Harikeśa: One who does that, he is preaching? One who arranges for chanting and dancing and taking prasādam, that is as good as preaching?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Śravaṇam, kīrtanam, arcanam—anything.
(Room conversation-------Mauritius).
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Prasādam distribution is very important?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
(Morning walk---------Mayapura).
Regarding your question about offering Prasadam, whatever is offered to the Deity actually it goes through the Spiritual Master. The Spiritual Master offers to Lord Caitanya, and Lord Caitanya offers it to Krishna. Then Radha Krishna eats, or Jagannatha eats, then Caitanya Mahaprabhu eats, then the Spiritual Master eats, and it becomes Mahaprasadam. So when you offer something, you think like that and chant the Gayatri mantra, and then everything is complete. At last, ring the bell, take out the plate and wipe the place where the plate was kept.
(Extract of letter to Arundhati--------New Vrndavana).
Jaya-gopāla: Is taking prasādam one of the exchanges of love, where we accept food from a lover?
Prabhupāda: Yes. You offer and you take. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati ca. You disclose your mind to Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa will give you direction also. You see. You offer Kṛṣṇa, that "Kṛṣṇa, You have given us so many nice things. So You first of all taste. Then we shall take." Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. Yes, that's all. Kṛṣṇa eats, and Kṛṣṇa puts again in the same way. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). We are offering Kṛṣṇa, that does not mean that Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is eating, but Kṛṣṇa is so full, complete, that He's leaving the whole thing complete. So people do not even understand these things that we are not loser by offering Kṛṣṇa. We become gainer only. Gainer only. You decorate Kṛṣṇa nicely, you see. Then your desire for seeing beautiful thing will be satisfied. You no more will be attracted by the so-called beauties of the world. You keep Kṛṣṇa in comfortable state, You offer Kṛṣṇa nice foodstuff, you'll eat it. So just like if I decorate my face, I cannot see how it is beautiful, but if I bring one mirror before me, the reflection of my face is beautiful. Similarly, you are reflection of Kṛṣṇa. Man is made after God. So if you make happy Kṛṣṇa, then you'll see that your reflection, you are happy. Kṛṣṇa does not require your service to become happy. He is complete in Himself. But if you try to supply, make happy Kṛṣṇa, then you'll be happy. This is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So try to decorate nicely Kṛṣṇa, try to give all foodstuff to Kṛṣṇa, try to keep Kṛṣṇa in all comfortable position. In this way you will reciprocate all the things that you offer to Him. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
(Lecture on Bhagavad-Gita--------Los Angeles).
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