Both the quality of diet and the manner of eating affect the state of human mind directly
Human beings have today become diet-conscious, as a result of which we see most individuals following one or the other kind of diet regimes, be it the popular Atkins food, a vegan diet or the Mediterranean stuff. The list is endless depending on what people wish to achieve in terms of weight loss, wellbeing, etc. In olden times, people never used to bother so much about diet, but today one has to match up with the ever-changing lifestyle trends to look fit and presentable. Despite these changes, nobody has ever thought about a unique diet — spiritual food — consumed since time immemorial by human beings.
Most of us forget an important fact that, along with taste and nutrition values, food has a spiritual component. We must understand that food that is selected with care, prepared with love, accepted with gratitude and eaten with purity and satisfaction has a medicinal value for both the soul and the body. Here, the underlying ingredient remains awakened all the while. When our consciousness is clean and filled with love and detachment, then the food we make is purified which, in turn, cleanses the whole body. As a result, our mind is freed from desires and slavery to sense organs. Nowadays, many people avoid eating onions, garlic and heavy dash of spices which act as unnecessary stimulants to the endocrine system and thus destabilise our mind.
Dietary studies of sages and saints in India reveal that the latter’s approach towards eating was pure, satvik and simple. It was based on two main principles of not causing suffering to any other living being, and not destabilising the physiological systems affecting digestive, nervous and endocrine systems. That’s why there are certain types of food that they would accept; and, they would never overindulge. They simply followed the principle of “as you eat, so your mind becomes”. This is the fundamental tenet of a spiritual diet.
Spirituality says that the quality of food and the manner of eating affect the state of our mind. That is why food that has been prepared after slaughtering an animal carries a karmic debt that becomes a burden on the human soul. likewise, food or drink that has a stimulating effect on the body as well as food that is consumed under a state of tension, anxiety, depression, anger or fear carries a toxic load that gives way for physical disorders like acidity, body ache, sleeplessness, hypertension, ulcer, etc. So how does one save oneself from these miseriesIJ The answer is: Through following spiritual diet that includes preparing food in a meditative state with feelings of love and detachment.
When one cooks food without any kind of earthly desires or lust, then the food carries a subtle power that energises the soul and the body. There is no doubt that any diet that aids in good health is good, but if the person following a strict diet regime becomes too fanatical and creates stress for self and others, then the benefit will be lost. So, the idea should be to lead a life with a balanced diet regime without being too fussy.
The writer is a spiritual columnist