CHOICE OF FOOD
According to the Chandogya Upanisad, when there is
purity of food, the mind becomes pure; when the mind becomes pure, it remembers
the Lord and by remembrance of the Lord, liberation is attained:
ahara suddhau sattva suddhih
sattva
suddhau dhruva smrtih
smrti
lambhe sarva granthinam vipra moksah
(quoted in BG Ch3.
V.11 purport)
This verse mentioned "ahara suddhi" or
purification of food as a crucial element in spiritual progress. For this reason also the smrti sastras
proclaim that greatest of purifiers is pure food. The scriptures have therefore carefully
delineated proper and improper food for
the person who desires perfection in life.
Foods chosen by quality:
Different foods, due to their composition, affect
the body in different ways when they are eaten by the human being. Foods may create sattvic, rajasic or tamasic
influences of the body and mind. Since
the quality of sattika opens the door for spiritual realization, sattvika foods
are recommended for one pursuing
spiritual realization.
Forbidden Food:
Since meat, wine, onions and garlic are by their
inherent nature in the mods of raja and tama guna, the Vaisnava is forbidden to eat them, rr even
touch them. Other untouchable itesmare
as follows:
intoxicants
milk mixed with salt
milk from animals other than the cow
milk from a cow without calf
milk from a cow during the ten day period after
bearing a calf
milk from a cow that has been mated.
milk mixed with buttermilk
milk in a copper vessel
red spinach
kalambi sak
burned rice
white eggplant
radish
coconut water in a bell metal vessel
honey and yoghurt in a copper vessel
ucchista (someses remanants) mixed with ghee
sesame, cornmeal, and yoghurt at night
barley during the day burned preparations
ones own half-eaten fruit or sweets (saved and to be
eaten later)
A food product, even though it is in the mode of
goodness, may, due to the influence of time and weather, become stale or
rotten. Such food is transformed to the
mode of ignorance and is unhealthy for
the body. Thus these transformed foods
are also forbidden for offering to the Lord and for comsumption.
A food product, though in the mode of goodness and
yet fresh, may, due to contant with some impure object, become contaminated. In that state the food cannot be offered or
eaten. For some types of contamination
there are remedial measures of purification.
After the food is purified again, it may be offered and eaten. Some types of contamination have no remedial
purification method and must therefore be totally rejected. For instance, if a dog or rat eats part of a
fruit, that is not fit for human consumption.
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
Unless one is initiated he cannot cook. One must be regular disciple then he can do
deity worship. There is no question of
the outsiders cooking in the New Delhi temple.
letter from
Srila Prabhupada
Gopal Krsna das,
July 11, 1976
In the kitchen you should always se that nothing is
wasted.
letter from Srila
Prabhupada
Upendra das,
Nov.10, 1975
Food which has been offered should never be put back
into the refrigerator or kitchen.
Refrigerator should always be very clean and pure. If there is any food extra, that should be
kept separately, not within the kitchen. No one should wear shoes within the
kitchen. Smelling and tasting of foods
being prepared for the Lord should never be done. Talking within the kitchen should be only
what is necessary for preparing the prasadam or about the Lord. Dirty dishes should not be brought back into
the kitchen. Hands should always be
washed when preparing prasadam. Nothing
should be eaten before offering to the Lord.
letter from Srila
Prabhupada
June 6, 1968,
Montreal
BHOJANA (taking meals):
Dress:
One should take his meals in a clean state, with peaceful mind.
One may wear prasada garlands of the Lord and
sandalwood paste.
The grhastha may wear rings on his fingers.
One should wear two pices of cloth.
Ones cloth should not be damp.
One should not have ones head covered.
One should not be wearing shoes.
Sikha should be tied.
Five parts of the body should be damp (washed with
water): two hands, two feet, and the mouth.
Place:
One should eat in a place which is clean and
spacious.
one should not eat in a vehicle.
One should sit on an asana, but the asana should not
be broken.
One should sit with legs crossed, not spread
out.
One should not receive foods directly in the hands
and place it in the mouth, nor place food directly on the floor, but should take his meal from a plate.
One should not eat off a broken plate.
One Should not keep the plate on the lap.
Direction:
One should sit facing east, or north, according to
the Visnu Purana. By eating facing east,
ones duration of life increases; by eating while facing south one gains fame;
by eating facing west one gains wealth; and by facing north all of ones desires
are fulfilled (Kurma Purana).
