Food and mind

[Somik Raha]

Yes indeed-  only your prayers will help me now. Please dont stop that nice
activity.

Regards,
Somik
----- Original Message -----
From: "Srikrishna Ghadiyaram" <srikrishna_ghadiyaram at YAHOO.COM>
To: <ADVAITA-L at LISTS.ADVAITA-VEDANTA.ORG>
Sent: Friday, May 17, 2002 12:07 PM
Subject: Re: Food and mind


> Hari Om !!
>
> Everyone knows: No body can convince a "FOOL"; rather
> it is easy to take oil out of sand.
>
> So, you can not convince all of us. We are all fools
> !!
>
> In the guise of logic, you are resorting to illogical
> talk. Once you have given up Openness and receptivity
> to receiving helpful suggestions, and start assuming
> that none in this list know enough of the world, or
> Tokyo, it will be difficult for us to communicate with
> you. This age has to pass, then you will understand
> the sense of what is communicated to you.
>
> You advocated that you are a Karma Yogi. Please tell
> me how much of charity out of your Yen earnings have
> you donated for an unselfish cause, without putting
> yourself to STARVATION, as you said. How much of time
> have you donated at the service of the needy, other
> than your own belly.
>
> People can talk on this kind of mailing lists, but can
> not practice an ounce of Karma Yoga. Who wanted your
> Karma Yoga ? Who is gaining the fruits of your Karma
> Yoga of software development. Shame on your pretence.
> You dedicate the work of software job to Lord, and
> keep the Yen in your bank account and talk (I am
> assuming, based on the strength of your
> communication).
>
> Do you believe, Karma Yoga encourages himsa ?
>
> People who work to fill their belly only are not
> called Karma yogis, by any measure. People who amass
> reserves, and can not share their wealth can not be
> called Karma Yogis. Before you talk of these subjects,
> please state who is the model of Karma Yoga you are
> following. What life's of Karma Yogis have you studied
> and imbibed into your life.
>
> Mere talking is not enough. I believe, people have
> wasted their time in presenting their views for your
> benefit, and you have failed to grasp the spirit of
> it.
>
> --- Somik Raha <somik at YAHOO.COM> wrote:
> > Ah, I was waiting for this million-dollar point to
> > come out.
> > Food, vegetarianism is helpful to get you somewhere.
> > But if you have decided
> > to follow the Karma Yoga - and all actions that you
> > do - you neither take
> > credit for the good nor sin for the bad - then you
> > cannot do wrong by eating
> > meat - regardless of what the shastras say (unless
> > you think the Gita lies).
> >
>
> How many slokas of Gita have you implemented in your
> life ? If you are willing to do every thing with
> no-identification, you should have no suffering. But,
> your cause of suffering is lack of a non-vegetarian
> meal twice a day. How can I assume that you have no
> individuality ?
>
> > Besides - I'd like to add one point which has not
> > yet fully come out. What
> > makes anyone think that plants dont feel pain when
> > eaten, or that they live
> > to suffer in the acid of our bellies ? J. C. Bose
> > proved in scientific
> > experiments with super-sensitive instruments that
> > plants feel terribly, and
> > they scream, cry - and respond to love. When you now
> > "boil" these plants in
> > hot water - you kill them to death. To those who
> > believe in the world around
> > them - we call this a law of nature - but to those
> > who are against killing
> > creatures horribly - it is hippocrisy not to include
> > plants. Of course, no
> > one would  -bcos then you dont have anything left to
> > eat.
> >
>
> If JC Bose is the only authority for you, the
> followers of Shastric tradition have more number of
> Boses advocating their thought. So, do not just hang
> on to your data about Bose alone. Look at all the
> sides.
>
> > And yes  - I know I am going to be accused of using
> > logic as opposed to
> > accepting the "shastras".
>
> You are being illogical and thinking that others are
> not logical.
>
> >But I have often wondered
> > why the shastras are
> > indefensible that they have to be crammed down my
> > understanding - with or
> > without the prayers of Shri Ghadiyaram.
> >
>
> No one is cramming it down your throat. A stream of
> wisdom is flowing. If you wish you can drink, or just
> drink water out of a mud pool.
>
> > To the above that I've mentioned- I know I will get
> > to hear that its almost
> > impossible to follow the karma yoga completely - but
> > if one has chosen karma
