- Hinduism has been called the "kitchen religion" as a result of the importance placed on food's role in life and health (both physical and spiritual).
- Vaishnas:
- Classify all foods into the three Gunas (good: vegetarian food prepared properly and offered to the gods before consumption, pleasureable: sweets or food prepared in a lazy way, and bad: meat).
- Observe many prep work laws (i.e. food must be prepared no more than three hours before consumption).
- Shaivites observe fewer food laws, but are still largely vegetarian.
- Shaktas are inclined towards meat (although still do not eat beef out of respect for the cow)
- Milk products are essential
- Spices are for taste and digestive health
- Role in Worship:
- Prasad is considered to purify the mind, body and spirit.
- Temple cooks are Brahmans and follow strict standards of cleanliness
- This is because it is believed that the consciousness of the cook enters the eater via the food, so it is best to have a spiritually righteous person cook.
- Taking prasad is believed to incline the mind towards spirituality
- Prasad is important on festival days
- Prasad offered to Gods is passed to worshippers by priests at the shrine or as worshippers leave the Mandir.
Simple Living, High Thinking:
- According to the Gunas, human civilization can be divided into Cities (tamas), Towns (rajas), and Villages (sattva).
- Simple life styles are encouraged by the gita and it is believed that it is easier to achieve a sattvic status in a rural setting.
- Sustainability and peace is essential to sattvic living.
- Morning is most sattvic time. Most hindus wake up between 4 and 6, bathe in a natural water source, clean with natural things and perform some type of worship or meditation.
- Shops open late and a siesta is taken after lunch (this is the main meal because it is believed that digestion is best at high sun).
- Life is in touch with nature and the elements
- Water comes from natural sources, cooking is done on open fires, villages have earth floors and walls of earth and dung.
- Animals are integral to society. The are used for waste disposal, cart pulling, religious ceremonies, etc...