Or one may face in the direction of the sun.
One should not face northeast, northwest, southeast
or southwest.
Time:
One should not eat at the sandhyas: sunrise, noon
and sunset.
One should not et until food form the previous meal
has digested.
One should not eat before having performed sandhya
vandana (chanting gayatri at the sadnhya) or daily morning puja.
One should not eat for four praharas before an
eclipse of the sun or three praharas before an eclipse of the moon.
Sitting Arrangement;
Those of similar rank should sit in the same row.
According to the rules, the moment one person ina
row finishes n- his meal and rises to go, the meal has ended, and the rest of
the people in the row are forbidden to continue eating. All of the remaining food is considered
ucchista (leftovers) and untouchable.
Therefore, out of respect, all persons in the row should wait for the
senior ranking person in the row to finish before rising to go. When the senior person rises, then all others
in the same row should also rise and leave. the senior person may sit
separately, so that he is not affected by anyone else rising and leaving.
Respects:
Mahaprasad is nondifferent from Krsna. Therefore instead of eating mahaprasada one
should honor it. It is said here, karila
vandana he offered prayers. When taking
mahaprasada one should not consider the food ordinary preparations. One should
consider mahaprasad a favor of Krsna.
CC Antya v.4. p.10
Before
beginning the meal, one should glance over the prasadam and pay ones
respects to it remembering that it is he mercy of the Lord.
One should always seek the permission of the Lord to
act or eat or speak and by the blessing of the lord everything done by devotee is beyond the principle of the four
defects typical of the conditioned soul.
SB2.4.11
One should recite;
sarira avidya jal
jodendriya tahe kal
jihve phele visaya sagare
tar madhya jihva ati lobha maya sudurmati
take jete kathina samsare
krsna boro doya moya
koribare jihva jaya
sva prasadanna dilo bhai
sei annamrta pao
radha krsna guna gao
prema dako sri caitanya nitai
One may also recite jayadhvani prayers.
According to Hari Bhakti Vilasa one should chant the
gayatri mantra , then chant ones mula mantra seven times over the prasadam.
Prana Ahutis:
According to the Vedic tradition, there is a
prescribed way to begin the meal, which is taught to all twice born persons
when they accept the sacred thread in the upanayanam ceremony. At that time the brahmacari vows to chant the
gayatri mantra at the sandhyas daily for the rest of his life and offer his
food to the pranas or life airs before beginning his meal. this system is still followed by brahmanas in
many parts of India. The procedure is
given in the practical manual.
Rules for Eating:
People seated
should not touch each other while eating.
One should eat in silence, not discussing material
affairs.
One should usel the five fingers of the right hand
only to touch and place food in the mouth.
one should not make noises while eating or drinking
foods or liquids.
One should tear large items with the fingers of the
right hand and then place the small pieces in the mouth. One should not tear a large item by taking it in the mouth and tearing it with
the teeth.
After finishing the meal, one should take the plate
(if disposable) in the right hand and discard it.
Rules for Drinking water:
One should avoid drinking water out of ones hands.
One should not sip water directly from a water
source.
If one has a clean right hand (before a meal) the
right hand should be used to hold the cup.
One should pour the water into the mouth so that the cup does not touch
the lips.
During a meal the right hand touches the mouth. Therefore at that time one should take the
cup in the left hand and pour water into the mouth without touching the lips.
If the cup cannot pour properly, then one should use
the right hand and drink using the lips.
While drinking water during a meal, no water should
fall upon the food, otherwise the food becomes ucchista (leftovers).
The water cup should be kept to the right hand side
of ones plate, otherwise ones food and water both becomes impure.
Amount of Food:
One should not overeat, because that is the cause of
sikcness, and decrease in lifespan. It
stops ones spiritual advancement, generates sin, and becomes the subject of
criticism for all people.
In Kali yuga the duration of life is shortened not
so much because of insufficient food but because of irregular habits. By keeping regular habits and eating simple
food, any man can maintain his health.
Overeating, oversense gratifiction, overdependence on another's mercy,
and artificial standards of living sap the very vitality of human energy. Therefore the duration of life is shortened.
SB1.1.10
Sometimes it is found that an initiated person, in
the name of prasada, eats very luxurious foodstuffs. Due to his past sinful
life he becomes attracted by cupid and eats food voraciously. It is clearly
visible that when a neophyte in Krsna consciousness eats too much he falls
down.
