herethatthesameteachingwhichwaspracticedinAncientEgyptofListeningto,
Reflectingupon,andMeditatingupontheteachingsisthesameprocessusedin
Vedanta-Jnana Yogaof India, today. This is known as the Yoga of Wisdom.
3,4,5- This outlines the main format for spiritual education:
3- Listeningto the teachings.
4- Constant study and reflection on the teachings.
5- Meditationon the meaning of the teachings.
TheGreekwriter,Porphyry,givesinsightintotheideallifestylewhichwasupheldbythepriestsand
priestesses of Ancient Egypt:
Thepriests,havingrenouncedallotheroccupationandhumanlabor,de-
votedtheirwholelifetocontemplationandvisionofthingsdivine.Byvis-
iontheyachievehonor,safetyandpiety,bycontemplationofknowledge,
andthroughbothadisciplineoflifestylewhichissecretandhasthedignity
ofantiquity.Livingalwayswithdivineknowledgeandinspirationputsone
beyondallgreed,restrainsthepassions,andmakeslifealertforunder-
standing.Theypracticedsimplicity,restraint,self-control,perseverance
andineverythingjusticeandabsenceofgreed....Theirwalkwasdiscip-
lined,andtheypracticedcontrollingtheirgaze,sothatiftheychosethey
didnotblink.Theirlaughterwasrare,andifdidhappen,didnotgobeyond
asmile.Theykepttheirhandsalwayswithintheirclothing....Theirlife-
stylewasfrugalandsimple.Sometastednowineatall,othersaverylittle:
theyaccuseditofcausingdamagetothenervesandafullnessinthehead
which impedes research, and of producing desire for sex. 58
THE GENERAL ANCIENT EGYPTIAN DIET
IntheWest,Hippocrates(460?-377?BCE)hasbeencalledthefatherofmedicine.Hismajorteaching
wasthatdietisthecauseofdisease.Hewasinstructedinthismostimportantlinkbetweendietand
disease by the physicians of Ancient Egypt, during his documented travels to Egypt.
HerodotuswitnessedanelaboratesystemofmedicalscienceduringhistravelsinEgypt.Thefollow-
ingisanexcerptfromhiswritingswherehenotesthegeneraldietarypracticesoftheAncient
Egyptian people.
TheEgyptianswholiveinthecultivatedpartsofthecountry,bytheirpracticeof
keepingrecordsofthepast,havemadethemselvesmuchthebesthistoriansofany
nation of which I have experience. I will describe some of their habits:
1.Everymonthforthreeconsecutivedaystheypurgethemselves,fortheirhealth’s
sake,withemetics 59 andclysters, 60 inthebeliefthatalldiseasescomefromthe
foodamaneats;anditisafact-evenapartfromthisprecaution-thatnexttothe
Libyansthey are the healthiest people in the world.