Ingredients in the diet & looking at women
Question
Dhananjay, hi
Wish you a very happy new year.
Dhananjay, you can chose not to answer the question below if you consider I am going too granular in my query.
I do know salt and spices should be used moderately but wanted to confirm if there is any spice which is strictly prohibited for someone on the road to brahamacharya. I list down the following spices, is there any amongst these which should not be used at all [i believe all of these can be moderately used]:
a)Cumin seeds [jeera]
b)Mustard seeds [rai], i read in swami sivanand's book that this should be avoided.
c)Garam Masala
d)Turmeric [haldi]. i know you've told me before about haldi that it can be used in moderate quantities.
e)Corriander Powder [dhaniya powder]
f)Red chilly powder [lal mirch]
g)Other specific masalas e.g. chana masala, rajma masala, biryani masala etc
h)Green chillies
i)ginger [adrakh]
j)i know onion and garlic should not be cooked with food and should be completely avoided for at least a year or more
Is there any vegetable/lentil which should be avoided? like okra [bhindi] etc, dont know hence asking.
Also, brahamacharya in thought, word and deed, I wanted to understand what constitutes maintaining brahamacharya in thought? I mean, just looking at the opposite sex [i am presuming] is not considered to be a break, not letting your thoughts go to an extent where it is considered dangerous in terms of retaining your vital energy [rethas] i guess is prohibited.
Thanks so much Dhananjay.
Regards, Manish
Answer
1. All of the spices mentioned above do not cause harm if eaten in small quantities with food. The trouble arises when one opts for a strongly spiced diet stimulating to the tongue and other senses. It is impractical to opt for a completely spice free or salt free diet unless one lives all by oneself, alone in a forest without contact with society. Such a concept is idealistic and unnecessary. Living in the midst of a family setup, it is incorrect to cause trouble to others by either making them eat the food we eat, or asking them to cook food separately for us. Such a behavior does not befit the Yogi.
2. After 2 years or more of unbroken Brahmacharya with deep meditation and Yogic practices, and as one starts getting closer to the status of an 'Urdhvaretha', the desire for even occasional intake of onion, garlic etc.. will wane by itself and disappear. The Yogi then gets a very clear and correct knowledge of what he should eat and what he should not from within. His inner voice guides him in the correct direction. Then, the taste of onion and garlic becomes disagreeable. Till then, it is best to avoid onion and garlic or or limit their use to very small quantities. The stupor and tamas (inertia) caused by these makes meditation very difficult. Not only these but even food sourced from outside such as from restaurants, caterers and bakeries which contain additives, tasting essences, baking soda etc.. agitate the mind making Brahmacharya tough. Simple and nutritious food cooked at home with minimum spices is always the best option.
3. Brahmacharya in thought refers to not entering the zone where the mind starts sexual contemplation. When sexual thoughts show signs of arising due to previous Samskaras (impressions) and Vasanas (tendencies), one diverts the mind away from these. As soon as the Brahmachari encounters this zone in the midst his day to day life or activities, he withdraws the mind. If the mind still shows a craving to continue such thought, he reminds himself of the falsity behind physical beauty/lust and the unreal nature of the same and diverts his mind elsewhere.
While the mere act of looking at the opposite sex in itself isn't wrong; the sexual intent if any, which crops up within the mind through such action becomes dangerous. It takes the mind into the zone of sexual contemplation, reaching which trouble starts. From hereon starts the danger line. A wise Yogi never crosses this line. If one has reached the stage where the act of looking at a woman does not produce the least tendency for lust or desire but one see's the woman as only the Atman (soul) covered by the impermanent physical body made of flesh, then it does not matter.
To such a person, a woman, a cow, a man, a tree or any other object of God's creation is one and the same. He see's the one underlying Supreme in all these and is unaffected by the external casing made of flesh. This is a very advanced state which comes only when one is very close to self-realization and not before. Till then, it is best to limit contact through sight or talk with the opposite sex only if necessary, to the required extent and not more. Lust and desire have the uncanny ability to arise from very innocent and unintentional contact leading to deeper involvement at a more dangerous level.
ॐ तत् सत्
(That Supreme being is the absolute truth)