A food product, though classed in the mode of goodness,

A food product, though classed in the mode of goodness, fresh, and uncomtanimated,may be of inferior quality, having bad taste, texture or color. The same food product of
superior taste and quality is preferable is possible.
A food product may be in the mode of goodness, may be fresh, uncontaminated and of
superior quality, but if it is prepared by a person who is impure and sinful, that food
should not be taken. Prepared or cooked foods, particularly grains, take on the qualities
of the person who has prepared them. If one eats such foods one will take on those sinful
qualities as well. Thus a
Furthermore, a food product though in the mode of goodness, fresh, uncontaminated, of
superior quality, and prepared by a sinless person, is filled with sin if it is not first offered
to the Lord.
yajna sistasinah santo
mucyante sarva kilbisaih
bhunjate te tv agham papa
ye pacanty atma karanat
The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins becasue they eat food which
is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment,
verily eat only sin.
BG Ch.3, V.13
When suitable foods are offered to the Lord they surpass sattva guna and become
transcendental to material nature. Such food is called prasadam, the mercy of the Lord.
Therefore the Vaisnava takes only those cooked foods which are prepared by another
Vaisnava, who has thorough knowledge of what is acceptable for offering and
consumption and what is not, who is sinless in conduct, and who offers everything to the
Lord before serving it.
The considerations of quality, impurity etc do not apply however to food which has been
offered by bona fide devotees to the Lord without offense (who offer it to the Lord
considering the proper standards mentioned above). That food or bhoga is called
mahaprasadam and is absolute like the Lord:
One should eat the mahaprasada of the Lord immediately upon receiving it, even though
it is dried up, stale or brought from a distant country. One should consider neither time
nor place.
CC Madhya v.2.p.324
In the Brhad Visnu Purana it is stated that one who considers mahaprasada to be equal to
ordinary rice and dahl certainly commits a great offense. Ordinary edibles are touchable
and untouchable, but there are no such dualistic considerations where prasada is
concerned. Prasada is transcendental and there are no transformations or contaminations,
just as there are no contaminations or transformations in the body of Lord Visnu Himself.
CC Madhya V.1, p.293
Source of Food:
The brahmana is forbidden to take food from a sudra, since the sudra by his inherent
character is a person addicted to sinful activity. Since all of a man's sins reside in his
cooked grains, if one eats the grains cooked by a sudra, one must suffer for all his sins.
Thererfore to avoid undue difficulties, this food is avoided.
Exceptions are made however. One can take food from sudra after giving suitable
payment. After paying one can take rice cooked in sugar and milk, items cooked in ghee
or oil (not boiled items); cow milk, sweet cakes and oil cakes. One can take honey,
water, fruits, and roots from a sudra if they are offered without ones asking. One can
accept food from a sudra who works someone elses land and takes half the crop. One
may take food from a sudra if one is well acquainted with the his family and habits. One
can also accept food from a sudra who tends cows or is the family barber.
The word "sudra" must refer to a person of sudra quality, rather than of sudra anscestory,
for one must always take food grains cooked by a Vaisnava , who offers the grains to the
Lord, regardless of his caste. The Skanda Purana says that there are four pure things:
ekadasi vrata, the heart of a devotee, Ganga water, and the grains cooked by Vaisnava.
As you will pay for the dinner, for the foods, you can offer them to Krsna within your
mind, then eat them as Krsna prasadam. Any foods stuff when it is paid for it becomes
purified...The source of receipt of the things may be not very good, but if one pays for it,
it becomes purified. So vegetable diet, when it is paid for, you can offer it in your mind
to Krsna and take it. Meat is not considered an eatable...It is not to be done ordinarily--w
We should prepare our own foodstuff and offer-- as much as possible of course.
letter from Srila Prabhupada
Brahmananda, Oct. 6, 1968
COOKING
Cooking should be understood to be a devotional activity, for the product must be offered
to the Supreme Lord with devotion. The rules which apply to deity worship, cleanliness
and devotion, also apply to cooking.
Cleanliness:
Ones body should be clean. One who cooks must have performed his morning nitya
kriyas of sauca, brushing teeth, bathing, dressing properly and applying tilaka. The hands
should be always clean, never touching impure objects or the holes of the body.
Utensils and ingredients must be clean. Just artilces for deity worship must be cleaned
before performing deity worship, before cooking one must be sure that his utensils and
kitcehn are pure. One must know what is considered pure and impure, and how
contamination spreads. One must also know how to rectify impurity if that is possible ie
the proper method of purifying different articles. The ingredients are for offering to the
Lord, and therefore one should not enjoy them first, by smelling or tasting or looking
upon with lust. As well non devotees or those not familiar with the rules of cleanliness
and worship, should not be allowed to cook, nor should any animals be allowed entrance
in the kitchen. Nor can the unoffered preparations and ingredients be mixed with,
touched to or placed in proximity to items already offered.
The place should be clean. The kitchen should be thoroughly washed before starting and
garbage should not be allowed to accumulate in the kitchen. Shoes should not be worn
into the kitchen.
The mind should be purified by strict sadhana and constant chanting of the Holy Name.
While engaged in cooking one should not discuss mundane matters, but as in deity
worship maintain silence on these matters. Instead one should meditate on pleasing the
Supreme Lord by ones activity, and constantly chant the Holy Name.
As far as possible non-initiated devotees may not enter the kitchen or deity area. They
can help from outside.
letter from Srila Prabhupada
April 4, 1971

Comment on this Post