||  Shree Hari   ||

Purity in Diet

आहार-शुद्धि

continued......

Question ‒ To what extent is it true that on having less strength / energy in the body,  one gets a lot more diseases ?

Answer ‒ On this subject there are two schools of thought ‒ Ayurveda has a point of view and Dharmashastra has a different point of view.   Ayurveda’s sight is only on the body;   they therefore believe that when there is less strength and power in the body, more diseases manifest.  However, the view of Dharmashastra is on auspicious and inauspicious deeds;  therefore it believes that when a disease manifests, it is primarily due to sins.  

When man’s “kupathyajanya” (arising from unwholesome foods and life-style) deeds or ‘praarabdhjanya’ (sinful acts -) arising from destiny-fate  come to bare fruit, then vata, pitta, kapha, -  these three become abnormal and become an aid in giving birth to diseases.   And at that time even the ghosts and spirits enter the body and can cause diseases;  it has been said ‒

                वैद्या वदन्ति कफपित्तमरुद्विकारान्

                        ज्योतिर्विदो  ग्रहगतिं  परिवर्तयन्ति ।

                भूता विशन्तीति  भूतविदो  वदन्ति

                        प्रारब्धकर्म   बलवन्मुनयो   वदन्ति ॥

‘In the manifestation of a disease, the ancient doctors believe vatta, pitta, kapha to be the cause, the astrologers believe the planetary conditions to be the cause, those knowledgeable in the ghosts and spirits, believe the entering of the ghosts and spirits to be the cause of disease, but the contemplative ones,  believe the past actions, leading to destiny to be the main force and cause in disease.’

Essential thoughts pertaining to your Meals (Food/Diet).  

It has come in the Upanishads that as is the food, so becomes the mind ‒‘Annamai hi somya manah’ (Chandogya 6/5/4) in other words,  food has an influence on the mind.  The mind (inner-senses) are made of the subtle core,  essential part (part number one).  From the part that is second number, forms the  semen, from the part that is third number,  stool or excrement is generated, which is excreted out.   Therefore to purify the mind the food should be pure and sacred.   With the purity of the food, the mind - inner senses are purified ‒‘आहारशुद्धौ सत्त्वशुद्धिः’(छान्दोग्य॰ २ । २६ । २)  ‘Aahaarsuddhou sattvashuddhih’  (Chandogya 2/26/2).  Wherever one eats,  the place, the atmosphere,  the sight, and that which you sit on to eat food,  that seating (aasan) must also be pure and sacred.  The reason being, that while eating when the life-breath (praan, being) consumes food,  at that time, it draws in from all the pores and consumes all the sub-atomic and atomic particles from near-by surrounding area.   Therefore as is the place, the atmosphere etc.,  the life-breath will draw to itself the very same kind of sub-atomic particles, and the mind will become according to that only.  The feelings and sentiments of the one cooking, should also be pure and unadulterated (satvic).   

(to be continued) 

 From book in Hindi ‘ Aahaar Shuddhi’ by Swami Ramsukhdasji

||  Shree Hari   ||

Purity in Diet

आहार-शुद्धि

continued......

Question ‒ People are of the opinion that by doing “Asanas”  the body becomes thin and feeble,  is this true ?  

Answer ‒ Yes,  this is so;  but even on the body looking thin and feeble with “asanas”, weakness does not come in the body.   By doing asanas,  the body remains free from disease,  it feels energized, the body feels light.   By not doing “asanas”, the body remains large, but along with that due to the gross-ness, it feels heavy,  unfit, and there is less enthusiasm to do work. Walking - roaming feels like a huge effort,  there is difficulty in getting up - sitting down,  there is desire to keep lying in bed,   the body also becomes sick easily and often.   Therefore the largeness of the body is not as good as thinness of the body.   If someone’s body looks thin and feeble, but it is free of disease, and if someone’s body is large, but it is diseased,  then of the two, the body looking “thin and feeble”  is better.   

Question ‒  For who is it more useful to do “asanas” ?

Answer ‒ Those who work in the fields, who do hard physical labor,  they naturally and automatically get exercize and work-out and they also get pure air;  therefore for them there is no need for exercise.   But those who do mental work;  those who sit in offices and stores etc,  for them it is very useful and essential to do “asanas”.

 

Question ‒ How much exercize (व्यायाम)  should one do?   

