The following is taken out of a long thread in a discussion group about using tamasic foods. I think it warrants wider reading, so with permision from the author (the same Gaura Keshava das who performed the installation ceremony of the current temple that RVC reside in) here it is:
There are many many descriptions of foods and what can and cannot be eaten, offered, etc. Different communities of Vaisnavas (and Hindus) place differing degrees of importance on these.
Some quote some verses of Manu but do not follow ALL of Manu. Please be consistent. People tend to follow the rules that they like and disregard other rules which they do not like.
Some say that vegetables grown on impure substances are forbidden but do not list what those impure substances are???? (Modern fertilizers???) (Tomatoes were once considered poisonous in Europe)
It is well known that many food items are adulterated not only in India but also in countries like US. (Most Milk in the US contains Vitamin D Fish Oil, yet was accepted by Srila Prabhupada to be used, similarly many foods in India and other countries are adulterated)
We cannot protest that a food is rajasic when we continue to eat piles and piles of chilies, which somehow are exempted from being rajasic????
We protest at food that is older than 3 hours but readily accept 6 month or more old lemon and mango pickle.
We reject pasta but accept papadams.
We reject the use of yeast (or at least we used to in the time of Srila Prabhupada), and yet accept cultured foods like yoghurt?
We reject as tamasic old food but make jelebhi, dosa, idli, and vada from batter that is all fermented. (Is not western cheese also fermented??? Is not curd coagulated by adding acidic agents to milk???)
We reject sour food but accept the use of tamarind, lemon, etc.
We reject small amounts of coffee, chocolate, and other flavorings but eat sweets that have an intoxicating effect on our bodies due to the large amounts of sugar contained in them.
We reject wine but accept ayurvedic medicines that contain more alcohol than any wine.
There is also a bizarre Indian obsession with foods that are red in color as being associated with meat and blood.
As Ganesh Prabhu pointed out, what is the logic behind saying that garlic and onions are tamasic because they grow below ground and yet eating carrots and potatoes??? These are no doubt odorous but there are also Vaisnavas who similarly reject the use of Hing/Asafoetida as being too pungent or odorous. If the objection to garlic is the odor then one might be surprised to know that there is odorless garlic supplements that are sold for health in the West, and that both garlic and onions have medicinal uses, though obviously are not generally acceptable for offering as prasadam.
No doubt Manu Samhita rejects garlic and onions, etc. However we have also NEVER seen mention of chilies in ORIGINAL Vedic cuisine because they originally come from South America.
Many orthodox Hindus and Vaisnavas do not accept Videshi vegetables ie those that have a foreign origin (some examples are potato, chili, tomato, cauliflower, capsicum, tea, coffee, chocolate, etc). And we have to remember that food restrictions have changed over the ages so we see that in Puranic times perhaps eggplant was forbidden but later during the time of Mahaprabhu accepted (Madhva’s still don’t accept it except for a particular small round green type).
It’s quite obvious that Srila Prabhupada didn’t have any problem with carrots (unlike some other Gaudiya math people), or with eggplants (unlike Hari Bhakti Vilasa) or with drumstick (unlike many orthodox Ramanuja Vaisnavas), or with beetroot or red cabbage (unlike many, many Indians who will not eat any red colored vegetables).
Masur dhal or red lentils is supposed to be equal to non-vegetarian food. However it is restricted (as is non-veg food) in the last month of caturmasya. If it is restricted for that month then surely it is allowed to be eaten on other occasions???? Hari Bhakti Vilasa also mentions several non-veg foods that are restricted in Karttika month.
From time to time Vaisnava Acharyas write books to clarify the rules for offering foods and eating foods. These rules are some of the most complex of all social rules. Anyone who has been to India knows that all over India different communities have not only different foods but also different methods of serving and eating those foods. So it’s not surprising that there is confusion amongst people as to what exactly is the standard. Because there is no one standard.
Sanatana Goswami suggests that a devotee offer to the Lord that food that he himself likes as long as it is SATTVIC. For understanding what SATTVIC food is I would refer everyone to Bhagavad Gita. 17.8-10
“Foods dear to those in the mode of goodness increase the duration of life, purify one’s existence and give strength, health, happiness, and satisfaction. Such foods are juicy, fatty, wholesome, and pleasing to the heart. Foods that are too bitter, too sour, too salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning are dear to those in the mode of passion. Such foods cause distress, misery and disease. Food prepared more that three hours before being eaten, food that is tasteless, decomposed and putrid, and food consisting of remnants and untouchable things is dear to those in the mode of darkness.”
I suggest everyone read the purport.
Please note that much Indian food falls under the rajasic category, even foods that are offered to the deities in many Indian temples. Foods in India on the whole tend to be extreme in taste, either being too bitter, salty, sour, hot, pungent, or even too sweet. So just because a preparation is culturally Indian and acceptable to the Indian palate does not make it SATTVIC.
Indians are amazed that some of the older more orthodox temples like Sri Rangam and Jagannatha Puri do not offer items like chilies, potatoes, or tomatoes to the deities. This is because their ancient temple recipes predate the arrival of the Portugese who brought these vegetables and others from the NEW WORLD (America).
It seems that we all knew what was to be offered and what was to be eaten when Srila Prabhupada was with us and somehow now we have all forgotten or think that we have to introduce something new. Srila Prabhupada mentioned many times that garlic and onions were not to be offered. Other things can be researched in the Vedabase. For all other foods that people have doubts about they should use their own good judgement as to whether those foods are indeed SATTVIC.
your servant
Gaura Keshava das
February 5, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Very thoughtful comments and discussions.
