Consumer Culture As A Form of Pornography?

compassion, consumer, consumerism, culture, education, equality, gender, materialism, media, men, money, politics, pornography, power, sex, sexism, society, values, wealth, women

I am writing a book on pornography with the premise that true pornography is any form of media that distorts men and women into predator and prey (Aggressor and Victim) Whether it be an adult film showing a woman to be used or a horror flick showing her as a victim and therefore sexy But even romantic comedy shows women as victims who need a man with money to validated their worth as a sex object

So my question is this. Is there a connection between the way feminism has been absorbed into a patriarchal materialist society and porn ? There are now women producing porn but for the most part it has not softened in to erotica The bottom line is money Has our materialist society corrupted feminism so that woman are fighting for equality to pursue money and power? Are these not male values? And the worse male values at that?

Why should women settle for equality as defined by the top 1% of soulless males that worship power We need your healing feminine energy to balance out the overly male energy There are other values besides wealth power and competition that take just as much strength if not more to add to our a society as appreciated values

We need to learn feminine strengths such as compassion openness vulnerability and many others (Some that can not be put into words easily) These traits that are encouraged in women are discouraged in men because they are seen as weaknesses The problem is that feminist do not want to be seen as weak so a lot of them accept our societies rules for what is a strength or a weakness and what should be valued.

I for one would like to start an organization of men who have power unfairly due to our societies unequal playing ground who will be willing to join their power to women who are struggling feminist who are trying to empower themselves

The goal of such a group would be

1. To balance out the playing field for both feminine and masculine values

2.Eliminate gender roles all together as well

3.Create other options besides male dominator ones to influence our politics or economic structure education system etc

Am I too much of a dreamer ? Or does anyone else want to see this new world I envision? Perhaps I should wait a thousand lifetimes reincarnate and ask again?

Debunking Christianity: Born Free

Debunking Christianity: Born Free

On Fucking Idiots

Ok I am having a lot of fun on George Carlin's board. And I after reading a post on his board that although is probably mostly true also left a lot of room for interpretation I decided to get in my two cents. Not the best I ever wrote but atleast amusing. I tried to think how Carlin would have answered the post then decided "fuck it" and went with my own style. Since some of my style is a bit like Carlin's I thought maybe others who like George Carlin's humor might appreciate my humor as well. If not well all I can say is fuck off I wasn't talking to you anyway.

Why those posting on this BBS are fucking idiots

by ted kackzynski

Fuck, you people are stupid. Why bother posting on an artist's website, if you're not going to take the time to understand the artist's content? Some things I've noticed about those of you posting on this site:

1) You seem to think that George is left wing, or gives a shit about partison politics. He doesn't. In his material, he repeatedly tells you that voting, and therefore partison politics is a waste of time. While he's critical of right wing ideologies that justify our framework, he also makes fun of leftists who want equality... for example, feminists who think that putting on a man-taylored suit will somehow liberate them. Equality won't help you within a framework that exploits you in the first place. Those of you in college - stop trying to project your curriculum onto George's work. Unlike you, he's not indoctrinated.

2) Yes, George IS ANTI-AMERICAN, in the sense that he's anti-group, and nation states are groups, kids. It doesn't mean that he hates people because they're american, so much as that "america" as an abrstraction is meaningless. George is pretty clear on this... to paraphrase, you'd have to be asleep to buy into the american dream.Whether it's religion, nationalism or some sort of corporate affiliation, as soon as people forfeit their individuality they become less human. And yes, George is anti-war, specifically because he's anti-government. His reasons for this are fairly clear: A government is a group of individuals. Most individuals are full of shit. Therefore, when the government tries to convince you that you should kill other people for money, or freedom, chances are it's a bullshit story. He summed it up in the 90's, when he said that the reason why politicians are dishonest and incompetant are because they're indicative of the population they represent...They're like YOU.

3) People on this site defend their poorly articulated, often rednech ideas by saying, "If it offends you, fuck off." For fuck's sake, there's a difference between have the right to SAY something idiotic, and whether what you're saying IS idiotic. If you say, "I fucking hate faggot cocksuckers because men shouldn't suck dick", of course you should have the right to say that. Still, saying that would make you an idiot. It's not the offensiveness of the language that makes you idiotic, but the context of the language you're using - that there's something immoral or loathsome about men who suck dick. This site is filled with sexist, racist and homophobic bullshit...

