But our mind gets agitated, and our practice
gets disturbed not only because we take
incorrect physical food. It’s also the strong
impressions that we get talking to a neighbor,
arguing in a shop, or spreading rumors at
work. It’s all sorts of people and things we
deal with during the day and think of during
yoga or meditation time.
The monks avoid getting too many
impressions by sticking to the same daily
routine. They perform the same tasks, take the
same food, wake up, and go to bed at the
same time.
Adaptation always brings some sense of
discomfort. The body needs to tune in with the
new things. There might be some inner
resistance, and the mind might like to
complain. To cut off the food for the mind, to
reduce the thinking during the practice, the
monks not only avoid spicy food or coffee but
also have a fixed schedule and minimize their
social engagement.
The question is, ‘Should we do the same?’ And
the answer is ‘Yes’ and ‘No.’