Gluttony is the most common vice. We seldom notice it because almost all of us are prone to it.
There are sins against other people and there are sins against oneself. The sins against other people happen because we do not respect the Spirit of God in another human being. The sins against oneself happen because we do not respect the Spirit of God in ourselves. One of the most common sins against oneself is gluttony.
If it were not for greed, not a single bird would be caught in a net. The same bait is used to catch humans. The stomach is a chain on your hands and shackles on your legs. The slave of the stomach is always a slave. If you want to be free, then you must first of all free yourself from your stomach. Eat to satisfy your hunger, not for pleasure.
— After Saadi
A person who overeats is unable to overcome laziness, and it is even more difficult for an idler who overeats to overcome sexual lust. And that is why in every teaching the pursuit of abstinence begins by fighting the lust of gluttony—with a fast.
Every human being is like a tamer of wild animals, and these animals are his passions. To tear out their fangs and claws, to bridle them, to tame them, to turn them into pets, into servants, ones who may growl but nevertheless obey—that is the task of self-discipline.
— Amiel
God gave people food, the devil gave them cooks.
The sage Socrates himself refrained from excesses, from consuming things that people eat not to satisfy their hunger but for their taste, and he tried to convince his students to do the same. He said that excess food and drink causes great harm to both body and soul, and he recommended them to never overeat and to leave table while they still wanted more. He reminded his students about the tale of the wise Odysseus, how the sorceress Circe could not bewitch him only because he did not overeat, but all his comrades she turned into swine the instant they pounced on her delicious dishes.
It is not a problem if the body suffers from spiritual work, but it is shameful when the most precious thing in a human being—his soul—suffers because of the body.
— After the Talmud
Watch your mouth: it is a gateway for disease. Finish your meal while you still want to eat.
The only reason why intemperance in food is not considered a sin is because it does not cause noticeable harm to others. But there are sins against a human being’s consciousness of his own dignity. Intemperance in food is one of them.
