Food has become an important aspect of different religions and socio-cultural belief systems. The gift of food is considered sacred within the perimeters of Hinduism. Therefore, it is common knowledge within the religion that food “increases life, purity, strength, health, joy, and cheerfulness all which are savory and oleaginous, substantial, agreeable, and dear to the Sattwic (pure) people” (Ramanujan, 2002).
In addition, food shares a connection with the main elements of Hinduism. Food nourishes the body by lodging in it a vital force. Consequently, the food portal contributes to the realization of Brahma. Hinduism also upholds the position of food as a category of thought. This essay explores the ascetic significances of food within the confines of Hinduism.
The acts of food asceticism are an integral part of Hinduism. A holy person in Hindu can only handle food in order to carry out distinctive purposes such as the alleviation of human suffering and bringing individuals closer to salvation. Furthermore, a holy person has to have control when he/she is handling the food so as to enhance his/her spiritual power. Control over food can only be mastered through activities such as fasting.
Fasting and minimal eating activities deny the body food-related pleasures and heighten a person’s alternative utilities. Staying away from food enables a human being to harness his/her touching and seeing abilities. Therefore, through fasting an individual can be able to communicate with hidden powers and messages. According to Babb, someone who is fasting can be able to “make food speak and act on his behalf, convey blessings and curses, and guide mortals towards spiritual experiences and divinity” (Ramanujan, 2002).
Hinduism stresses that food has the ability to sustain life. A fasting experience deprives the body the ability to hear, act, enjoy, see, and reflect for the entire period of denial. However, when the fasting experience comes to an end, an individual is able to regain all his/her seeing, reflection, hearing, and acting abilities. This transition is beneficial to an individual’s spirituality. The Hindu religion requires that all dharma-upholding individuals practice fasting and consider it as a ‘cosmic sacrificial process.’
Furthermore, the achievements of the fasting process are considered as acceptable sacrificial products. Within the concept of Hinduism, food is only important as a tool of bodily sustenance. Consequently, ascetics serve both spiritual and bodily purposes. The spiritual purposes of fasting include providing the soul with dominance over the body and enhancing a person’s ‘self-food dialogue.’ Fasting is also a viable way of increasing one’s tapas within the dharma context.
Mahatma Gandhi is an example of an individual who dedicated his life to long periods of ascetic thoughts. Gandhi’s dedication is, however, unique because he used his experiences to improve his self-worth. For instance, Gandhi’s fasting experiences were not accompanied by begging sessions or any notable miraculous works. On a personal level, Gandhi credited fasting with the opening of his ‘inner eyes’ especially during instances of moral dilemmas.
One writer notes that for Gandhi, fasting meant “abstaining from evil or injurious thoughts, activities, or foods” (Denton, 2004). Praying is closely related to fasting as practiced by several Hindu adherents. Some people believe that fasting enhances the power and value of prayers. Across India, several holy persons combine fasting with prayers.
For instance, during Gandhi’s lengthy fasting sessions, he embraced both food ascetics and prayers and considered them as part of a powerful spiritual language. Another aspect of ascetics is meagerness.
The concept of meagerness asserts the need to supply the body with “just enough food to sustain the body for the service for which it is made” (Ramanujan, 2002). Nevertheless, it is often difficult to ascertain what qualifies as a ‘meager meal.’ For instance, a meager meal can be enough food to sustain the body, a balanced diet, or a half-portion.
Sannyasa is a branch of asceticism that involves the specifics of a householder’s way of life. Householders are married individuals who engage in duties such as raising children and welcoming guests. Food and its related ascetics are very important to a householder. Within the context of Hinduism, the role of a householder is considered to be very important. For instance, it is noted that householders have the exclusive privilege of offering sacrifices and afflicting themselves with austerities.
One of the most notable duties of a householder is to feed world denouncers, students, and forest dwellers when they come begging for food. Consequently, most of the individuals who dedicate themselves to asceticism depend on householders for their bodily nourishment. According to the Dharma-concept of Hinduism, just like all living beings look up to their mothers for survival, mendicants owe their survival to householders.
Another text conceptualizes the ascetic contributions of the householder by noting that “since people in the other three stages of life are supported every day by the knowledge and food of the householder, the householder’s stage of life is the best” (Khare, 2010). There is a deep connection between a holy person and a householder. This connection operates in two spheres, but they are both in ascetic form. For example, the householder looks up to the holy man for spiritual guidance and physical healing.
On the other hand, holy persons constantly depend on householders for their body-nourishment needs. A householder admires individuals who effectively use ascetics to conquer moral, physical, mental, and spiritual weaknesses. For example, a female householder is susceptible to bodily impurity due to her monthly menstruation and her ability to give birth. Therefore, holy persons present householders with viable examples that they can follow (Denton, 2004).
The Tantric branch of Hinduism is made up of practices that contradict the Brahma that is achieved through asceticism. Therefore, while householders and holy persons use food for asceticism, the Tantras use food to break taboos and restrictions. The Tantras divide themselves into two categories, the right-handed, and the left-handed Tantras. The left-handed Tantras incorporate five sacramental rituals to their everyday lives, and four of these involve food.
The five sacramental rituals of the Tantras include eating meat, fish, and parched-grain, drinking wine, and engaging in sexual activities. Tantric practices denounce the concept of asceticism. On the other hand, mainstream Hinduism shuns Tantric practices and ideas of spiritual enlightenment. Some Hindu adherents consider Tantras and their practices dangerous. Sometimes the Tantric practices that go against asceticism are equated to black magic by Hindus.
Food is primarily used to break taboos by the Tantras. Nevertheless, a person who consumes meat on a regular basis and is often intoxicated does not necessarily break taboos. The process of breaking taboos is complex and lengthy, and it involves a certain level of purity.
Food is an important part of the Hindu religion, and it is closely connected to asceticism. Holy persons deny themselves food in order to reach a high level of the spiritual endowment. Most mendicants do not handle food, and they have to depend on householders for leftovers and other small portions. Tantras, on the other hand, use food to break most of the taboos that are specified by the Hindu religion.
References
Denton, L. T. (2004). Female ascetics in Hinduism. London, United Kingdom: Sunny Press.
Khare, R. S. (2010). Culture and reality: Essays on the Hindu system of managing foods. New York, NY: Penguin.
Ramanujan, A. K. (2002). Food for Thought: Toward an Anthology of Hindu Food- images. New York, NY: Penguin.