Vyadhi Mukti Shakti Prapti Ka Upay Syadvijay

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Vyadhi Mukti Shakti Prapti ka Upay Syadvijay" by Munishri Dharmchandraji, focusing on its key themes and advice:

Overall Theme: The text emphasizes the profound connection between dietary discipline (Ahar) and the achievement of freedom from illness (Vyadhi Mukti) and the acquisition of spiritual and even worldly powers (Shakti Prapti). It argues that controlling one's palate and eating habits is a fundamental step towards both physical well-being and spiritual advancement.

Key Arguments and Advice:

• The Indispensability and Danger of Food:

  • Food is presented as the primary necessity for all life, essential for survival and capability.
  • However, just as with essential elements like water and air, humans tend to be careless and irresponsible regarding food.
  • This carelessness, particularly attachment to taste (swaad ka akarshan), is identified as a major cause of illness.

• Historical and Cultural Perspectives on Eating:

  • Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations advocated for eating only once a day for health and mental peace.
  • Alexander the Great's soldiers, who ate a single simple meal in the evening, are cited as examples of being strong and skilled.
  • A Kannada saying suggests that eating once a day makes one a Yogi.
  • The secret to a long life is eating light, easily digestible, and moderate amounts of food; overindulgence attracts and harbors diseases.

• The Three Enemies of Youth:

  • The text highlights "HURRY" (haste, impatience), "WORRY" (anxiety, nervousness), and "CURRY" (foods with excessive spices and chilies) as detrimental to youth.
  • Haste in eating is discouraged. Eating quickly without proper chewing puts an undue burden on the intestines, weakening the digestive system and leading to poor appetite.
  • Nature's protective mechanisms (tongue for discretion, teeth for chewing, throat for passage) are bypassed by hasty eating, forcing the stomach to do all the work.

• The Harmful Triad: Salt, Fat, and Sugar:

  • Salt: While having thousands of uses, its excessive consumption in food is problematic. The body can obtain necessary minerals from fruits and vegetables. Artificial salt is not easily absorbed and burdens the kidneys. Overuse of salt leads to baldness, harms blood, and causes skin diseases.
  • Fat: While some fat is necessary for a fulfilling life, excessive fat leads to obesity and diseases.
  • Sugar:
    • Studies show excessive sugar intake, especially between ages 10-22, weakens eyesight.
    • Sugar, along with fish and rice, can lead to deficiencies in Vitamin B1 and B2, affecting vision.
    • University of California scientists found that sugary diets interfere with calcium absorption, weakening bones and teeth. Sugar "licks away" calcium and reduces the calcium in milk.
    • White sugar is labeled "White Poison" in natural medicine; it lacks vitamins and minerals, providing only carbohydrates and stimulating the nervous system.
    • It requires significant insulin production, and without enough insulin, sugar is not beneficial.
    • London University's Dr. Plemner links sugar to severe diseases like cancer, diabetes, and leucorrhea.

• Food as a Dual Source:

  • Food is both a source of energy and a collector of diseases.
  • It can provide sight and life but also cause destruction if misused.
  • The way food is consumed—when, how much, how, why, and what—is crucial for maintaining a healthy body and for spiritual practice.

• The Importance of Control over Taste (Ras Vijay):

  • Taste control is paramount for spiritual practice. Lord Mahavir, though healthy, ate sparingly.
  • The mind is described as a wild horse that needs the reins of control.
  • Winning over the tongue (Rasnendriya), the desire for taste, is considered one of the most difficult tasks, alongside controlling moha-karma, brahmacharya, and man-gupti.
  • Overcoming taste leads to the upward movement of energy, vital force (prana), and clarity of thought.
  • Ahar Shuddhi (purity of food) is the starting point of spiritual practice.

• Fasting and Dietary Austerities (Bahirang Tapoyoga):

  • Anashan (Fasting): Complete abstinence from food.
  • Unodari (Eating less than hunger): Eating less than one's fill is beneficial for the body and aids digestion.
  • Ras Parityag (Renunciation of specific tastes/rich foods): Avoiding rich, fried, and difficult-to-digest foods.
  • Ayambil: A specific austerity where one eats only one type of grain and water. This is not only a penance but also a destroyer of diseases. The text provides an example of someone recovering from paralysis through Ayambil.
  • The text recounts stories of individuals achieving extraordinary abilities (like dowsing for water) through strict dietary practices and fasting.
  • Tejolabdhi (a type of supernatural power) is achieved through repeated fasting and consuming minimal food like soaked urad dal and water while standing in the sun for six months.
  • Achieving any significant power, worldly or spiritual, requires strict control over diet.

• The Nature of Food and Mind:

  • Tamastic and Rajasic foods (associated with passion, anger, greed, violence) are detrimental.
  • Sattvic food (leading to clarity and virtuous thoughts) is beneficial for spiritual practice.

• Conclusion:

  • The text concludes by reiterating that victory over taste (Swaad Vijay) is essential for success in spiritual practice, leading to health, longevity, and an energetic personality as its associated benefits.
  • It ends with an analogy: just as a small spark can create a huge flame, so too can a tiny spark of envy ignite an internal fire that destroys the individual. The call is to become human and contribute to the development of humanity, spirituality, divinity, and liberation.

In essence, the book advocates for a disciplined and mindful approach to eating, viewing it not just as a biological need but as a powerful tool for personal transformation, disease eradication, and spiritual attainment.