Glorious Garlic, the Beauteous Bulb

Aik TC SG

Suzan Bellincampi November 2, 2016 The Vineyard Gazette

My ambition this fall is to be part of the one per cent. It is not monetary riches that I desire; rather it is culinary wealth to which I aspire. Just less than one per cent of garlic consumed in the U.S. is grown in this country. Last week, I planted three bulbs, or about 28 cloves, of glorious garlic in hopes of joining that elite group of growers.

Much of the supply of commercial garlic hails from China, which produces 19 million tons or 79 per cent of the world’s output. Next are India, South Korea and Egypt, with the U.S. down the line in 10th place. Most of this country’s garlic is grown in Gilroy, Calif., which describes itself as the “garlic capital of the world.” Ah, American exaggeration.

In our part of the country, garlic can be planted in the fall and will be ready to harvest come summer. While there must be some folks that dislike this beauteous bulb, I love it. There are many that share my passion for garlic. Italian American author Felice Leonardo Buscaglia believed this plant divine, noting: “There are many miracles in the world to be celebrated and, for me, garlic is the most deserving.”

Mrs. W.G. Waters, cookbook author of the 1920s, took it a step further, extolling the cook as well as the ingredient: “Garlic used as it should be used is the soul, the divine essence, of cookery. The cook who can employ it successfully will be found to possess the delicacy of perceptions, the accuracy of judgment, and the dexterity of hand which go to the formation of a great artist.”

Stating what sounds like the obvious, journalist Sylvia Rubin insists, “The best thing to do with garlic of course, is to eat it.”

Tell that to my sister in law, who I’ve seen put single cloves in the ears of her children to cure ear and headaches. That remedy seemed crazy when I first saw her do it, but actually is one of the many healthy cures credited to garlic.

The Salerno Regiment of Health, a 12th-century medieval health text, explains this tradeoff: “since garlic then hath powers to save from death, bear with it though it makes unsavory breath.”

To combat the bad breath, drink milk with your garlicky dishes since a recent study showed that it could neutralize the odor. Make it full fat milk, since it is the fat that is doing the deodorizing.

Other healthy perks for which garlic is known include lowering blood cholesterol (and thus preventing heart disease), boosting immune systems, and acting as an anti-bacterial and anti-viral agent. Garlic was even employed during World Wars I and II as an antiseptic for preventing gangrene.

Garlic can also be seen as a force for good or against evil. It supposedly provides protection against demons, werewolves and vampires, imparts strengths and incites courage, fosters love and removes jealousy. On the flip side, Buddhist tradition insists that it stimulates aggression and is a detriment to meditation.

As with most things, we must take the good with the bad, and there is much more good in garlic. I concur with chef and culinary writer Louis Diat, who insisted: “Without garlic I simply would not care to live.”

And if you are not as confident in your cooking skills as Mr. Diat and don’t know how much garlic is enough, follow the lead of newscaster Morley Safer, who knew that “you can never have enough garlic. With enough garlic, you can eat The New York Times.”

Jayden99 SG

A tinge of garlic as flavour in cooking isn't a bad idea, but it is not necessarily wise in the monastery. Historically, monastic monks and nuns enjoys wealth of sustainable healthy body through simple living and healthy mind.

Sglovetoteach SG

interesting...

Dharmasharer SG

From http://thedailyenlightenment.com/2016/10/how-should-all-aspiring-for-buddhahood-eat-and-drink :

'... the Buddha also urged avoidance of the five pungent roots in the next Bodhisattva Precept. Here it is, as taught.

‘The Fourth [Lighter] Precept Against Eating The Five Pungent Roots:If, as Buddhas’ [Bodhisattva] disciples, they should not eat the five pungent roots, of garlic, leeks, onion, chives and asafoetida. These five pungent roots, [mixed] within all foods, should not be eaten. If intentionally eaten, they commit a light[er] defiled misgiving.’

