Hare Krishna
I have some questions regarding food, Prasadam.
1) I wonder when offering food to Krishna how I can be free of material contaminaton (during and before offering). Since it is material desire in the first place that makes me eat food. So the intial motive to eat is material.
2) Is it okay to offer food & chant Hare Krishna when I eat but don't necessarly need to eat the food? So when I eat sweets, eating more than I should,... So by lust / sense gratification. I aspire to not have this sense gratification, but being material contaminated, it does happen.
Thank you
Lots of Love
Replies
Hare KRsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
I will try to answer your questions:
1) before you prepare the food for offering, it is a good idea to take bath. Basic cleanliness in the kitchen and cooking is to be maintained. While offering, please pray to guru and Krsna sincerely to accept the offering. Eating is a necessity that al living entities do. One should nullify the sin that comes from cooking and eating by offering that to Krsna. This way, we are not eating other animals or eggs. We are eating plants and plant products, lower consciousness, therefore lesser sin. That too, we are offering and eating, so no sin.
2) PLease offer everything that you eat. Even if it is binge eating or to satisfy tongue. By offering and eating, we are able to control the desire to overeat or eat what we like only.
Please do not worry so much about material contamination at this stage. All of us are materially contaminated. Only by following the 4 regulative principles and chanting mahamantra (ideally 16 rounds minimum) can we hope to gradually become purified.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
Hare Krishna Prabhuji
Yes I just discovered the meaning of Prabhuji and I honer you in this respect.
Thank you for answering my questions clearly.
This bring out the following question in me: Is it beneficial / allowed to chant Hare Krishna in all kinds of actions & situations? For example when killing a mosquito? When eating food which is cooked in the same pot as meat? And so on..
Your servant
Hare KRsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
Yes Mahamantra is to be chanted in all circumstances.
Ideally, get separate set of utensils in which non-veg has not been cooked at all.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
Thank you for your replies. So if I understand correctly, always lovely devote, chant & offer (vegetarian) no matter what state or initial intention.
Hare krishna
hare krsna pamho
yeah thats a valid question..!
simple clearity and idea of offering is a difference between having prasadam and eating food.
so, eating food is materialistic and having prasadam is spiritual, when one chants mahamantra from spirit soul (with love) for offering food that is a ritual, thus becomes spiritual activity.
when we continue offering before eating one day pure Krsna prema will emerge from deep inside our heart and we'll fill your tummy with mercy of lord that is prasadam without being materialistic;
with hope I'd made myself very clear please CHANT and be HAPPY
now also any query is there, then plz start cooking FOR Krsna not for YOURSELF; lol
dandvats
Hari Guru Vaishnava DasanuDas