Krishna prasadam

[Guest guest]

Krishna states we should offer all our food to him, and he further says that, if not we only eat sin.

So my question is, how come all other religions don't offer their food, does that mean their whole life is sinful and only Hare Krsnas are holy? Are the others missing out on something.

Also I was told that for Krishna to accept our offerings they have to first be given to our guru. What if we don't have a guru? And how do we know if it is accepted because if we don't have love and devotion, then this is the criteria for acceptance.

 

Sorry but another question I have, is there Shiva prasadam and Ganesh prasadam or Lakshmi and even Buddha prasadam, and how can they reciprocate with the devotee if they are not omnipresent as the devotees say Krishna is and would that be beneficial to take this prasadam?

Thats all for now thank you, please can someone answer if these questions arn't too silly?

[theist]

The Hare Krishna's here will address the specifics of your point as they are practicing offering foodstuffs more than I am who only on occasion will.

 

All people are on different levels. Some relate to the Lord as Father only. The Father is the Supreme Provider so the Father gives and the children receive and offer their thanks.

 

This is undoubtly a very good thing and one cannot say it is wrong in anyway.

 

Others want to relate to the Lord in a more intimate way, say as a friend or a servant. For the servant he only wants to serve. His pleasure is seeing to the Lord's pleasure and attending to that is all he is concerned with. He makes offerings for the Lord just for the Lord's pleasure and takes what the Lord leaves as another form of communion with the Lord and is thankful for the strength it gives him because that strength enables him to prepare more offerings.

 

People of all cultures can be seen to have made offerings of various types and for different reasons.

 

The Old Testament Jews for example would make animal sacrifices in an attempt to wipe out some sin or another. But that is not the same thing. Why torture and slaughter some helpless animal and sprinkle its blood on the altar while burning it's corpse as an offering to God? Strikes me a pretty barbaric and ghastly.

 

So you have to see what appeals to your intelligence and mind between the options.

 

Also the serious practioner may not yet have real love and devotion to God but is practicing to awaken that love. Not trying to buy God off for some past sins.

 

Who said you cannot offer foodstuff to Krsna? Anyone can cut some fresh fruit placing it on a special plate set aside for offerings, place it before a picture of Krsna, chant Hare Krsna, bow down.

 

If someone says you cannot because you don't have a guru then please point out the quotation from Srila Prabhupada that is at the bottom of this post. Everyone has a guru it is just a matter of accepting the fact that's all.

[Guest guest]

Krishna states we should offer all our food to him, and he further says that, if not we only eat sin.

--the instruction is to be extended.. if we do not offer our whole life to krsna as arjuna did before kuruksetra battle we live a sinful life

 

So my question is, how come all other religions don't offer their food, does that mean their whole life is sinful and only Hare Krsnas are holy?

--hare krsna is not a religion in the average sense, every religious man is an "hare krsna" if he surrenders to the lord, chants lord's names and offers everything to the lord under the guidance of a pure spiritual master... a "tattva darshinah" (one who sees the absolute truth)

From the same point of view who identificate himself as an hare krsna but he's not fully liberated having not yet offered his whole life to krsna surrendering to a pure spiritual master and chanting without offences he has to take new births in the material world

 

Also I was told that for Krishna to accept our offerings they have to first be given to our guru. What if we don't have a guru?

--you have to pray with intense desire sri krsna to bless you sending an uttama adhikari spiritual master to save you. While you are doing it you can offer your vegetarian food to Srila Prabhupada reciting the whole formula or simply chanting hare krsna and asking to Prabhupada and Krsna to accept your offering

 

And how do we know if it is accepted

--we do not know.. it is not our business. We have only to make the best we can do following the process stated by acharyas.. the results and judgements are krsna's business

 

Sorry but another question I have, is there Shiva prasadam and Ganesh prasadam or Lakshmi and even Buddha prasadam, and how can they reciprocate with the devotee if they are not omnipresent as the devotees say Krishna is and would that be beneficial to take this prasadam?

--all the personalities you have mentioned are god or close companions of god.. so they, given the shakti by sri krsna himself, can be omnipresent and accept the food that their devotees are offering. The same thing happens for the spiritual master, he's not god, but by god's power, he's omnipresent like god and he sees you and me offering him the food and he blesses us offering such prasadam to krsna wich whom he has direct relationship.

It does not happens very often that i go in devatas temples and i accept some prasadam. If one's life is a life of devotion to krsna, when he does an act of worship to some devata, he does it surely asking to this personality to give him the love for krsna..

