As the food for body must be sattvic, food for thought must also be pure
It is said; “ As is the food, so is the mind; As is the mind, so are the thoughts; As are the thoughts, so is the conduct; As is the conduct, so is the health “. Food has a direct and intimate connection with the mind and plays a vital part in the makeup of the mind. Most of us eat food in order to derive energy, however, it would be surprising to know that of all the species, man is the only living being who dislikes raw food found in its natural state. As compared to animals who eat things as they are, man boils, fries, melts, mixes and adopts various methods of cooking in order to satisfy the cravings of the tongue, the eye and the nose. As a consequence, the food value of these articles is either reduced or destroyed. Indian scriptures categorise food into three types namely saatvik, rajasic and tamasic.
As per Chandogya Upanishad, when the food is pure, the whole nature becomes pure; when the nature becomes pure, the memory becomes firm; and when a man is in possession of a firm memory, all the ties are severed. Similarly, Bhagavad Gita says that foods that are too bitter, sour, salty, pungent, dry, and hot can lead to pain, distress, and disease of the body. Further, it says that foods cooked more than three hours before being eaten, foods that are tasteless, stale, putrid, decomposed and unclean should be avoided by those who seek excellent physical and mental health. Hence purity of food is most important if men were to live a life filled with peace & happiness. Sattvic food calms the mind whereas rajasic food excites the mind which creates worry within us which in turn causes hurry and both of these together bring about ill health. That is why it is said that today worry, hurry and curry are the root causes of man’s ailments.
Most of us are not aware of the fact that the mind is made out of the subtle essence of food. So primarily it is the intention with which the food is procured, cooked or served that matters the most. Non-vegetarian food, for instance, is not fit for human consumption not just for physical or environmental reasons but basically because it is procured using inhuman violent means, making it a complete 'no no' for good health. We must also understand that the quality of thoughts that originate in the mind while food is being consumed drastically affects its quality. A very visible example of this is “Prasad” which is prepared in the remembrance of the Almighty and loaded with good intentions and which is consumed as pure food by devotees. Similarly, home-cooked food that contains a mother's love and concern for her family is far more nutritious and fulfilling than food that is commercially produced or sold in restaurants with the aim of earning money.
Ask those who are forced to eat outside every day. In other words, if the intention of the cook is any other but to nourish the consumer with good health and love, the food meets half the hunger. Remember! food can always be made nutritious with the power of positive thought. The most nutritious form of food is the one that is prepared with fresh vegetarian ingredients, cooked in the Almighty's remembrance and served with love to someone who receives it with the same respect and benevolence and consumes it in peace. However, it is not as simplistic as saying that all vegetarians have better moral or physical strength than non-vegetarians.
This is because the mind is more powerful than matter or food. And so if the quality of thoughts that is the subtle food of the mind that’s consumed or created by a person each second is not elevated despite the intake of satvik food, it would not be possible to bring out a strong, morally upright character. Therefore as the food for the body must be saatvik, food for thought must also be pure and elevated for a truly healthy being.
(Writer is a spiritual educator & popular columnist; views are personal)
