Procedure for Eating: Difference between revisions

| speaker = <!-- Write the name of the speaker -->Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar

| included in = <!-- Write the name of the books where the discourse has been included -->[[Ananda Marga Caryacarya Part 1]]

'''''Procedure for Eating''''' is the 2^nd chapter of ''[[Ananda Marga Caryacarya Part 3]]'' written by [[Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar]]. The chapter is divided into three parts. In the first part Sarkar instructed the procedure of eating, in the second part he discussed on the types of food and in the third part, he commented on meat-eating.<ref name="EE">{{cite book|title=[[The Electronic Edition of the Works of P. R. Sarkar]]|publisher=[[Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha]]|author=[[Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar]]|edition=7.5|language=English|chapter={{PAGENAME}}}}</ref>

Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar originally delivered this lecture at Jamalpur in 1956.<ref name="EE"/>

Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar founded Ananda Marga in 1956. And from right after the foundation he started constructing social and behavioral codes of the organization. In 1956, when he was staying at Jamalpur, India, he gave instruction on the procedure of eating.

This chapter is divided into three parts—<ref name="EE" />

In this chapter Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar instructed the procedure of eating.<ref name="EE" />

Sarkar instructed, before eating one should do ''vyápaka shaoca'' properly with cold water. If the environment is extremely cold, one may use lukewarm water.<ref name="EE" />

The procedure of this ''vyapaka shaoca'' is—<ref name="EE" /><br/>

Before sitting down to eat, one should hatever persons are present around you and share your food with them. If they do not want to share, enquire whether they have enough food with them or not.<ref name="EE" />

While eating one should sit in a comfortable position. It is better to eat in company than to eat alone. One should not sit down to eat in a disturbed mind or angry mood.<ref name="EE" />

This is the second part of the chapter and here Sarkar discussed the types of foods. He told, in all object of the universe, one of three attributes – sattva, rajah and tamah – will always be predominant. Similarly the food we eat may be divided into these three categories.<ref name="EE" />

Sarkar described ''Sattvika Ahara'' (sentient food) as "all foods that are beneficial to both body and mind" and provided a list of ''Sattvika Ahara''—<ref name="EE" />

Sarkar told, any food that is beneficial to the body but is neutral to the mind, or vice versa, is called ''rájasika'' (mutative). Foods that do not fall into the sáttvika or támasika categories are of rájasika nature. In certain countries where there is a heavy snowfall, rájasika food can be treated as sáttvika and támasika food as rájasika.<ref name="EE" />

Sarkar categorized small amounts of tea, cocoa and similar drinks that do not excite a person to the point of losing his/her senses as ''Rajasika Ahara''.<ref name="EE" />

Sarkar told, all kinds of foods which are harmful to either the body or mind and may or may not be harmful to the other are called támasika. He also provided few examples of ''Tamasika Ahara'' (static food)—<ref name="EE" />

# The milk of a newly-calved cow

People who have a strong desire for meat-eating or who eat meat out of necessity may eat meat only from a male or castrated animal. No one should knowingly eat the meat of a female animal. Even domestic female fowl should not be eaten.<ref name="EE" />

Sarkar instructed not to kill a fish that is one-fourth or less of its normal adult size. He also told not to kill a fish if it is in its infancy or its pregnancy.<ref name="EE" />

  | title  = [[Ananda Marga Caryacarya Part 3]]

  | years  =

  | before = [[Bathing Procedure and Pitr Yajiṋa]]

  | after  = [[Procedure for Fasting]]

[[Category:Chapters of Ananda Marga Carycarya Part 3]]