Monday, May 05, 2008
GITA 108 DAYS - Day 89
89. Strength of a marriage is not in sharing leftovers
Strength of marriage is not in sharing the leftover food from the husband’s plate. No scriptures tell you to do that. Everyone should eat their food when they are hungry. A lady need not wait for the husband’s convenience and time to eat her dinner. Not to eat on time is akin to insulting the Lord, ‘Vasivanara”.
Left-over food, (even if it was just sat over by flies, it is a remnant), cold and stale, tasteless, smelly and rotten food are all unhygienic and tainted. People with tamo-guna tend to eat these types of food. People of rajo-guna tend to eat hot, spicy, salty, tangy food with not much oil or fat. These foods tend to increase diseases, sorrow and delusion in them.
Sattvic people prefer healthy foods that tend to increase endurance, virility, strength, happiness and contentment. Those are food with ample fats, taste and are nourishing for developing body muscles. One could know the full history of evolution of such foods. Only vegetarian foods– specifically the leaves and fruits- are of this category. Quality and quantity of food intake influence our mental disposition and behaviour. If we eat rotten food, putrid thoughts will arise in our mind.
Satvic Yagnas are where we undertake action by keeping our mind steadfast in it without desiring for a particular result. In such an activity, we are contented that we are able to undertake it. All yagnas done to achieve certain results or to show off magnanimity are rajasic in nature. People of tamo-guna undertake yagnas without regard to scriptural injunctions, without the proper care procedure, without mantras and fee to the priests. They are also reluctant to feed the people.
Respecting and worshipping divine being, brahmanas, preceptors, cleanliness, straightforwardness, following the path of truth (brahma marga) and non-violence are bodily penance. Experiencing the presence of the teacher is also part of it. It is the penance by words to be soft, congenial, truthful, well thought, un-agitating and convincing in speech. We should not end up having to say ever “Oh I said it without thinking, please pardon me”. Do not injure anybody’s mind with your sharp tongue. Mental serenity, gentleness, silence, mind control and purity of conduct are all penance of the mind.
Strength of marriage is not in sharing the leftover food from the husband’s plate. No scriptures tell you to do that. Everyone should eat their food when they are hungry. A lady need not wait for the husband’s convenience and time to eat her dinner. Not to eat on time is akin to insulting the Lord, ‘Vasivanara”.
Left-over food, (even if it was just sat over by flies, it is a remnant), cold and stale, tasteless, smelly and rotten food are all unhygienic and tainted. People with tamo-guna tend to eat these types of food. People of rajo-guna tend to eat hot, spicy, salty, tangy food with not much oil or fat. These foods tend to increase diseases, sorrow and delusion in them.
Sattvic people prefer healthy foods that tend to increase endurance, virility, strength, happiness and contentment. Those are food with ample fats, taste and are nourishing for developing body muscles. One could know the full history of evolution of such foods. Only vegetarian foods– specifically the leaves and fruits- are of this category. Quality and quantity of food intake influence our mental disposition and behaviour. If we eat rotten food, putrid thoughts will arise in our mind.
Satvic Yagnas are where we undertake action by keeping our mind steadfast in it without desiring for a particular result. In such an activity, we are contented that we are able to undertake it. All yagnas done to achieve certain results or to show off magnanimity are rajasic in nature. People of tamo-guna undertake yagnas without regard to scriptural injunctions, without the proper care procedure, without mantras and fee to the priests. They are also reluctant to feed the people.
Respecting and worshipping divine being, brahmanas, preceptors, cleanliness, straightforwardness, following the path of truth (brahma marga) and non-violence are bodily penance. Experiencing the presence of the teacher is also part of it. It is the penance by words to be soft, congenial, truthful, well thought, un-agitating and convincing in speech. We should not end up having to say ever “Oh I said it without thinking, please pardon me”. Do not injure anybody’s mind with your sharp tongue. Mental serenity, gentleness, silence, mind control and purity of conduct are all penance of the mind.
# posted by Sukumar Canada @ 9:03 PM 