George doesn't promote hating people for WHAT they are (ie. their involuntary genetic traits, the social class they're born into, the people they're involuntarily attracted to) but WHO they are.It seems that many of you believe that saying something subversive means that it's funny. Anything of shock value is great. George would disagree with you. Any subject CAN be funny, but it's all in the context of what you're saying. Rape can be funny, but condoning the rape of a real person isn't. George makes a distinction that most of you don't.You people need to grow up, and maybe suffer a little bit more so that you develope empathy. Maybe that's why George has fun watching the likes of you suffer - maybe it's your last shot at acquiring some humanity. Otherwise, at least develope your reading comprehension skills, because the postings on this BBS are pretty sad.

Are The People On This Board Fucking Idiots?

By Spiritual Anarchist

Are people on this BBS fucking idiots? How do you know if the people they have sex with are idiots? What is wrong with fucking an idiot? Should somebody be deprived of good sex and some nasty down and dirty fucking because they are not that intelligent? Personally I have no problem fucking an idiot. Geniuses are obviously high maintenance. And being a genius myself I don't appreciate the competition mentally when all I wanted to do is get laid. I mean being intelligent, I like mental masturbation as well as anyone else; but in sex masturbation is really the least satisfying of all sex acts.

Actually I am not being completely honest here because intelligence does turn me on more than anything. Well except a really hot body. If you can have sex with someone with a really hot body what do you care if they are fucking idiots? If they will fuck me even though I am above average intelligence and they are not I figure I could be at least as reasonable as they are. After all they could be a good fuck.

Can you imagine fucking a person with a hotter body then you normally could get who is also a good fuck? Would it really bother you if after sex they admitted that they did bad on their SATs or never passed 6th grade and dropped out? Ok thats a bad example. We all know Einstein dropped out and school has nothing to do with intelligence and everything to do with obedience. So that would only concern you if you were into S/M. Let's say they actually voted for Bush instead. Still a good fuck is a good fuck right?

And since Bush has been fucking America over from the first day he got in office fucking over one of his supporters would be a good thing right? So fucking them over and over would be even better. And if they have a hot body and are a good fuck then intelligence never really enters into it. Since,like I was saying intelligence never enters into it,then it doesn’t really take brains to fuck anyway.In out in out etc. Hell animals do it. Even the dumbest animals can fuck.

Besides intelligence is relative which would make fucking anyone with intelligence incest. Besides if someone is intelligent enough to be able to do thier taxes while they are fucking you they can't be very smart to be wasting brain power when they could be enjoying themselves. Or it could be that you are a boring fuck in which case you should thank your lucky stars that even an idiot would fuck you.

That is why I find it so amusing that humans can believe in the concept of a "mind fuck". True some say that good sex is mostly mental. But to those people I say they are fucked in the head. Do you remember learning math in school for the first time? Now that was mostly mental. The only physical requirements was a writing utensil and paper. Fucking on the other hand is obviously mostly physical. All you need mentally to fuck is consciousness and some would debate that because only one of you has to be conscious. Some would say I am fucking out of my mind but that is the way fucking is supposed to be. I mean if all the fucking you did was only in your mind it wouldn't be fucking would it?

That is why I challenge the idea of a mind fuck. Some people would claim that mind fuck actually means when you get fucked over. But the whole point is to get fucked over. Well over and over again as much as fucking possible. Hell we wouldn't even be here if people didn’t fuck over and over each other. Its not that we as humans do not want to get fucked. It is really that we want to do the fucking. I do not want you to fuck me. I want to fuck you. So I guess what I am saying is fuck you. But more importantly fuck you even if you are a fucking idiot. I really don't give a fuck ...but I do have reasonable rates.

In conclusion I have only one thing to say to you fucking idiots. I say more power to you.Fuck idiots fuck geniuses like me and fuck the average folk. Hell fuck everybody. That is how we all got here and is the only way to keep from being extinct as a species. Do you think your dog cares how smart the dog is that he is fucking? Fuck no. That is why animals are smarter than us and will probably last longer on Earth than us. Because we are all fucking idiots in comparison.Hell we invented homelessness. Before us no creature ever became homeless.And our so called intelligence has been able to do nothing about it. The only way to get rid of idiots isn't to refuse to fuck them but to not become one of them.So if you are a fucking idiot don't stop fucking idiots just stop being one.

