The Secrets Of Mind Control
FOOD AND DRINK
Food and drink play a very important part in mind-control. With unwholesome food and a heavy stomach one cannot practise meditation and gain concentration of the mind. Besides, a man who is a slave of his tongue or palate is also a slave of lust. For, there is a very close connection between the tongue and the genital organ. A man keen on observing perfect Brahmacharya, must exercise full control over his food and drink.
Non-vegetarian diet
Many sects and people have very crude ideas about food and drink. Some prescribe strict vegetarian diet, while others have no objection to non-vegetarian food. What generally happens is that, if the founder of a particular sect is a vegetarian he extols vegetarian diet and commands his followers to be strict vegetarians. If, however, he happens to be a non-vegetarian himself he allows his followers to eat fish, meat and the like. Such views, however, are rather one-sided and narrow. It is certainly neither possible nor advisable to prescribe one and the same kind of food for all men in different climes. In deciding what food and drink should be taken we must use our common sense.
Many sects and people have very crude ideas about food and drink. Some prescribe strict vegetarian diet, while others have no objection to non-vegetarian food. What generally happens is that, if the founder of a particular sect is a vegetarian he extols vegetarian diet and commands his followers to be strict vegetarians. If, however, he happens to be a non-vegetarian himself he allows his followers to eat fish, meat and the like. Such views, however, are rather one-sided and narrow. It is certainly neither possible nor advisable to prescribe one and the same kind of food for all men in different climes. In deciding what food and drink should be taken we must use our common sense.
We must take into consideration the time, clime, constitutional agreement and local availability. Nature has Her own plan concerning this. The fauna and flora of different places and different seasons differ and the people who make use of the local easily available articles of food and drink, remain healthy and feel happy.
some narrow-minded and bigoted people have much hatred for non-vegetarian diet. The very idea of meat-eating is galling to them and puts them off their moorings. They can never tolerate meat-eating. In this connection we would like to mention a little incident. Ten years back while the author was living at Haridwar, a certain Vaish gentleman (i. e., belonging to the merchant class), who was a strict vegetarian put the following question to his Guru (spiritual teacher ): "Sir, a man is a strict vegetarian, but he commits adultery, tells lies, indulges in black-marketing and commits all sorts of evils. Another man is a meat-eater, but he is kind, gentle, chaste, pure and charitable. He commits no adultery and tells no lies. Out of these two men, who is the better and nearer to God? The Guru gave the following answer:
"Dear me, in my opinion, both of the men are sinners but the man who eats meat is the worse sinner." Does not such an answer betray the height of stupidity? And many such awfully stupid persons posing as religious guides are leading some thousands of people along erroneous path. It is such people and their followers that engender quarrels and cause blood-shed under the garb of religion and in the name of God.
Fanatics
How unreasonable are these fanatics ? They cannot imagine and fail to understand the difficulties of people living in different parts of the world. According to these people, the non-vegetarians are all irreligious. But is it true? Can man live without God and religion ? As a matter of fact man cannot do so. So long as he has a living body and the idea of disease and death, man cannot discard God and religion. Truly speaking, there are no atheists in this world in the real sense of the term. Those who deny the existence of God or refuse to believe in Him talk of "Nature, Force, Spirit", etc., in the same light. And the heart of man feels that there is a Supreme Being Who guides his steps and to Whom he must bend his knees.
Take for example, the case of the people living in extreme climates, like the North and South poles of the earth or in Tibet and even in East Bengal (Pakistan). Near the north and South poles the inhabitants cannot grow any kind of corn or vegetable - and their staple food is the flesh and oil of seal (a kind of fish). In Tibet, the people live at a very high altitude. No corn grows there except in the low lying valleys and it is too insufficient to support the whole land. People import corn to some extent either from India or from China and their main food is fried wheat powder (Chattu), tea and meat; for they can rear sheep, goats and yaks on the small grass during the rainy season. In East Bengal, whole fields are under water during the rainy season. As such; they cannot grow any vegetable during that season. Though imported vegetables are available, they are too dear to be purchased by men of ordinary means. But they can get plenty of fish at .a very low price; they can even catch plenty of them without much effort. Instances like these can be multiplied but. these few should suffice our purpose. Necessity is the mother of invention. In all these cases, if the people are to live, they must utilize the easily available articles of food and drink in their region. There is no other way. If the bigots had their way, they would label all meat-eaters as heretics and unfit for religious practices and divine favour and grace.
Ahimsa and Jainism
Jainism stands on the bed-rock of Ahimsa (non-killing or non-injury). No religion has given so much importance to Ahimsa as Jainism has done. Yet, when it deals with ethical-code of conduct for householders, it confronts the difficulty and prescribes for them a milder form of Ahimsa. Jaina Scripture says that any action calculated to do injury to any living being is violence. Speaking harsh words so as to injure the feelings of others is violence of speech. Thinking ill of others or contemplation of injury is mental violence. For a householder, it is not possible to avoid all these kinds of injury in their entirity and therefore he is recommended to discharge his worldly responsibilities with the minimum injury to others.
