पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति |
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मन: ||
-Srimad Bhagavad Gita 9.26
patraṁ puṣhpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayachchhati
tadahaṁ bhaktyupahṛitam aśhnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
In Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Lord krsna says, “If someone offers me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it”.
Food is a significant and major part of any culture on earth.
Food is the nature’s answer to the host of brain. Our thoughts are influenced by the food we eat and these influenced – good or bad thoughts foster our future. Lot of us who own a premium jobs, are tempted to stick on to a lower grade goods, thinking of being prudent and cutting the corners; because after all, goods are goods-right? Not exactly! Cooking influences our food and food influences our brain. Even before we were born, expectant mothers are advised on what to eat and what not to eat, in order to ensure their baby’s future health and happiness.
In today’s competitive and tech-revved world we all live in, our gadgets keep us on constant call leaving behind less time for our brain to relax. The results of Dr. Charles Limb, music obsessed otolaryngologist, showed that when someone is creating something new, parts of our brain associated with self-expression are highly active. At the same time and, perhaps more interestingly, another part of our brain associated with the inhibition quiets down. When the inhibition is less, we are willing to make more mistakes and learn. These new generative impulses keep one from constant shut down.
Creativity is the fundamental part of humanity, without which humans wouldn’t have advanced as a species. As eating is a part of our day-to-day basic activities, cooking is into our list of daily grind. Our brain is the tall expected entity, which needs to be turned as our trusted ally instead of a capricious companion in our daily battles with our brain. For thousands of year, people have believed that food could influence their health and well-being. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, said, “Let your food be your medicine and the medicine be your food”. Being creative everyday in cooking is easier said than done, but it is worth a try boosting our health and our well-being in turn.
मनसस्तु चिन्त्यमर्थः ।तत्र मनसो मनोबुद्धेश्च त एव समानातिनमिथ्यायोगः
प्रकृति विकृति हेतवो भवन्ति॥१६॥
– Charaka Samhita Sutrasthana, Indriyopakramaneeya Adhyaya 8.1.16
Manasastu cintyamarthaḥ| tatra manasō manōbuddhēśca ta ēva samānātihīnamithyāyōgāḥ prakr̥tivikr̥tihētavō bhavanti||16||
As the above verse says, the objective of mind is thinking. The proper or excessive/improper utilization of the mind is responsible for normal or abnormal mental conditions; with mind, other sense organs also get protected or vitiated respectively. The sense organs perceive their objects only when they are connected to the intellect by mind. The mind acts as a connection between the intellect and sense organs.
Most importantly, our thoughts affect both our emotions and our actions. Worry, anger, hate, ill will, irritation, guilt, depression, anxiety, lack of joy & happiness and all other relevant negative emotions and thoughts stems a negative effect upon the body, unlocks the way to sickness and disease. Negative thoughts influence the food being cooked, and gets astrally transmitted to the crowd of people consuming it.
The unattended negative thoughts breed many problems. In these times, spirituality comes to rescue. When a person is spiritually awake and uplifted, he or she exhibits a cheerfulness, faith and boldness that give consistency and momentum to all his or her pursuits in life.