HARE KRISHNA
Dandavat Pranam
Prabhu ji/ Mata ji
I try to think all the time about Krishna..
but due to my nature of work I always fail to do so..I need to travel a lot and need to associate with various persons who are not at all inclined towards sprituality. Mostly they are non vegetarianians..and some times I have to take food outside( not prasadam).(My only association with devotees is through Youtube)
In my home too .. food is not offered to Krishna first. (Altough we are veg..onions garlics are used in home foods)
So I dont get prasadam....I am eating sins.
In my situation what can I do..
Replies
Hare Krishna,
Without offering to Krishna you cannot eat anything. Make this point clear. What to offer to Krishna?
It is also told in Bhagwad gita By Lord itself.
Bg. 9.26
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मन: ॥ २६ ॥
Don't lie. You can do it
Keep chanting and strive to see Krishna not as a deity as a live person sitting there. Without offering to your friend ( can you eat?)
Krishna loves to be your friend. But you don't want HIS company.
Hare Krishna
Thank you.
Hare Krsna
I am eating sins.
At this stage chanting of Hare Krsna mahamantra daily a fix minimum rounds is a possible practice. Please strive to come to minimum 16 rounds of chanting Hare Krsna mahamantra daily. Krsna will arrange other aspects gradually, which may not be immediatey under your control now. But chanting is under your control. So please focus on that for now.
Hare Krsna
Hare Krishna
Definetly ...with all the Vaishnava's kripa ....I would be able to chant 16 rounds daily.(now chanting 6 rounds )
I really need guidence regarding the food I take (all I am taking is sin ).Can I offer some water with tulsi leaves to my Lord before eating any where( as I travel a lot ;also situation in my home is also different ..as onions and garlics are used although veg)
I just remember My Lord being so merciful for the food I take and also pray Him that please forgive me as I am taking food which is not offered to You.Lastly thanking Him again that I received the food which would not have been possible because of Him.
Hare Krishna
Hare Krsna
I really need guidence regarding the food
There are various standards in this regard. HIghest to lowest as below
1. Food prepared & offered by brahman Initiated devotees. This is the standard is for by Sannyasis.
2. Food prepared & offered by practicing (16 rounds)devotees. This is standard expected to be followed by brahmacaris & initiated grihasthas.
3. Food prepared by family members(at least vegetarians) & offered by practicing devotees. This is generally expected from a devotee who is Harinam initated. Upto this standard it is considered sanctified prasad & no sin involved.
4. Food prepared by outsiders or unkown peple, without onion garlic. This could be food from market, shops etc. This in general should not be offered to Sri Krsna.One may pray to Sri Krsna expressing inability to offer & pray to Sri Krsna to remove sin from the food. This not considered prasad. But it may be free from sins, if Sri Krsna accepts the prayers.
At this stage focus on sustainably increasing chanting to 16 rounds of Hare Krsna Mahamantra. This is the most important consideration. This is most in your control. Food consumotion for those who are working & living with family members who are not practicing, is not solely upto you. It will take time. And trying to reach some standard in food which is not sustainable may create lot of trouble for health, family relations etc. And this happens very often if not handled patiently.
If there is a circumstance in which a person who is not wearing Kanthi mala can follow only one of the two- Either Chanting 16 rounds of Hare Krsna mahamantra & accept food with onion garlic OR cook food without onion/garlic & Not chant 16 rounds of Hare Krsna Mahamantra, In this scenario, it is better to chant 16 rounds of Hare Krsna mahamantra. Lord chaitanya has given Harinam as the process for spiritual elevation. Eating Krsna prasada everytime is desirable standard. But it is not the primary focus. Chanting is primary focus.
But again if one can at least consume food wihtout oinion garlic , it is recommended.
Do not worry about offering at this stage. If you are chanting properly, Sri Krsna will arrange favourable external circumstances. If we are not chanting properly & trying to arrange external circumstances, everything will be challenging.
Hare Krsna