My Space Blog

Ok this is just a blog not my actual website. My actual website is on myspace. The link is on this blog. From time to time I will update my webpage on myspace. Sometimes I will feel the need to tell you what my plan is for my webpage on myspace. What I am doing there and why. When I do that I will not be posting the information here.


So if I am doing something important on my webpage on myspace how can you find out what is going on? Simple myspace as it's own built in blog. You can find my webpages PERSONAL Blog here. My Space Blog I will post anything personal I want you to know about along with webpage updates to myspace.

So what will I use the space on blogger for? This page you are reading now is not personal or about my webpage. I am sorry but you will just have to visit my webpage for that or the link above. This blog on blogger is about my thoughts. My philosophy. Not my life. Get it? Got it? Good :)

Choose Life

Choose Life

I am developing a page to dispel the myths that spiritual teachings such as Biblical or Buddhist scriptures do not support a vegetarian view This is not for the purpose of converting people to vegetarianism My point is only to dispel ignorance If you want to eat meat I can not and will not try to stop you but if you think Buddha or Jesus taught meat eating as a spiritual practice or believe that the scriptures of your religion support meat eating you might want to click on the links on this page before deciding

Christian Arguments Against Vegetarianism

Vegetarianism and Buddhism

Below is a copy of an article including the link to the original article on various faiths and vegetarain views EDITORIAL Source http://www.vnn.org/index.html October 6, 2001 VNN6911 Comment on this story center>
EDITORIALOctober 6, 2001 VNN6911

Comment on this story

Choose Life: Be Vegetarian!BY SWAMI B.V. PARIVRAJAKEDITORIAL, Oct 6 (VNN) —

This article aims to spread the vegetarian ideal and life awareness. It has four sections. In 'Vegetarian tradition in India' I attempted an analysis of the reasons why vegetarianism is losing ground in India.'Evidence from religious scriptures' is a collection of few quotes from the original texts of the most important world religions to prove that all the religions and their founders support loving compassion to animals and vegetarianism. 'Scientific evidence' proves that we are unfit to eat meat and that vegetarianism is a more congenial diet for men. In the last section, 'Food for the soul', I encourage the reader to approach and deal with food in a more spiritual way.

VEGETARIAN TRADITION IN INDIA

India todayThe non-vegetarian diet came increasingly widespread in India after the two major foreign invasions, namely the Muslims and the British. With them came the desire to be 'civilized', to eat as the foreigners did.However, those actually trained in Vedic knowledge never adopted meat in their diet.India is so famous in the world for its tradition of nonviolence that the average Westerners expect all Indians to be strict vegetarians. What a shocking and sad surprise for them to learn that, except for few hundreds of devotees who live in ashrams, the actual percentage of pure vegetarians in India, especially in the Bengal cultural area (Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, North-Eastern States) does not exceed the 2% of the total population! Meat is not the mainstay in India, but almost all Indians consume non-vegetarian foods now and then (eggs, fish, shell-fish, goat, chicken, mutton).

Many Indians define themselves as 'vegetarian and non-vegetarian' at the same time.Religious teachers and spiritualists have often forgotten to help people to understand the basics of religion (mercy, austerity, cleanliness and truthfulness) and the first steps in spiritual life.Some of them, carried away by their own high realizations, have failed to keep in touch with the day-to-day life of common people. Others are simply unaware of the problem.Negative valuesMost non-vegetarians are simply uninformed. A non-vegetarian diet is harmful to health, anti-economic, dangerous for the environment, contrary to ethics, inauspicious and incomplete.

Even extremist meat-eaters must eat vegetarian foods to feel satisfaction. The meat diet makes one insensitive to the suffering of others and indifferent to the exploitation of weaker elements of human society. Once these unethical values are accepted, they can be applied to children, women, sick, economically or socially disadvantaged, handicapped people, minorities, etc. A society based on such negative values cannot attain peace and receive properly the message of God. Enlightened preachers should help people to get out of their ignorance, by providing useful information and assistance. Health is everybody's business and over 90% of health problems are due to wrong diet and lifestyle. So, this is a good starting point.A growing section of Indian society views its vegetarian tradition in contrast with scientific progress.

My challenge is to show them, by example and precept, that the opposite is true.

