Srimatey Ramanujaya Namaha,

Simple Answer : Ignorance

Long Answer : For some unknown reason, people have a misconception that difference means discrimination with respect to varnas which is not true. Its true that Bhagavan created the 4 varnas and assigned certain roles to each one of them. He never discriminated anyone. have we not heard about events where a brahmin does not get moksha and a non brahmin being a true devotee of Bhagavan gets moksha. To Bhagavan, all are equal. He neither has any inclination towards Brahmanas nor does he have hatred towards other varnas. 

In an IT Company, we have multiple roles, Developer, Tester, Support, Architect… CTO, CEO etc. Each one has a prescribed duty here and is supposed to do that and not other’s duties. No one objects this. For example, no developer would complain that he does not have access to something confidential which only a support person can have. so we understand this process but fail to understand that it is the same with 4 varnas too.

People do not understand aacharam because they are not used to it. They do not know the fact that food determines our character. It plays a major role in our thoughts.It would only be our responsibility to restrain from whatever we feel is not right for us. Just because someone else does not understand our practices, we cannot change for them. We can may be try to explain them why do we do certain things if they are interested to know. Otherwise just ignore them.

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan

Srimatae Ramanujaya Namaha,

Sri Velukkudi Krishnan Swami Guruve Namaha,

Asmdh Sarva Gurubyo Namaha,

Beautiful Answer and very true practical question that most of the Bhakta’s face.

Adiyen would like to elaborate the conversation little more Correlating what adiyen has heard in upanyasams and from other Prapannas and adiyen’s own experience.

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As Swami says in many upanyasams, there are only two types of people (Jaathi) in this world. One is a “Prapanna Jaathi” & another is a “Varungaala (Future) Prapanna Jaathi”, since we were also a “Future Prapannan” in the past and with “Yetherchaya Sukrutham” (blessing received from BhagavAn by doing a good thing unknowingly, though we did not intent to do a good thing,) as one of the reason, we became a “Prapannan” in the present. The duties as per Shastras should be followed by both Jaathis wherever possible based on which Varnas (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and non-Brahmin) are relevant to them by birth.

A Prapannan need to be careful with the Saha Bhojana Yogyar (to whom we sit and eat, since if they have higher level Rajas/Tamas gunas, it will affect our Sathvik gunas as well and make the Prapannas Sathva guna deteriorate. But, a ‘Prapannan’ need to help a ‘Future Prapannan’ to Transform to a ‘Prapannan’ as well, as some ‘Prapannan’ helped us in the past to make us transform to a ‘Prapannan’.

“Aahaara Suddhi” as Swami has said in EnPani # 13 to be followed by both Prapannan and a Future Prapannan for their own benefit to get BhagavAt krupai.

Please disregard, if below doesn’t make any sense &/or overwhelming, since it is adiyen’s own experience and some answers received from other Prapannas.

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Explanation to a “Future Prapannan, FP” by a “Prapannan, P” only if he is interested in knowing with an open mind and tries to make Conversation with us, if not, just don’t pay attention and we should keep continuing the Acharam and Anushtanam wherever possible with Yatha Shakthi. Swami Ramanujar will Save us from all obstacles:

Situation 1) if ‘FP’ is in Aggressive mode:

FP: Please come a join team lunch and have food.

P:Politely & firmly say, Thank you for the offer. I couldn’t join as I brought my own lunch.

FP: Are you trying to avoid us. Do you think, you are a great person?

P:Politely & firmly say, I’m allergic to some food like nuts or spices etc… Also, if the food is old (more than 4 hrs), then I cannot eat, since it will loses its taste or flavor. I get rashes on my body or stomach ache, so I cannot trust on outside cooked food with masalas/spices etc, since I don’t know how it is cooked and the ingredients used. I will be one who will be affected, so I bring my own lunch. Please pardon me.

(A “FP” cannot avoid this answer, since there are cases where his own kid or himself has allergy towards some food etc.. Moreover, if food is cooked more than 4hrs, it loses its PraanAn, so the food is under decay state as SriKrishna says…so an FP will accept this answer. If not, don’t worry about his thinking or response at all, just ignore).

FP: Ok, whatever. For next time, can you tell us what type of food allergies you have, so that we can plan ordering food which will also suit for you?