Answer ‒ Exercizes like pull-up and push-ups,  aerobics, work-out  are considered to be good if done until the body is completely tired out, and one drops to the floor.  But in the practices of “asanas” one must not apply a lot of force and effort,  rather when one feels some exhertion in the body,  one must stop doing the “asanas”.  Even while doing the ‘asanas’  one must take a break in between and do “shavasana”   (dead man’s posture).   

Question ‒ Where should exercizes be done ?  

Answer ‒Wherever there is pure air, where there are forests, lots of trees there you will benefit tremendously from doing exercizes.  Emanciated in physical exercizes, if you do not get pure air, then it will do,  but in the practices of “asanas”, it is very essential to have pure air.  Those who live in the cities,  they can do ‘asanas’ on roof-tops and in their rooms with fan turned on at a low speed.

Question ‒ What should be the diet of those who do exercizes ?

Answer ‒ Those who do physical exercizes,  should consume a lot of  milk, clarified butter (ghee),  etc.  If one vomits on taking milk, ghee etc,  then too one must not be so concerned,  and continue to consume the amount that can be digested.  But  in the practice of Physical asanas, one must consume pure, sattvik food in moderation (Gita 6/17)

(to be continued) 

 From book in Hindi ‘ Aahaar Shuddhi’ by Swami Ramsukhdasji

||  Shree Hari   ||

Purity in Diet

आहार-शुद्धि

continued......

Question ‒ Coming in contact with a person who has  plague, etc. or various other forms of disease, if someone else gets this disease, then is destiny the cause or is it something else ?

Answer ‒ He whose destiny-fate is weak,  in other words, he who is to get a disease due to it being ordained, that one alone will get the disease, not all.   Coming in contact  with other diseased persons etc. where the diseased person becomes an instrument (cause) for  bringing about the disease, that was already ordained.

Question ‒ To become free of disease,  what medicinal system should be put to use ?

Answer ‒ Medical practices are of five kinds  ‒ human made (manaviya),  derived from nature, Yogic, divine (daivic) and demonaic (rakshasi).  The treatment resulting from medicines made from herbs etc.  is ‘Manaviya chikitsa’ (man made medicines).    The cures that come from food, water, air, sun rays, soil (earth) etc.  is ‘Prakrutik Chikitsa’ (medicines derived from nature).   To get rid of disease through physical exercises, yoga postures (asanas), controlled breathing (pranayam), discipline, moderation and restraint (sanyam),  celibacy (brahmacharya) etc.  is called ‘yogic chikitsa’.    To get rid of disease through mantra, tantra  etc and through blessing, is ‘daivi chikitsa’  To cure through surgical means (operation) etc.  is ‘rakshashi chikitsa’ (demonaic treatment)’   In all of these,  the form of treatment that is best for the body, to get rid of disease is ‘yogic chikitsa’, because in this, there is no expense,  there is no dependency on anyone, and on doing asanas, pranayam, restraint and discipline, the diseases do not even come in the body.

Question ‒ What diseases do not come with physical - aerobic exercises ,  ‘asanas’,  ‘pranayam’ etc.  -  ‘kupathyajanya rog” (diseases arising from unwholesome foods and life-style) or ‘praarabdhjanya’ those diseases arising from destiny-fate ?

Answer ‒ Diseases arising from unwholesome foods and life-style do not come with the practice of Asana,  pranayam (control of breath), restraint-discipline (sanyam), practice of celibacy (Brahmacharya palan),  etc.  and even those diseases that are due to destiny-fate (praarabdh janya) also do not have much strength (power).  They have less effect on the body.   The reason being that asanas, pranayam etc. are also actions;  therefore they to have fruit (results).  

Question ‒ What is the difference between “vyaayaam” (aerobic-physical) exercise and ‘asanas’  (yogics exercises)  ?

Answer ‒ ‘vyaayam’ (aerobic-physical) exercise itself has two differences ‒(1) grappling-wrestling,  push-ups etc  and (2) Asana (yoga posters) like head stand, legs raised up (sarvaangaasan), matsyasan etc.  

