Tamas Guna - who/ how was it decided what is tamasic?

[R Gitananda]

namaste

I have read in the Ramayana of Rishis who Sri Ram offered respect to who ate "fruits and roots".
So they thought that foods grown underground were o.k. I think the first consideration should be
to cook and eat a balanced healthy vegetarian diet. After that foundation is in place one can build
upon it through consideration of more esoteric considerations.

Hari Aum

[Indiaspirituality]

Originally Posted by R Gitananda

namaste

I have read in the Ramayana of Rishis who Sri Ram offered respect to who ate "fruits and roots".
So they thought that foods grown underground were o.k. I think the first consideration should be
to cook and eat a balanced healthy vegetarian diet. After that foundation is in place one can build
upon it through consideration of more esoteric considerations.

Hari Aum

Namaste

thank you for sharing the knowledge with us.

Aum

IS

[Vasa]

Namaste IS, Param, Gitananda.

Thanks for all replies to my query. It is certainly good information to consider.

Gitananda's message is very practical for me, I need to develop balanced diet with non-meat first before I consider too much which guna the vegetables I am eating are in. I had not really considered that and I guess even tamasic vegetables would be preferable to any meat.

[Indiaspirituality]

Originally Posted by Vasa

Namaste IS, Param, Gitananda.

Thanks for all replies to my query. It is certainly good information to consider.

Gitananda's message is very practical for me, I need to develop balanced diet with non-meat first before I consider too much which guna the vegetables I am eating are in. I had not really considered that and I guess even tamasic vegetables would be preferable to any meat.

Hi @Vasa.

I also learned from this thread and I too like @R Gitananda's sensible advise.

Aum

[Jainarayan]

I only have an observation and a question.

At temple after pujas, whether to Sri Vishnu or Sri Shiva, when prasad is served, most of the time is it extremely spicy and hot rice and vegetable dishes. I was taken quite by surprised, expecting either something sweet or mildly flavored. Then there are of course the sweets.

What are opinions on this, given the writings and talk on spicy foods being tamasic? I'm certainly no one to question temple practices, but I am curious.

[charitra]

Originally Posted by Jainarayan

IWhat are opinions on this, given the writings and talk on spicy foods being tamasic? I'm certainly no one to question temple practices, but I am curious.

scriptural recommendations may exclude, but then onions and garlic are used very extensively in hindu households. Namaste.

[Indiaspirituality]

Originally Posted by Jainarayan

I only have an observation and a question.

At temple after pujas, whether to Sri Vishnu or Sri Shiva, when prasad is served, most of the time is it extremely spicy and hot rice and vegetable dishes. I was taken quite by surprised, expecting either something sweet or mildly flavored. Then there are of course the sweets.

What are opinions on this, given the writings and talk on spicy foods being tamasic? I'm certainly no one to question temple practices, but I am curious.

As far as India is concerned, food may depend upon the place i.e. north India or South India, etc

Northern people have spicy foods.

Please note that the prasad after puja and lunch / dinner offered at temples are different.

I visited Jagdishwar Temple in Swami Chinmaya's ashram in Mumbai, and they were offering only water on normal days. I also went to Sri Ramakrishna ashram in Mumbai, and they were offering water and maybe some sweet, generally coconut plus Gud (similar to Sugar, made from Sugarcane. It is a common element used in Indian homes..

Temples which have visitors in Large numbers, there is ready made, premix of some materials, which I cannot translate in English, but most components are sweet and some are neutral in taste.

So are you talking about food offered in Lunch / dinner?

As I have eariler said, it depends upon who is running the temples, i.e. south Indian / North Indian / Gujarati, etc community. Food will be that which is a day-2-day food eaten by people running the trust / temple / kichen, etc.

[Indiaspirituality]

@PARAM

I do not know where I have listened, but managed to recall that fruits have more akash tatva as they develop or ripe in air.

I also recall what you earlier posted about the tamas food like stale food, cold food, etc have tamasic Guna, but not sure if food containing Tamas Guna might not protect our body.

[Jainarayan]

Namaste.

Thanks for the info.

Originally Posted by Indiaspirituality

As far as India is concerned, food may depend upon the place i.e. north India or South India, etc

Northern people have spicy foods.

Please note that the prasad after puja and lunch / dinner offered at temples are different.

That's something I didn't know.

So are you talking about food offered in Lunch / dinner?

No, after an evening Sri Rudra abhishekam, for example.

As I have eariler said, it depends upon who is running the temples, i.e. south Indian / North Indian / Gujarati, etc community. Food will be that which is a day-2-day food eaten by people running the trust / temple / kichen, etc.

And our temple, while southern style, is a mix of people. One lady said that everyone was from all over India. My confusion was over the issues of avoiding that which is very spicy. Seemingly it's a non-issue. I myself like it, and use hot spices in my own cooking.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: At the south Indian style temple I go to, prasadam varies from day to day. It's always some form of rice though, but there are several varieties. So depends on the day. it can only be cooked by the priests. No outside food (excluding fruit) can be brought in, and be offered. The Sunday lunch in the adjoining hall is another matter altogether, but what is served there isn't technically prasadam.

I think in the west we get 'village mentality' syndrome by only going to one temple. We start thinking that all other temples will be the same way, but it ain't so.

Aum Namasivaya