Hare Krishna,

I have found conclusive answers for not eating onion , garlic and mushrooms but this one floors me.I end up giving the only reason which  I heard-'eating masoor dal is considered equivalent to eating meat'. Is this true? can someone plz provide a valid reason for this.

Thanks in advance
YS
dipti

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  • Well, I heard onion and garlic but now masoor dal? I have friends who are vegiterians and do eat onion and garlic because this is what they been eating and saying for many centuries this is what they eat and it is good for health and says, in summer such as in India and living in hot part of India being farmers and working away from home they have Chatni made of garlic and onion is the product remain intact for many days so safe to eat so now they saying is this is the reason Srilaprebhupada and his way of living and teaching never reached us????? Finally they says this is most poor Indians eat???
    • Haribol Keshav Pr,
      Dandavat Pranaam, All glories to Srila Prabhupad

      Your question is not invalid but plz understand that whatever we are doing for ages need not necessarily be correct.It is difficult to change our way of life but not impossible at all-albeit it becomes very easy once your faith in Krishna Consciousness increases. Also onion and garlic may be good for physical health but definitely not good for the mind since they invoke mode of passion and ignorance( i am not an expert in this subject but seems ayurveda recommends them as medicene only ).
      All said and done also remember that if your friends are reluctant to give up onion and garlic-its fine- dnt ever insist on it.Just ask them to chant.That is most important- other things will automatically follow.It is desirable but not manadatory for everyone to give up onion,garlic to follow Prabhupada's movement BUT once you decide to commit yourself and connect to the parampara it is naturally mandatory to follow the rules laid down by the great Acharyas in the parampara.
      Srila Prabhupada was extraordinarily compassionate towards all the suffering souls in this material world.Out of his compassion he simplified the process of Bhakti beyond imagination and literally came begging to ask people to take up this process.If people dnt take to his teachings bcoz of onion and garlic-it is their great misfortune.We can pray for them

      Hope this helps you

      Hari Haribol
      YS
      dipti
      correct.it - This website is for sale! - correct Resources and Information.
      This website is for sale! correct.it is your first and best source for all of the information you’re looking for. From general topics to more of what…
      • Hare Krishna Mataji

        If people dnt take to his teachings bcoz of onion and garlic-it is their great misfortune.We can pray for them. Sometime we lack understanding when we visit friends who are eating onion and garlic and never to forget masoor dal as well, they eat and you are invited, would we say sorry i cannot eat so cook separate or would we say no thank you, or would we say we have our own food? This is where big discussion take place, one with knowledge could to answer such crowd would win, but one with limited knowledge, definitely loose out. Well, one Prebhuji at Temple said to me who have the knowledge and know it through adopting Srilaprebhupada way of life said to me, it is just like from year 1 at school to age 16 who wants to pass GCSE exam would have to go through so many years of hard work, to reach your goal in passing the exam, in this field of 'Bhakti' one has to adop way of life and adop after taking initiation because than you have taken way of life so start the proccess then follow it up to pass exam in this field of Bhakti. So i explain it is just like a child beginning to learn to write 'A' he or she would make only mess not knowing how, once it become practice you know how to write 'A'. Now days many argue about parampara specially young because if parampara was pure and perfect then why so much going on? The easy answer to this could be, people looking for easy life and not bothering to know unknown and this unknown route lead one lost soul to unknown direction so this is where Srilaprebhupada at the age of 69 decided to find the known route for us so i say at list first, try to know, then walk and if you find this is right for you, learn to chant first with smile, adopt it, practice it, if you like it follow it, finally if you think this is not for you, at list you tried it so one day you may return so never give up hope. Hare Krishna
  • Hare krishana
    Because this is not written in Bhagwat Gita. So I think that is a false Story. Which says in hindi MANGHDANT KTHA. We have to not eat the onion or garlic because after eating it smells from out mouth that was not liked by other persons who are listning to us. So carrots is vegatable and mansoor dal is also a vegetables. We must no eat only meat. But onion and garlic are also vegitable. These are very good for out health Aurveda Science says this.
    Hare krishan to every one.
    • This reply was deleted.
      • Hare Krishan,
        jaysri radhe rani ji, I am laughing on this comment. you write here monkies and cows are also vegetarian. It means that you are saying me monkey because i am vagetarian, and my wife is cow because she is also vegetarian.

