I didn’t know how much Vedic lifestyle had changed my life till I spent 8 days in Japan last week on a family vacation.
Before living a Vedic lifestyle, I used to love many things Japanese – the delicate food, colourful art & crafts, the plethora of consumer products and technologies. After a lapse of more than 12 years since I last had a vacation in Japan, this time I could no longer relate with many things Japanese which I once enjoyed. First, the Japanese food is either non-vegetarian or highly processed which is not unhealthy for my yogic body. Second, the modern entertainment which occupies the psyche of the Japanese culture is something I couldn’t relate with. For example, we tried a ride called “Space Fantasy” at the Universal Studio theme park upon my spouse’s suggestion; it was similar to a roller coaster ride except that we went into a dark tunnel filled with special effects of electronic light source to simulate the wonders of the Universe. The abrupt tossing and turning during the ride only stressed my nervous system and churned my stomach. I found that the so-called excitement from the man-made entertainment tried so hard to over-stimulate our 5 senses and making them tired and dull at the end of day. The Universe I saw in my meditative state is far more exhilarating than the poor substitute of the man-made creation!
This trip in Japan made me appreciate the beauty of Vedic lifestyle. I noticed that many religions start with dos and don’ts which become popular because many politicians and religious leaders use these rules as the moral code to control and manipulate the masses. Unfortunately, do’s and don’ts only create intense guilt and suffering in one’s inner space which keeps one in a slavery mentality.
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