Baba
Tamasika: unknowingly eating
Namaskar,
On the path of Ananda Marga, strictness and discipline are needed in life. That brings will power or iccha shakti. And with that mental force, one can reach the Goal, by His grace.
On two worldly points of discipline, Baba was most serious: Illicit sexual relations and improper food. The reason was that both of these matters grossly affect not just the body, but the mind as well. When consumed by such vices, the mind becomes polluted and cannot concentrate on Parama Purusa. That is the undoing of any sadhaka and explains why Baba is especially strict on these points. So we should be vigilant both on matters of sex and food. That is the main idea.
This letter focuses on one of Baba's unique teachings from His discourses on microvita about sentient food.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Sentient food gets degraded by negative containers
Baba categorises food in three classifications, i.e. sentient, mutative, and ta'masik. (Reference (a) Caryacarya-III, and (b) Food, Cells, Physical and Mental Development) All A'nanda Ma'rgiis are aware of these points and follow the principles accordingly. Here, however, is one other factor that is equally important, but which may often be overlooked.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "Strict vegetarians avoid using any container which has been used to hold non-vegetarian food." (1)
In this above tenet, Baba is guiding us that even sentient food becomes ta'masik if it touches a utensil, pot, or container - or any other item - that was used in conjunction with static food. That means if steamed vegetables are prepared in a pot used previously for fish, then those vegetables are ta'masik. Likewise if a piece of fruit is cut with a knife that was previously used to cut onions, then that piece of fruit is ta'masik.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Treating cooking pots
A simple cleaning of the pot or knife will not do. Rather, that utensil or container will have to be professionally sterilized the way medical equipment is sterilized. And few have the capacity to do this.
The second option is to heat the entire pot (not just the bottom portion) to a high temperature on your own stove / oven and then soak it in some type of acid or hydrogen peroxide to destroy the residue of tamasik food. Thereafter, the pot should be washed thoroughly with a naturally abrasive cleansing agent. Finally, be sure to examine the pot with a magnifying glass and check to ensure it is spotless.
One should remember that many ayurvedic and homeopathic medicines are made by burning those meds to ashes. In ayurveda, it is called bashma. Here the point is that even after burning those meds, their inherent characteristic remains. Likewise, if tamasik food was cooked and burned in a particular pot whereby ashes were created, then that cookware is tamasik. Because the tamasik residue from the food remains on the pot. That is the shortcoming of trying to burn off the negative element. So if meat was cooked in a pot that was burned, then that meat residue remains. So we have to be keenly aware of this point. So long as those meat / tamasik ashes are present, or meat stains remains on the pot, then it is tamasik.
Failing these two approaches - using professional sterilisation equipment or using a high heat and making the pot spotless - every utensil, cook pot, plate, or fork that was used for non-vegetarian food is certainly off-limits for true Ananda Margiis. To contravene this code means not following 16 Points, and one will be polluting themselves by turning their sentient food into something ta'masik.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Exercise caution when invited to eat elsewhere
So we must be careful because the ramifications of Baba's above mandate are vast.
No eating at another family's house if they fail to keep a strict sattvika kitchen
Often times we may be invited for a meal at someone's residence who does not keep a sentient household. That person may be a friend, colleague, laukik family member, neighbor, or whomever. In good faith and with the best of intentions, that person may offer that, "I will certainly prepare only sentient food when you come." But that assurance is not enough. Because Baba's mandate is that any sentient food that comes in contact with non-vegetarian containers or utensils will taint that sentient food. In that case, one should either decline the invitation, or offer to prepare and bring food to the gathering. That is the only way.
Never eat at any hotel or restaurant - avoid company food
Already this is a WT conduct rule, and really this is something that every A'nanda Ma'rgii should follow. These days more and more restaurants are offering vegetarian fare, but in most cases, that food is tainted by the use of pots and utensils used in non-veg / non-sentient cooking. Or that food may even directly contain onions, mushrooms, and garlic.
