Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Miami, February 27, 1975:
Male devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, if someone takes prasādam even once, is it true that they're guaranteed at least a human body in their next life?
Prabhupāda: Yes. You go on simply eating, that's all. (laughter) And all of my devotees, they have come to me simply by eating prasāda. You are also? (laughter) So we give all facilities. If you cannot do anything, please come and eat with us.
Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Hawaii, January 19, 1974:
Bali-mardana: I believe I've heard you said in other lectures that a person who takes prasādam, even a plant or a..., any kind of living entity who takes prasādam or hears the name, that it will come back at least to human form of life. Is that correct?
Prabhupāda: No, if he's devotee, then he'll come. But this taking of prasādam, or hearing Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is advancement for becoming a devotee. But if he takes prasādam not as ordinary prasādam, foodstuff, he believes that "This is remnants of foodstuffs given to God," if he understands this philosophy, then guaranteed.
If he takes the prasādam as ordinary food, "All right, these people are distributing, prasā... Let me take it. It is very tasteful," that will give him chance to accept prasādam next, next, next... In this way, one day he'll come to the point that "This prasādam is not ordinary foodstuff." Then he'll... There is guarantee. Because only the devotee can appreciate that "This prasādam is not ordinary foodstuff. It is Kṛṣṇa's remnant of..." Therefore, he understands Kṛṣṇa.
That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma-karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). In truth, when he understands, then his life is guaranteed. Why guaranteed? He goes back to home next life. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). If you simply can understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that is sufficient to take you back to home, back to Godhead. That is sufficient. It is so nice.
Srila Swami Maharaja Prabhupada
Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:
Not only in India, but also throughout the whole universe, in every country, in every nation, in every society, there must be some people who have brahminical tendency. Just like from your country, we have picked up some boys and girls who are inclined to adopt this way of life. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply picking up where there are brahminical class of boys, girls, men. Not that we are taking account, "Oh, who is your father? Is your father a brāhmaṇa?" No. We don't take account. His father may be anything; it doesn't matter. But if he has got tendency to accept this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we immediately welcome: "Come on." And we teach him this brahminical qualification—to become brahmacārī, not to indulge in illicit sex life, don't take nonvegetarian diet. We recommend not exactly nonvegetarian diet. We are vegetarian diet, we restrict from nonvegetarian diet, but we recommend Kṛṣṇa prasādam. We have no quarrel with the nonvegetarians, because vegetable also has got life. The plants, the grass, the trees, the fruits, the flowers, they have also life. They are not dead. So simply becoming vegetarian is no great qualification. Somebody is taking meat and somebody is taking vegetable, it does not make any difference. But we are taking vegetables not as vegetarian. We are taking as Kṛṣṇa prasādam, remnants of foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa.
Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:
Prabhupāda: Yes. Morality, as we understand from Bhagavad-gītā, that nobody can approach God without being purified of all sinful reaction. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. A person who has finished all sinful activities, and simply standing on the platform of pious activities, they can understand what is God and be engaged in God's service. And another place it is said by Arjuna, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, param brahma." Every living being is Brahman, spiritual, but Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being; therefore He is paraṁ brahma, and the paraṁ dhāma, and the resort of everything, ultimate resort of everything, and pavitra, purified, there is no material contamination. So, what is this? What does he say in this?
Hayagrīva: That, that same point?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hayagrīva: All ethics are derived.
Prabhupāda: So to become completely pure, then he is the necessity of morality and ethics. Just like we prescribe, "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling." These are the four pillars of sinful life. If we avoid these thing, then we can stay on the platform of purity. And God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is based on this morality. One who cannot follow the principles, he falls down from the spiritual platform, and he cannot make any progress. So purity is the basic principle of God consciousness.
Letter to Upendra -- Calcutta 19 February, 1972:
So far foodstuffs offered do the needful. Whatever is available and also very nice, that is offerable, as long as no meat, fish, eggs, garlic, onions, or other very objectionable foodstuffs are there. Salads are all right, and there is no condition on which type of rice, the best available under the circumstances, that's all. What matters is that everything is very nicely prepared and offered with great loving devotion, that is wanted.