(‘第四五辛[轻]戒：若佛子，不得食五辛：大蒜、革葱、慈葱、兰葱、兴蕖。是五辛，一切食中不得食。若故食者，犯轻垢罪。’)

The reasons for not eating these roots were explained by the Buddha in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra as follows – ‘All sentient beings seeking samādhi [i.e. meditative concentration], should sever from the world’s five kinds of pungent root vegetables.These five kinds of pungent roots, when eaten cooked gives rise to lust, and eaten raw increases anger.‘ (‘是诸众生求三摩提，当断世间五种辛菜。是五种辛，熟食发淫，生啖增恚。’)

Eaten either way, they will give rise to one of the first two, of the three spiritual poisons (of greed, hatred and delusion) that create suffering. (Likewise are effects for cooked and raw meat.) Lust, which is sexual desire represents greed, while anger represents hatred. These twin poisons can manifest subtly as aphrodisiac effects that increase craving for sense pleasures and spur irritability, thus keeping stability and progress of concentration at bay. Their effects are however not obvious to those who consume only a little, or who are not simply mindful enough to notice their harm.

The sūtra continues – ‘Such people of the world, who eat the pungent roots, even if able to proclaim the twelve divisions of sūtras [i.e. all Buddhas’ teachings], the ten directions’ heavenly beings and those with godly virtues, will be disgusted at their foul stench, all far departing from them. Many hungry ghosts and such, as they, from them eat next, lick and kiss their lips. Always with ghosts dwelling, their blessings and virtues by the day dissipate, in the long term without any benefits.’ (‘如是世界食辛之人，纵能宣说十二部经，十方天仙，嫌其臭秽，咸皆远离。诸饿鬼等，因彼食次，舐其唇吻。常与鬼住，福德日销，长无利益。’)

As more spiritually and physically refined beings, though not yet Buddhas, naturally find the smell of the five roots (and alcohol) pungent, they will shun even from those knowledgeable in the Dharma who eat them. This is while ghostly beings, some of whom might be harmful draw near to consume the taste of the roots secondhand, due to their lack of positive karma to consume firsthand, from the very mouths of their eaters, without them knowing. Being often close to them, their physical health will suffer due to energy clashes, while being spiritually disturbed.

The sūtra proceeds – ‘These people who eat the pungent roots, when cultivating samādhi, Bodhisattvas, heavenly beings, those with godly virtues and the ten directions’ [i.e. everywhere’s] good [Dharma protector] gods, do not come to guard and protect them. Great powerful demon kings, attaining this convenience, manifest as Buddhas’ bodies, and come for them, to speak the [false] “Dharma” [i.e. teachings that distort true teachings of the Buddhas], that slanders the prohibitive precepts, and praises [the three poisons of] lust, anger and delusion. When life ends, they themselves become the demon kings’ family members. When received demonic blessings exhaust, they will fall into the uninterrupted hell. Ānanda, those who cultivate for Bodhi [i.e. enlightenment of Buddhahood] should forever sever from these five pungent roots.’ (‘是食辛人修三摩地，菩萨天仙，十方善神，不来守护。大力魔王得其方便，现作佛身，来为说法，非毁禁戒，赞淫怒痴。命终自为魔王眷属。受魔福尽，堕无间狱。阿难，修菩提者永断五辛。’)

The presence of Dharma protector gods naturally results from good Dharma practice. They are important because they safeguard practitioners physically and spiritually, keeping harmful unseen beings away. Thus, if absent, harmful beings can seize the opportunity to mislead with various manifestations, including as ‘Buddhas’, to delude with wrong teachings that lead away from Buddhahood. They will promote evil by belittling the importance of all precepts, while promoting growth of the three poisons. Those tricked by them thus create karma similar to theirs, to be reborn as one of them in their next lives. When their remnant positive karma dissipates, their demonic negative karma will ripen, sending them into the deepest (Avīci) Hell, where there is the most intense and prolonged suffering. Although this is the worst-case scenario, it can indeed happen.'

