How Important Is Diet For Meditation/Awakening?

DaltheJigsaw

How Important Is Diet For Meditation/Awakening?

Jeffrey

I think it depends what situation you are referring to. I am not aware of some generality. Alcohol is negative because it makes you feel more depressed. Eating a lot of food probably too. I have also read certain foods such as garlic are bad, but that could be the tradition of the indigenous culture or it could be folk wisdom that goes beyond modern medicine?

As a start I would try to be mindful of what you eat and go from there.

compassionate_warrior

I think it depends on the person, and how sensitive they are. Observe how different foods affect your meditation, if they do at all. Go with what facilitates that. After Gopi Krishna's Kundalini rose, he had to switch to a vegetarian diet. I suspect that many of us are pretty unphased by diet that way.

nibbuti

Hi Leon. If it makes bodily afflictions go away, eat it. If it makes your mind irritated or sluggish, don't eat it. As the meditation deepens, your body will be content with few.

bravehawk

When I started working with Kundalini, It seemed my body worked extremely harder at processing beef and milk to the point I had to cut them out. It's really best to pay attention to the things that feel "heavy" or "sticks to your ribs" as my friend says. If I eat stuff like that, I just feel like a truck hit me for the next couple of days while it processes out of my system.

DaltheJigsaw

I think it depends what situation you are referring to. I am not aware of some generality. Alcohol is negative because it makes you feel more depressed. Eating a lot of food probably too. I have also read certain foods such as garlic are bad, but that could be the tradition of the indigenous culture or it could be folk wisdom that goes beyond modern medicine?

As a start I would try to be mindful of what you eat and go from there.

I suppose I am speaking on meat, veggie, raw, dairy and the like.

DaltheJigsaw

Hi Leon. If it makes bodily afflictions go away, eat it. If it makes your mind irritated or sluggish, don't eat it. As the meditation deepens, your body will be content with few.

Thank you!
That was great!

newtech

Hello.

In MN 107 its showed a "gradual training".

a)morality
b)sense control
c) MODERATION IN EATING
d)vigilance
e)Mindfulness and clear consciousness
f)Overcoming of the five hindrances
g)Jhana

The way i see it u can avoid moderation in eating, but its like trying to
kick a football ball without the right technique, u will kick it but kinda wrongly.

pd:..even so i dont follow that moderation haha.

sukhita

I have problem with "moderation in eating" sometimes... so I usually meditate before breakfast and supper.

sukhita

How Important Is Diet For Meditation/Awakening?

Not too sure, but I think it's important to eat a well balanced meal to keep the body healthy... think of it as metta to yourself.

The Buddha had a meal of "milk-rice" on the eve of his awakening. Maybe we can give this a try

Whoknows

How Important Is Diet For Meditation/Awakening?

A few things which come to mind:
1) Vegetarianism leads to great merit and helps in progress dramatically, if you are genuine in your intentions, that is you don't do it for the result. Don't do it if you will resent it as then it will be harmful not beneficial.
2) Over indulgence limits the effectiveness of practise. It weighs the body down and generates imbalance. These make it harder to detect subtle experiences and amplifies attachment and clinging in meditation. As mentioned above it also increases dullness, sloth and torpor.
3) The act of eating and the effectiveness of mindfulness in meditation are directly related. Mindful eating helps mindfulness in meditation and hence progress. Mindful eating helps counteract attachment.
4) Eating what's given, or not going out of your way to eat food that you really like helps with reducing attachment and promoting equanimity, which again will be reflected on meditation.

Cheers, WK

DaltheJigsaw

How Important Is Diet For Meditation/Awakening?

A few things which come to mind:
1) Vegetarianism leads to great merit and helps in progress dramatically, if you are genuine in your intentions, that is you don't do it for the result. Don't do it if you will resent it as then it will be harmful not beneficial.
2) Over indulgence limits the effectiveness of practise. It weighs the body down and generates imbalance. These make it harder to detect subtle experiences and amplifies attachment and clinging in meditation. As mentioned above it also increases dullness, sloth and torpor.
3) The act of eating and the effectiveness of mindfulness in meditation are directly related. Mindful eating helps mindfulness in meditation and hence progress. Mindful eating helps counteract attachment.
4) Eating what's given, or not going out of your way to eat food that you really like helps with reducing attachment and promoting equanimity, which again will be reflected on meditation.

Cheers, WK

Thank you!
That was helpful!

mithril

I have also read certain foods such as garlic are bad, but that could be the tradition of the indigenous culture or it could be folk wisdom that goes beyond modern medicine?

[http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/3167/should-buddhists-not-eat-onion-and-garlic/p1]

I think @Jason gives a good example why not, although the example mentions onions, i think it would apply to other foods that have a strong smell as well.

DaltheJigsaw

What do people eat for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner?

Jeffrey

I eat raisins for digestion in the morning. Or an apple or orange. Then a spoon of peanut butter to prime my pancrease etc to take in oil. So that I eat 2 fish oil tablets which are good for schizoaffective disorder and for heart health.

For lunch I only eat if I am hungry. I eat at 5 oclock so thats no problem. For dinner it depends what we are fixing. Examples: meat potato vegetable, chili, spaghetti, pizza, mexican, eggs+ cheese+ veggies+ toast.

Takuan

I don't eat pork... I just find it... nasty. I don't know if it had anything to do with enlightenment. lol

Takuan

*has

NOTaGangsta

It helps with developing compassion when you don't eat the flesh of animals.

It's quite logical, if you care about your mum, your not going to eat her.

DaltheJigsaw

It helps with developing compassion when you don't eat the flesh of animals.

It's quite logical, if you care about your mum, your not going to eat her.

So I assume that you are a vegetarian?

DaltheJigsaw

I eat raisins for digestion in the morning. Or an apple or orange. Then a spoon of peanut butter to prime my pancrease etc to take in oil. So that I eat 2 fish oil tablets which are good for schizoaffective disorder and for heart health.

For lunch I only eat if I am hungry. I eat at 5 oclock so thats no problem. For dinner it depends what we are fixing. Examples: meat potato vegetable, chili, spaghetti, pizza, mexican, eggs+ cheese+ veggies+ toast.

I like that!
Thank you!