EVIDENCE FROM RELIGIOUS SCRIPTURES

Christianity

The Old Testament of the Bible acknowledges that the soul is in every living entity and there is no difference between human soul and animal soul. "And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creeps upon the earth, wherein there is a living soul, I have given every green herb for meat" (Genesis 1.30) Popular translations render the above with a generic "wherein there is life." But the exact Hebrew words in the sentence are nefesh (soul) and chayah (living).These same Hebrew words are used to describe the soul of men and insects. Genesis 1.29 states: "And behold, I have given you every herb-bearing seed, which is upon the face of all earth, and every tree, in which the fruit of a tree-yielding seed - to you it shall be for food." This was the original Biblical law about human diet.Later on, Genesis 9.3 seems to allow the meat diet."Every moving living thing shall be food for you."

It should be observed, however, that this was God's concession on Noah, as all vegetation on earth had been destroyed after the great flood. It was an emergency situation. The recommended diet had been given earlier in Genesis 1.29.The Sixth Commandment of the Bible orders: "Thou shalt not kill." (Exodus 20.13) The original Hebrew reads lo tirtzach, that means, "You shall not do any kind of killing." This instruction is direct and crystal-clear, but it is rarely taken literally.

Nowadays many Christians believe that Jesus was not vegetarian. The New Testament cites several examples of Jesus asking for meat. However, a closer study of the original Greek reveals that the word 'meat' used in the English translations of the Gospels is inaccurate. The original words - broma, brosimos, brosis, prosphagion, trophe, phago - translate into 'food, nourishment, anything to eat.', but not 'flesh of animals'. Moreover, the life and teachings of Jesus and his disciples do not comply with a meat diet.Later on, Christians used mistranslations from the Bible to rationalize the eating of meat.

When an incorrect version came down through the centuries, it became part of the Biblical canon. The early Christian fathers and sects (Nazarenes, Therapeuts, Ebionites, Montanists, Gnostics and Essenes) practiced strict vegetarianism. More recently, the Roman Catholic Church ruled that practicing Catholics at least observe certain fast days and abstain from eating meat on Fridays (in remembrance of Jesus' death on the cross).

Islam

The Koran has 114 chapters and, with the exception of only one, they all begin with the invocation, "Bismillahir-rahmanir-rahim", "Allah is merciful and compassionate." If Allah would not be merciful to animals, this would be inconsistent with His magnanimous nature. Mohammed's love for animals is clear from his life and his many statements. "Whoever is kind to the creatures of God is kind to himself." (Hadith) Althoug unable to impose his view on the masses, Mohammed adopted the vegetarian diet. His biographers tell that he liked milk, yogurt, honey and fruits.The Prophet knew that his people were not ready to follow his strict dietary habits. So he tried to bring them gradually to the platform of compassion. For this reason, the Koran offers some dietary concessions."Only that which dies of itself, blood and swine's flesh, has God forbidden to you.

This indeed is a portent for people who think." (Surah 5, verse 1) Here Muslims fall in the same contradiction as the Jews.Eating the blood of animals had been forbidden several times in the Old Testament. (Genesis 9.4; Leviticus 17.14; Deuteronomy 12.16) The contradiction rests in the fact that it is impossible to completely separate blood from animal flesh. So, when one eats meat, blood is being consumed as well. This clearly indicates that the Biblical commandment and the revelations from the Koran were meant to discourage the eating of meat. The Koran endorses the eating of wholesome vegetarian food. "Therewith He causes crops to grow for you, and the olive and the date-palm and grapes and all kinds of fruit. Lo! Herein is indeed a portent for people to reflect." (Surah 16, verse 11) Modern Islam leaves to the individual to decide his/her own diet, but Islamic mystics, such as the Sufis, hold vegetarianism as a high spiritual ideal.

Buddhism

Once Lord Buddha said, "There may be some foolish people in the future who will say that I permitted meat-eating and that I partook of meat myself, but...meat-eating I have not permitted to anyone, I do not permit, I will not permit it in any form, in any manner and in any place; it is unconditionally prohibited for all." (Dhammapada) Buddha propagated ahimsa, nonviolence. He advented with the divine purpose to stop mass slaughter of animals under the pretext of Vedic sacrifices.Authentic Indian Buddhism is always remembered for its emphasis on nonviolence and reverence for all life. Shortly after Buddha's demise, Buddhism spread out of India and misconceptions regarding Buddha and vegetarianism began to rise. A spurious tradition declared that Buddha died after eating rotten meat, and more exactly pork. What actually Buddha ate was some sort of poisonous mushroom, in Pali language sukara-maddava. Sukara means pig and maddava is a root liked by pigs. In the Nineteenth Century, some scholars suggested that sukara-maddava could be nicely translated as 'a pig's delight' and certainly not 'pig's flesh'.Buddhism spread to China when Confucianism and Taoism were already established (2nd century BC-2nd century AD). It also merged with the indigenous religion of Japan, Shinto.

