Garlic

Forum for discussion of Tibetan Buddhism. Questions specific to one school are best posted in the appropriate sub-forum.
User avatar
Lazy_eye
Posts: 496
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 4:32 am
Location: Laurel, MD
Contact:

Re: Garlic

Post by Lazy_eye »

kalden yungdrung wrote: Garlic does destroy the micro living organisms in our body,
This does disturb the Gods outside our body and they feel themselves upset about this killing.
Result is the leaving of all those Gods etc. and misfortune would be the result.
Does it also bother them when we brush our teeth?
Malcolm
Posts: 42974
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:19 am

Re: Garlic

Post by Malcolm »

kalden yungdrung wrote: I do not know further if garlic and onions are used in Tibetan medicine as a remedy........
This because if something can be used as medicine the product is allowed to use.

KY[/color]
Garlic is a very important medicine, used in suppression of rlung disorders.

N
User avatar
gnegirl
Posts: 386
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2010 8:22 pm
Location: Waponi Woo

Re: Garlic

Post by gnegirl »

(homer simpson voice) mmmmm.....garlic.....
"Things are not what they appear to be: nor are they otherwise." --Surangama Sutra

Phenomenon, vast as space, dharmata is your base, arising and falling like ocean tide cycles, why do i cling to your illusion of unceasing changlessness?
narraboth
Posts: 442
Joined: Wed Jun 09, 2010 1:18 pm

Re: Garlic

Post by narraboth »

I think tibetan masters consider tobacco much worse than garlic, or at least they emphasis the harm of tobacco much more.
Although there are stories/sayings put tobacco and garlic together, in the end I have mostly/only heard masters request people not to smoke, rather than not to take garlic.

There are several things people should avoid when they are in retreat, garlic is one indeed, but salt is also one...
If you are doing kriya Avalokesrivara or some other kriya practice, not only garlic, you should not eat meat, egg, onion... either. I can understand many protecting gods wouldn't like the smell of garlic, I myself dislike it if it was not me eating it :)

I started with chinese buddhism, which is quite against garlic. Therefore I tried to avoid taking garlic when i was young, caused a bit problem with my mum who did the cooking. but still, I found that I can live without garlic no problem... I guess garlic is less addictive than tobacco.
Just my 2 cents.
narraboth
Posts: 442
Joined: Wed Jun 09, 2010 1:18 pm

Re: Garlic

Post by narraboth »

Lazy_eye wrote:
kalden yungdrung wrote: Garlic does destroy the micro living organisms in our body,
This does disturb the Gods outside our body and they feel themselves upset about this killing.
Result is the leaving of all those Gods etc. and misfortune would be the result.
Does it also bother them when we brush our teeth?
I don't think that's much useful! brushing teeth alone can't get rid of the smell, it's more like covering it with mint smell... you can try to take some raw garlic and brush teeth without toothpaste. I guess gods and goddess would not be cheated by mint scent :)

And I have experience (I am sure many also do) of talking without someone who doesn't smell, but suddenly he got a big wind out of his stomach, the mixture smell of garlic, onion, food and warm acidic stomach fluid... probably is the smell of hell :P
ngodrup
Posts: 746
Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2010 6:58 pm

Re: Garlic

Post by ngodrup »

Pema Rigdzin wrote:

"So I have a hard time believing that these foods magically diminish mantra recitation point blank,
but that there could be the potential for them to cause agitation that would be less than ideal.
For inner tantric practitioners, I think it depends on one's constitution, one's baseline state of health,
how stressed one is, whether one is accustomed to eating spicy or pungent food, and the degree of
strength in one's practice. Other than that, I can see how doing practices involving offerings to
worldly beings - say sang or chod or something - while giving off odors that disturb those guests
would be problematic."

I'm really glad for this to be said. My Nyingma lamas are quite clear in consistently saying that
the main factor is the quality of the practitioner. One can practice just about anything and
accomplish ultimate siddhi if doing so with supreme or even simply superior view.

