A thoughtful discussion about the impact of a cook’s consciousness on food, emphasizing the importance of Vedic principles in spiritual practice. They discuss why for tamasic foods like onions should be avoided, and how sincere prayer and love can influence family and promote a cuisine conducive to spiritual growth and devotion.
Shivani Saxena, 5 July 2014
Hare Krishna,
My respected obeisances to You,
Srila gurudev and gurumata,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Our food at home is cooked with onions, and it is prepared by a hired cook.
Prabhu, kindly explain in detail for how the consciousness of the cook reaches to the one who eats it? What can we neophytes do about it because we can not keep convincing people to avoid onion because its tamasic?
Editor’s note: Tamasic means “in the mode of ignorance or darkness”, something that decreases our chance of spiritual success.
Hari bol…
Shivani
Shridhar Das, 8 July 2014
Hare Krsna Mataji!
Please accept my humble obeisances!
All Glories to Srila Gurudeva!
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I will try answering the question to my best:
Our food at home is cooked with onions, and it is prepared by a hired cook. Prabhu, kindly explain in detail for how the consciousness of the cook reaches to the one who eats it? What can we neophytes do about it because we can not keep convincing people to avoid onion because its tamasic?
Answer. The Vedic science and explanation is a very subtle one. It is difficult to understand without purification. Most institutes do not accept it. They cannot experience it through their imperfect material senses. This inability is also the reason for the degradation of society. This can be another topic for discussion. Practicing Vedic science can confirm its validity. All the practicing souls are clearly concluding this through the results.
Our consciousness is added as an ingredient to the food. This is done by the same fire being used to cook. Exceptions include milk and fruit (Respected senior devotees kindly please confirm the same if correct). The main point is to read and understand BG 3.13.
The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin. – Bhagavad Gita 3.13
Even assuming a food is free of someone’s consciousness, if it’s not offered it’s still full of sin. BG 3.13, especially the purport, needs to be carefully read and understood for the same which provides the logic behind it. But surely, subtle nature can’t directly be seen by material vision as so-called modern scientists demand.
Concerning the cook, we can beg to Lord in surrender. This allows us to receive the mercy to honor His remnants (sanctified food, prasadam). These remnants are potent in destroying innumerable sins. They are so potent that they can elevate a soul from a lower species of life. The soul can directly attain a human body. This applies to species like a bird or even lower. This is confirmed by Srila Prabhupada. Considering their other glories, why would Krsna not help the sincere devotees?
Onions are undoubtedly not good for progress in Krsna consciousness. If our family supports our path of bhakti, it can become a strong pillar for our career. It can also support any other duties of life. They will also understand how onion, garlic, mushroom, and meat act as poison to our progress. Krsna has given plenty of vegetables, fruits, milk, and grains. These can yield millions of tasty and nutritious recipes. Why focus so much on onion and garlic? They are full of stink, give foul breath, and are the source of lust. We cannot imagine offering a stink to Krsna. So by becoming convinced we may attempt to share the same with family. How to convince is another art and that is the talent of a preacher. In my case, I stopped taking any food. As a result, my parents were compelled to give up onion and garlic. I asked them to consume these but allow me to prepare my own food. However, there are better ways, as love works far better. Now I am working on the same. Senior devotees please guide on the techniques out of your experiences.
But prayers have worked for me. Even at my home, my mother was unable to cook due to medical conditions. All cooks who came and went by were meat eaters. I had no other choice but to offer. However, soon, a cook arrived who was Muslim. He rarely consumed meat and chanted the names of Allah before cooking. He recited them 500 times before sleeping. This was the best of a bad bargain. Currently, my mother is cooking as she is fine but again looking for a cook. I question every cook who approaches for cooking at our home “Do you consume meat?”. Then I received instructions from authorities. They said the cook must think that she is cooking for Krsna and be Krsna conscious. So I used to play melodious kirtans to the cook. I would talk about the Lord. Alternatively, I asked the cook to kindly adopt the required mentality. This was the toughest job. I made sincere efforts from my end. Also mataji, please read the following article. It explains why no Onions and Garlic. This will prove helpful in making efforts to avoid them.
I humbly request senior devotees to kindly put more light on this as well as correct my attempt as necessary.
your servant
Shridhar Das
Please subscribe to daily inspirational emails from His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari (Writings and lectures archived at www.sda-archives.com ), written fresh every day from his travels around the world sharing the highest spiritual knowledge with everyone. Sign up now at www.joincourse.com
George Orwell’s Animal Farm describes a horrifying story of how “equals” exploit other equals… There are so many different social systems being tried out, communism, capitalism, socialism, and so on, but practically all of them are animalistic. Is there an ideal social system?