        Hare krishan hare krishan krishana krishan hare hare !
        Hare ram hare ram ram ram hare hare !!

        I am sending you this mahamantra is more powerful and more touching our souls listen two times. And send it to your friends or relative.
        http://www.raaga.com/channels/hindi/moviedetail.asp?mid=HD000144
  • Hare Krsna Mataji,

    I came across this article by Prabhuji Kurma Dasa

    Dal: An Answer to the Protein Question
    By Kurma Dasa

    Beef-, fish-, and chicken-lovers take note: There’s a cheaper, tastier, healthier and saintlier way to meet your protein needs.

    A vegetarian friend of mine recently told me of a nightmare one-day unscheduled stopover in an Eastern European city “What do you have for vegetarians?” she asked the head waiter in the restaurant of a five-hundred room hotel where he was spending the night. The waiter replied with an astonished look. “We have nothing for vegetarians. I don’t know what you people eat.” He then sauntered to another table, obviously amazed that human beings could exist without meat.

    This amazed me since I was of the opinion that the world had at last caught up with the vegetarian ethic. But it seems there are still a few isolated pockets of ignorance.

    It wasn’t too long ago, though, that a vegetarian diet, a way of life for millions in India and other Eastern countries, was still considered the eighth wonder of the world. It conjured up images of a monotonous diet with a paucity of form and flavour—boiled green beans and mashed potatoes on an otherwise empty plate, and of bony, slightly wild-eyed young men in sandals.

    Nowadays people are coming to realise that those ideas are cultural myths spawned by a society addicted to hamburgers, barbecues, roast beef and medium rare steaks. In truth, a vegetarian diet is anything but strange. There are at least 40 or so kinds of commonly eaten vegetables, 25 kinds of dried peas and beans, dozens of varieties of fruits, nuts, grains and many types of dairy products.

    Take dal for instance, the subject of this essay. Dal is the generic name for all members of the dried pea and bean family, and also the name of the dishes made from them. Dal is also the ultimate Indian comfort food. It’s hearty, but not heavy, rich in flavour but light on digestion, the protein-rich staple for millions. Dal is not only delicious but it’s a good source of iron and B vitamins, and an excellent source of vegetable protein.

    When you combine dal with a food that has complementary protein, like breads, rice or dairy products, a synergistic reaction occurs, and the usable protein in the dal increases by as much as 40%. In other words, if you eat ¾ cup of dal with 2 cups of rice, you get the protein equivalent of a quarter-kilo steak.

    And if you eat dal and rice today instead of steak or hamburger, you won’t have to worry about cholesterol or calories. You won’t be having dinner that was once an innocent steer who suffered in filthy, over-crowded pens, was injected with antibiotics and tranquilisers, and was forced to eat an unnatural diet so he would gain weight quickly and cheaply.

    Nor need you concern yourself about the fear of poisons that animals release into their blood at the time of slaughter. Nor about the bacteria from putrefactive decomposition. (They’re not all killed by cooking.) You won’t have to worry about the dozens of diseases and parasites that a meat-bearing animal suffers from, nor how its life was utterly miserable from birth to death. Nor will you pay exorbitant prices for your food. Yet you will receive all the protein your body requires for good health.


    I hope it will be a help to you, Mataji.

    Love always in Krsna,
    Tatch Ram
  • Never heard of restriction on urad dal in Krishna Conscious diet though it is one of items to avoid during Caturmasya fasting.

    let us not confuse people further with such quotations :) As Subramanium Pr said- we are aware of the major prohibited food articles- that shld be good enough ..
    • This reply was deleted.
      • Mataji, the quote is Shrila Prabhupada quoted in Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila 4.169

        @ Dipti,

        I think it is better for us to follow Shrila Prabhupada completely rather than choosing what we should and what we should not.