Those who grapple-wrestle, their muscles are very strong,  hard and those who do yoga asanas,  their muscles become elastic, and soft.  दSecondly,  those who wrestle,  their bodies remain good in youth, but in old age, due to not continuing to the exercizes, they experience a lot of pain in their bodies , and in their joints.    But those who do asanas,  their bodies remain good in youth, but also in old age if they don’t do asanas, they do not have pain in their bodies*.   Besides that, by doing asanas, the blood flows smoothly through the arteries and veins, due to which the body remains healthy and free of disease.   In meditating etc.  the asanas are a great aid, and useful.  Therefore practicing asanas appears to be a better route.  

(to be continued) 

 From book in Hindi ‘ Aahaar Shuddhi’ by Swami Ramsukhdasji

||  Shree Hari   ||

Purity in Diet

आहार-शुद्धि

continued......

‘Kupathya” (unwholesome foods and life-style) should be renounced and wholesome diet and a disciplined life-style is to be adopted ‒ these three points are even better than medicines in getting rid of disease.   

By eating-drinking with  a diseased man,  by eating from the plate of a diseased man,  by sitting on the “aasan”  (personal seat) of a diseased man, by using the clothes etc. of a diseased person,  compounded diseased can occur,  which are very difficult to diagnose.   If you cannot even diagnose the illness, then how are the medicines to work in such condition ?   

Due to the influence of the time period (yug),  the medicinal herbs have lost their power.  Many divine medicinal herbs have also become extinct.  Those who make medicines are not making them properly, and influenced by the greed of money,  those things that should be added to these medicines,  are replaced and add other additives are added in its place.  Therefore those medicines do not have the same potency and qualities as they should have.  

Those men who live in the countryside,  who work in the fields,  who do laborious work,  and the mothers and sisters who operate a grind-stone for their wheat flour etc.;  those who do hard work,  and who also get pure food, water, air etc.;  they do not get disease arising from unwholesome diet and life-style.   But those who live in the cities, who also do not do much physical exertion or work and who also do not get pure food, water, air etc;  they get diseases from unwholesome food and life-style.   Yes,  all get diseases that are pre-ordained (due to destiny/fate),  whether they are living in the country-side or in the cities.  

Man should take pure medicines as per the dictates of the scriptures / holy text.   If some ascetic, a renunciate, a householder who has a  disease, yet opts to not take medicines, then with that too his disease can be cured;  because not taking medicine is also a form of “tapa”  (austerity), by which the disease can go away.  He who remains saddened, unhappy,  due to the disease,  then the disease has a greater affect on him.  But disease does not have as much effect on he who worships and remembers God,  leads a disciplined life,  and remains always happy.   Disease are rooted out when there is happiness in the pysche.  

In the removal of diseases that are pre-ordained (destined / due to fate),  the medicines are only instruments.  In essence,  it is only when the destined actions are exhausted that the disease is cured.  By the vigorous practice of any virtuous deeds, atonement,  mantra etc.,  that are far greater than the  actions that have caused the disease, the destined disease, can be rooted out.  But in this, there is influence of the power of destiny.  In other words,  compared to what is ordained, if the spiritual austerities and practices are vehement then the disease will be cured, and compared to the austerities if that which is destined or ordained is more predominant, then the disease will not be cured,  in other words, the gain will be just a little.   

(to be continued) 

 From book in Hindi ‘ Aahaar Shuddhi’ by Swami Ramsukhdasji

||  Shree Hari   ||

Purity in Diet

आहार-शुद्धि

continued......

Question ‒ How do we recognize a disease,  whether it is due to what was destined or as are result of unwholesome diet and life-style ?  

Answer ‒ Diseases that do not get cured even on consuming  wholesome foods, living a disciplined life and on taking medicines are to be understood as coming from destiny.    The disease that is cured with medicines and eating wholesome foods, are to be understood as ‘kupathyajanya” (caused by unwholesome foods and life-style).   

A ‘kupathyajanya” disease,  are of four kinds -  “Saadhya”, “krucchr-saadhya”,  “yaapya” and “asaadhya.”.   Those diseases that are cured by taking medicines are and   ‘साध्य’  (saadhya).  Those diseases that are cured after taking medicines for many days and strictly following a regimented diet and life-style are ‘कृच्छ्र-साध्य’ “krucchr-saadhya”.  Those diseases that remain in remission only on continuing a regimented course of diet and medicines, and cannot be rooted out completely are  ‘याप्य’ “yaapya”. Those diseases that do not go away even on taking medicines etc,  they are ‘असाध्य’ “asaadhya” ।

The diseases that are due to destiny are most certainly “asaadhya”.  Those diseases that are caused by unwholesome diet and life-style can become “asaadhya” at times.   Such “asaadhya”  diseases, often cannot go away with medicines.   Such diseases can go away by the blessings of some saint, by the vigorous practices of a “mantra”, and by the grace of God.

