Prasadam

If there is one thing the Hare Krishna movement is known for , it’s our delicious vegetarian food. Some even joke that we are the “kitchen religion”. As a yoga tradition, we follow a “sattvic” diet – food rich in prana “life-force”: • Nutritious • Wholesome ingredients • Free from meat, fish and eggs • Cooked fresh daily • Blessed before being served – so you can really taste the love! Prasadam literally means “mercy” and devotees of ISKCON use this term to describe pure vegetarian food that has been offered to Lord Krishna. Food that has been offered to the Deities in the temple is known as maha-prasadam. Most Food contains karma which binds us to the cycle of birth and death because although it may be vegetarian one may still harm other living entities in the process of obtaining it: The farmer may accidentally kill insects during the cultivation of crops or the plants may feel some pain when they are uprooted. However, when the food is prepared for the pleasure of Krishna He accepts the love and devotion present in the offering and removes all sins from it. The karma present in the food is therefore transformed into spiritual energy. Honoring (eating) this sanctified prasadam is the basis of bhakti-yoga and helps one to make tangible spiritual advancement. Sharing and distributing prasadam is also very important!