4.26.13
One should fill half the stomach with food one
quarter with water and one quarter with air.
Order of Foods:
Hari Bhkati Vilasa
mentions that one should start by eating a little sweet food, then take
salty and sour items, and then pungent adn bitter items. Liquid foods
should be taken at the beginning and end
of the meal and solid foods should be takne in the middle. This system is still followed in South India.
In Bengal the custom is to take bitter foods first
and end with sweet. Different styles of
cooking require that the foods be eaten in different order.
Serving the Meal:
The grhastha should serve in the following order:
Guests, especially spiritually qualified persons
such as sannyasis, should be treated as like the Lord himself, and should be
offered the finest food first.
One should then feed married daughters, pregnant
women, elders, children and sick persons.
One should also feed tied up cows and horses before
taking ones meal.
The householder and his wife should eat last.
An initiated Vaisnava should serve and initiated
Vaisnava. The server should pure in
mind, body, habits and dress, who can perform his duties quickly, quietly, and
efficiently. Loud noises and talking
should be avoided.
Neither the server nor the serving utensils should
ever touch the plates or hands of the people who are eating, for this will
contaminate the server and the serving utensil.
If this happens, the server should wash his hands and the utensil before
serving further. The prasadam should be dropped on the plate in a free area
(not on the salt etc.)
Except for sweets or water, or dry items, spoons
should be used to serve food.
The server should us only his right hand to offer
prasadam.
The serving vessels should not touch the feet.
The server should not touch anything impure (his
mouth, feet, hair, lower body) nor should he yawn, sneeze or spit.
Servings may be small, and when the guest finishes
an item, the server should be alert to offer more of it. The server should br generous in giving the
guest as much of an item as the guest desires.
The guest should never be left with an empty plate except at the end of
the meal.
The server or host may describe the wonderful
qualities of an item as he offers it, to encourage the guest to eatmore.
All persons in a group should be offered the same
items.
The food should be hot if possible.
Washing:
By eating one become contaminated. Before performing any activity one must purify himself.
After rising from ones meal, one should wash ones
hands without delay.
One should then wash mouth at least three times.
After the meal:
One should not take rest imemdiately after a meal.
One should not perform strenuous labour directly
after a meal.
One should maintain a tranquil mind, as during the
meal, by remembering the Lord, chanting his name and discussing the Lord's
pastimes with ones aassociates.
Digestion Mantras:
One should rub the belly and chant the following
verses, remembering the Supreme Lord who digests ones food so that the body
becomes nourished and so that one can perform devotional service.
agastir
agnir vadavanalas ca
bhuktam
mayannam jarayan tv asesam
sukha ca me tat parinama
sambhavam
yac
chantvarogam mama castu dehe
visnuh
samastendriya deha dehi
pradhana
bhuto bhagavan yathaikhah
satyena
tenannam asesam etad
arogya
dam me parinamam etu
May Agasti the fire of digestion and the digestive
salts digest the food I have eaten. May
digestion, happiness and healthy body be mine.
Since Visnu presides over all the senses, the body
and the soul, may he assist me so that my food will digest and so that I will
remain without any sickness.
Regarding Leftovers (uncontaminated):
Regarding prasadam, leftovers should always be taken
if they have not spoiled or if they have not been touched by diseased
persons. We should never waste Krsna
prasadam. Best thing is to cook only
what is required and then give each person only what he wants. In this way nothing is wasted and everyone is
satisfied.
lettlow conch
outside deity room and wash outside, then replace in deity room.
pranamas with prayers
parikrama around temple three or four times with
kirtana
jayadhvani
remove articles from deity room and clean the area
and articles
PUJA PRAYOGA A (METHOD OF DEITY WORSHIP)
Atma Suddhi (purity of Body): One should be
physically pure, with clean cloth.
Dravya suddhi (purity of ingredients): One should
bring together all of the utensils and offerings and inspect them for
cleanliness and quality.
Entrance:
Making a sound, with hand touching the left door
frame and body slightly crouched one should step over the threshold without
touching it and place the right foot first in the deity room.
One should clean the place thoroughly.
Asana Sthapana (establishing seat):
hum phat svaha: purify floor and asana by sprinkling
water
place asana on floor
tou