Response: Simply ponder on these few reflections:

1) Greed or Need: Are you getting it packed because of greed (attachment to the taste and experience you just had)?

2) Quality: Most of the food industry is based on fast food, frozen foods, preserved foods and food bought in bulk and the cheapest available ingredients. Are you sure you want to bring this home?

3) Gunas: Not all but most of the people behind the food industry has one motive: Business! It is a rajasic and tamasic intent with which the food is made and served to begin with. Are you sure you want to re-fuel and nourish your body with these gunas?

4) Laziness: Are you bringing food back because you won't have to cook the next day? Why are we not motivated to nourish ourselves?

5) Respect: I understand and respect that one should not throw food and there are people who sleep hungry and starve but is it possible that you help others without harming yourself? Stale, reheated (esp restaurant style) food is not only taxing for the body to digest and create more metabolic wastes, clog channels, develop tamas/rajas but has minimal nutrition value.

6) Food is Medicine: Food is important as food is prana. Food is medicine! But food taken out of greed, attachment, laziness and lack of awareness is not nourishment.

7) Awareness:There are few restaurants in big cities which serve conscious food, made with love and quality ingredients by people who love food and there are less people who have awareness of such places and can afford to go to such places but it is a beautiful start.

8) Solution (maybe): Order the quantity that you can eat. Instead of ordering one dish per person, share the meal and meal portions. Order per table instead of per person. Eat the quantity that you can digest and leave the rest. As once this rest becomes a part of the body it takes years to push it out of the body.

9) Share it with love and good intentions with those who cannot afford to have three meals a day.

“Shivo Bhokta, Shiva Bhojya Shivo Karta, Shivah Karma Shivah Karanatmakah"

Shiva (as consciousness) is the experience as well as the object of experience. Wherever it is, is Shiva. There is nothing apart from Shiva.

May our actions be guided by the supreme light of consciousness.

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