To give practical guidance in this matter, injury to others has been classified under four heads; viz., 1. accidental, 2. occupational, 3. protective, & 4. intentional. 1. Injury to small living things unavoidable in building a house, cooking a meal, grinding flour, walking, bathing and other similar acts of daily life comes under the first head. 2. Injury caused by a soldier in fighting and killing the enemy or a farmer tilling the land and others carrying on other occupational operations involving injury to living beings, belongs to the second kind. 3. Injury caused by one in protecting oneself, one's wife, children and others from the attacks of other human beings or wild animals comes under the third head. 4. Injuring or killing animals and other lower life simply for the sake of injuring or killing them belongs to the fourth kind. The householders are ordained to abstain completely from the fourth kind of injury and to minimize to the greatest extent possible injuries of the other three kinds. Hence, the vow of Ahimsa of a householder is called Anuvrata (minor vow).
Best food
In conclusion, and in considering what food and drink a Sadhaka should take, it should be seen what particular food and drink would suit him best. The food chosen should be sweet, pleasant, simple, nutritious and easily digestible.
It must not bring on sense or stomach irritations. Rich food, highly-seasoned dishes, spices, stale and stinking food, sharp and bitter things, sour and pungent things, very hot things, myrobalans, betel-nut and betel leaves, Conjee-oil, sesamum, mustard, asafoetida, garlic, too much of sweets, sugar and salt, food once cooked and reheated after three hours - all these must be avoided. These things are harmful in as much as they produce lethargy and are not conducive to concentration. Those who live in very hot climates should take cool drinks and cold-producing food.
Eating in moderation
But too much of these drinks and food is bad and harmful. So, a Sadhaka must beware and adjust their intake in moderation. And those who live in very cold climates should take heat-producing food and drinks just to make the body and mind work in a normal way.
Every man, in whatever climate he may be living, hot, cold or temperate, must learn to know his requirements and adapt himself accordingly. But, wherever one may live and practise mind-control, one must be very regular in taking food at fixed hours. During the Sadhana period even one morsel of food, more or less, will prove injurious and will upset the mind. The stomach should never be overloaded. It is very injurious and brings on fall. It is safe to fill half the stomach with food-matter, one fourth with water and to leave the remaining one fourth empty. No food or drink should be taken actuated by the desire of taking it. One should never be a slave of one's tongue.
For a Sadhaka, to become a slave of the palate, is an unpardonable sin. It brings on a great fall I also in mind-control and concentration. One must, therefore, exercise perfect control over the tongue. The desire for and hankering after any particular kind of drink or food must be scrupulously checked. Food and drink should be made pure and holy by mentally offering them to God before using them. This mental offering, in full faith, removes all their impurities.
Prohibitions
Food and drink become impure under the following conditions and these should be avoided at all costs: - cooked food left over for three hours or more should not be taken by a Sadhaka. If taken, it will produce wind and stomach disorders. When dust, hair, and flies fall in food, it should not be taken. This is rational even from the hygienic point of view. Food should not be taken from the hands of an impure and wicked person nor from one who earns his livelihood illicitly. There is a thing called contagion. By taking such food and drink, a Sadhaka loses his power of concentration and the mind tends to become impure and sinful. Food prepared for the Sraddha ceremony (food offered in the name of a dead person) should not be taken by a Sadhaka. It will prove very injurious.
Common-sense
Apart from these prohibitions, common-sense (based on suitability and availability of things and time and clime) should be the chief deciding factor with regard to one's everyday food and drink.
some narrow-minded and bigoted people have much hatred for non-vegetarian diet. The very idea of meat-eating is galling to them and puts them off their moorings. They can never tolerate meat-eating. In this connection we would like to mention a little incident. Ten years back while the author was living at Haridwar, a certain Vaish gentleman (i. e., belonging to the merchant class), who was a strict vegetarian put the following question to his Guru (spiritual teacher ): "Sir, a man is a strict vegetarian, but he commits adultery, tells lies, indulges in black-marketing and commits all sorts of evils. Another man is a meat-eater, but he is kind, gentle, chaste, pure and charitable. He commits no adultery and tells no lies. Out of these two men, who is the better and nearer to God? The Guru gave the following answer:
"Dear me, in my opinion, both of the men are sinners but the man who eats meat is the worse sinner." Does not such an answer betray the height of stupidity? And many such awfully stupid persons posing as religious guides are leading some thousands of people along erroneous path. It is such people and their followers that engender quarrels and cause blood-shed under the garb of religion and in the name of God.
Fanatics
How unreasonable are these fanatics ? They cannot imagine and fail to understand the difficulties of people living in different parts of the world. According to these people, the non-vegetarians are all irreligious. But is it true? Can man live without God and religion ? As a matter of fact man cannot do so. So long as he has a living body and the idea of disease and death, man cannot discard God and religion. Truly speaking, there are no atheists in this world in the real sense of the term. Those who deny the existence of God or refuse to believe in Him talk of "Nature, Force, Spirit", etc., in the same light. And the heart of man feels that there is a Supreme Being Who guides his steps and to Whom he must bend his knees.