We all know the descriptions of foods in mode of passion from the B.Gita and deity worship book. The standard is already there but it is up to the devotees standard of surrender or how much they want to follow. E.g. many devotees living in the western countries are not following caturmasa restrictions unless they live at the temple with the exception of some.
Regarding Garlic, I have heard from a new age vegetarian person who would not take any garlic products because he knows of a scientific study showing that garlic closes the nerve endings of the finer brain tissues. (That was a very good proof).
We also have the ancient temple standards like Jaganatha temple and other South Indian temples, why they don’t use tomatoes.
Ayurveda also has alot of answers. It says that tomatoes can create imbalance and in all the dosas. Tomatoes are also very heating. In the west so many foods use tomato paste. So in my Ayurvedic Cooking class, I teach them that one can balance the heating effects of tomatoes (or sauces) by adding half a teaspoon ghee, coriander powder and fresh coriander leaves which are very cooling. One can taste the difference right away.
The reason many foods in the mode of passion are avoided because they may be too heating to the system which effects the mind. A yogi wants to keep a cool mind to understand and memorize sanskrit slokas etc. therefore they would prefer simple foods.
But grahasthas may indulge in more foods in the mode of passion like pickles etc. which are mainly to satisfy the taste of the tongue.
There are devotees who are very strict and will only partake foods which are offerable to the temple deities and also mild, not overly spiced.
Regarding Masoor or Masoor (lentils) dahl. In one purana, there is a story, that these plants grow from the blood of a particular demon who was killed. Moreover in Ayurveda, we find, that it mentions that masoor has twice as much protein per helping of meat, therefore (brahaman) devotees want to avoid foods with high contents of protein which includes the urad dahl. One can experiment and by taking masoor dahl in the evening meal and another day take mung dahl. You will find that masoor dahl may still be in the stomach not digested whereas there will be no problem with mung dahl. So masoor may be ok for people who are newly weaning from their meat diet and are used to having too much protein.
In devotional service, once we realize devotees with various varnas (duties) and ashram we will find that they may also have different diets. For example the sikhs who are used to hard working in the fields and in the military are able to digest the urad dahl. For them it is their daily diet with thick, big, heavy chappaties. In contrast, a bengali brahaman devotee who is doing deity worship and studying/teaching scriptures will find this diet too heavy, so he may prefer simple mung dahl and rice.
Eggplant is also very heating. Usually adding some ghee in the subji or cooking with ghee, balances the heating effect.
Jelebi,Vada, Idli and dosa mixes may be used by the householders (grhasthas) in the mode of passion lifestyle which may gear to some sense gratifications. All these things can be made with pure ingredients (like home made yogurt for fermentation)and offered to the deities.
For Papadams, we may hope and assume that they are made by indian people who many be in the mode of goodness or come from vedic culture unlike the pasta makers.
Beet Roots and Carrots, they are also considered heating in Ayurveda and can effect the people with Pita constitution what to speak of people taking carrot and beet juices indiscrimanately. Yet the heating propertiess can be reduced if these items are cooked. So Ayurveda is very scientific. One should check out one’s dosa and find out what foods are agreeable for their dosas.
Watermelons (which are red and are avoided by some strick vaisnavas in india). First of all the watermelon is used during vastu ceremony to represent the heads of demons and are smashed to get rid of any demons in the dwelling before anyone goes to reside there. So these sentiments are attached to the item. My grandmother never used to eat them and said that they represent the heads of demons. In ayurveda and health sciences also it is recomended that one do not eat melons with any other fruits. It can cause indigestion. The other sentiment is that red signifies blood and heating items therefore they may be avoided by strict follower of the vaisnavs traditions.
Finally there are other factors mentioned in Ayurvedda to take into consideration before choosing a diet. E.g. Climate, season, age, gender, modes,
varna, work, lifestyle, time, constitution, health, country, culture and religion.
That is why we have even devotees using different standards for their diet.
Hope this helps.
ys
Mother Gandhari dasi
February 5, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Thanks for that contribution to the discussion.
July 12, 2021 at 12:47 am
All types of foods are required for the body, be it sattvic, rajasic or tamsik. We should understand what they do to the body and mind. And if it was told in Puranas that tamsik foods shall not be eaten then why that categorization of the food itself exists.
Every type of food has some specific effect on the body and mind. Earlier categorization was based what is the job of the person who is taking food. The people who generally did excel in yoga or want to become yogi, teachers, rishi and do research etc they shall adopt sattvic food to excel in their work. They shall not need body strength but need the mind to be stronger.
The people who have to rule or administrators shall eat rajasic food which in moderate of tamsik. They have to make decisions, sometimes hard ruthless also. So, they shall take the food which gives some strength to the body with less expense on mind power.
The people who have to fight shall take tamsik foods for strength in the body, not in mind.
With this scenario, these days people shall take food according to that. If involved in the research field, students, teachers shall take sattvic foods. People in sports where concentration and body strength both required shall take rajasic foods. It is the case in an ideal situation.
But, generally, these days, the same person is involved in various physical and mental work, so they should be open to all types of foods based on what the day calls.
May 10, 2022 at 9:25 pm
Roles in life are not mandatory but pretty dispensable and temporary. The goal of life for everyone should be on a spiritual path/ yoga and hence saatvic diet is best for everyone- for their own health and health of the world.