P:(This is a kindful situation, but dharma sankatam for us. In this situation, if there is no way, we can avoid it, then we can say,)

I eat Curd rice or fresh salads or some sweet or milk or some fruits when I eat outside. Mostly, I eat cooked food, only if it is prepared from home due to allergy restrictions. [Try to avoid as much as possible eating outside food, but in unavoidable situations, we can eat these food on outside. Swami has said that these food has no Dhosham (fault)].

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Situation 2) if ‘FP’ is in Assertive mode:

FP: Anyway, if you brought your own lunch, why don’t you join with us and eat. We can talk something else other than work while we are eating.

P:Politely & firmly say Mostly, I avoid talking while eating at any time/anywhere.

FP: What? What do you mean? Don’t you talk at home with your family members or talk in your cell phone while you eat. Every people do this.

P: No. I don’t do such thing while eating. (In mind,A Prapannan realizes that he is true to what he says, either at work or at any other place. As a Parpannan, we all know that we are in-taking Perumal Prasadam, so we cannot disrespect Prasadham & Perumal by doing other activities while in-taking Prasadham, since Perumal himself gives Seva to us in our stomach in the form of “Jaatara Agni/ Vysvanar Agni, which is the amilam (acid) generated which makes us feel hungry. So, we are offering food to PerumAl, then giving that food back to PerumAl in our stomach who is residing as Jaatara Agni by thinking about Perumal. So, a Prapannan never consumes anything, it’s all about PerumAl).

FP: I don’t understand what you are saying. Can you explain why you don’t talk while eating?

P: When I talk, I’m not able to chew my food & moreover, my etchil (saliva) gets spilled out while talking, which is not physically visible. This could fall on other people’s food. So, I don’t want to spoil others food by my saliva. This is same case as yours. When everyone talks, we are eating everyone’s saliva along with the food. (Now, the FP starts thinking and will feel bad or gets upset, since he is been eating food in this manner for a long time. We can see the changes in himself immediately and improves his food habits, as no one likes others saliva in their food).

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Situation 3) if ‘FP is in Submissive Mode:

FP: I see. I understand. Ok, then let’s sit together and not talk while eating.

P:Politely & firmly say, No I would like to eat alone whenever possible. It hardly takes 20 minutes only.

FP: Are you avoiding me. How about a working lunch situation, how will you eat alone?

P: I understand, all situation is not avoidable, but you need to understand why I eat alone.

FP: Ok, why do you eat alone?

P: (Politely & firmly say, provide ‘FP’ a Materisstic explanation which is very true as well).

I eat alone so I could focus only on the food that I eat without any diversions, so I could properly digest my food.

1) As you know, 20% of digestion happens inside mouth only when food mixes with saliva. When we talk, then air forms as a barrier between saliva & food. This air in contact with saliva causes contamination of the saliva and further digestion of food is spoiled in mouth itself. So chewing the food without opening the mouth 32 times is the key for good digestion. Thats why GOD has given us 32 teeths. So, where is the question of talking while eating? Saliva is good as long as it stays inside the mouth, but once it is outside and mix with air, then it causes contamination of the food, so i cannot talk while eating. Does it make sense. (In mind, a Prapannan realizes how he intakes the food without his hand touching the saliva like how Acharyas eat Prasadham, because once hand touches the saliva, then the saliva sticks to the hand & in-turn the saliva gets contact with air. Then, when we take the next round of food, this causes contamination of the Prasadham).

2) Then, 60% of digestion happens in stomach with the help of the acid generated in the stomach.

3) Then, remaining 20% of the digestion happens in the small intensive where all the food is converted to glucose molecules.

Overall, we humans are responsible for our indigestion by spoiling the 80% of digestion that happens in the mouth & stomach. We are surviving with the 20% of the digestion that happens in the small intestine, since we couldn’t interfere.

