Dec. 31, 2025
The Taste, or Rasa, of Food Can Be Enjoyed by the Yogic Practitioner If Desire is Removed From the Experience
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 4, Desire — Food — Sex, pg. 66This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/12/29/the-taste-or-rasa-of-food-can-be-enjoyed-by-the-yogic-practitioner-if-desire-underlies-the-experience/
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The US editions and links to e-book editions of SriAurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #spirituality #taste #rasa #dosha #desire #Ananda
1
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,480
There is a factor of enjoyment
of taste of various foods which
2
00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:09,600
is called rasa in Sanskrit.
We experience this when we eat
3
00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:13,200
something that excites our taste
buds and send signals of
4
00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:17,040
pleasure to the brain.
For many people, the sweet
5
00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:22,200
taste, and more particularly the
taste of rich chocolate seems to
6
00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:26,400
occupy such a position.
Others, however, may find
7
00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:30,200
enjoyment in any of the other
primary tastes identified by
8
00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:37,040
ayurved salty, sour, sharp or
spicy, astringent or bitter.
9
00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:41,320
Some of these tastes are
considered to impact the doshas,
10
00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:46,160
or predominant elements active
in the being, wata, Pitta,
11
00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:49,800
cuppa.
To the extent that they both
12
00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,600
satisfy the taste buds and
positively impact the doshas,
13
00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:57,880
they lead to a positive response
and acceptance in the being.
14
00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:04,200
Many times spiritual seekers who
take up the practice of yoga in
15
00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,160
their attempt to bring the vital
nature under control will
16
00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:11,240
attempt to suppress enjoyment of
any kind as being somehow
17
00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:16,400
unspiritual.
They adopt A serious, oftentimes
18
00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:20,160
rigid demeanour and refrain from
anything that can bring
19
00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:23,800
enjoyment.
This, however, whether related
20
00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:28,440
to the enjoyment of taste or
other forms of enjoyment, is an
21
00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:32,760
extreme reaction that suppresses
the natural state of enjoyment
22
00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:38,200
native to every human being.
Those who have come into contact
23
00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:43,120
with the 14th Dalai Lama often
remark on his almost childlike
24
00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:47,400
enjoyment that spills out
naturally when he experiences or
25
00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:50,240
sees something that sparks that
type of reaction.
26
00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:55,320
We also see young children
experiencing enjoyment from not
27
00:01:55,320 --> 00:02:00,000
only tasty foods, but from their
games of play and their
28
00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,680
experience of animals, their
experience of the scent of
29
00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:08,039
flowers, and through many other
reactions that express the real
30
00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:13,520
Ananda that underlies all life
and which expresses itself,
31
00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:17,880
albeit imperfectly and
incompletely, in the mental,
32
00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:20,960
vital, physical realm, as
enjoyment.
33
00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:26,240
The Titiria Upanishad emphasizes
the role of Ananda.
34
00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:31,480
Quote Lo, this that is well and
beautifully made.
35
00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:35,840
Verily, it is no other than the
delight behind existence.
36
00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:40,560
When he hath gotten him this
delight, then it is that this
37
00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:42,840
creature becometh a thing of
bliss.
38
00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:47,760
For who could labor to draw in
the breath, or who could have
39
00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:52,000
strength to breathe it out, if
there were not that bliss in the
40
00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,360
heaven of his heart, the ether
within his being?
41
00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:59,880
End Quote.
Translated by Sri Aurobindo, the
42
00:02:59,920 --> 00:03:03,800
Upanishads, Brahmawanda Valley,
Chapter 7.
43
00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:08,920
The Upanishad goes on to define
the level and intensity of
44
00:03:08,920 --> 00:03:13,080
bliss, starting with that of a
blessed and successful human
45
00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:17,840
individual, and then magnified
many times over as the
46
00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:21,320
comparison is made to higher
manifestations of being.
47
00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:27,200
It concludes, however, that
quote, this is the bliss of the
48
00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:32,000
Veda wise, whose soul the blight
of desire not toucheth.
49
00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:36,680
End Quote.
This leads us to conclude then
50
00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:41,800
that it is not the enjoyment of
taste or other forms that Ananda
51
00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:46,200
may take in the human being, but
the attachment and the grasping
52
00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:50,640
that comes with desire and the
vital nature that needs to be
53
00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:54,720
eliminated.
Shrioro Vindo writes quote.
54
00:03:55,720 --> 00:04:00,240
It is no part of this yoga to
suppress taste rasa altogether.
55
00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:05,600
What is to be got rid of is
vital desire and attachment, the
56
00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:09,640
greed of food, being overjoyed
at getting the food you'd like,
57
00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:14,600
sorry and discontented when you
do not have it, giving an undue
58
00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:19,160
importance to it.