Question ‒What is the reason behind ‘kupathyajanya” (caused by unwholesome foods and life-style) diseases becoming incurable?

Answer ‒ There can be many reasons behind this; just as ‒ (1) when the disease persists for many days (becomes chronic),  (2) due to instantaneous desire and consuming of savoury foods that are not wholesome (3)  the medicines are not prepared with accuracy and are lacking in something, (4) the herbs etc.  used to prepare the medicines are old and not fresh, (5) The diseased man,  does not have faith in the doctor (vaidya) and the medicines.  (6) The diseased man does not remain disciplined in his eating habits etc. (7)  The diseased man does not adhere in celibacy,  and various other reasons that the  ‘kupathyajanya” (caused by unwholesome foods and life-style) disease does not go away.   

The diseased man who time and again takes various different medicines,  who takes these medicines in large quantities,  he does not gain significantly from the medicines;  the reason being,   those medicine become like consuming regular foods (body develops immunity to it).  Those living in the country-side, in rural areas,  they often do not take medicines, but sometimes when they do take them, then the effect on them is very quick.   Those who consume alcohol, tea and various intoxicating things, their habits become bad,  by which the medicines do not have an affect on them.   Those who eat and drink those things that are opposed to the “dharma-shaastra” and “ayurved shaastra”, their disease (caused by unwholesome diet) cannot be cured even with medicines.  

 

(to be continued) 

 From book in Hindi ‘ Aahaar Shuddhi’ by Swami Ramsukhdasji

||  Shree Hari   ||

Purity in Diet

आहार-शुद्धि

continued......

The days mothers - sisters are menstrating,  we do not even touch them, rather  from a distance,  I respectfully greet them; because by touching them,  one develops impurity.   Even the shadow of a menstrating woman makes a snake blind, and “papad”  turns black.  On touching a body of water, many living creatures are born.  By touching food, clothes  etc.,  they become impure.   The reason being that poisons are releasing from a menstrating woman,  and after these are released, she becomes purified.  In this manner,  the released particles that is considered to be impure, and egg is produced from that very same released particles.   Therefore he who eats eggs, will surely become impure.   

The person who begins to eat unfertilized eggs,  he will then begin to eat the fertilized eggs as well.  Besides that,  who is to know for sure whether there is a mixing of the fertilized and unfertilized eggs ?  Therefore from every angle,  eating eggs is prohibited,  it is a sin.   

Question ‒ There is violence even in pulling out / cutting herbs,  Therefore should one take medicines prepared from these or not ?

Answer ‒  A renunciate from the four stages of life, if he does not take the medicines prepared from pure herbs then it is good;  because in him the renunciation is main.   As such renunciation is good for everyone.  But householders if they take medicines prepared from these herbs, then it is not so much an offense.   Just as through farming, the farmers, commit violence on various small insects and creatures,  but such acts of violence do not lead to sins;  because through the grains that are produced in the fields, many lives are sustained.  In the same way, those who pull out medicinal herbs,  through them mistakes are made, but they do not  incur as much sins from it because with those herbs many people can become free of disease.    

It has come in the Padmapuran, that if a man drinks water from any water reservoirs,  then he should remove a little soil from that reservoir and place it on the banks.  It means that this reservoir was made by some other person,  therefore by removing a little soil from it, man also contributes towards  its digging.  By doing so,  we will not incur the sin of drinking someone else’s water.  In the same way, those herbs that are utilized for making medicines, they should be given water for their nourishment,  and must be well protected,  and they must not be pulled out without a reason.   

Question ‒ In what way does a disease manifest ?  

Answer ‒  Disease manifests in two ways -  due to past deeds (destiny) and due to un-wholesome foods.   The diseases that are born for making one suffer the consequences of past sins, they are due to destiny ‘praabdhjanya’ Those diseases that arise from consuming foods and drinks that are forbidden,  they are ‘kupathyajanya’.  

(to be continued) 

 From book in Hindi ‘ Aahaar Shuddhi’ by Swami Ramsukhdasji