As sadhakas, our basic rule should be: Never eat in any restaurant and never buy any prepared foods. This is the only way to ensure that what we are taking is sentient. Perhaps the only exception would be eating in an Ananda Marga restaurant.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
We know that in this capitalist era, every company's bottom line is to make money. To that end all kinds of things occur in the name of food production. One factory will be used for a vast array of food; and the same equipment used to package meat items may also be used to package so-called vegetarian items. The main issue is that entire process is an unknown quantity; it is happening behind closed doors. We cannot say what is going on or how the food is handled unless we work there. That is why it is better to assume that every company taints their food in one way or another.
Conclusion
While we may be tempted to purchase various company products that we deem to be safe such as bread, pasta, soy yogurt or other tasty items, we really ought to look into alternative means of preparing these same items in our own homes. That is the best and the only way to really ensure that what we are eating is truly sentient. Besides, many of these items may be affected by GMO's, genetically modified organisms.
It is the duty of sincere sadhakas to be very strict in their sentient food practice. And the only way to achieve this is to watch that from A to Z the food you eat has been prepared, cooked, and served in a pure manner according to Ananda Marga guidelines.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Namaskar,
Sastaunga pranam to Baba,
Liila
References
1. Microvita in a Nutshell, Some Examples of Microvita in Daily Life – Excerpt C
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Repercussions: Buddha’s failure to reply about the existence of God
Ananda Marga philosophy says, “It is true that Buddha did not explicitly mention Iishvara, but it is also true that he never denied Iishvara. He was once asked, Kim Bhagavata atthi [“Does God exist”]? Buddha did not answer. He was again asked, Kim Bhagavata natthi [“Then does God not exist”]? Again Buddha remained silent. At this, three types of people formed three different ideas about Buddha. One group thought that since Buddha did not answer the question about the existence of God, he must be an atheist. Another group thought, since Buddha did not answer the question, “Does God then not exist?” then he must be a theist, a believer in God. And yet another group, the third group, thought, “God's existence is beyond the saḿkalpa and vikalpa of the human mind, and so beyond the scope of atthi and natthi [existence and non-existence], and for that reason Buddha preferred to remain silent.”" (1)
Reference
1. Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Disc: 18
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Without the faculty of judgement it is animal life
Ananda Marga ideology says, "It is the duty of every sa'dhaka to propagate dharma so that humans will not make a mistake but will follow the path of spirituality. Humans are endowed with intellect and the faculty of judgement. So if they do not act properly or fail to follow the path of spirituality, they are no better than animals."
"Even though human beings may not be very highly evolved, there is the potential in them to attain the height of evolution. Those who utilize this potential are intelligent but those who do not, and live like animals, will be born as even more inferior creatures in the next life. Animals have no intellect and therefore cannot work intellectually. Humans, however, are already endowed with intellect and the faculty of judgement. So if they do not act properly or fail to follow the path of spirituality, they are no better than animals. It is therefore the duty of every sádhaka to propagate dharma so that humans will not make this mistake but will follow the path of spirituality." (1)
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 4, The Three Stages of Spiritual Progress, Kolkata, 6th November, 1978
== Section: Hindi Quote ==
पापों से मुक्त कर दूँगा
“You must not bother about all these things. If you take My shelter, I will save you, I will protect you from all the evil effects of sins. And certainly you will be blessed with supreme salvation.
[भक्त गण -- "बाबा, बाबा, बाबा !"]
तुम क्यों सोच रहे हो, बच्चे ? तुम क्यों सोच रही हो, बच्ची ?
[भक्त गण -- "बाबा, बाबा, बाबा !"]
तुम मुझ में आत्मसमर्पण कर दो | मैं तुम्हें हर तरह के पापों से मुक्त कर दूँगा |
[भक्त गण -- "बाबा, बाबा, बाबा !"]
तुम्हें मोक्ष अवश्य मिलेगा |
कल्याणमस्तु “
[यह प्रवचन-अंश, बाबा के कैसेट से सीधे लिखा गया है । बाबा का यह असली प्रवचन, अमृतोपदेश है। आनन्दमार्ग हिन्दी पुस्तकों में छपे प्रवचन तो नक़ली प्रवचन हैं, असली नहीं हैं -- बंगालीकरण (बँगलाइजेसन) के तहत उनकी बर्बादी की गई]
Reference:
1. s16-1,DMC 24 May 1981 Tiljala
== Section : Links ==
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