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hunger? It is practical to eat when hungry. This is the only valid rule. For hunger there can be no day or night. How does light or darkness matter?
At a seminar in Bangalore where many scientists took part, the subject came up that in the Jain tradition, dinner after sunset is prohibited. One should look for reasons for the same. A gentleman came to me with the question. At that time I was in Delhi. He posed the question. I replied, “Yes indeed dinner after sunset is connected to religious beliefs because it is not sanctioned by religion. But along with this there is a scientific reason for it also.” The heat produced in our bodies digests whatever we eat. Our digestive strength is the heat. For it to work efficiently the heat from the sun is essential. When sun rays are not available, digestion suffers. Digestion becomes weak. Therefore the one who eats at night suffers from indigestion. This is the scientific reason.
The second reason is that when the sun is transmitting heat small micro-organisms are passive. No sooner does the sun set, they all become active. They give rise to many types of diseases. The way illness makes you suffer at night, it does not
Anekanta: The Third Eye
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