Eating constitutes the greatest obstacle to self-control; it gives rise to indolence.
Interpretation
Eating can hinder our ability to self-regulate, leading to laziness.
Mahavira's quote emphasizes the idea that the act of eating can be a significant barrier to exercising self-control. It suggests that indulgence in food may not only affect our physical state but also lead to a lethargic mindset, which can impede our ability to take action or make disciplined choices in life.
In practice
In a personal development seminar focused on motivation and discipline.
If one undertakes retrospection of the day's events, one must do it regularly at the appointed hour, not fitfully, not doing it today, neglecting to do it tomorrow and the day after and then taking it up again on the fourth day. Such irregular practice is not conducive to the confirmation of the habit of retrospection.
If you want to cultivate a habit, do it without any reservation, till it is firmly established. Until it is so confirmed, until it becomes a part of your character, let there be no exception, no relaxation of effort.
Attachment and aversion are the root cause of karma, and karma originates from infatuation. Karma is the root cause of birth and death, and these are said to be the source of misery. None can escape the effect of their own past karma.
Start the practice of self-control with some penance; begin with fasting.
Anger begets more anger, and forgiveness and love lead to more forgiveness and love.
Modes are infinite, and laws are infinite.
The Man who says he can, and the man who says he can not.. Are both correct
As a surgeon you have to have a controlled arrogance. If it's uncontrolled, you kill people, but you have to be pretty arrogant to saw through a person's chest, take out their heart and believe you can fix it. Then, when you succeed and the patient survives, you pray, because it's only by the grace of God that you get there.
In sorrow, pretend to be fearless. In happiness, tremble.
Those who know the TRUTH are not equal to those who love it.
There are so many things that we are capable of, that we could be or do. The potentialities are so great that we never, any of us, are more than one-fourth fulfilled.
The power which makes a man able to entertain a good impulse is the same as that which enables him to make a good gun; it is imagination.
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