The Buddhism with which people are more familiar today is based on this merger. As in other religions, the later interpretations of Buddhism have been more relaxed in the matter of meat-eating.So-called Buddhists forgot completely that Lord Buddha had come to establish the doctrine of ahimsa and the vegetarian ideal with it. The original form of Buddhism taught compassion for all life and aversion to cruelty in any form as shown in this verse from Mahaparinirvana Sutra: "Eating meat extinguishes the seed of compassion." Vedic cultureThe Vedas are the original scriptures of India. These scriptures always supported vegetarianism and that is why vegetarianism became so deeply-rooted in India. Manu Samhita 5.49: "Having well considered the origin of flesh-foods, and the cruelty of fettering and slaying corporeal beings, let man entirely abstain from eating flesh."Manu Samhita 6.60: "By not killing any living being, one becomes fit for salvation."Yajur Veda 12.32: "You must not use your God-given body for killing God's creatures, whether they are human, animal or whatever."Mahabharata, Anu. 115.40: "He who brings flesh or sends for it, he who cuts off the limbs of an animal, and he who purchases, sells, cooks, eats and serves flesh ? all of them are performing himsa, violence, and are to be considered meat-eaters.

"Bhagavat Purana 11.5.14: "Those who are ignorant of real dharma and, though wicked, account themselves virtuous, kill animals without any feeling of remorse or fear of punishment. In their next life, such sinful people will be eaten by the same creatures they have killed in this world."All the Vedic scriptures promote sarva-bhuta-hita, or devotion and loving care for all living creatures, which include refraining from killing and eating animals. Unfortunately, the original Vedic culture is gradually disappearing from modern India under the influence of contemporary

Hinduism.

Animal sacrificesThousands of Vedis injunctions forbade the performance of animals sacrifices.sura matsya madhu mamsamasavam krisaraudanamdhurtaih pravartitam hyetannaitad vedeshu kalpitam"Liquors, fish, mead, meat, spirits, rice cooked with sesamum seeds, - all these have been inserted into the yajnas by wicked people. Vedas have not prescribed their use in yajnas." Mahabharata (Shanti parva 265.9) Nevertheless, before the advent of Lord Buddha, a current developed in India that allowed animal sacrifices under special circumstances. Worshippers of Kali were obliged to chant the Sanskrit word for meat (mamsa) into the goat's ear before slitting its throat. Mamsa can be broken into two words: mam (me) and sa (he). Here is the complete Sanskrit verse:mamsa sa bhakshayitamutrayasya mamsam ihadmy ahametan mamsaya mamsatvampravadanti manisinaha"That creature whose flesh I am eating now will consume me in the next life. This is mamsa according to learned authorities." (Markandeya Purana) The ritual of pronouncing the word mamsa into the goat's ear was meant to attract meat-eaters to a higher understanding (the law of karma), and ultimately to discourage them from the killing and eating of animals.Cow protectionCows are known as aghnya in the Vedic literature.Aghnya means 'not to be killed'. The Mahabharata explains, "The very name of the cows is aghnya. They should never be slaughtered. Who can slay them? One who kills a cow or a bull commits the most heinous crime." (Shantiparva 262.47)Five products of the cow (pancha-gavya) are considered purifying: milk, yogurt, ghee (clarified butter), urine and dung. Ancient sages regarded milk as the best food available for man. If taken alone, cow milk is considered a rejuvenator (rasayan).Yogurt helps to form blood, fat and semen. Ghee made from cow milk increases longevity, memory, discrimination and intelligence. It strengthen the body and delays the ageing of the body tissues. Cow urine is a powerful natural medicine. Cow dung serves in many ways: as a fertilizer, as fuel for cooking and as a cleansing agent.In the Indian religious tradition, the cow is compared to a mother because she freely gives her milk without expecting anything in return. Cow protection is a duty for all men.