Aik TC SG

AMAGANDHA SUTTA SN 2.2

IMAGE | MARCH 11, 2014 | LISA RYDER | Scratch Living

4.24-Amagandha-S-sn2.2-piya

3.4.3 We are not always what we eat. One of the key words in early Buddhism regarding whole- some eating is “moderation” (mattaññutā) [3.4.1]. In the Mahā Sīhanāda Sutta (M 12), the Bodhisattva experiences that a body deprived of proper food will not be able to progress spiritually.

Another key word in the practice of sensible eating, especially when vegetarian food is unavailable or difficult to obtain, is to moderately eat “available meat” (pavattamaṁsa), which, according to the Jīvaka Sutta (M 55) refers to meat that is pure in three ways, that is, we have not seen, heard or suspected that it has been prepared especially for us.

In short, we do not ask for such a food. In conclusion, it should be said that a non-meat diet is not in itself a spiritual practice, but which entails many other wholesome qualities. The Buddhist training is the avoidance of taking life or causing pain to others (including oneself). We should create the conditions wherein a healthy non-meat or vegetarian life-style wherever or whenever possible. It is not a perfect world, even growing plants entails harming some kinds of living beings. As such, we have to consider growing and harvesting our food in a manner that respect living beings.

The Amagandha Discourse

1. Millet, tear grass seed, panicum,

Leafy vegetable, storage root, and creeper fruit— Good people who take them, justly obtained, Do not speak falsehood for the sake of sense-pleasures.

2. Eating what is well-made, well-done,

Given by others, piously adorned, exquisite,

Enjoying a meal of boiled rice,

That person, O Kassapa, partakes of āmagandha [tainted fare].

3. “Amagandha is not proper for me!”

So, indeed, you say, O Kinsman of Brahma, While enjoying a meal of boiled rice Well-dressed with bird’s meat. I ask you regarding this matter, O Kassapa: What, to you, is the flavour of āmagandha?

Kassapa Buddha:

4. Harming living beings, killing, cutting and binding, Stealing, lying, deception and fraud, Useless studies, fraternizing with the wives of others— This is āmagandha, not the taking of meat.

5. Those persons here, totally unrestrained regarding sense-pleasures, Greedy for flavours, mixed with the impure, Holding the view that nothing exists, inconsistent, obscurantist— This is āmagandha, not the taking of meat.

6. Whosoever are crude, cruel, back-biting,

Harming friends, heartless, arrogant, Grasping by nature, and do not give to anyone— This is āmagandha, not the taking of meat.

7. Anger, intoxication [with pride], obstinacy, hostility, Deceit, envy, and self-glorification, Arrogance, and intimacy with the evil—

This is āmagandha, not the taking of meat.

8. Whoever are habitually evil, repudiating debts, slandering, Untrue in dealings, dissembling here, The lowest of people who commit evil here-

This is āmagandha, not the taking of meat.

9. Those people here, totally unrestrained towards living beings,

Taking the property of others, intent on oppression,

Evil by nature, cruel in deed, harsh in speech, regardless of others—This is āmagandha, not the taking of meat.

10. Those beings who are very greedy,harm fully hostile, Always bent on evil: having departed, they go to darkness, Falling headlong into hell—

This is āmagandha, not the taking of meat.

The true recluse

11. Neither meat nor fish,nor fasting,

Nor nakedness, nor a shaven head, matted hair nor dirt,

Nor donning rough garments of animal skin, nor tending the sacred fire, Nor even the many penances done in the world for eternal life,

Nor mantras and offerings, nor sacrifices and seasonal feasts,

Will purify a mortal who has not crossed beyond spiritual doubt.

12. Guarded over the sense-avenues,subduing the senses, let one wander, Firm in the Dharma, delighting in uprightness and gentleness.

Gone beyond the bonds [of the senses], having left behind all suffering, The [self-reliant] wise do not cling to what is seen or heard.

The conclusion is that, one’s diet and the type of food we consume is no measure of one’s spirituality. It is immorality that makes one impure (morally and spiritually).