Take for example, the case of the people living in extreme climates, like the North and South poles of the earth or in Tibet and even in East Bengal (Pakistan). Near the north and South poles the inhabitants cannot grow any kind of corn or vegetable - and their staple food is the flesh and oil of seal (a kind of fish). In Tibet, the people live at a very high altitude. No corn grows there except in the low lying valleys and it is too insufficient to support the whole land. People import corn to some extent either from India or from China and their main food is fried wheat powder (Chattu), tea and meat; for they can rear sheep, goats and yaks on the small grass during the rainy season. In East Bengal, whole fields are under water during the rainy season. As such; they cannot grow any vegetable during that season. Though imported vegetables are available, they are too dear to be purchased by men of ordinary means. But they can get plenty of fish at .a very low price; they can even catch plenty of them without much effort. Instances like these can be multiplied but. these few should suffice our purpose. Necessity is the mother of invention. In all these cases, if the people are to live, they must utilize the easily available articles of food and drink in their region. There is no other way. If the bigots had their way, they would label all meat-eaters as heretics and unfit for religious practices and divine favour and grace.
Ahimsa and Jainism
Jainism stands on the bed-rock of Ahimsa (non-killing or non-injury). No religion has given so much importance to Ahimsa as Jainism has done. Yet, when it deals with ethical-code of conduct for householders, it confronts the difficulty and prescribes for them a milder form of Ahimsa. Jaina Scripture says that any action calculated to do injury to any living being is violence. Speaking harsh words so as to injure the feelings of others is violence of speech. Thinking ill of others or contemplation of injury is mental violence. For a householder, it is not possible to avoid all these kinds of injury in their entirity and therefore he is recommended to discharge his worldly responsibilities with the minimum injury to others.
To give practical guidance in this matter, injury to others has been classified under four heads; viz., 1. accidental, 2. occupational, 3. protective, & 4. intentional. 1. Injury to small living things unavoidable in building a house, cooking a meal, grinding flour, walking, bathing and other similar acts of daily life comes under the first head. 2. Injury caused by a soldier in fighting and killing the enemy or a farmer tilling the land and others carrying on other occupational operations involving injury to living beings, belongs to the second kind. 3. Injury caused by one in protecting oneself, one's wife, children and others from the attacks of other human beings or wild animals comes under the third head. 4. Injuring or killing animals and other lower life simply for the sake of injuring or killing them belongs to the fourth kind. The householders are ordained to abstain completely from the fourth kind of injury and to minimize to the greatest extent possible injuries of the other three kinds. Hence, the vow of Ahimsa of a householder is called Anuvrata (minor vow).
Best food
In conclusion, and in considering what food and drink a Sadhaka should take, it should be seen what particular food and drink would suit him best. The food chosen should be sweet, pleasant, simple, nutritious and easily digestible.
It must not bring on sense or stomach irritations. Rich food, highly-seasoned dishes, spices, stale and stinking food, sharp and bitter things, sour and pungent things, very hot things, myrobalans, betel-nut and betel leaves, Conjee-oil, sesamum, mustard, asafoetida, garlic, too much of sweets, sugar and salt, food once cooked and reheated after three hours - all these must be avoided. These things are harmful in as much as they produce lethargy and are not conducive to concentration. Those who live in very hot climates should take cool drinks and cold-producing food.
Eating in moderation
But too much of these drinks and food is bad and harmful. So, a Sadhaka must beware and adjust their intake in moderation. And those who live in very cold climates should take heat-producing food and drinks just to make the body and mind work in a normal way.
Every man, in whatever climate he may be living, hot, cold or temperate, must learn to know his requirements and adapt himself accordingly. But, wherever one may live and practise mind-control, one must be very regular in taking food at fixed hours. During the Sadhana period even one morsel of food, more or less, will prove injurious and will upset the mind. The stomach should never be overloaded. It is very injurious and brings on fall. It is safe to fill half the stomach with food-matter, one fourth with water and to leave the remaining one fourth empty. No food or drink should be taken actuated by the desire of taking it. One should never be a slave of one's tongue.
For a Sadhaka, to become a slave of the palate, is an unpardonable sin. It brings on a great fall I also in mind-control and concentration. One must, therefore, exercise perfect control over the tongue. The desire for and hankering after any particular kind of drink or food must be scrupulously checked. Food and drink should be made pure and holy by mentally offering them to God before using them. This mental offering, in full faith, removes all their impurities.
Prohibitions
Food and drink become impure under the following conditions and these should be avoided at all costs: - cooked food left over for three hours or more should not be taken by a Sadhaka. If taken, it will produce wind and stomach disorders. When dust, hair, and flies fall in food, it should not be taken. This is rational even from the hygienic point of view. Food should not be taken from the hands of an impure and wicked person nor from one who earns his livelihood illicitly. There is a thing called contagion. By taking such food and drink, a Sadhaka loses his power of concentration and the mind tends to become impure and sinful. Food prepared for the Sraddha ceremony (food offered in the name of a dead person) should not be taken by a Sadhaka. It will prove very injurious.
Common-sense
Apart from these prohibitions, common-sense (based on suitability and availability of things and time and clime) should be the chief deciding factor with regard to one's everyday food and drink.