 

in this way all is devotion, all is love for krsna

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thank you for taking the time to answer, does anyone know if Srila Prabhupad has something to instruct on this, I was told at a temple that our offerings should be given to a spiritual master because it pleases Krishna, who then gives it to their master and it is presented to Krishna by the master who is closest to the God and knows Krishna intimately, is that right? I don't fully understand, but it sounds nice.

[Guest guest]

Srila Sridhara Maharaj has said that by taking nothing but prasadam we can completely overcome lust and control our senses, that is desire for anything other than Krsna, and that if we can get the prasadam from Guru then that will be most beneficial to our spiritual advancement.

He also taught the proper way in which we should honor prasadam, not take it in the mood of consumption

[Guest guest]

Dear guest,

 

What you have heard is very correct. The whole process of offering is like a chain and our offerings go from one link to another untill they are presented to the Lord with the purest love and devotion which may have been just a hint of that from us to start with, but if we are sincere and offer the most insignificant thing to a genuine spiritual master then by the Grace of that sadhu it will reach the Lord thru His representitives who control the flow of what the Lord receives and the effect of Krsnas satisfaction will then return to us in a tangible form thru the spiritual master.

In reality we can't approach God directly or it is very very rare, but usually we are sorted into serving parties and each party will have different representitives and departments like gathering ingredients, preparing them (cooking) and presenting them, while others may be expert at making garlands and tasteful flower arrangements an settings, or singing nice pleasing songs and playing assortments of musical instruments for the pleasure of their masters, misstresses and Lordships. It is all arranged very nicely, spontaneous but methodicly so as to to make every moment of their Lordships time delightful. And it is done every waking day of eternity, never once the same, always unique, everfresh and ever-new.

Srila Sridhara Maharaj has told when we are beginners which is called kanista adhikari we have more attraction to Krsna direct, but as we progress to the middle and topmost stage called madyam and Uttama, reality adjusts our perspective to become attracted to serving Krsnas servants more who manifest in our life as guru, not that we ever cross over guru to serve independantly all our energy is only offered to guru this is perfect arrangement. Of course we must be able to see that their life is surrenderd cent per cent as a servant to their guru also, not that they are just playing guru, or all of our dedication will not be passed on to the preceding master, rather we may find that we are serving a servant of their own ego. So it is important to find a genuine teacher where all our energy is engaged with pure purpose.

And we will feel more eternal indebtedness and gratitude to that soul for this divine gift they have given us.

Of course Krsna is behind it all, but He also loves to see His servitors appreciating each others contribution. Otherswise it would be sheer anarchy, like this world where everyone fights over who is the best religion etc.

When there is an accepted system of parampara (disciplic succession)and everyone knows their place there is no chance of dispute, therefore everything works harmoniously around the centre, as part and parcel of an organic whole. It is not haphazed.

In the world of pure service suddha bhakti there are so many camps of servitors and all are very respecfully vying to please Krsna with every moment and talent of their existence.

So preparing and offering our food nicely plays a large part in most of our devotional life, as this is one of the highest arts of the spiritual world.

Krsnas mother Yasoda mayi and His divine other half Srimati Thakurani are both super-excellent chefs and sometimes compete in a friendly fashion to win Krsnas' taste buds. Affection that is.

 

Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur has said that what we practice here to begin with in Krsna consciousness vaidi bhakti, is the foundation of our devotion in Gods world, only in his company it becomes perfect and is then called raganuga bhakti or spontaneous devotional service. We may need some patience for our devotional creeper to mature to that stage, but by following the instructions of our divine master it can happen very quickly. If we don't deviate, our lives will positively and progressively increase to that desired world.

When we offer our bhoga to the Lord we first say prayers or mantras to our Guru Maharaj who then offers it to theirs and then we chant to the Pancha tatva who is Lord Caitanya.

 

That is Bhaja Sri-Krsna-Caitanya prabhu Nityananda Sri-Adwaita Gadadhara Srivasadi-Gaura-bhakta-vrnda .

Then we chant the Maha mantra Hare Krsna. There are many other beautiful mantras we can learn as we progress depending on what spiritual master you connect to, but this is the simplified general version of personally offering in your home.

It may sound a little complicated to start with but when practiced regularly it all comes very naturally, like your mother tongue. By taking one step at a time the Lord will reveal more to you as he appears to be doing already. Excuse me if this reply is a little long winded to your simple question. but this is one of the most fundamental services in bhakti yoga.

There are no doubt some qualified disciples of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami here who can access his advice on this.

Wishing you all the best

Ys

Madhura Krsna das

[Guest guest]

I'm getting the feeling I have a long way to go and that I may need the help of a guru to get there. Thank you for helping point me in the right direction.