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Prasadam
If we place an iron rod in a fire, before long the rod becomes red hot and acts just like fire. In the same way, food prepared for and offered to Krishna with love and devotion becomes spiritualized. Such food is called Krsna prasadam, which means “the mercy of Lord Krsna.”
Eating prasadam is a fundamental practice of bhakti yoga. In other forms of yoga one must artificially repress the senses, but the bhakti-yogi can engage his or her senses in a variety of pleasing spiritual activities, such as tasting delicious food offered to Lord Krsna. In this way the senses gradually become spiritualized and bring the devotee more and more transcendental pleasure by being engaged in devotional service. Such spiritual pleasure far surpasses any kind of material experience.
Lord Caitanya said of prasadam, “Everyone has tasted these foods before. However, now that they have been prepared for Krishna and offered to Him with devotion, these foods have acquired extraordinary tastes and uncommon fragrances. Just taste them and see the difference in the experience! Apart from the taste, even the fragrance pleases the mind and makes one forget any other fragrance. Therefore one should know that the spiritual nectar of Krsna’s lips must have touched these ordinary foods and imparted to them all their transcendental qualities.”
Eating only food offered to Lord Krsna is the perfection of vegetarianism. In itself, being a vegetarian is not enough; after all, even pigeons and monkeys are vegetarians. But when we go beyond vegetarianism to a diet of prasadam, our eating becomes helpful in achieving the goal of human life–reawakening the soul’s original relationship with God. In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna says that unless one eats only food that has been offered to Him in sacrifice, one will suffer the reactions of karma.
Serving and honouring prasadam
Prasadam: The Lord’s Mercy. Food prepared in pure consciousness with pure products and offered with love to the Lord.
The glories of prasadam
Prasadam is spiritual, not different from Krishna.
It purifies the heart (different levels of potency).
It frees one from sinful reactions.
We can simply eat our way back to Godhead.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Krishna become very pleased when we cook nicely for Them.
Krishna actually eats the offering.
By eating prasadam, the devotee becomes Krishna-ised.
It connects our eating process to Krishna.
It helps control the tongue.
It protects one from falling into illusion.
The offering contains love and devotion.
We get benefit through offering, serving and eating it.
We are not dry renouncers; we can prepare wonderful feasts.
The Lord likes to see His devotees enjoy in a Krishna-conscious way.
Cultural background
Preparing, serving, and eating prasadam in the association of devotees is integral to devotional service with roots based in the most ancient Vedic culture and the Lord’s pastimes.
A part of Deity worship (arcanam): Cooking for Krishna is an exact science. Various dishes are prepared in certain ways because experts in the art have determined that these preparations are most pleasing to Krishna.
Trains us for the spiritual world in the correct service attitude of taking pleasure in eating Krishna’s remnants. The cowherd boys enjoy eating in Krishna’s company and sharing His remnants.
In the spiritual world, Radha cooks for Krishna and She never cooks the same preparation twice. The temple kitchen is understood to belong to Radharani. She is the controller there.
In Lord Caitanya’s pastimes, the devotees would make kirtana until they were exhausted and then eat a big feast together with great joy. The Caitanya-caritamrta contains many descriptions of the food preparations and feasts the devotees used to make. Look in the Caitanya-caritamrta and find a section where such a feast is described.
Regulations in serving and honouring prasadam
Serving
Be clean.
Hold utensils in right hand only.
Do not touch serving utensils to eating plates.
Be sensitive: give only what is wanted.
Be quick: others may be waiting.
No mixing: keep the preparations separate.
Honouring
We don’t just ‘eat’ prasadam, we ‘honour’ it. It should be respected as non-different from Krishna.
Don’t criticise prasadam.
It should not be wasted.
Your consciousness also affects how much benefit you get from eating it.
Don’t steal from others.
Don’t grab for yourself: serve and be served.
Don’t eat while walking.
Don’t horde prasadam.
Be wise
Take a short walk afterwards or sleep ten minutes on your left side.
Don’t eat too much.
Take the right balance.
Don’t eat too much in the evening.
Consider regulation and health.
Devotees Cooking at Mayapur Chandra Uday Iskcon Temple in India
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