Whenever we eat a lot, we may enjoy it initially. But we will suffer eventually. Especially if we eat junk food, that comes with heavy costs, not just financially, but medically and even spiritually. Some junk food is like waste put into our body, as seen in phrases such as empty calories. 

The Bhagavad-gita (06.16) cautions us against extremes in dealing with our body: extremes such as eating too much or eating too little. Pertinently, the body is a responsive machine; it lets us know when we handle it wrong. For example, if we eat too much, the body starts becoming heavy and bloated. 

Of course, the correspondence between waste food and waist size may not always be one-to-one. Sometimes, people who overeat may remain slim, thanks to strong metabolism. Or people who eat modestly may have bloated bodies because of genetic or physiological factors. Still, the body usually gives noticeable warning signals when we start handling it wrong. 

Most of us know the importance of regulating ourselves. Yet self-regulation remains so difficult. Why? Often, it’s because our vision sabotages our determination. If we view life as meant for worldly enjoyment, regulation seems an interference in our enjoyment: “If eating more gives me more enjoyment, why cut it down?”

Gita wisdom offers us a more holistic vision of life, wherein we see the body as a vehicle for us, who are at our core spiritual beings. As souls, we are meant to find lasting happiness through spiritual evolution toward the all-attractive, all-pleasurable divine, Krishna. 

When we focus on that spiritual purpose and therein relish non-material happiness, we start appreciating how bodily regulation eases and enhances our spiritual connection. Once we stop seeing regulation as a dreary, depriving discipline, we can embrace it as an empowering way to a better life. 

 

Think it over:

  • How is the body a responsive machine?
  • Why is regulating the body so difficult?
  • How can we see self-regulation more positively?

 

***

06.16 There is no possibility of one’s becoming a yogi, O Arjuna, if one eats too much or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough.

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