        Accepted that the above quote is very strong but we should also understand the context in which Shrila Prabhupada is mentioning. Prabhupada has mentioned Masur and Urad clearly without any confusion. Just for our sake we can't use one and leave another. Either use both based upon our choice or reject both as Prabhupada says.

        But the point of discussion is that in what context Prabhupada mentioned this? Is this during only Chaturmasya because SP is writing the above quote wrt to Chaturmasya?

        The protein content in Masur Dal is 26g/100 gm of meal and in Urad dal it is 24g and in Soya beans it 36 g. When we are taking Soyabean and Urad, what is the harm in taking Masur.... This can be one sort of debate. I have come across of some quotes regarding Urad-dhal where Prabhupada is recommending to be had. And in another case Prabhupada does not say anything regarding when the discussion about Masur dal has come. In fact these are the only two hits I received in Vedabase.

        However instead of we deciding it, we should consult some senior devotees who were actually cooking during the time of Shrila Prabhupada.

        Please forgive me for any offenses committed in this write-up.
  • HareKrishna Prabhus,

    Dandavat pranaam,All Glories To Srila Prabhupada

    Thank you all for your valuable inputs

    Thank you Aishwarya Pr for taking out time to compile the document.Appreciate your efforts.But my question is pertaining to only Masoor Dal & your doc does not mention it anywhere :).Cld you find some references for masoor dal

    I believe Prasadam plays an important role in Krishna Consciousness.Cooking for programs is my service and so I end up with a lot of queries related to food restrictions followed in Krishna Consciousness.Most new families(aspiring devotees) are somehow intimidated by these restrictions.It is easy to explain them if we have convincing answers.That was the purpose of the question in the first place since I had no clue abt Masoor dal except a vague idea abt Brahmana story given by Santosh Pr.

    I have compiled a write-up on food items for the benefit of local devotees here in Bloomington.Some of you may find it useful too..

    Krishna Prasad-Snapshot

    What to eat : Food offered to Sri Krishna.


    What to avoid?

    Following foods items are unofferable to Krishna & hence cannot be consumed by devotees

    Onion : Mode of passion
    Garlic : Mode of ignorance
    Shallots : Mode of passion
    Leeks : Mode of passion
    Masoor Dal : Mode of ignorance
    Mushrooms : Mode of ignorance
    Meat : Dead matter –Mode of ignorance
    Eggs : Dead matter –Mode of ignorance

    Beverages/foods containing caffeine: Coffee, tea, coke, pepsi, cocoa etc.- Stimulants

    Commonly found animal byproducts in food items:

    Gelatin:

    Some brands of yogurt and sour cream contain gelatin, a substance made from the horns, hooves, and bones of slaughtered animals. Also many desserts and jelly preparations contain gelatin.
    Most common items containing gelatin: Yogurt, Sour cream, Marshmallows, packaged desserts-puddings, custards, jams, spreads

    Renin :

    An enzyme extracted from the stomach tissues of slaughtered calves. Traditionally cheese was made only by using rennin. Most hard cheese sold in America contains rennet, so be careful about any cheese you can't verify as rennet less. Renin can also be obtained by microbial or vegetable sources. Such cheese is usually called Natural cheese. So check the label carefully before buying.

    Intestinal remnants on Silver Foil (Warck) :

    Silver foil is used to decorate Indian sweets. Silver foil is made by hammering silver under layers of freshly slaughtered cow intestine. Imagine-this is offered as part of Prasad in temples too 

    Mono and Di-glycerides :

    Used as preservatives in almost all packaged products like breads, biscuits, jams, chips etc. They are usually derived from animal fat and sometimes from plant sources. The source is never mentioned on the label. We are required to call the manufacturer and ask. Our devotees have cross-checked with manufacturers regarding certain items like bread etc.

