Eating at non-devotee houses

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One devotee asked this question:

 

> But, I was wondering on how our full time devotees could eat. I then

> started observing this from that time and have noticed that

> many if not all the devotees do eat outside at homes even though the food

> is not offered, or cooked by non-devotees. I did not want

> to inquire at the temple because everything seems to develop into a

> controversy so I have just kept away.

>

> But based on the narration of Govindaji's mahaprasadam, how will we know

> when the Lord has sanctioned us to eat?

 

If the money is pure (earned or donated by a person whose main purpose in

life is Krsna Consciousness), the cook is a devotee (chanting 16 rounds &

following the four regs.), the persons who offers (with a tulsi leaf) is a

devotee, then the food offered is the highest quality of prasadam. If we

compromise on any one of these three principles then it is at our own risk.

 

You found the devotees eating food at the houses of non-devotees. They are

doing this at the risk of their own consciousness, devotional service &

rememberance of Krsna.

 

Srila Prabhupada may have eaten sometimes at such houses for the sake of

preaching but we have to see his instructions is his books which are the law

books for the next ten thousand years. Following the vani in his books is to

be preferred if there is some apparent contradiction seen in his vani and

his activities. Because we cannot imitate the great personalities. We can

follow in their footsteps by following their instructions.

 

And Srila Prabhupada very affirmatively states in the purport below that the

members of the Krsna consciousness movement are advised not to take food

from anywhere but a Vaisnava's or brahmana's house where Deity worship is

performed.

 

>From Cc Antya Lila 3.101

 

"In the days of Haridasa Thakura, all the brahmanas worshiped Narayana in

the form of the salagrama-sila. Therefore begging from a brahmana's house

meant taking krsna-prasadam, which is transcendental (nirguna). If we take

food from the houses of others, such as karmis, we shall have to share the

qualities of those from whom we take alms. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

took prasadam in the houses of Vaisnavas. This is the general process. The

members of the Krsna consciousness movement are advised not to take food

from anywhere but a Vaisnava's or brahmana's house where Deity worship is

performed. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said, visayira anna khaile dusta haya

mana: if a devotee takes alms or food from the house of a karmi who is

simply interested in money, his mind will become unclean. We must always

remember that a devotee's life is one of vairagya-vidya, or renunciation and

knowledge. Therefore all devotees are warned not to live unnecessarily

luxurious lives at the cost of others. Grhasthas living within the

jurisdiction of the temple must be especially careful not to imitate karmis

by acquiring opulent clothing, food and conveyances. As far as possible,

these should be avoided. A member of the temple, whether grhastha,

brahmacari or sannyasi, must practice a life of renunciation, following in

the footsteps of Haridasa Thakura and the six Gosvamis. Otherwise, because

maya is very strong, at any time one may become a victim of maya and fall

down from spiritual life."

 

Cc Antya 6.276 purport:

 

"If one accepts money from such materialistic persons to offer food to the

Deity and Vaisnavas, a pure Vaisnava does not accept it."

 

>From both the above quotes and the purports of Antya 6.275-278, we can thus

safely conclude the activities of eating at non-devotees houses as well as

accepting laxmi from non-devotees and buying foodstuffs and offering them to

the Lord & the devotees, both are undesirable.

 

Your servant,

Nayana-rañjana d€sa