I'm reminded of something a great non-Buddhist master, Jesus, is reputed to have said.
"it is not what goes into one's mouth, but what comes out of it that defiles one."
username
Posts: 759
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:23 pm

Re: Garlic

Post by username »

Eating onion family which includes garlic is not a minor downfall or disallowed but it affects clarity adversely according to many retreat masters as one of the few black foods. When Shakyamuni was told Sariputra cured his stomach wind with onions he said it is allowed for medicinal purposes. Vajrayana is not superstitious magic and it's results can be verified in stages. Just because of minor attachments or what we read on the web we should not abandon the advice of our personal gurus on what to avoid specially during retreats or intense practice.
Dzogchen masters I know say: 1)Buddhist religion essence is Dzogchen 2)Religions are positive by intent/fruit 3)Any method's OK unless: breaking Dzogchen vows, mixed as syncretic (Milanese Soup) 4)Don't join mandalas of opponents of Dalai Lama/Padmasambhava: False Deity inventors by encouraging victims 5)Don't debate Ati with others 6)Don't discuss Ati practices online 7) A master told his old disciple: no one's to discuss his teaching with some others on a former forum nor mention him. Publicity's OK, questions are asked from masters/set teachers in person/email/non-public forums~Best wishes
User avatar
kirtu
Former staff member
Posts: 6997
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2010 5:29 pm
Location: Baltimore, MD

Re: Garlic

Post by kirtu »

Huseng wrote:
Adamantine wrote:
Huseng wrote: One Vietnamese monk told me it is okay if it is just used for flavouring like when stir-frying something. :smile:
As compared to what, freebasing it?
I guess Korean style garlic eating habits would be out of the question. Think whole cloves being eaten. :P
Korean style is the best! But Bhutanese is really great too (not sure if they use garlic though). Garlic prohibitions are a real problem for me.

Kirt
“Where do atomic bombs come from?”
Zen Master Seung Sahn said, “That’s simple. Atomic bombs come from the mind that likes this and doesn’t like that.”

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche
Silent Forest
Posts: 23
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2011 5:46 pm

Re: Garlic

Post by Silent Forest »

kalden yungdrung wrote: Garlic does destroy the micro living organisms in our body,
This does disturb the Gods outside our body and they feel themselves upset about this killing.
Result is the leaving of all those Gods etc. and misfortune would be the result.
From this point of view it would also be better to wash yourself only very rarely. You don´t die if you don´t wash (even if you stink) and you kill thousands of germs every time you have a shower, brush teeth, clean your flat etc.

As far as I know an argument in yoga is that food with very intense taste can distract the mind (and also contains a lot more like mustard, chillies, acidic things…). I don´t know if this is the same in Buddhism, but it makes more sense to me. Actually I was also quite surprised how strong artificial tastes (especially lemonades and sweets) block the senses and kind of distort the sense of reality.

Edit: this relates to rajastic yoga practice, i don´t know how it is in other practices
User avatar
kalden yungdrung
Posts: 4606
Joined: Sun Aug 01, 2010 10:40 pm

Re: Garlic

Post by kalden yungdrung »

Silent Forest wrote:
kalden yungdrung wrote: Garlic does destroy the micro living organisms in our body,
This does disturb the Gods outside our body and they feel themselves upset about this killing.
Result is the leaving of all those Gods etc. and misfortune would be the result.
From this point of view it would also be better to wash yourself only very rarely. You don´t die if you don´t wash (even if you stink) and you kill thousands of germs every time you have a shower, brush teeth, clean your flat etc.

As far as I know an argument in yoga is that food with very intense taste can distract the mind (and also contains a lot more like mustard, chillies, acidic things…). I don´t know if this is the same in Buddhism, but it makes more sense to me. Actually I was also quite surprised how strong artificial tastes (especially lemonades and sweets) block the senses and kind of distort the sense of reality.

Edit: this relates to rajastic yoga practice, i don´t know how it is in other practices

Tashi delek,

Well the little tiny worms, who are living inside the human body are anyway killed by garlic. Therefore not to eat garlic would be a good deed.
This because one knows it and one was warned once/ twice etc.

