Hinduism, Food and Fasting

http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_food.asp[2010-08-12 2:21:54]
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by J ayar am V
"The saintly persons get relief from all kinds of sins by partaking the
food that has been first offered to gods as sacrifice. But those who
prepare food for their selfish ends eat but only sins. (Bhagavad gita
3:13)
"All beings come into existence from food. Food comes from rains.
Rains originate from the performance of sacrifices. And sacrifice is born
out of doing prescribed duties. (Bhagavad gita 3:14)
I speak the truth, it is indeed his death. He who nourishes neither the
god nor a friend, he who eats alone, gathers sin. (Rig Veda X. 117)
From earth herbs, from herbs food, from food seed, from seed man.
Man thus consists of the essence of food. (Taittiriya Upanishad)
'From food are produced all creatures which dwell on earth. Then they
live by food, and in the end they return to food. For food is the oldest
of all beings, and therefore it is called panacea. (Taittiriya Upanishad)
Food i s God
According to Hinduism, food is verily an aspect of Brahman (annam
parabrahma swaroopam). Because it is a gift from God, it should be
treated with great respect.
The gross physical body is
called annamayakosh or the
food body, because it is
nourished by food and grows
by absorbing the energies
from the food. Orthodox
Hindus offer food to God
mentally before eating. Food
is identified with the element
of earth. According to Prasna
Upanishad, "Food is in truth the Lord of Creation (Prajapathi). From
food is produced retas (the sexul energy or semen) and from it
beings are born." According to Manu, "Food, that is always
worshipped, gives strength and manly vigor; but eaten irreverently,
it destroys them both." Food should be eaten for the survival and
strength of the body, with a religious attitude, to practice austerities
and gain self control, but not for pleasure. Eating is therefore any
other human activity which can be made into either a sacrificial act
that would help in the liberation of soul or a mere pleasure activity
that would lead to bondage and suffering.
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Hinduism, Food and Fasting
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_food.asp[2010-08-12 2:21:54]
In the Bhagavadgita Sri Krishna declares that food is of three types
as are sacrifices, austerity and charity. Sattvic (pure) food is that
one which increases longevity, purity, strength, health, happiness
and taste and which is juicy, oily, durable in nature and liked by
sattvic people. Rajasic (hot) food is that one which is bitter, sour,
salty, hot and spicy, burning and which gives unhappiness, sorrow
and disease. Tamasic (intoxicating) food is that one which is stored
and devoid of any juices, dried, foul smelling, decomposed, left over
and indigestible. When a person eats these foods without offering
them to God, he develops the qualities they impart and acts
according to them. One should therefore be very careful in what
one eats and when, where and how it is eaten.
Food Ri t ual s
In Hinduism several rituals are associated with food. A child's first
feeding is celebrated as a samskara known as annaprasana. The
funeral rites involve serving of of food, offering of food to the
departed soul and making of his astral body with food for his
continuation in the ancestral world. According to Manu," Food, that
is always worshipped, gives strength and manly vigour; but eaten
irreverently, it destroys them both." He therefore advices that "a
twice-born man should always eat his food with concentrated mind,
after performing an ablution; and after he has eaten," he should
"duly cleanse himself with water and sprinkle the cavities of his
head. Devout Hindus observe some rituals before eating food, which
are enumerated below.
Cleaning the place. Food is always eaten in a clean place. The
Hindu law books proscribe eating food in unclean places.
Sprinkling of water around the food. When food is served,
water is sprinkled around it, accompanied by some mantras or
prayers. This is meant to purify the food and make it worthy
for the gods. Some water is also sipped following this act, in
order to clear the throat.
Making an offering of the food. Food is then offered to five
vital breaths (pranas), namely prana, apana, vyana, udana,
samanaya and then to Brahman seated in the heart.
Some offer food to their personal gods or divinities before eating
instead of the five vital breaths. The purpose of offering food to the
deities and God is two fold. It renders the act of eating a sacrificial
ritual and signifies internalization of sacrifice, making ones body a
sacrificial altar. Secondly it is believed that offering food to gods is
a mark of self-surrender and devotion. According to Hindu
scriptures, he who eats food after offering it to gods or God would
come to no harm as any rajasic or tamasic substances or qualities
hidden in the food would be neutralized by the their positive
Hinduism, Food and Fasting
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_food.asp[2010-08-12 2:21:54]
energies and blessings. In addition to these, the twice born were
advised to perform five sacrifices every day which are essentially
sacrificial offerings of food to different entities. They are
Ahuta, which is not offered to the fire, usually the vedic
mantras,
Huta, which is the burnt oblation offered to the gods,
Prahuta which is usually food grains etc offered by scattering it
on the ground
the Bali, which is the sacrificial offering given to the Bhutas or
ghosts,
Brahmya-huta, which is the food offered to the digestive fires
of Brahmanas and guests invited to one's house,
Prasita, which is offered to the to the ancestors.