Equality is here the test, as in
59
00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:23,600
so many other matters.
End Quote reference.
60
00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:27,680
Shrioro Bindo.
Faces of Yoga, Chapter 4.
61
00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:32,400
Desire Food Sex page 66.
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,480
There is a factor of enjoyment
of taste of various foods which
2
00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:09,600
is called rasa in Sanskrit.
We experience this when we eat
3
00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:13,200
something that excites our taste
buds and send signals of
4
00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:17,040
pleasure to the brain.
For many people, the sweet
5
00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:22,200
taste, and more particularly the
taste of rich chocolate seems to
6
00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:26,400
occupy such a position.
Others, however, may find
7
00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:30,200
enjoyment in any of the other
primary tastes identified by
8
00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:37,040
ayurved salty, sour, sharp or
spicy, astringent or bitter.
9
00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:41,320
Some of these tastes are
considered to impact the doshas,
10
00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:46,160
or predominant elements active
in the being, wata, Pitta,
11
00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:49,800
cuppa.
To the extent that they both
12
00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,600
satisfy the taste buds and
positively impact the doshas,
13
00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:57,880
they lead to a positive response
and acceptance in the being.
14
00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:04,200
Many times spiritual seekers who
take up the practice of yoga in
15
00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,160
their attempt to bring the vital
nature under control will
16
00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:11,240
attempt to suppress enjoyment of
any kind as being somehow
17
00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:16,400
unspiritual.
They adopt A serious, oftentimes
18
00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:20,160
rigid demeanour and refrain from
anything that can bring
19
00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:23,800
enjoyment.
This, however, whether related
20
00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:28,440
to the enjoyment of taste or
other forms of enjoyment, is an
21
00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:32,760
extreme reaction that suppresses
the natural state of enjoyment
22
00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:38,200
native to every human being.
Those who have come into contact
23
00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:43,120
with the 14th Dalai Lama often
remark on his almost childlike
24
00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:47,400
enjoyment that spills out
naturally when he experiences or
25
00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:50,240
sees something that sparks that
type of reaction.
26
00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:55,320
We also see young children
experiencing enjoyment from not
27
00:01:55,320 --> 00:02:00,000
only tasty foods, but from their
games of play and their
28
00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,680
experience of animals, their
experience of the scent of
29
00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:08,039
flowers, and through many other
reactions that express the real
30
00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:13,520
Ananda that underlies all life
and which expresses itself,
31
00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:17,880
albeit imperfectly and
incompletely, in the mental,
32
00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:20,960
vital, physical realm, as
enjoyment.
33
00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:26,240
The Titiria Upanishad emphasizes
the role of Ananda.
34
00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:31,480
Quote Lo, this that is well and
beautifully made.
35
00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:35,840
Verily, it is no other than the
delight behind existence.
36
00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:40,560
When he hath gotten him this
delight, then it is that this
37
00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:42,840
creature becometh a thing of
bliss.
38
00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:47,760
For who could labor to draw in
the breath, or who could have
39
00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:52,000
strength to breathe it out, if
there were not that bliss in the
40
00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,360
heaven of his heart, the ether
within his being?
41
00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:59,880
End Quote.
Translated by Sri Aurobindo, the
42
00:02:59,920 --> 00:03:03,800
Upanishads, Brahmawanda Valley,
Chapter 7.
43
00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:08,920
The Upanishad goes on to define
the level and intensity of
44
00:03:08,920 --> 00:03:13,080
bliss, starting with that of a
blessed and successful human
45
00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:17,840
individual, and then magnified
many times over as the
46
00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:21,320
comparison is made to higher
manifestations of being.
47
00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:27,200
It concludes, however, that
quote, this is the bliss of the
48
00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:32,000
Veda wise, whose soul the blight
of desire not toucheth.
49
00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:36,680
End Quote.
This leads us to conclude then
50
00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:41,800
that it is not the enjoyment of
taste or other forms that Ananda
51
00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:46,200
may take in the human being, but
the attachment and the grasping
52
00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:50,640
that comes with desire and the
vital nature that needs to be
53
00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:54,720
eliminated.
Shrioro Vindo writes quote.
54
00:03:55,720 --> 00:04:00,240
It is no part of this yoga to
suppress taste rasa altogether.
55
00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:05,600
What is to be got rid of is
vital desire and attachment, the
56
00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:09,640
greed of food, being overjoyed
at getting the food you'd like,
57
00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:14,600
sorry and discontented when you
do not have it, giving an undue
58
00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:19,160
importance to it.
Equality is here the test, as in
59
00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:23,600
so many other matters.
End Quote reference.
60
00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:27,680
Shrioro Bindo.
Faces of Yoga, Chapter 4.
61
00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:32,400
Desire Food Sex page 66.