There is a famous book by George Orwell, Animal Farm. It is a satire on communism.
In the book, the oppressed animals on a farm overthrow their human farmer and try to create a society based on egalitarian principles, but they end up in a situation much worse than before, under the dictatorship of a pig named Napoleon.
But have you considered any other competing “ism”, such as, say “Capitalism”?
Capitalism, where money rules the roost
Is any materialistic ideology different from any other materialistic ideology when implemented in human society?
Is the end result any different?
Let’s take the case of any “democratic” country… take for example Canada, where I live presently… Canada is high up on the list when it comes to social liberty and freedom, with its famous Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and so on… but even in Canada, let’s take, say, the Prime Minister of Canada – does anyone feel that such a person is “equal” to the rest of us living in Canada? OK, let’s leave the top powerful people aside… let’s take an ordinary police officer… there was recently a case in which a Toronto Police Officer accessed a database, gave his son the name and address of an individual who drove a car with a certain license plate, and the individual ended up dead because of that.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
And if you want to exclude that type of power from the equation, let’s take the case of the Native Canadians! The original first nations people of Canada – where are they? I have mostly seen them destitute and begging on the streets. How on earth did Canadian society engineer that injustice?
Canadian Beggar
There are extreme examples, for example communism is supposed to be a classless society in which everyone is equal, has access to common prosperity, and equal opportunity for the best possible life. What is the reality though? The children of communist leaders study in the top schools, go to the top universities, and the children of the rural citizens? They are not even allowed to get off the farm, because then, who will feed the cities cheap food? This is institutionalized with many systems, such as the Hukou system. We see leaders trying to hold on to power until their dying breath, Stalin, Lenin, and Mao are all examples of that. There are any number of present leaders who want to entrench themselves for the duration of their lives!
Communism is based on materialistic ideals
But lest you think that some other competing system like democratic capitalism is better, just look around us – some people have no access to clean drinking water, food, and opportunity in life, just by the compounded effect of generations of exploitation. Some people have what is known as “inter-generational wealth”, and others struggle to pay their rent, living in buildings owned by REITs funded by, guess who, those with inherited wealth! Of course, who ends up born in better or worse material circumstances depends on the past karma of every individual.
Homeless person in Toronto, Canada
Ultimately no materialistic or man-made system can be perfect. The only perfect system is the one that is created by the Creator of all Natural Systems, variously referred to as Allah, Jehovah, or Krishna but referring to the same one Person.
Krishna, the Perfect Creator of the Perfect Society
It is called “Varnashrama”, which is a combination of 2 words “Varna” and “Ashrama”… Varna means occupation, Ashrama means “Life Status”…
The system is organized as follows – there are 4 main Varnas, and 4 main Ashramas, which gives rise to a combination of 16 different categories of people, which are a natural order of society.
According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the nondoer, being unchangeable.
Ah, there you go, you might say, here comes the infamous Indian caste system, which has resulted in so much suffering, so much inequity, so much bias, and so much violence and exploitation.
The present-day Indian caste system is demonic
Two words are key here, one is “guna” and the other is “karma”.
The present Indian caste system is based on birth, which is called “janma”… basing the caste system on birth is like saying that all doctors’ children will be ever forevermore doctors, or that all of the judges’ children will be anointed judges. Yes, if you are born in a technical or a medical or a business family, it is very likely you will take up the same line because the whole atmosphere is steeped with that particular mood, but you still have to go to medical school or law school or learn to operate a business!
A doctor must be properly qualified
So therefore, the caste system based on birth alone is rejected… instead, every person is analyzed according to their qualities and the work they do.
If for example, someone is born in a family of doctors cannot clear high school or medical school, they will not get the degree and will not be allowed to practice. So why then is someone born in the family of a Brahmana but has the mindset of a worker still demand the social position of a Brahmana?
A judge must be duly qualified
This degraded practice alone has completely destroyed the original social system in India, and is responsible for the destruction of the high class Vedic culture. After all, just like in the famous book by George Orwell, if you make a pig the leader of society, the position will not alter the fact that the pig is, at the root of it, still a pig!
A pig in a suit is still a pig!
The 4 orders are compared to the various parts of the body – the Brahmanas to the head, the Kshatriyas to the hands, the Vaishyas to the stomach, and the Shudras to the legs. This is not derogatory, the head alone cannot get much done, and neither can the hands, stomach, or legs on their own.
The different sections of society must work together, just like the parts of our bodies
Imagine the legs running around without a head, or the hands flailing about in one place, or the stomach starving for the want of food! Our society is presently just like that.
So, in modern day society, we see that the humans are actually divided into 4 categories, represented by animals.
