Devout bhakti-yogis of the Hare Krishna tradition choose a vegetarian diet that also includes the avoidance of onion and garlic. While many Krishna devotees know the basic reasons behind this, we often struggle to explain this to friends, family or even people that are new to Krishna consciousness.
A link was sent to us recently from Kurma das’ website. Kurma das is a senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada, known for his amazing culinary talents. The author of many Krishna cookbooks, he calls Australia home and is reputed for his amazingly tantalizing dishes!
Here is his answer on why we don’t eat onion and garlic. He not only touches on the bhakti perspective behind these items, but also the Taoist, scientific and Reiki understandings as well! Enjoy!
Why no Garlic and Onions?One of the most common questions asked to me is this: “Why don’t you eat garlic and onions?”Here’s my short answer: As a devotee of Krishna and a practicing Bhakti-yogi, I don’t eat garlic and onions because they cannot be offered to Krishna.Here’s my longer answer:You may know that onions and garlic are botanical members of the alliaceous family (alliums) – along with leeks, chives and shallots.According to Ayurveda, India’s classic medical science, foods are grouped into three categories – sattvic, rajasic and tamasic – foods in the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. Onions and garlic, and the other alliaceous plants are classified as rajasic and tamasic, which means that they increase passion and ignorance. (Read Full Story)