I'm trying to convince my non-devotee roommate to keep cooking vessels and eating vessels separate. But he argues that as long as the plates are washed well, what is the harm in mixing them.He's asking me to quote any scriptures which say such a thing. He's just questioning, and I believe if a suitable answer is given he will follow that rule. So I request learned devotees to provide me scriptural evidence of why vessels should be kept separate. Or if you have a logical/rational explanation that would do too.
Hare Krishna!
Replies
As we serve to Krishna Krishna also answers accordingly.
there are different standards of Deity worship.
the smallest is to offer to the Lord in that vessel in which we eat. and Krishna will answer to us in that amount.
and the good standard is that when even in our kitchen we do not eat or drink but keep it clean for Krishna. Considering it Krishna's Lord's Kitchen. and as a servant we can not eat or touch with our mouth plates of Krishna.
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it says that when we eat in the plate we keep there some subtle effect which is our consciousness and karma. because of that it is not recommended to eat from others' plates. Better is to have one's own.
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i am surprised but in the most Indian families they offer to Radha Krishna Deities in the plates which they eat themselves, and even sit in the kitchen and eat. or wash their hands after eating. But in our country Devotees keep their kitchen for Krishna. They every time wash plates with cow dung, and do not enter into kitchen when they did not take bath and not clean. they have few plates for eating which they keep outside the kitchen and lots of plates for Krishna.
If Prasadam is in the big vessel they do not touch it or keep it nearby the eating place or one person who is clean serves others. and after washing Krishna's plates eat themselves.
But in the hostel we can sometimes could not follow this, but if we have desire to serve to Krishna better then even in the hostel we can follow this.
Your servant,
Its a matter of personal hygiene. My mother used to say that in olden days there would be shelves made for keeping the plates/cups of every individual in the house hold and one has to eat/drink in their plates/cups only. The food was served always by one of the member of the family, usually the mother, and no one was allowed to touch the cooking vessel while we are eating the food. If touched, it was considered contaminated and unfit for cooking bhoga for lord.
However, I learned a much logical explanation recently from devotees. The plates in which we eat is jhoota. The vessels used for cooking should be pure and not be used for eating. Also, the offering plate has to be kept separate. The offering plate is also jhoota plate of Krishna. So, we should not mix the offering with the remaining prasadam or else the whole vessel becomes jhoota.
These are the temple standards. However, at home its not very practical. As long as the lords plate and cup is kept separate, its good enough.
Hare krishna Prabhu,
Dandavat pranam,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
I haven't read that much , what is given in scriptures,but whatever i have heard from senior devotees i can tell.
Since the cooking vessels are used for cooking,so a devotee cooks not for himself but for the Lord and whatever remnants are left after the Lord has taken,then he takes as prasadam.
We also know that the Lord is the purest and we are not pure, so we don't want to give something to the lord which is contaminated or is already tasted by us.So the vessels in which we eat are not to be mixed with the Lord's vessels because we consider or we are impure ourselves.
even at the time of buying vegetables we have to think about krishna and to buy that think which will be best for him,but these details will come gradually,first we have to make a start.
With regards,
Your servant
shashank