[Our body secretes the necessary hormones for the tasks that we are up to. Like if we are watching TV, then the brain receives the signal & secretes the necessary hormones for the action of the eyes. When we eat food by focusing & thinking only about the food, then the brain takes 20 minutes to release the necessary digestive hormones to the stomach, so that the food could get digested. That’s the time, we get the first burp. This burp is the indication from the body that, your stomach is full (50% of stomach occupied with food). We can feel this easily. We can eat to second burp maximum if needed, but not recommended. First burp is the limit because we need food, water & air circulation is stomach as well, like if we divide stomach into 4 compartments, then we should eat only 2/4th (50%) of food, the remaining 1/4th (25%) should be for air circulation & the remaining 1/4th (25%) is for water which should be taken only 30 minutes after food. This is because, the acid in the stomach is still doing its job of digestion, so drinking water while eating or within 30 minutes after eating will spoil digestion (Prapanna in mind realizes about Paanaka Narasimha PerumAl, any food we give to give HIM, once HE consumes 50% of it, there is a burp sound from PerumAl). So, when we are watching TV or talking or even thinking something else other than the food while eating, then our brain realizes only the action that we are doing & releases the necessary hormones accordingly. So, all the food that we ate doesn’t get digested because of no digestive hormones released by brain because we were watching TV and was engaging the brain. So automatically people over eat when they watch TV, since body did not trigger us to stop eating by providing burp. Finally there over fill the remaining 2 compartments of stomach which was supposed to be for air & water. Finally, they end up in trouble. All in-digested food causes bad glucose. So when there is a bad glucose generated, the pancreas in the body which is the Quality department doesn’t provide Insulin to that particular Glucose. This results in the bad glucose stored in the body cells, which is the start point of all the diseases sugar complaint etc. Then, we artificially inject Insulin instead of fixing our problem, since we are not aware that body itself will provide Insulin to the good glucose generated by good digestion which is achieved by mindful eating (focusing only on the food while eating). When we start repeating the mistakes, then at point the accumulation of bad glucose stored is so huge that we start getting all body problems over a period of time, since bad glucose cannot fix anything.]

FP: Are you kidding. I don’t have any problem now.

P: If you have enormous enough credit points (account balance) now, then spending a huge amount out of it will not affect you immediatley, but will affect you, once you reach your account bottom balance if you keep spending without acquiring more credit points.

FP: Where did you know about this type of eating method?

P: It is popularly called as “Mindful Eating”. It appears like, you are interested in keeping your body happy, but you don’t even follow the Mindful Eating, so how come you are telling the food habits that you follow are great. Don’t you think, you should refine your food habits for your own betterment (A “FP” if considers positively, then he will be speechless, because his ideology of food habits is totally now re-shaped).

[The above scientific facts that a Prapannan explains to a Future Prapannan is true for both of them, but the difference is that a Prapannan doesn’t focus on these scientific facts, instead he confidently follows what PoorvAcharya’s have followed as Aahaara Suddhi/Niyamanam (Seyyathana Seyyom). Scientific facts are nothing but “how much BhagavAn wants to reveal to us about his creation by using materialistic examples, if a Future Prapannan don’t have faith in SANATANA DHARMAM at present. It is a step-by-step process].

FP: Ok, I understand your point of “Mindful Eating” like food allergy (so bring home made food), don’t talk while eating & don’t focus on anything other than food while eating. Will this help me to keep my body fit all the time?

P: This will help you to keep your body fit to some extent only, since you are avoiding the unnecessary practices, but cannot guarantee for a long period. It will depend up on what is in your Prarabtha karma. Due to your karma, your body may or may not get affected.

FP: What is this new stuff karma?

P: Karma is accumulated based on the actions that the Athma (Ourselves) does using this body.

FP: You are confusing me now with body (Shareeram), Athman & Karma. How do I understand what you are talking about? What is an Athma.

P: AThma is Ourselves. We are not this body. We have seen, many people die, and their body lies here, so something was inside that body for long time due to which the body was able to do actions. That something was the Athma (Ourselves).

FP: Where did you know all tehse things.

P: Ok, There are Spiritual Discourses CD’s available under topic “Yen Piranthaen”, “Naan Yaar” by Sri Velukkudi Krishna Swami which is available at Kinchitkaram Trust. I was benefitted from these and my life changed due to Swami’s blessings.

PLease spend some time dedicatedly and listen for your own benefit and share with others, so they can be benefitted. You can know about yourself and then start applying in practice and further Prapatti (Surrender to BhagavAN Sriman NarayanAn lotus feet) and move on.

FP: Ok. i will try to get the spiritual discourse and listen.

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PLease try any of these types wherever applicable.