श्वविड्वराहोष्ट्रखरै: संस्तुत: पुरुष: पशु: । न यत्कर्णपथोपेतो जातु नाम गदाग्रज: ॥ १९ ॥
śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ na yat-karṇa-pathopeto jātu nāma gadāgrajaḥ
Men who are like dogs, hogs, camels and asses praise those men who never listen to the transcendental pastimes of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the deliverer from evils.
Why dogs, hogs, camels, and asses? Do we have some kind of hatred for these animals? No, we respect every living entity, but we lament the lost opportunity when a living entity who has achieved a human form of life descends to lower species in life…
Dogs will be dogs
Why and how are humans like dogs?
Modern university education practically prepares one to acquire a doggish mentality with which to accept the service of a greater master. After finishing a so-called education, the so-called educated persons move like dogs from door to door with applications for some service, and mostly they are driven away, informed of no vacancy. As dogs are negligible animals and serve the master faithfully for bits of bread, a man serves a master faithfully without sufficient rewards.
Persons who have no discrimination in the matter of foodstuff and who eat all sorts of rubbish are compared to hogs. Hogs are very much attached to eating stools. So stool is a kind of foodstuff for a particular type of animal. And even stones are eatables for a particular type of animal or bird. But the human being is not meant for eating everything and anything; he is meant to eat grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, sugar, etc. Animal food is not meant for the human being. For chewing solid food, the human being has a particular type of teeth meant for cutting fruits and vegetables. The human being is endowed with two canine teeth as a concession for persons who will eat animal food at any cost. It is known to everyone that one man’s food is another man’s poison. Human beings are expected to accept the remnants of food offered to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and the Lord accepts foodstuff from the categories of leaves, flowers, fruits, etc. (Bg. 9.26). As prescribed by Vedic scriptures, no animal food is offered to the Lord. Therefore, a human being is meant to eat a particular type of food. He should not imitate the animals to derive so-called vitamin values. Therefore, a person who has no discrimination in regard to eating is compared to a hog.
A camel eats thorns, and thinks they are tasty whereas it tastes its own blood as the thorns cut the insides of its mouth
Why camels?
The camel is a kind of animal that takes pleasure in eating thorns. A person who wants to enjoy family life or the worldly life of so-called enjoyment is compared to the camel. Materialistic life is full of thorns, and so one should live only by the prescribed method of Vedic regulations just to make the best use of a bad bargain. Life in the material world is maintained by sucking one’s own blood. The central point of attraction for material enjoyment is sex life. To enjoy sex life is to suck one’s own blood, and there is not much more to be explained in this connection. The camel also sucks its own blood while chewing thorny twigs. The thorns the camel eats cut the tongue of the camel, and so blood begins to flow within the camel’s mouth. The thorns, mixed with fresh blood, create a taste for the foolish camel, and so he enjoys the thorn-eating business with false pleasure. Similarly, the great business magnates, industrialists who work very hard to earn money by different ways and questionable means, eat the thorny results of their actions mixed with their own blood. Therefore the Bhāgavatam has situated these diseased fellows along with the camels.
An ass carrying a heavy load, all for a little grass
And why asses?
The ass is an animal who is celebrated as the greatest fool, even amongst the animals. The ass works very hard and carries burdens of the maximum weight without making profit for itself.* The ass is generally engaged by the washerman, whose social position is not very respectable. And the special qualification of the ass is that it is very much accustomed to being kicked by the opposite sex. When the ass begs for sexual intercourse, he is kicked by the fair sex, yet he still follows the female for such sexual pleasure. A henpecked man is compared, therefore, to the ass. The general mass of people work very hard, especially in the Age of Kali. In this age the human being is actually engaged in the work of an ass, carrying heavy burdens and driving ṭhelā and rickshaws. The so-called advancement of human civilization has engaged a human being in the work of an ass. The laborers in great factories and workshops are also engaged in such burdensome work, and after working hard during the day, the poor laborer has to be again kicked by the fair sex, not only for sex enjoyment but also for so many household affairs.
What happens when humans who are just like hogs, dogs, camels, and asses go to the election? The dogs vote for a big dog, the hogs vote for a big hog, the camels vote for a big camel, and the asses vote for a big ass.
We end up with a civilization of dogs, hogs, camels, and asses!
And we get a leadership that is full of such dogs, hogs, camels, and asses!
And what will such leaders do in society? They will promote animalism, they might spout big ideals just like the hogs in George Orwell’s book do, but quietly or openly promote animalistic civilization.
Srila Prabhupada once called democracy as “demon crazy”! In other words, the democratic process does not get us the best leaders, only the lowest common denominator.
An ideal society without God in the Centre is not possible
Take your pick, the system created by God or the system created by animals masquerading as humans.
Freedom through Genuine Spiritual Progress 