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326
THE WAY OF LIFE
palace and ordered the preparation of tasty and sweet dishes. He also gave orders for the preparation of dainty dishes to make the food tasty.
FROM PAINFUL CONTEMPLATIONS TO EVIL CONTEMPLATIONS
Kandarik ate to his satisfaction. He ate much more than what was necessary. After having eaten heavily, he went and lay down upon the bed. Suddenly, there appeared a terrific pain in his stomach; vomiting and lose motions occurred. He was tortured with pain; and he began to groan with agony. "Where is the minister? Go and bring the doctors at once. Carry out my orders." He cried aloud. But no servant even came near him. Kandarik was very angry: "You will not carry out my orders? All right. Let me get well; and then I will order each one of you to be beheaded. I will kill every one of you." His stomach-ache continued to increase....his evil contemplations also continued to increase. He gathered the Aayushyakarma of going to the seventh Hell. That very night, he died and went to the Seventh Hell. Excessive eating weakens the Tejas Sharir (the subtle body). If you eat too much food....too much of tasty and excellent food, it will bring death. That is why the author of the grantha says that after your hunger is satisfied, you should not eat food, for the gratification of the sense of your taste. You should eat so much food and in such a manner that your hunger in the evening or the next morning will not grow dull. The jataragni or hunger is called in the Shastras Tejas Sharir (the fire of hunger). The Tejas Sharir is the subtle body. The Tejas Sharir is the cause for the power of digestion. If the fire of hunger is weak the power of digestion is upset. Excessive eating makes the fire of hunger dull.
From the Audience: What is the prescribed quantity of food to be consumed? How much should we eat at a time?
BESTOW YOUR THOUGHT ON YOUR FOOD FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD
There is no such thing as a prescribed quantity of food for a meal. Eat only as much as is necessary to satisfy your hunger.
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