If it would be truth that some inhabitants of our body would be killed by garlic, then what would be the motivation as a Buddhist not to do so, or not to eat garlic?
Could it be, that we are Buddhist and then know that garlic would destroy some inhabitants of our human body, and we nevertheless go on with consuming garlic or killing thiose micro organisms?

Like earlier mentioned only in case of medical use / intake, these kind of things are allowed to use.

So our Bon Geshelas do advice us to not eating garlic because it would harm / kill things inside our body, and it does making that the Lha's are leaving us,so we don't use it. ;)

If your Lamas do advice you to eat garlic, then please don't hesitate to eat it. It's all up to you and what medicine is for someone, is poison for the other and vice versa.

Best wishes for our insight into Dharma matters

Mutsog Marro
KY
Last edited by kalden yungdrung on Sat Aug 27, 2011 12:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The best meditation is no meditation
User avatar
gnegirl
Posts: 386
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2010 8:22 pm
Location: Waponi Woo

Re: Garlic

Post by gnegirl »

There are good and bad gut flora, not wanting to get rid of the harmful guys because you might kill them is sort of missing the point, some of these bad flora could kill you! (e-coli strains like 0157)

As with everything, moderation...
"Things are not what they appear to be: nor are they otherwise." --Surangama Sutra

Phenomenon, vast as space, dharmata is your base, arising and falling like ocean tide cycles, why do i cling to your illusion of unceasing changlessness?
User avatar
PadmaVonSamba
Posts: 9441
Joined: Sat May 14, 2011 1:41 am

Re: Garlic

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

I started thinking about this more, because, according to my spouse, when I eat garlic, even a small amount, I reek of it. Especially if it is raw. So, I got to thinking about how the cause-and -effect things sometimes gets a little distorted. And it occurred to me that since a Buddha probably does not reek of garlic, somewhere along the lines somebody concluded that if you reek of garlic you will not be a Buddha. On the other hand, I never heard of any vampire buddhas either.
EMPTIFUL.
An inward outlook produces outward insight.
J-Bird
Posts: 34
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:02 am

Re: Garlic

Post by J-Bird »

I love garlic...seriously.
I ain't gonna quit it. We all got arbitrary lines in our practice and this is one for me.
Of course when engaged in Kriya tantra practices, I don't eat it, but otherwise....i am all over it.
Silent Forest
Posts: 23
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2011 5:46 pm

Re: Garlic

Post by Silent Forest »

If you´re interested in reading the related sutras:

Surangama Sutra (five kinds of pungent roots):
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/surangama.pdf

Brahmajala Sutra (pungent herbs)
http://www.ymba.org/bns/bnsframe.htm

I had in mind, that the yoga sutras of Patanjali had sections which relate to herbs, but I couldn´t find the section any more… maybe my sometimes a little to chaotic brain just mixed it up.

Edit:
Just saw a related thread in a really great forum: ;-)
http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.ph ... 12&start=0
User avatar
kirtu
Former staff member
Posts: 6997
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2010 5:29 pm
Location: Baltimore, MD

Re: Garlic

Post by kirtu »

PadmaVonSamba wrote:On the other hand, I never heard of any vampire buddhas either.
That's how some enlightened dakinis started out .....

Kirt
“Where do atomic bombs come from?”
Zen Master Seung Sahn said, “That’s simple. Atomic bombs come from the mind that likes this and doesn’t like that.”

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche
User avatar
kalden yungdrung
Posts: 4606
Joined: Sun Aug 01, 2010 10:40 pm

Re: Garlic

Post by kalden yungdrung »

J-Bird wrote:I love garlic...seriously.
I ain't gonna quit it. We all got arbitrary lines in our practice and this is one for me.
Of course when engaged in Kriya tantra practices, I don't eat it, but otherwise....i am all over it.

Tashi delek,

If you like garlic and are not using garlic as a medicine because you are ill, then it is very clear about what you are doing.
So if i do practice or don't practice Tantra etc., the principle is the same with the intake / eating of garlic, e.g. the killing of the inner living worms.
Well if the feeling is so gross that one does not realize what is happening inside the body, then this not realizing / feeling / awareness is the cause.

