Page 52 - NAMAH-Apr-2025

Namah Vol. 33, Issue 1, 24th April 2025

However, slowly one will realise that, apart the crux lies in the fact that her food doesn’t
from the health benefits that vegetarianism just touch the tongue, it touches our heart. Or
brings, there is a subtle benefit and evolution. even more simply, one can conduct a simple
When cooking meat, an abundance of spices, experiment. Before cooking, sincerely offer
harsh flavours, and heavy seasoning is used. it or even consciously decide that the meal
The tongue slowly becomes numb to the will be filled with love even on a mental level
subtle flavours, beauty of harmony in food, and begin the process. It changes the end-
and refined taste of more mellow spices. product so significantly. The overall taste,
Apart from the refinement of these senses, the gratitude, the inability to waste, etc. are
the heaviness that comes with meat excites amplified. It adds value, quality, and love.
the nerves, often agitates the being and lures
them for more. With some attentiveness, one
notices the comparison and becomes aware
of both diets’ effects on the nervous system,
senses and overall being. Non-vegetarian
diet has its own place, which we will not
get into and of course, Mother and Sri
Aurobindo never forbid one practice over
another or create a dogma. It is just a question
of what one wants from life and the ability
to maintain an inner Samataa on the inward Plate to Palate: Not Eating on Autopilot
kitchen-counters.
Generally, before something reaches our
In the ever-increasing prevalence and ease body from the outer world, there are many
of the fast-food culture, it is more than easy layers which it needs to pass through before
to slip into the habit of a diet dominated by diffusing into our bodily home. However,
supply-chain intake. But if we pay attention whilst eating, we are directly ingesting
to our bodies just for a moment after fast-food substances from the outside world, at the
intake, vis-à-vis the intake of our mother’s mercy of the circulating forces, into our
food, home food, etc., we can see a massive body temple with the power to construct or
difference in the body’s response, at both gross to destroy. With each food, we invariably
and subtle levels. Fast-food does provide the ingest unconsciousness (5). The only way
necessity of satisfying hunger and pleasure to surpass and deal with something large
in a timely manner, However, as much as is with something larger. Before eating, if
they can mimic the taste of meat through we offer and say we’re taking some of the
substitutes, fake meat, etc. even the biggest world’s harvest to feed our body, whilst also
supply-chain can never mimic or come close telling our body as a third person to just take
to imitating the love infused into home food. what it needs with simplicity, sincerity and
Very simply, why even though we follow our gratitude, the act of eating itself becomes
mother’s recipe to the dot, does the flavour sacred. Concentration whilst eating has
just not taste the same…. something is always multiple factors of spiritual benefit, but
missing? Call it precision, experience, etc. but very materially, it helps us assess when our

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