarian content.
>
>2: Well there will be other businessmen willing to
>run comptitive products that are *natural*
>
>1: That is illusion. just like green revolution
>wiped out indegeneous varieties, the hybrid
>non-veg vegetables will wipe out *natural* vegetables.
>Then, even if some one sells the so-called *natural*
>vegetables, they will contain some trace of non-veg
>vegetables.
>
>2: Well. that small amount of non-veg is acceptable.
>even today when we shop around in super markets, we
>do breath some particles of non-veg items whether
>we go near them or not. we breath on footpaths
>with ham-burger vendors etc everywhere. so what if
>some trace of non-veg is there in comptititive *natural*
>vegetables?
>
>1: Let me ask you point blank then: if in future the
>genetic engineering produces walking vegetable goats
>-- goats with most of the genetic code from cauli-flower--
>will you consider it a saatvik food?
>
>Now, the questions
>==================
>
>(1) do i need to ask any *further* questlions!
>
>(2) How do we define vegetarian saatvic diet?
>
>(3) Is there a way to deal with the problem, since
>the problem can crop up soon? (i mean, the problem of
>exhausted sources of saatvic food)
A very relevant subject to our times, Gopal. My thoughts are:
The role of food in human life is to keep the body and soul together.
Lord Krishna has shown the preference of Sattva in Gita for
advancement in spiritual life. Acaryas have taught us that a
predominant sattvic diet also needs to be first offered to God. That way
we engage in our main purpose - that is to serve God under the spiritual
master's guidance. As it stands Gopal, it is only possible to have a
*predominantly* vegetarian sattvic diet, not fully vegetarian sattvic diet
in todays world. But once the food is offered to God and He accepts it,
then the remnants that the offeror is able to partake is sanctified or
spiritualized. Here the offeror is able to develop a relationship with God.
Surely, by any stretch of imagination meats obtained from mass killings
of slaughterhouse animals cannot be in anyone's definition of vegetarian
sattvic diet.
A sattvic diet consisting of sookha roti, dal, sabji, rice and milk may
not be that difficult to obtain, even in the future, is what I think.
The problem of genetic engineering, etc. suggest the lack of
God-conciousness in today's world. Because of the immensity of the
problem around us in this difficult age of Kali, Acaryas have proposed that
we become God-conscious first and then spread it to others.
The subject you brought definitely gives the readers a fresh impetus to
go back home, back to godhead.
Haribol,
Eswar Josyula
76142.1306@compuserve.com
