Control Over Sense of Taste

 

Photo Credit: Quotefancy

Control Over Sense of Taste

It is said that – If one is able to control one’s senses, even if the person is blind, he she will reach the destination of moksha or liberation. On the other hand, if one’s senses are not controlled, even if the person is the best of people, he/she will not be able to reach the divine destination.

We must learn to use the elements of nature properly in order to promote the well-being of man. Although everything in the world is God’s creation, we must cultivate the wisdom to make proper use of things. Our sense organs, for instance, have also to be used in the correct manner. Each particular organ has a distinctive feature. Amongst them, the one that tastes, namely the tongue, is a very important one. It is imperative that we keep it in check. Sometimes to satisfy our pallet we consume all types of food, not knowing that through it, bad qualities like lust, anger, greed, attachment, arrogance and selfishness grow in us. Many of the different foods that we eat change, in the gross appearance at least, into waste matter which is not of any value and get excreted. In a subtle way, the same food is changing into our blood and muscle.

Even more subtle parts of this food will appear as our mind. Therefore, either for the distortions in our mind or for the sacred thoughts that generate therefrom, the food that we take is mainly responsible. Therefore, good qualities like peace, forbearance, love and attachment to truth can only be promoted by taking good food. Indian culture, as contained in the Vedas, advises us that control of our sensory organs and living on sattvic and good food are the paths for realisation of the self and liberation thereof. This is the reason why from time immemorial, in our Indian traditions, the rishis ate sattvic food and drank clear flowing water. They kept their minds perfectly clean, and this is how they were able to understand the divine spirit. One should make an attempt to control one’s tongue when we are young. If, in this age, we do not control our tongue and all other sensory organs, we will have to face many difficulties in our later life.

The patience which the tongue shows is not shown by any other organ. If we turn this tongue into a path which is not sacred, we will be turning our life itself into a path which is not sacred. If we want to know also the sacrifice which the tongue exhibits, we have to realise that when we put some good tasty food on the tongue it only recognises the taste and immediately passes it on to the stomach for further digestion, but it does not keep it for itself. On the other hand, if we give bad food which does not taste well, the tongue immediately throws it out of the mouth.

In our body, all the other organs are controlled by the tongue. If only we can control our pallet and avoid excessive eating, excessive talking and refrain from using words which ought not to be uttered, our health will improve, and we can have peace of mind.