How to offer food to Krishna
Preparing and offering food to the Lord shows Him our devotion and gratitude. Krishna doesn't need to eat, of course, but He accepts the love with which we offer food to Him.
As far as possible, use fresh, natural ingredients for cooking. Krishna accepts only vegetarian food, and packaged, store-bought products may contain meat, fish, or eggs. So read labels carefully.
Cleanliness is important in cooking for Krishna. Wash your hands before you begin. And don’t taste the food while cooking; the meal is for Krishna’s pleasure, so He should taste it first.
It’s best to have a new set of dinnerware used only for Krishna’s offerings and not used by anyone else.
Place the plate in front of Krishna and ask Him to accept the offering. Then, in a mood of assisting the pure devotees, offer the preparations to Krishna while reciting the following prayers:
Prayers for Offering Food to Krishna
idam naivedyam aim gurave namah
idam sarvvam aim gurave namah
............................................................................
namo maha-vadanyaya
krishna-prema-pradaya te
krishnaya krishna-chaitanya-
namne gaura-tvishe namah
.......................................................................................
namo brahmanya-devaya
go-brahmana-hitaya ca
jagad-dhitaya krishnaya
govindaya namo namah
........................................................................................
sri-krishna-chaitanya prabhu-nityananda
sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrinda
..........................................................................................
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
x3 times
Continued...
Leave the plate there for a few minutes, just as you would if a loved one was eating.
Remove the plate, transfer the food to a serving plate, and wash Krishna’s dinnerware. The food is now prasadam, or “mercy” from Krishna.
While you eat, consider the spiritual value of the food; because Krishna has accepted it, it is spiritually identical to Him. Therefore by eating prasadam you become purified.
Everything you offer Krishna becomes spiritualized prasadam—flowers, incense, water, food. All prasadam should be respected and shared with others. Spread the mercy around.
Prabhupåda’s instructions were, “If you want the proper results of chanting the Hare Krishna Mahåmantra, you must follow the four directives.” If you want good results in curing a disease, you must take medicine—but you must also follow a proper diet. Then the disease will go away very easily. This is the harmony between this sloka and Srila Prabhupåda’s instructions. Prabhupåda said if you engage in nonsense activities and take the Harinåm Mahåmantra it will take time before the results of chanting come to you. Prabhupåda considered everyone a sick man. A sick man must have a good diet. On some days I am taking only milk and sago {tapioca}, because my health isn’t always good. If I take too many fried foods my sugar will increase. So the diet must be appropriate. Prabhupåda knew Western society has no rules and regula- tions of life. They hold a big license for enjoyment, and the name of that license is “teenager.” Society has given young people a big license for sense enjoyment and that is, “Oh, he is a teenager.” That means a teenager can do anything. The parents and the society are all giving enthusiasm for this. But Prabhupåda wanted to control this. At least he thought it was necessary to give them the knowledge that they should not kill others. If a father has a lot of money and takes his teenager gambling and loses everything, that is not good. Prabhupåda said: “Do not kill others, do not gamble, and do not take drugs.” He also said don’t take other intoxication or have illicit sex.
Religion Of The Heart by Srila Govinda Maharaja, page 51
Many different kinds of activities are going on in the Western world and this influence is entering the Indian culture and destroying it. It is destroying the Vedic culture but what can be done? Kali is the master of this age. He is the guardian now. To avoid Kali’s influence is difficult but those who are Krishna conscious must try to proceed under the shelter of Krishnaa consciousness. Then other influences will not come. An example is everyone takes food, but one who is Krishna conscious does not take food. What do you think? Is he fasting? No. He takes mahå-prasådam. First he offers food to Lord Krishnaa and then he takes the remnants of that prasådam. Then reactions won’t come to him. Krishnaa says in Srimad Bhagavad-gita:
“Whoever cooks for himself eats sin but when one prepares food for the Lord and offers it to Him, those preparations become transcendental because the Lord Himself is transcendental.”
Religion Of The Heart by Srila Govinda Maharaja, page 52