Mahatma Gandhi once said, "Not even to win Swaraj (Independence), will I renounce my principle of cow protection." Cows are innocent, so we should give them all protection. The Skanda Purana advises that we respect cows if we want to reduce the reactions of our bad karma. Cows are very dear to the Lord. His love for the cows is immense. Child Krishna and His cowherd boyfriends enjoyed wonderful lilas with the cows and the calves in the pasturing grounds of Vrindavan. Thus Krishna became known as Govinda, 'the source of pleasure for the cows, the earth and the senses of all beings' and Gopal, 'the protector of the cows'.

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE

Meat is not a natural food for man. If it were, would you not be willing to go into the first butcher's shop, cut a slice from a carcass, and put it in your mouth? You would not hesitate to do so to any fruit and vegetable. If meat is a natural food, would you feel any repugnance at eating dog flesh or cat flesh merely because you are not accustomed to it? You would rather like to taste a fruit!Unfit to eat meatCarnivora have long teeth and claws for holding and killing prey. Men and other vegetarian animals have short teeth and no claws.The saliva of carnivora contains no ptyalin and cannot predigest starches. Our saliva, like that of vegetarian animals, contains ptyalin.Meat leaves toxins in the intestine as waste matter.That is why carnivorous animals have short intestines so that the decomposing matter does not have to remain long time in their bodies. Men and other vegetarian animals have long intestines.Carnivora secrete large quantities of hydrocloric acid to help dissolve bones. Men, and the other vegetarian animals, secrete little hydrocloric acid. In each comparison, humans fit the vegetarian category. All the above mentioned points show that, if you have a human body, you are not fit to eat meat.Heart diseaseThere is correlation between meat-eating and heart disease. In USA, the highest meat consuming country in the world, one person out of every two dies of heart and vascular diseases. Such diseases do not exist where people eat less meat. A vegetarian diet reduces cholesterol intake.

There is less chance to become obese and then die from a stroke or a heart attack.Vegetarians never suffer of arteriosclerosis.Where to get proteins?Fear of not getting enough proteins is the reason why many people never become vegetarian. Most people, however, do not even know what is protein. In 1838, a Dutch chemist, Gerrit Jan Mulder, isolated a substance containing nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and other elements. He showed this chemical compound to be the basis of all life and named it protein. Protein means first rank. Later on it has been proved that protein is essential for life: every living organism must ingest a certain amount of it to survive.

This is so because proteins are composed of amino acids. Plants can synthesize amino acids from air, earth and water, but animals are dependent on plants for protein, either directly by eating plants or indirectly by eating an animal which has eaten and metabolized plants. In conclusion: Only the vegetable kingdom is capable of producing protein!World HungerDid you know that 16 kilos of grains produce one kilo of meat? This means that meat eaters take away the food of 15 other people. This points to a disturbing conclusion: meat-eating is directly related to world hunger."Keep young. Be vegetarian!"If we compare the human body to a machine, food is like the fuel to keep the body running smoothly.

The record shows that meat is a very inefficient fuel for the human machine. Those who live on meat become old very rapidly. Eskimos (North Pole), who live primarily on meat and fish, rarely live beyond 30 years. The Kirgese (Eastern Russia) lived chiefly on meat, and rarely survived past the age of 40. As far as the vegetarians, tribes like the Hunza, in the Himalaya, or groups like the Seventh Day Adventist, a vegetarian Christian group, tend to live between 80 and 100 years. Keep young. Be vegetarian!

FOOD FOR THE SOUL

There are thousands of good reasons to accept the vegetarian diet and ideal, but not a single reason in favour of killing and eating 'our younger brothers'.Here is some food for thought! Dr. Kellog, a famous Christian theologian and practicing vegetarian, said: "It is nice to eat a meal and not have to worry about what your food may have died of."Effects of food on the mindFood and thoughts are linked one another. Many other things are associated with one's dealings in life, but food is the main thing. One should be careful about what he eats and drinks because food affects thoughts and actions. If one aspires after peace and happiness, he should avoid unclean food in all circumstances.

After practicing yoga for years, many people confess that they are not improving as they wished. They have not become more peaceful and happy and wonder why. In many cases, these people have not attached much importance to the quality of their diet. They neglected to find out whether their food was pure or not in its essence and effect. They wished to achieve peace of mind, but impure food was an obstacle to the fulfilment of their objective.Three kinds of foodThe first step is to know which food to eat and which to avoid. According to the Bhagavad Gita there are three kinds of food:food in sattva guna, pure; food in rajo guna, exciting; food in tamo guna, impure.

