Seite 429 [429]
FEATURES OF MONGOLIAN Monks’ DIETARY
energy especially digestive jaundice for further digestion. The liquid flows in liquid
transfer artery from the stomach to liver, where it transforms to blood.
Food and drink means food items that develop 3 elements and 7 body strengths
containing the nutrition necessary for human body. In the Four Roots of Medicine,
food is classified in 5 categories such as “seeds, meat, oil vegetables, and cooked
food” while drinks are classified as “milk, water and alcohol.” In the Real Book of
Food and Drink, food is classified into 7 categories of grains, flesh of wild animals
and birds, fish, fruits, and oil, while drink is referred to in 4 categories of milk, water,
alcohol and tea.
Tastes, power and benefits of food and drink. Meals and drinks are considered as
a type of medicine. In other words, there are no margin between medicine and food
or drinks as they have 6 tastes, 8 powers and 17 benefits like medicine. With this
regard, the Four Roots of Medicine taught that if one knows the tastes and quality of
any substance, one can use them as medicine with proper ingredients because all the
substances in the world originate from 5 elements and have 6 tastes. Though, tastes,
power and benefits of food or drinks and medicine are similar, they cannot substitute
each other because people should not desert foods and drinks as they support and
develop human body every day. If anyone wishes to be healthy without overeating,
undereating and avoiding wrong diet, he or she should learn the tastes, power and
benefits of foods and drinks in order to balance the three elements.
It is very significant for a human being to use proper taste, quality and amount of
foods and tastes. The food and drink must support and balance the 3 elements of the
human body. The 7 strengths depend on the 3 elements in order to balance them. If
one consumes equal proportion of diet, it will keep the functions of the 5 vital organs,
6 vessel organs without activating 3 harms.
Adopting amount of diet. It is taught that one third of the stomach will be filled
with food, another portion is filled with drink while the remaining one shall be empty.
Moreover, overeating without satisfaction would cause stomach weakness and diges¬
tive disorders. It is said that non-vegetarian food and heavy food shall be consumed
in half of stomach while allowing vegetarian foods in full scale of stomach.
Adopting time of diet. It is recommended to take meal in fixed hours. Eating three
times a day will develop the body. Drinking tea and having light meal every morning
is good for suppressing gas and nourishing nerve system. Taking khyaram, boiled
milk diluted with water, milk tea, watery rice broth boiled in water, water with honey,
boiled water, and water in silver cup for hours for your body features in the morning
hours will eliminate stomach cancer mucous and brighten appearance. It is ideal to
have food difficult to digest and majority of meal for lunch. It is recommended to
eat light meal for dinner and not consume heavy diet after 6 o’clock in the evening.
Making 1 or 2-day diet menu weekly balances stomach functions and improves
body strengths. Food shall be well chewed in a peaceful manner and only consume
next meal after well digestion. Overeating and frequent use of nutritious meal dif¬
ficult to digest exhaust stomach strength and cause stomach problem. Consuming
meal with poor nutrition in small amount causes weight loss and exhausts strength
for sickness.
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