Initially, we talked about the Food and Body, then slowly enlighted ‘FP’ about the next level Athma. Then ‘FP’ will automatically go in search of SPiritual Discourses and Swami’s Upanyasams explains in detail for AThma Ujjivanam.

The opponent will be able to receive it properly, only if we are following it correctly as best as possible with Acharya grace.. So, lets try whereever possible.

Again, Please disregard, if below doesn’t make any sense &/or overwhelming, since it is adiyen’s own experience and some answers received from other Prapannas and some correlating to Upanyasams.

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Adiyenai Shamikka Prarthikkiraen for errors.

Adiyen Sri Velukkudi Krishna Dasan,

Uyya Oraey Vazhi UdayavAr ThiruvAdi,

Sarvam SriKrishnarpanam.

Srimatae Ramanujaya Namaha,

Sri Velukkudi Krishnan Swami Guruvae Namaha,

Asmadh Sarva Gurubyo Namaha,

Dear KomalSrini Bhakta,

Yes, adiyen understood. Adiyen also has heard the same thing that, in foreign countires, they respect others faiths and respect others space. Adiyen feel, the issue is not about in our state or outside country, the issue is about the perception of others on how they respect others faith and space. The issue in our state or primarily in office is, if we follow good habits without any sampradayam marks on our forehead like Srichooranam or gobi Chandhanam etc…then they don’t bother, since they think it is their personal. The same persons perception changes when they see us following the good food habits and they notice some matha chinnam on our forehead. This is the individuals perception issue and this issue becomes a society issue when such persons are increasingly more. But Perumal removes such obstacles through the Acharya Ramanujar in a better way than Perumal’s poorna avatarams itself.

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The above mindful eating is popular followed by both believers and non-believers of BhagavAn, and they stay healthy.

We Vaidhehas whether Brahmin or Non-Brahmin of any kulam/varnas follow the below 1st two steps properly but miss the step3 unknowingly most times, which is the ONE of the reasons for us to get diseases like diabetes, kancer (dead cells accumulation in body) etc... So Adiyen’s intention is to share the step3 which is needed, so body stays healthy as it is a tool to do Kainkaryam to BhagavAn. HEnce, in the baove thread adiyen tried to portray that Good AHara Niyamana with scientific facts for Dhristam experience. Physical excersice, Aasanam is also needed, but adiyen is just focussing just of Food habbits for healthy body.

Technically, the body is designed by Perumal to follow all three STeps together for proper functioning of the body, plus to support the AThma as all three steps makes together is a KArma Yoga by eating itself.

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Step1: What to eat

Vegeterian good and that too Sathvik vegeterian foods and avoid rajadik/ramasik foods like onion/garlic. Reason, it iproves Stahvik Gunas and we know all that.

Step2: When to eat.

After offering to SriKrishna, consume as Prasadham, so our Karmas are cleansed. Moreover, SriKrishna says to do so, so we do it for HIS happiness, which inturn makes us happy, since HE is Happy.

Step3: How to eat.

“Mindful Eating” (detailed in the above thread).

a) Chew 32 times without opening mouth and swallow by thinking about BhagavAn that HE is residing as Jatara Agni (amilam/acid). It means there is should be no talking while eating food.

Eat when you are hungry only, means when the digestion acid AMilam is genearted. IF not, it will end up in indigestion.

a-1) So by chewing, we are mashing the food in mouth and the mashed food is like abhishekam on the Perumal who is residing as Jatara Agni ( amilam / acid ). So if we swallow without chewing, then it is like throwing heavy rocks on Perumal’s Head. So a Bhaktha has to be in SNEHA Bhavam to Perumal by doing Mindful eating. THe benificiery is ourselves and the enjoyer is PErumal.

b) Don’t drink water while eating, since it is like diluting amilam and causes indigestion. That’s why Acharyas keep water on the right hand side, so while eating the glass of water us far for the left hand to reach. So Seiyyadhana Seyyom. Don’t do what they did not do.

b-1) So, Drink water after 30 minutes of having food only for good digestion.

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MOst Vaidheehas/Prapannas either Brahmin or Non-BRahmin follow, STep1 & STep2, but mostly miss STep-3, which is one of the reasons for our diseases like diabetes, kancer etc….

