Notes on Gluttony - (706)

Introduction

Here below are various points to do with the defect of gluttony. It is by no means complete.

Gluttony Definition of

One definition of gluttony could be the absorption of values (normally food, drink or things that we value) beyond the level of practical use or need, normally falling into category of excessive.

Gluttony’s Environment

• Gluttony usually appears where good food is present or available. Note, bad food makes gluttony disappear.
• Situations where there is an abundance of food that we like, such examples are buffets, parties, smorgasbords etc.
• At home when we are alone and bored.
• Perhaps too, in pubs where there are others who are drinking beyond their limits and drinks are free flowing.

Gluttony is Relative to… or Depends on…

• What we like.
• Our childhood and the favourite foods from childhood.
• Our culture, national foods, eating customs and festivities etc.
• Our health and emotional state as well. If we are nervous then gluttony disappears.

Gluttony Combines with…

• It combines with self-pity or wounded pride, because we go against our selves by over eating and getting over weight or either starving ourselves and getting under weight.
• It combines with boredom, where we eat to fill the void of boredom.
• It can combine with pride or vanity to show others how much it can eat and how strong and healthy we are.

Gluttony’s Opposite…

The opposite of gluttony is the rejection of food. The middle way which is the value, is moderation and contentment. The value is in the middle of the two opposites. 

Gluttony’s Function

• To fill something like a void.
• It is used to make us feel happy and in some way control our happiness, so that when we are sad we just eat to feel happy again. The happiness of gluttony becomes our new drug.
• It makes us to like social situations and perform well (perhaps too well) in them.
• Makes sure opportunities are well taken advantage of.
• Eats what is left over and does not allow food to be wasted.
• To manage the eating and drinking function and the joy that we can derive from that. It however manges these function in relativity.

About Drinking

• I think drinking alcohol, can be something of a facet of gluttony.
• The alcoholic ego has many things in common with gluttony.

Gluttony’s Negative Consequences

• Takes food from others.
• Produces lots of waste, body fat, food scraps, lowers hygiene and stains things with food and drink.
• Harms our health, we can get heart disease, liver disease, become obese, get diabetes etc.
• The karma for being a glutton in the past is that we must resort to a diet to remain healthy and fully functional.

Gluttony’s Emotions and Sensations

• Gluttony is to be stuck in the sensations of taste, smell, touch and sight.
• These sensations by our mind’s interpretations are converted into emotions.
• With gluttony our mind eats. We eat our good concepts about food basically in the end. We can’t eat anything that we have a bad concept of.

Gluttony Related Miscellaneous Points

• Consumerism is related to gluttony.
• Gluttony fills a void.
• Gluttony is like a compulsion to not miss out on opportunities where things of value can be absorbed. Gluttony takes advantage and absorbs the things on offer beyond practical purpose, and it seems it wants things just to have or to consume them because they are valuable.
• An ignorance of the pain after pleasure relationship.
• Binge eating – reckless eating when we are sad or resentful.
• Solution to gluttony is to find balance and moderation.

• We don’t get gluttonous about food that tastes bad or is not what we like.
• It is very instinctive, animal like such as what we can see in pigs. Bears eat a lot but for a purpose, whereas pigs can eat all that is available and go beyond their limit.
• Gluttony could be in lust where there could be the excessive absorption of sensations.
• Gluttony can come out while travelling.
• There is gluttony related to sensual experiences, taking vitamins, buying bargains etc.
• Fasting can be a swing to the other side of gluttony.
• A person can eat a lot if it is for a purpose and it may not be gluttony. For example, an athlete or a person who works a very physically demanding job, such as in construction.
• Gluttony expands the stomach, gluttony is possible because the stomach can expand and is elastic. Otherwise, if he stomach was capacity was fixed, there would be less gluttony.

Gluttony Conclusion

• In food there is prana. Gluttony knows subconsciously the value of that prana.
• Gluttony is ignorant of the truth that after pleasure there is pain.
• Gluttony is against balance in that aspect of eating, pleasure and pain.
• Gluttony is an unbalanced relationship with the sensations of eating and drinking.
• The value is moderation and contentment. Moderation is balance between pleasure and pain and contentment is knowing the line where things become unpractical and harmful.

A Funny Ending

There in 2014 appeared an article in The West Australian about a wild boar in Darwin or in the North of Western Australia. It was reported that this wild boar while some campers were sleeping got into their food supplies and happened to take a liking for some cans of beer, that these Australian campers had set aside. Note, it wasn’t the wild boar shown below, it was a different one. You can google it and probably find some articles about it.

It was said that this wild boar broke open and drank 18 cans of beer before getting a little aggressive and trying to pick a fight with a nearby cow, only to collapse shortly after into a deep sleep (passing out).

That wild boar seemed to have had a gluttony problem. He didn't have to drink all those cans of beer, maybe two or three until his thirst was quenched and then go on his way without getting aggressive and collapsing.

End (706).