    Lard:

    Animal Fat. Used in baking -usually in cookies, biscuits etc.It is much cheaper than vegetable fat hence used as a substitute. In India shocking discoveries of Ghee (pure ghee) adulterated with lard have been made. Hence advisable to buy ghee from reliable sources only. I am not sure of this test but seemingly a simple observation of the ghee sample can show you adulteration. Any ghee would be uniformly homogenous and not half semi-solid and the other bottom half fully caked hard. This most likely contains about 15% animal fats.
    In a research Amul Ghee was found to be the purest though it was also a mixture of cow and buffalo ghee


    Restaurant Food:
    Best to avoid outside food but even when eating Vegetarian food in restaurants plz note the following:

    • French fries are sometimes fried in fish oil for taste

    • Most Chinese and Thai food is prepared in fish oil

    • Many vegetarian dishes are prepared using chicken stock

    • Naan (Indian flat bread) is made soft using eggs

    • Dressings used in salads contain egg.e.g:mayonnaise

    • Most ice-creams contain egg whites

    • Most American restaurants do not consider egg as non-vegetarian (in some cases even white meat- chicken, turkey etc. and sea food is not considered non-veg)


    Brands which we can buy (according to research done by devotees) :

    Plz Note: This list is not comprehensive

    • Cheese : Sargento, Amul

    • Bread : Arnold, Brownberry

    • Ghee : Homemade,Amul ghee

    • Cake Frosting : Pillsbury Plain Vanilla

    • Ice-cream : Bryers All Natural (only some flavours are eggless-plz check label carefully before buying)

    • Yogurt/Sour cream : Stonefield, any brand which does not contain gelatin

    • Flavored Yogurt : Stonefield (stick to this)

    • Pastry sheets : Pepperidge farm

    • Mayonnaise : Vegannaise (available in health food stores)

    • Whipping cream : Deans (purple pack) ,Organic Valley

    • Coffee : Barley coffee-Cafix, Pero ,Dec-café

    • Tea : Herbal tea-Celestial, De-café tea

    • Cocoa substitute : Carob –available as powder and chips


    Few ingredients to watch out in product labels:

    ALBUMEN: Egg Albumen. Albumin. In eggs, milk, muscles, blood and in many vegetable tissues and fluids. In cosmetics, albumen is usually derived from egg whites.

    AMINO ACIDS: Animal or plant sources. In cosmetics, vitamins, supplements, shampoos, etc.

    AMYLASE: An enzyme prepared from the pancreas of hogs. In cosmetics and Inedicines.

    ARACHIDONIC ACID: A liquid unsaturated fatty acid occurring in the liver, brain, glands, and fat of animals. Generally isolated from the liver. In skin creams and lotions to soothe eczema and rashes.

    ASPIC: An industry alternative for gelatin. Is made from clarified meat, fish or vegetable stocks and gelatin
    CALCIFEROOL: Vitamin D. Ergocalciferol (Vitamin D2, Ergosterol, provitarnin D2, Calciferool). Vitamin D3. Vitamin D can come from fish-liver oil, eggs, milk, butter. Vitamin D2 is made by irradiating ergosterol, a provitamin from plants or yeast. Vitamin D3 is from fish-liver oil. In creams, lotions, other cosmetics, vitamins. Alternatives: sunshine, plant sources, synthetics.

    CALCIUM CARBONATE: Calcite. Aragonite. A white or colorless powder, crystalline compund, found mainly in limestone, marble and chalk, bones, teeth, shells and plant ash.

    CALCIUM PHOSPHATE: Any number of phosphates of calcium found in bones, teeth, and other animal tissues and used in medicine and in the manufacture of enamels, glass, cleaning agents, etc.

    CARMINE: Cochineal. Carminic Acid. E120. Red pigment from the crushed female cochineal insect. Reportedly 70,000 beetles may be killed to produce one pound of this red dye. Used in cosmetics, shampoos, red apple sauce and other foods. May cause allergic reactions. Alternatives: beet juice, no known toxicity (used in powders, rouges, shampoos); alkanet root, from the root of an herblike tree, no known toxicity (used as a red dye for inks, wines, lip balms, etc. and can be combined to make a copper or blue coloring).

