Food and mind

[Srikrishna Ghadiyaram]

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

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
LAUNCH - Your Yahoo! Music Experience
http://launch.yahoo.com