[Advaita-l] Onion and garlic: more on food habits

[Dr D Bharadwaj]

It is not true Sarmaji that Bhagavan Sri Ramana did not give much importance
to food censoring. He did, indeed, give noticeable importance to and did
advise people on the matters concerning food.

When someone asked him which one of his several works he would rate the
best, he said that it is his monograph  on self inquiry by name ' Who Am I'
He wanted it to be always priced very low or even distributed free. He said
that he would like the book-let to reach as many as possible. In that great
book let he clearly states that 'of all *restrictive rules * he considers
the one of taking sattvika ahaara in moderate quantities as the *best.*'

But I agree that it does seem that Bhagavan did not give such an importance
to food restrictions. That is because of two reasons. Firstly, he generally
he did not give much importance to anything other than self-inquiry (perhaps
with the exception of Giripradakshina circumambulation around the Holy Hill
of Arunachala). All his restrictive instructions were gentle and soft. He
never over emphasized on any matter or forced himself on anybody. (Very
often they were not followed by people used to assessing force and the
emphasis of the instruction. The beneficiaries are the ones that
acknowledged his general gentleness and took his seemingly indifferent
remarks in earnest and considered even his casual, passing remarks as
'upadesa'). Because of his his general attitude of disinterest in anything
that could become a 'strict rule',  Bhagavan does seem not to be giving too
much importance.

Secondly. because the world has seen so many Gurus giving the aspect
restricting certain foods like onion, garlic etc. so much emphasis, that
Bhagavan does seem, among them, to be not giving so much importance.


శ్రీరమణార్పణమస్తు

Dr. D. Bharadwaj
dr.d.bharadwaj at gmail.com

<dr.d.bharadwaj at gmail.com>
sarvE bhavantu sukhinaH |
sarvE santu nirAmayAH |
sarvE bhadrAni paSyantu |
*mA kaschit duHkha bhAg bhavEt ||*
*
*



2011/1/15 D.V.N.Sarma డి.వి.ఎన్.శర్మ <dvnsarma at gmail.com>

> Sri Ramana did not give too much importance food censoring.
> He used to make fun of his mother's food habits.
>
> regards,
> Sarma.
>
>
> On Sat, Jan 15, 2011 at 2:03 AM, sriram nagaraj <sriram_photon at yahoo.com
> >wrote:
>
> > Dear List Members,
> >
> > I would like to know the general opinion on eating onion and garlic,
> > especially by dvijas. In my reading of Sri Manu Smriti, I believe that it
> is
> > forbidden. Also, what are commonly advised prayaschittas for the same?
> >
> > Thanks in advance,
> >
> > Sriram Nagaraj
> >
> > --The inner Light illuminates our minds--
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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