Hare Krsna
Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Nowadays we have become so dependent on electrical and electronic appliances, that instead of being the masters of these appliances, we have become their slaves. Such dependency has a very bad influence on our physical and mental well-being as well. These artificial standards of life, only give us anxiety in the long run. Srila Prabhupada very nicely warns us in purport to verse 1.1.10, "Overeating, over-sense gratification, overdependence on another's mercy, and artificial standards of living sap the very vitality of human energy." Most of the diseases which we get now are because of the artificial flavours added in the instant food we get in the markets. Our ancestors led a Vedic life and so were more peaceful, healthier and had a long life of blissful service. But we can see how without our knowledge we have adopted so many artificial standards in the name of modern advancements.
At home we might be offering bhog to the Lord may be thrice a day and that too very less number of items and even for that we depend upon so many modern appliances and take so much time and become so proud of it. But in Lord Jagannath's kitchen, it is entirely a different story. When we were in Puri dham, we saw the kitchen of Their Lordships Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra. Jagannath being the Lord of the Universe, no doubt His kitchen is the most unique, wonderful and biggest in the world. Their Lorships are offered bhoga every one hour and six times in a day, They honour 56 different kinds of bhoga. For this service around 500 devotees are involved and all of them along with their families are maintained in the temple. By cooking for the Lord, they were always fit physically and mentally and there is no need for them to go to gym or do any exercise. Their transcendental service itself takes care of all their needs.
There are two rectangular shaped wells named Ganga and Yamuna within the temple and wherein devotees draw water which is at a distance of 30 to 40 feet below ground level. They just use rope and a pot to draw the water and then they carry the pots on the shoulders all the way to the kitchen. Similarly all the vegetables are chopped using the traditional instruments which were used in Vedic times for cutting. Coconuts are also grated manually. All cooking is done in mud pots. They use atleast one thousand pots daily. The method used to grind the grains into flour is also manual. Cooking is done using huge traditional stoves (choola) made of mud and stone, with wooden twigs for the pyre. At least 9 pots are placed one on top of the other and the amazing thing is that the pot at the top gets cooked first. And whatever wastes that comes out of cooking, be it vegetable peels, fruit peels, husks - everything is well utilised for other services in temple. The ashes that result out of cooking are used for washing the vessels. After cooking the devotees carry personally all the pots, all the way to altar. So in this way, cooking for the Lord is very blissful, healthy and natural service.
By sticking to the traditional method sincerely, they are able to do seva without any interruption for Their Lordships. Otherwise if we are dependent on gas, electricity and modern appliances, then ordinary power-cut or grinder repair or shortage of cooking-gas will interrupt the whole seva. But by sincerely engaging their body, mind and soul in service of Their Lordships, the devotees there are leading a peaceful and blissful life.
So the point to remember is that even now in Kaliyuga it is very possible to lead simple and blissful life. Let us try to minimise the artificial necessities as much as we can, and sincerely endeavour to engage our body, mind and soul in the service of the Lord.
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