Certain foods promote longevity, purify the blood, increase bodily strength, help to prevent disease, and bring about happiness and satisfaction. Such foods are filled with flavour, freshness and natural vitality and prove pleasing to the heart. Purified persons in harmony with nature's force of goodness (sattva-guna) naturally choose such delightful foods when making up their diets.A taste for very bitter, very sour or overly hot and spicy foods develop by the influence of the impassioning mode of nature (rajo-guna). Passion also causes persons to eat foods which are not healthy and produce disease.And it is under the spell of darkness (tamo-guna) that people become attracted to things with a putrid taste and smell, to decomposing meats and other untouchable foods.Spiritualize your food!The Srimad Bhagavatam 10.1.4 affirms that atma-hano-janah (the soul killers) is the only category of persons unable to understand spiritual knowledge. This definition applies both to those who have no interest for spiritual life, and to those involved in killing animals.

How can someone sincerely pray to God, the father of all living entities (aham bija pradah pitah) and, at the same time, slaughter or devour His children? Becoming vegetarian is a prerequisite for a life of love. It is a basic, fundamental step in God realization. All should be encouraged to accept the vegetarian ideal. All will benefit by such a choice.It is a choice based on love and compassion. It is recommended by all the great saints and by the Lord Himself, Sri Krishna.patram puspam phalam toyamyo me bhaktya prayacchatitad aham bhakty-upahritamashnami prayatatmanah"I come Myself to accept the love-saturated offerings of My pure devotees even if they be a simple leaf, a flower, a fruit or a little water." (Bhagavad Gita 9.26)Here Sri Krishna encourages vegetarianism and recommends that we offer our food to him. By offering food in sacrifice to the Supreme Lord, our conscience becomes purified. The food will turn into prasada, Krishna's mercy. We should spiritualize our food and eat only prasada. In an earlier verse, Sri Krishna had already recommended that food should be prepared for His pleasure, not for our own sense gratification.yajna-shishtashinah santomucyante sarva-kilbishaihbhunjate te tv agham papaye pachanty atma-karanat"Foodstuffs prepared with devotion have an uplifting and liberating effect on the devotees who consume them. Selfish people, who prepare food for their own sense enjoyment, eat only sin." (Bhagavad Gita 3.13) Selfishness is a grievious sin (agham).

Krishna says that the meals of selfish people have a degrading and reactionary effect on those who eat them. The eaters remain implicated in the violence of the food chain, and are guilty of blame. In other words, Krishna is telling that we have to become selfless, remove our false ego and serve Him with love. He is the absolute owner of everything. Nothing belongs to us. All the foodstuffs in the whole universe belong to Him. His position is such. And He is not really interested in any food of this world.If we offer our food to Him with a purified conscience, He will accept it. He can do that because His personality is divine. Krishna has transcendental senses through which He can enjoy whatever food we offer to Him. This is confirmed in the Brahma Samhita verse 32, angani yasya sakalendriya vritti manti."Each of the limbs of His body can perform the function of any other organ." So, God is not impersonal, for if He were, He would not be able to accept our offerings.Sri Krishna is the Supreme Lord, the Universal Father of all living beings.

He is not limited by mundane considerations. He loves all His creatures, regardless of the outer dress, the body. Our offerings to Him should be done with a spirit of universal love and compassion. Every act of irreverence for life is a step toward the love of death. Man must make this choice at every minute, every day. Choose life! Become vegetarian and tell others to do the same. May peace be upon all!Acknowledgements:My heartfelt thanks to Swami BB Bodhayan for providing computer facilities. Interested readers on the subject matter can write to:Swami B.V. ParivrajakACINTYA - International Movement for Unity in DiversityMail to: "Bhaktivedanta Parivrajak"bv_parivrajak@yahoo.comCopyright Free. Any portion of the essay can be reproduced; duly quoting the source. Both Worlds PublicationsComment on this storyContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
How useful is the information in this article? Not Somewhat Very - This story URL: http://www.vnn.org/editorials/ET0110/ET06-6911.html
11:02 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Mr Nobody

Mr Nobody

Who Is Spiritual Anarchist?

To find out more about me go HERE

Myth Education

Myth Education

Open Your Eyes

Open Your Eyes

Sceptic's Guide To The Internet

Skeptical Rant

The Atheist Bible Study: Is God Evil?

The Atheist Bible Study: Is God Evil?

Nobody's Home

Ok Let's Do This Thing!
I am definitely ready!

Spiritual Anarchist First Post

Just trying to get the hang of this thing