Honoring Prasadam 

The way he taught in his Prospectus written in the 1950s for the League of Devotees, Swamiji gave prominent mention to prasadam.  He invited members to live with him in the asrama, and he advertised the daily schedule.  There were many times during the day when prasadam was served.  The menu was described exactly.  By studying that daily schedule, one can understand that prasadam is like attending arotikas, bhajanas, or Bhagavatam readings.  Prasadam was not a material break in a spiritual day.  It was another full-fledged, spiritual activity – a devotee was either chanting, or working, or honoring prasadam.

Prasadam works.  It makes you feel satisfied and free of sex agitation.  Everything seems nice.  You don’t want to argue with people.  Prasadam helps to heal the ailing self.  The atma is not only the soul; it is the mind, body and self.  All of these will be satisfied by eating prasadam.

When you honor prasadam, the body says, “I like Krishna consciousness.”  The mind says, “I like it too, I am not agitated any more.”  The self exclaims, “This prasadam was offered to Krishna.  Swamiji says it is not ordinary food.”  Prasadam is an item of faith, a sacrament.

Recently I heard a devotee say we should “honor prasadam and not just eat it.”  I knew what he meant by that.  Yet eating in Krishna consciousness has always been celebrated as a way to share love and togetherness.  Rupa Gosvami even mentions these two forms of loving exchange among devotees: “To accept prasadam and to offer it to others.”  A spiritual family eats together in the spirit that Swamiji showed us.  Although it is true that we should not eat in the mood of sense gratification and indulgence, the loving exchanges of eating in good company brings us into Krishna consciousness.  

Devotees can sit and take prasadam together in spiritual communion.  If you do not have the fortune of having Swamiji in your midst, you can bring him into your midst by meditation.  Before we eat, we offer the food with prayers.  We can also converse with Prabhupada in our minds, “Prabhupada, please take this prasadam.  They have given it to me, but I am bringing it to you, just as we used to bring you prasadam.  Please take it.”  By meditation, you can offer your food to Prabhupada.  He can be with you, and he can take prasadam with you.  Anything is possible.  It depends on your purity.