[Perumal’ has designed the body in such a way that, if, we miss step-3 by thinking something else, watching something else, then, body generates bad glucose, and pancreas doesn’t generate insulin for bad glucose, since pancreas generates Insulin only for Good glucose. THis is th body’s design. And any cell to function, it requires both Good glucoses with the QUality certification Insulin attached to it. SO, when we don’t follow the step-3, then the body produces bad glucose which is due to the indigested food, then the pancreas doesn ‘t generate Insulin for the bad glucose. SO what happens, the cell doesn’t accept the bad glucose, since it didnot see any Insulin attached to the glucose as the glucose is a bad glucose (due to in-digested food). Eventually, the cell dies as it cannot function. When we keep increasing the bad habits by not following STep3-, then each cell keeps dying and we faint and end up in Diabetes etc..WHen teh number of such dead cells increases, then it leads to kancer. SO, we borrow INsulin from outside source rather than fixing our issue. THe problem from outside insulin is that, it doesn’t recognise the glucose in our body is Good Glucose or bad glucose. SO what what happens is, the borrowed Insulin from outside source gets attached to both bad and good glucose in our body. Eventually, what happens is, the cells only needs a Insulin attached to the Glucose, so when the cell sees INsulin to a glucose, it doen;t recognize, if the Insulin is own body or from utside source, plus it doesn’t know, if the glucose is bad or good. Hence a bad glucose with outside source Insulin gets to our cell. THis leads to many health issues. SO, where is the problem. It is due to, us not following the STep3. SO, we need to follow STep3, so a good glucose due to proper digestion in our body, so our body can genearte Insulin from our own pancreases and the cell can function properly.]

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If we do only STep1 & 2, then it is called as “AVANAYUM, AVALAYUM, YENNAUM pattri Sooru THeaduvaargal”.

Means, AVAN -Srikrihan’s happiness, AVAL-Thayar hapiness and YENNAI-myself happiness. If all three of them happines becomes important, then it is LOW level BHakthi. Here, ‘Soaru’ means “Purushartham, Happiness” and not literally mean Food here, but conicentaly means food in this context.

So Step3 is technically giving the STep2 offerings back to Perumal inside Our stomach. THat’s what adiyen meant in above thread by saying “ITS ALL ‘ABOUT’ PERUMAL”, means “ITS ALL ‘FOR’ PERUMAL” and we are the doer as a tool using this body, and Perumal SriKrishna is the ENjoyer.

This is Karma yoga if do all three steps together. “Eat Sathvik food after offering to SriKRishna and give back to SriKRishna in Stomach”.

SO, if we follow all three STeps together, then it means “AVANayum-AVALayum pattri Soaru THaeduvaargal”. Means only Thayar-PErumal Happiness is important and my happiness is not important.

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Our Body DOESN’T CARE or doesn’t know, if we are SriVAishavaite or DIfferent religion, since all it does care is, if we follow STep3 a), then I will produce Good glucose, which inturn makes PAncreas to secrete INsulin and thecells function with good Glucose with Insulin on it. MOst of Non-Vaidhehas are healthy becasue, they follow the STep3 a) corectly “MIDFUL EATING”, but don’t do STep3 a-1), or b) or STep2 or Step1. HEnce, this is just “Karma”, but it will kep them healthy and not help the AThma since Step1 & 2 & step3 3a-1,b is missed. BUt we can explain them for their betterment.

BUt we follow STep1 & 2 which is KArma Yoga, but don’t do STep3 a) and primarily don’t do STep3 a-1), which still ends up in diseases and LOW level BHakthi, though we are BHaktas.

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SO, lets follow all three steps together for healthy body which is easy step that is UNDER OUR CONTROL, as long as we live in this Body for doing Kainakryam for Thayar-PErumal Happiness. AT the same time, Enlighten anyone who is interested to get Thayar-PErumal Blessings.

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THese aree KNOWN FACTORS which can be fixed by oursleves and PErumal expects that from us. At the same time, don’t worry about the health issues caused by the UNKNOWN FACTOR’ Prarabtha karmas. For everything, Perumal-Thayar will bless all Bhaktas.

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Adiyen Sri Velukkudi Krishna Dasan,

Uyya Oraey Vazhi UdayavAr ThiruvAdi,

Vaidhyo Narayano Harihi,

Sarvam Sri Kudumbham.