Monks teaches pupils not to eat food, just bread and crackers all day, because they say it is like elevating FOOD to be a false god, higher than God himself.
This is rubbish, because God is defined as the totality of all there is, therefore he is also food. Godly living is experiencing all the wonders and beauty of life - experiencing God himself. By shutting themselves away from the beauty of God, and the beauty of Food, Monks are walking idiots.
The whole point of abstinence is to bring one closer to God by denying
physical pleasures like food and focusing upon feeding the soul instead
That makes no sense. God is all around us, and what the hell is the soul anyway?
It makes absolutely perfect sense to those who believe it to be true and which is why they do abstain
However I myself see no reason for such denial as there is precisely zero evidence for God or the soul
I’ve always thought that monks were cheaters. It can’t be that hard to find peace when you’re locked away from society.
Then, do not listen to them because they are not monks. They may have tried to become monks but somewhere certainly faulted in their course of monkhood.
Religions are not much concerned about food per se. Their line of focus is slightly different. The problem is that followers use to mistaken means for goals.
Religions merely ask their followers to eat simple, easily available, easy to cook and just eat enough to survive. That is all. No religion ever asks that you should eat only this or that.
Yes, besides nonveg, some Eastern religions put restrictions on some eatables, particularly aromatics like garlic. Everything else is allowed.
The basic reasoning about food is that monks should not overeat. Overeating brings both laziness and drowsiness and these are not good for monks. As they are not supposed to have much money, thus they should use only easily and locally available ingredients, otherwise they will start thinking of earning money. They also should use those ingredients and cooking methods, which take less time so they can use their time in other important purposes.
Let us understand rationale behind directions and not confuse means with actual goals.
With love,
Sanjay
What is a soul? It is part of the human trinity of mind, body and soul. Evidence of a soul is conscience.
I’m ambivalent about how to think of monks. On the one hand I see them as escaping normal human interactions. On the other hand I see them as preserving certain spiritual ideas.
There is something to be said about their focus on spirituality as Zinnat notes. Paul claims he became a eunuch for Christ.
My wife and I had good discussions about this and came to the conclusion that Paul was merely conserving his personal energy for what he considered a more important task–to preach and follow Jesus.
In that case, I am a monk. I eat the most simple, easily availiable, easy to cook foods just enough to survive. I am not a meat-eater and I rarely interact socially with people. I also wanted to mutilate my genitals at an early age.
In fact I had a dream about a slaughterhouse last night, people are selfish and stupid, if they only ate meat once a week there would be many less animals that had to suffer and die for no good reason.
How is there no evidence of God? God is the totality of all that is, therefore He is all around us, and us. God is good and evil, the devil, politicians, and saints. God is an idiot but also the wisest man ever.
Furthermore, I believe there are kindred entities out there, for instance I am living in a timezone of good things like mario, I am not born as a dinosaur running for my life everyday. The odds of this are slim, and yet, I am still here, with a computer which is my best friend and favorite thing.
Well, you are doing the same mistake in deduction what monks did, or you accused them of doing.
Merely good eating habits does not make anyone monk. Yes, it is certainly one of the many eligibilities.
You may be a good person but that does not make you a monk by default. Every monk must be a good person but every good person may not be necessarily a monk. Monkhood demands many other things besides that.
An profession swimmer is supposed to wear swimsuit while swimming. He should not jump in the water wearing a three piece suit, tie and shoes. But, merely wearing a swimsuit does not make anyone a professional swimmer. One must be an expert in swimming too. The actual goal is becoming an expert in swimming, not merely in swimming dress. Yes, proper dress will certainly help in achieving that but let us not confuse swimsuit as a goal of a swimmer.
with love,
sanjay
Into Great Silence, is a documentary depicting the day to day existence of Monks in a monastery in the Alps.
They are self sufficient, make their own clothes, chop their own fire wood, grow their own food and live simplistic but healthy lives.
It is an interesting film well worth watching (for the photography alone) as it gives a true insight into the lives of the monks.
Not to the monks.
And that’s really all there is to say about that.
One cannot enjoy nor even perceive the harmony of the mechanism while it is filled to the brim with too much.
Abstinence not only makes the heart grow stronger, but also brings clarity to the mind.
… and no, that doesn’t mean to go starve to death, because that would be “too much”.
Had week of starvation while being locked up in the mental ward with nothing to do…that was enough abstinence for me. The meds were also giving me a psychotic reaction which was torturesome, the experience was very un-good.
I would have no doubt of that.
One doesn’t go to a mental ward to be cured, but merely to temporarily alter the symptoms.
Would you also say one goes to a mental ward to be put away from society (i.e. to prevent the crazies from bothering good folk)?
That is the main symptom being altered.
Why were you locked up in the mental ward and why did you have nothing to eat for a week
Previously you were in the slammer but all of this is bad for your mental and physical health
Trixie you have got to start looking after yourself because if you do not then no one else will
Ideally, a mental ward should be a place in which one learns to live with oneself. It should provide decent food and exercise for patients. The world goes on as it is despite any punishments you could give yourself.
duplicate