> > yoga as his path - just as someone mentioned that if
> > someone has chosen
> > sadhana as the path - one has to be ready for the
> > hardships - I'd be
> > prepared for hardships in my karma.
>
> So, Karma Yoga is not Sadhana ??????
>
> you are prepared for hardships in your struggle to
> earn money, other wise your mind can not get rest,
> without chasing that false imagination of yours. It is
> neither Sadhana nor karma yoga. Oh ! deluded, you are
> deceiving yourself.
>
> >What is the
> > fallacy if I consider
> > "programming" to be my religion - and that every
> > system I make is my "puja"
> > to the Lord. I dont do it for money but I dedicate
> > my work to Him. And yes
> > of course - I need money to do it, so I can sustain
> > myself and do my action
> > as I have chosen.
>
> So, every month just keep what is needed to sustain
> your life and give the rest to the needy, then call
> your programming a job, as karma yoga, because that is
> all you can effectively do. Until then , no nonsense.
>
> > In this path - if I find that I
> > dont have time to cook -
> > and have limited options- I dont fancy torturing
> > myself. The path of
> > self-mortification is not good  for karma yoga - it
> > is good for those who
> > renounce the world or are into deep saadhana.
> >
>
> Skipping a meal once a while when one has stomack ache
> is not self-mortification, my friend.
>
> > I ve been suggested that I try to find veggie
> > options here in Tokyo.
> > Obviously you dont know the ground reality here. Do
> > come over sometime and
> > try to eat veg Japanese. Definitely, it exists and
> > is called "shojin-ryori"
> > but it is so expensive and such a rarity - that it
> > costs above $100 for a
> > meal. I maybe wierd in my ideas but I am not crazy!
> > :)
> >
>
> Your character and personality is worth less than $
> 100, so you can not sacrifice that much. In your view
> when this principle becomes more valuable than $ 100,
> you will give up automatically.
>
> > I can forget about my work - and cook - and I used
> > to when I had the time.
>
> You do not need to forget to go to ofice to cook and
> eat. You are out right telling lies.
>
> > But - you dont get to meet other Japanese people in
> > parties and make
> > friends - or socialize - if you cant share at least
> > some part of their food.
>
> This is your presumption.
>
> > Almost all vegetarian Indians are most unsocial here
> > - they have hardly
> > blended in and understood Japanese culture and the
> > human beings here. I
> > really see them - and like Shri Ghadiyaram - I
> > almost start to pity them.
>
> How many vegetarian indians do you  know, to make a
> sweeping statement that almost all veg indians are
> non-social. being social does not come by sharing
> similar food. It is more than that. Are they not
> working and doing as good a job as you are doing ?
> They must be doing so, otherwise they will not be
> paid.
>
> Who is more happy, that is the measure.
>
> > But I dont - bcos I respect that they have
> > convictions about their food the
> > same way as I do about mine.
> >
>
> Their choice has been influenced by higher spiritual
> aspirations. Your choice is based on silly convenience
> and fancy, and ignorance. No comparison at all.
>
> > Now - I am sure I will get advice to withdraw from
> > society if I am
> > interested in spirituality  - but pls try to
> > understand - I am not trying to
> > become a monk at this point in my life. There is a
> > karma-yoga variety of
> > spirituality which has to be accomodated - for the
> > working man. And this is
> > neither inferior or superior to the other fine
> > paths.
> >
>
> Is it your presumption that we do not have better
> Gurus to teach us about karma Yoga ?????
>
> > > The goal of Sadhana should be to go beyond these
> > food habits.
> > > This not to deny the role of food habits in some
> > stages
> > > of the sadhana.
> >
> > I whole-heartedly agree with this. This is the crux
> > of what I believe in.
> > (Bytway Shrinivas, in which shastra am I to find
> > this beautiful story ?)
> >
>
> If you are just interested in hearing what you know
> and what you like, you can continue to keep posting
> private mails for yourself. On an open forum, talk
> sense and be willing to learn; otherwise you waste
> your life and waste others time.
>
> I still pray to the Lord that may he clear your
> illusion causeed by mis-understanding and inflexible
> mind.
>
> Om Namo Narayanaya !!
>
> Srikrishna
>
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