    CETYL ALCOHOL: Cetyl Lactate. Cetyl Myristate. Cetyl Palmitate. Ceteth-1, 02, etc. Wax found in spermaceti from sperm whales or dolphin. Used in lipsticks, mascaras, nail polish removers, hand lotions, cream, rouges and many other cosmetics, shampoos, hair lacquers and other hair products, deodorants, antiperspirants (US regulations currently prohibit the use of ingredients derived from marine mammals.) Alternatives: vegetable cetyl alcohol (ie. coconut) synthetic spermaceti.

    COD LIVER OIL: Fish Liver Oil. Fish Livers. Used in Lubricating creams and lotions, vitamins and supplements. In milk fortified with Vitamin D. Alternatives: vegetable oils, yeast extract ergosterol, sunshine.

    COLLAGEN: A fibrous protein in vertebrates. Usually derived from animal tissue. In cosmetics. Can't affect the skin's own collagen. Alternatives: soy protein, almond oil, amla oil (from Indian tree's fruit).

    DEPANTHENOL: Panthenol. Vitamin B Complex Factor. Provitarnin B5. Can come from animal or plant sources or synthetics. In shampoos, foods, supplements, emollients, etc.

    DIGLYCERIDES: Monoglycerides. Glycerides. From animal fat. In margarines, cake mixes, confectionaries, foods, peanut butter, non-dairy coffee creamer, cosmetics, etc. Glycerin. Alternatives: vegetable monoglycerides and diglycerides, synthetics.

    ELASTIN: Found in the neck ligaments and aorta of bovine. Similar to collagen. Can't affect the skin's own elasticity. Alternatives: synthetics, proteins from plant tissues.

    ESTRADIOL: Estrone. Estrogen. From cow ovaries and pregnant mares' urine. Considered a drug. Can have harmful systemic effects if used by children. Used for reproductive problems and in birth control pills. In creams and lotions. Has no effect in the creams as a "nourishing" factor and simple vegetable source creams are considered better. Alternatives: Oral contraceptives marketed today are usually based on synthetic steroids. Phytoestrogens (from plants) are being researched currently.

    GELATIN: Sometimes Gel. Protein obtained by boiling skin, tendons, ligaments or bones with water, from cattle and hogs. Used in shampoos, face masks, other cosmetics. Used as a thickener for fruit gelatins and puddings (Jello-brand desserts). In candies, marshmallows, cakes, ice cream, yogurts. On photographic film as a coating and in vitamins as capsules. Sometimes used to assist in "clearing" wines. Alternatives: algae and seaweed (carrageen/ Irish Moss, algin, agar-agar, kelp), Gelozone, used in jellies, plastics, medicines, pectin from fruit, dextrins, locust bean gum and cotton gum. Marshmallows were originally made from the root of the marshmallow plant.

    LANOLIN: Lanolin Acid. Lanolin Alcohols (Sterol, Triterpene Alcohol, Aliphatic Alcohol). Wool Fat. Laneth-5, -10, etc. Lanogene. Lanosterol. Isopropyl Lanolate. A product of the oil glands of sheep, extracted from their wool. In many skin care products and cosmetics and in medicines. Some cosmetic companies won't use it because it commonly causes allergic contact skin rashes, and also they consider it to be a cheap filler. Vegetable sources are thought to be better moisturizers; lanolin is too greasy, waterproof and sealing - skin can't breathe.

    LARD: Fat from hog abdomens. In shaving creams, soaps, cosmetics, baked goods and other foods. Hard to digest. Alternatives: vegetable fats or oils.

    Plz Note: This article is in no manner comprehensive and will provide a general idea of foods items and ingredients to avoid.There is always a possibility of increase in this list of items.
    http://restrictions.It/
    • MY GOD! what a list... its scary how many things around us are made from Dead bodies! And this might only keep getting worse... kali yuga, what an immense effect on human life!
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