Although originally their diet had been simple, it had lately become a habit with the cooks in Sydney to prepare "new and exciting" preparations for the devotees' lunch. As well as the standard dal and rice, the ladies now cooked bread buns, different types of vegetable dishes and big cookies with thick, sweet icing. But the most radical introduction had been the "brahmacari offering". Since somehow or other the devotees could not "hold out" till hot milk time at night, a large pot of hot, sweet, buttery halava was prepared about 6pm. Devotees, especially the men, would fill up their bowls, sometimes with multiple servings and would often end up sleeping through the rest of the program, sometimes on the floor of the prasadam room itself.
Prabhupada had once quoted a commonsense maxim. "There are two mistakes one can make in eating. One is to eat too much, and the other is to eat too little. If one has to make a mistake, it is better to make the mistake of eating too little." Krsna prasadam, the remnants of the offerings to Krsna, was purifying, no doubt. But, Prabhupada warned, if one accepted prasadam only because of its palatable taste and ate too much, he would also fall prey to trying to satisfy the demands of the tongue. This in turn could lead to more serious difficulties.
When Srila Prabhupada heard of these new developments in Sydney, he was not impressed. In the afternoon, the message came back from Srila Prabhupada that the diet was too opulent. "Devotees should not eat such rich foodstuffs. Just dal, rice, chapatis, a little subji; simple foods, like that."
The devotees were attached to their new-found sensory release. But since this order had come directly from Srila Prabhupada, they dutifully conceded to the culinary cutback.
- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu
Comments
Jai Shri Krishna..
When I was growing up in India in the village and money was scarce.. Life was really good. The simple sabji's and Khichadi-Kadi etc. used to be all we could afford and yet was the best balanced meal to be had. I left India when I was 8 and here in South Africa with the lack of variety of vegetables but pocketful of cash.. Luxuries are the order of the day. Detrimental to health and spirituality.. How I long for those simple living high thinking days..