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What is karma-free food (prasadam)?
Pure vegetarianism combines the physical nourishment of a healthy
vegetarian diet with the spiritual nourishment that comes from
acknowledging our dependency on God and the blessings of Mother Earth.
Rooted in the ancient Vedic traditions of India, the spiritual
dimension of pure vegetarianism has meaning for people of all faiths.
Simply put, before we eat our food, we offer it to God in thanksgiving.
The food is then pure, karma-free, and spiritually nourishing. The
Vedic scriptures call this food prasada, or the mercy of God.
Pure vegetarianism springs from the belief that the kind of food we
eat affects our spiritual consciousness and subsequent behaviors.
According to the Bhagavad-Gita, the scripture of Indian spirituality,
foods in the mode of goodness—vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains,
legumes, sugar, and pure milk products—can be sanctified, or offered in
sacrifice. Conversely, meat, fish, and eggs, classified in the modes of
passion and ignorance, should not be offered to God. If the food we eat
is prepared by people devoid of spiritual consciousness (ie. unhappy
employees working in a dirty food factory), we are sure to absorb
unwelcome mental energies. For this reason, pure vegetarians avoid such
foods in favor of foods prepared with fresh, natural ingredients.
Purifying Your Meal
The following principles are essential to the preparation of pure vegetarian food:
- Clean hands and work area – This is the most important principle: nothing impure should be offered to God.
- A humble and devotional attitude – Refrain from tasting the
food while preparing it. Reflect on the food as a blessing from the
Lord; respect that blessing, and be happy.
- The offering – You have prepared the food not only for your
own enjoyment, but for the pleasure of God; you are now ready to make
your offering.
- Prayers and mantras - The simplest form of offering is to
pray, "My dear Lord, please accept this humble offering of food." You
can supplement this with more traditional prayers like the Maha Mantra (Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.)
Is this Hindusim?
We don't really like to use the word Hinduism because that is a
derrogatory word orginally used by Muslim's to denote the people that
lived on the other side of the Sindhu river.
That being said, it depends on what you mean by Hindusim.
If by Hinduism you mean what is commonly understood as Hinduism, then
the answer is, no. Krishna consciousness is monotheistic whereas most
people understand Hinduism to be polytheistic or monistic.
If however by Hinduism you mean a religious tradition from India then,
yes. Scholars would refer to the Hare Krishna movement as a sect of
Hinduism called Vaishnavism.
But we ultimately reject that label because it limits the tradition to
a certain culture. The tradition originated in India and in that sense
one could say that it is a sect of Hinduism, but we prefer to use the
term Sanatana Dharma, which means the eternal intrinsic nature of the
self or soul.
You could say that it is the esoteric teaching within every religion,
the teaching that God is everywhere and within everything, that we are
a part of God, that God is in the heart of every sentient creature, and
despite being all pervading He has an eternal form and personality and
that by reconnecting oneself to God one can experience the peace,
happiness, satisfaction, and love that one has always been looking for.
The practices and beliefs of Krishna consciousness are rooted firmly in
the oldest books in the world,which are generally refered to as Hindu
scriptures which includes the Vedas, as well as other Vedic corollaries
such as the Upanishads, the Vedanta Sutras, the Ramayana, Mahabharata,
the Srimad Bhagavatam, and the Bhagavad Gita.
Is this Buddhism?
It is similar to Buddhism, in it's basic spiritual teaching about the
soul, birth and death in the world, karma, reincarnation and desire.
And in the broad sense both traditions come from India so they could
both be called Hinduism.
And since Buddhism and Krishna conscious originated in India there are
also many cultural similarities as well but in terms of metaphysics
Krishna consciousness diverges significantly.
Buddhism teaches that reality is ultimately non-existence whereas
Krishna consciousness understands the nature of the Absolute to be a
person and the nature of the self to be eternally a person, and that
there is an eternal relationship between the self and God, and that
there is an eternal dimension of reality where the soul can go after
death to eternally experience this divine reality.
Is this yoga?
If by yoga you mean most of the stuff that is passes for yoga in most yoga studios around the country then, no.
Yoga is more than just a set of exercises. Exercise is important but it is not yoga.
The exercises that are taught at yoga classes are technically called
asanas (sitting postures) in the most important books on yoga. In the
Bhagavad-Gita, India's ancient book of wisdom on the science of yoga,
the word asana is mentioned only one time and only in reference to the
fact that when one sits to meditate ones sitting posture (asana) should
be steady and comfortable. And in other classic texts on yoga the
asanas that are mentioned to be important are the poses exclusively
used for meditation. All the other exercises are simply meant to
strengthen one's body to be able to sit in meditation.
The word yoga is derived from the root word, yug, which means to link.
It is very etymologically similar to the word religion which comes from
the word re-ligiare which also means to reconnect.
Ultimately yoga is the process by which we can re-establish our eternal
relationship with God. Srila Prabhupada, founder of the Hare Krishna
movement, explains that "The word yoga means "link." Any system of yoga
is an attempt to reconnect our broken relationship with the Supreme
Personality of Godhead."
There are many different practices and techniques that have been used
throughout the ages to re-awaken our divine nature and all of these
practices culminate in pure unalloyed devotion to God. Pure love of God
is the goal of all yoga, of all religion, of all spiritual practices.
In the Bhagavad Gita Krishna clearly explains pure love for Himself to
be the ultimate goal of all yoga. "And of all yogis, the one with great
faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders
transcendental loving service to Me—he is the most intimately united
with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion."
Pure love of God is the goal of all the yoga and the most effective
means to achieve that goal is by rendering devotional service to the
Lord, and of all types of devotional services the chanting of the names
of God, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama
Hare Rama Rama Rame Hare Hare, is the most recommended process of yoga.
So, yes Krishna consciousness is yoga in the most complete sense of the
word but you won't find it being taught at many yoga studios.
Why do you chant?
Singing the names of God is a spiritual practice recommended by all
spiritual traditions of the world, and by the simple process of
glorifying God by chanting his name one can free the mind from all
stress, anxiety, fear, and illusion and re-establish one's eternal relationship with God.
What is the Hare Krishna mantra?
"Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare
Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare," is known as the maha mantra or the great
chant for deliverance.
The Hare Krishna mantra is a prayer composed of the three special names
of God. These particular names of the Lord appeal to him in his most
intimate aspect, his beauty and his all attractive nature.
Krishna means all attractive. Rama means the source of all pleasure and
Hare is a form of addressing the all merciful energy of the Lord.
The Hare Krishna mantra is a special mantra because it is a direct
address to the Lord, a desperate cry for mercy, like a child crying for
its mother.
This mantra has been especially recommended as the spiritual process for this age.
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