Further the Buddha Shakyamuni did proclaimed not to eat meat, but many of the Tibean Traditions do eat that meat.
I also know the many many many motivations to do so, but nevertheless the Buddha Shakyamuni did proclaim the not eating of meat.

So there are always the so called "clever" people who make their own additions and rules inside the Dharma.......

Must tell you that even realized Dzogchen Masters inside the Tibetan Buddhist Bon Tradition don't eat garlic.... If they practice Kriya Tantra?

But they proclaim all (Bon Dzogchen masters) to us, the(ir) Bon Dzogchen students:

OUR BEHAVIOUR IS LIKE SUTRA
OUR MEDITATION IS TANTRA
OUR VIEW IS DZOGCHEN

Mutsog Marro
KY
The best meditation is no meditation
User avatar
kalden yungdrung
Posts: 4606
Joined: Sun Aug 01, 2010 10:40 pm

Re: Garlic

Post by kalden yungdrung »

J-Bird wrote:I love garlic...seriously.
I ain't gonna quit it. We all got arbitrary lines in our practice and this is one for me.
Of course when engaged in Kriya tantra practices, I don't eat it, but otherwise....i am all over it.

Tashi delek,

If you like garlic and are not using garlic as a medicine because you are ill, then it is very clear about what you are doing.
So if i do practice or don't practice Tantra etc., the principle is the same with the intake / eating of garlic, e.g. the killing of the inner living worms.
Well if the feeling is so gross that one does not realize what is happening inside the body, then this not realizing / feeling / awareness is the cause.

Further the Buddha Shakyamuni did proclaimed not to eat meat, but many of the Tibetan Traditions do eat that meat.
I also know the many many many motivations to do so, but nevertheless the Buddha Shakyamuni did proclaim the not eating of meat.

So there are always the so called "clever" people who make their own additions and rules inside the Dharma.......

Must tell you that even realized Dzogchen Masters inside the Tibetan Buddhist Bon Tradition don't eat garlic.... If they practice Kriya Tantra?

But they proclaim all (Bon Dzogchen masters) to us, the(ir) Bon Dzogchen students:

OUR BEHAVIOUR IS LIKE SUTRA :bow:
OUR MEDITATION IS TANTRA :bow:
OUR VIEW IS DZOGCHEN :bow:

Mutsog Marro
KY
The best meditation is no meditation
orgyen jigmed
Posts: 72
Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 10:26 pm

Re: Garlic

Post by orgyen jigmed »

The use of garlic and onions is by that in Bon not allowed and i guess this is a Tibetan custom.
According to Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche (personal communication, August 2011) garlic is only not allowed for monks.
"If the aspiration for enlightenment is your motivation in coming to see me, there is no remedy except meditative practice. I, too, will only practice." - Zurpoche Sakya Jungne
User avatar
kalden yungdrung
Posts: 4606
Joined: Sun Aug 01, 2010 10:40 pm

Re: Garlic

Post by kalden yungdrung »

orgyen jigmed wrote:
The use of garlic and onions is by that in Bon not allowed and i guess this is a Tibetan custom.
According to Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche (personal communication, August 2011) garlic is only not allowed for monks.

Tashi delek,

Thanks for the reply.

In sofar the not eating of garlic, did i understood that it is not good to do so as well for monks as well for lay men.
And keeping this in mind did i understood that it is a case of understanding and not so the case of the personal status.
So lay men do have another status then monks, that would be clear and what then the diference would be between the monks and lay men, regarding the yes and no regarding the eating of garlic, that is for me not clear.

But anyway i will see Lopon lak this month and i will ask Loponla this question again why a monk cannot and a lay person can.
Also will i ask Loponla that if a lay person does not eat garlic if this would be karmic seen, better, neutral or worse for him/her.


Mutsog marro
KY
The best meditation is no meditation
Tosh19691
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:40 pm

Re: Garlic

Post by Tosh19691 »

I'm fairly new to TB, and this is the first time I heard anything about 'garlic' in Buddhism; and I love the stuff.

But it seems that cooked garlic loses it's ability to kill micro organisms:

http://www.garlic-central.com/antibiotic.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Post Reply

Return to “Tibetan Buddhism”