According to the Bhagavadgita, he who eats food without offering to
God verily incurs sin. Food is also served to guests and poor people
during festive occasions and important ceremonies. In ancient India
young students who were initiated into Brahmacharya were
expected to beg for their food. Cooking food is also prohibited for
those who have entered the phase of Sanyasa or renunciation.
While self-mortification was not suggested, they were expected to
gradually reduce their dependence upon food in order to set
themselves free from the cravings of the body and the mind.
Veget ar i ani sm
According to Hinduism, food is responsible for our physical birth and
also the development of our bodies. What we eat decides our
physical well being as well as
our mental makeup. If we
eat sattvic food (pure food)
we become sattvic (pure)
beings. If we heat rajasic
food (hot and spicy) we
become rajasic (ambitious,
temparamental, egoistic etc).
If we eat animal food or
intoxicating foods, we may
develop animal qualities and
lethargic nature. Therefore we have to be careful about our food.
Besides killing innocent and helpless animals for the purpose of
filling ones stomach is a bad karma with harmful consequences.
Apart from non vegetarian food, orthodox Hindus also avoid eating
spicy food, onions, garlic, mushrooms, intoxicating juices, very sour
food and some bulbs and tubers. The following are a few quotations
Hinduism, Food and Fasting
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from the Manusmriti.
The eater who daily even devours those destined to be his food,
commits no sin; for the creator himself created both the eaters and
those who are to be eaten (for those special purposes). ( 5:30)
Meat can never be obtained without injury to living creatures, and
injury to sentient beings is detrimental to (the attainment of)
heavenly bliss; let him therefore shun (the use of) meat. (5:48)
There is no sin in eating meat, in (drinking) spirituous liquor, and in
carnal intercourse, for that is the natural way of created beings, but
abstention brings great rewards. (5:56)
Not all Hindus avoid eating meat. A great majority of Hindus eat it.
In ancient India even the Brahmins ate certain types of sacrificial
meat. Hindu law books do not prohibit the eating of meat in
general, but only certain types of meat. To a great extent Jainism
and to some extent Buddhism influenced the food eating habits of
the Hindu community in ancient India, although we cannot say
definitely that the concept of non violence and avoiding meat eating
were alien to them before. As early as the rig Vedic period, ancient
Hindu sages who spent their lives in meditation and seclusion
subsisted on roots and tubers and plant food only to gain control
over their minds and bodies and attain self-realization. Hiuen Tsang
who visited India in the 7th Century AD noted that Indian ate
mostly vegetarian food.
Char i t y
Hindus believe that serving food to the poor and the needy, to the
pious and the religious and to the birds, insects and animas is a
very good karma. In ancient India it was an obligatory religious
duty to serve food to the begging students and sadhus and to the
Brahmanas. Food is also associated with a lot of religious activity.
Food is invariably offered to God during most of the religious
ceremonies. On specific days in a year food is offered to departed
souls. Food is also distributed to people at the end of many
religious ceremonies. Many Hindu temples distribute food freely
every day to the visiting devotees.
Fast i ng
If eating is a sacrificial ritual, fasting is another kind of ritual meant
to purify the body and the mind and develop the sattvic quality of
detachment and equanimity. Devout Hindus observe fasting on
special occasions as a mark of respect to their personal gods or as a
part of their penance. At certain times in a year like the
Durganavami festival they do not take food for days together.
Hinduism, Food and Fasting
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_food.asp[2010-08-12 2:21:54]
Suggest ed Fur t her Readi ng
The Significance of Animals in Hinduism
and Hindu Ceremonies
Why should we eat only vegertarian food
?
Books on Vegetarian Cooking
The triple gunas according to the
Bhagavad gita
J ainism and the theory of karma
The Buddhist code of conduct on Meat
eating
The right conduct for the monks
How is meditation like cooking?



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