Why do we consume food? Clearly, it is not just for survival. We are more evolved than that. If it were just for sustenance, half of life’s struggles would disappear because we would just eat anything and not be concerned with taste and flavor. The truth is, we expect a certain fulfillment from the food we consume. It is the reason we tend to go out sometimes, eat different cuisines, or even just different food items. Each type of food offers us a slightly different experience. Our mind craves the experience that only comes from consuming certain foods. But what is it in the food that makes us feel that way?
Vedic scriptures state that across all the animate and inanimate living entities, there are 8.4 million species on our beautiful planet. These are spread across numerous plants, mammals, worms, birds, sea life, and other species. We are one of the 8.4 million species. Every living entity is born with a certain natural tendency. It’s called svabhava. Sva means natural or normal, and bhava means sentiment or tendency.
The natural tendencies of a creature compel it to behave in a certain way. A tiger may pounce, a deer may be frightened easily, a bull may charge, a cow may tolerate, a snake may rattle, and a scorpion may sting. They are born with a set of natural traits. This energy of tendencies never really dies but gets transferred from one entity to another. Even plants have it. It is indestructible – every cell of your body is infused with this energy.
Some plants grow in spring, while some trees bear fruit in autumn; many flourish in summer, whereas some do in winter. It is their svabhava – their natural tendency. Whatever we eat, by digesting it, we reclaim its energy and it becomes a part of our system. The energy of the food affects our energy. It has a significant influence on our physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Everything we eat is one of the 8.4 million species and as such has certain tendencies. Those tendencies are divided into three categories, namely, purity (sattvic), passion (rajasic), and ignorance (tamasic). Yes – they are named after our three mental humors: sattva, rajas, and tamas.