Tirtha in Prison The Essence of the Hare Krsna Diet

When it comes to prison food, one taste tells it all. Not much love or imaginative planning goes into its preparation. Sadly, the negatively laden atmosphere of prison likewise pervades the kitchen.

It should come as no surprise that prison food offers scant hope for spiritual upliftment. Likewise, such food holds little appeal in more relative terms of flavor, appearance or nutrition. Moreover, with some form of meat, fish or eggs served at practically every meal, how can a practitioner of Krsna consciousness ever hope to survive?

Our spiritual lives have their basis in hearing, chanting, and eating only Krsna prasadam, spiritual food offered first to the Supreme Lord, Krsna. In truth, we are not simply vegetarians. Our food becomes a sacrament, offered in love to Krsna.

While our tongues may hanker for exciting and palatable dishes, above such personal desires, our ultimate goal as devotees in Krsna consciousness is to revive our dormant love for Krsna. As our covered love for Krsna begins to manifest, we can more readily perceive Him as our best friend, well wisher and the proprietor of everything.

Srila Prabhupada writes in the preface to "The Nectar of Devotion", "The basic principle of the living condition is that we have a general propensity to love someone. No one can live without loving someone else. This propensity is present in every living being. Even an animal like a tiger has this loving propensity at least in a dormant stage, and it is certainly present in human beings. The missing point, however, is where to repose our love so that everyone can become happy..."

While our dormant love of God may initially remain covered, we can begin our purification process by showing Krsna the proper respect. We can easily display this essential sentiment by first offering everything within our lives to Krsna.

This is especially true with regard to our food. In Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 3, verse 13 it says, "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."

This is a strong, direct statement from Krsna Himself. Here the Supreme Lord establishes the framework for how we are to eat. Indeed, since Krsna is the proprietor of everything, if we take anything without at least acknowledging its source, we become thieves.

If we were entertaining an important guest we wouldnft dream of cooking something to eat and then disregard our guest's presence by eating in front of them without first offering them a portion. In a similar way, we can begin our practice of loving Krsna by offering Him everything in our lives. As our practice becomes more perfect, we will understand how our affection naturally begins to develop. The more we serve the Lord, the more He responds to our overtures of love.

We can readily see how our cooking becomes much more than simply adding various ingredients together and stirring them in a pot over a flame. The consciousness we have at the time of cooking directly enters into the food we prepare. In turn, it echoes throughout our environment. It is important that we understand how our cooking area remains a sacred place, meant solely for engaging in Krsna's service. Likewise, whatever our daily problems might have been prior to cooking, we should set them aside. We should focus solely on the meditation of pleasing the devotees and Krsna.

Krsna will only accept a food offering from someone who is sincerely aspiring to be His devotee. It is considered an offense to offer Krsna anything prepared by a non-Vaisnava or non-devotee of Krsna. Krsna does not accept an offering if it is prepared by anyone else. So where does that leave us in prison, where we are often compelled to eat what others prepare for us? The reason we do not eat anything containing meat, fish or eggs (or any of their byproducts or derivatives, thereof), or onions, garlic, leeks, etc., mushrooms, vinegar or other fermented products, is because Krsna doesn't eat such things. They are considered foods in the modes of passion and ignorance. Krsna only accepts and we can only offer Him fresh, wholesome foods in the mode of goodness.

We are certainly at a loss in prison. An integral aspect of being a devotee necessitates we only ever eat prasadam, spiritual food that has first been offered to Krsna.

While it may sound like a "Catch-22" situation, it really isn't. Because of our predicament the spiritual master can show us special mercy and a form of temporary dispensation may be given, according to time, place and circumstance. However, it remains that we must always do the very best we can. After, all we have to eat. However, whenever possible we must ascribe to the highest possible or available standard.

The foods we eat will directly affect our consciousness. We actually take on the characteristics of the persons preparing our food. Food that is not offered to the Lord becomes harmful, both spiritually and physically. When the consciousness of the cook is centered on greed, lust, fear or hateful feelings, it reverberates throughout the entire atmosphere. It actually works to destabilize the entire atmosphere. The more spiritually evolved we become the more scrutinizing and selective we become about what types of foods we will eat. It is imperative then that we eat only Krsna prasadam.

His holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami Krsnapada writes in Volume Two of "Reflections on Sacred Teachings, "...Even the atmosphere affects the consciousness. The Srimad-Bhagavatam provides information about all aspects of the karraic effect. The person who prepares the food, the person who eats the food and even the atmosphere are all affected. In the case of flesh, the person who kills the animal, the person who transports the meat, the person who cooks it and the person who eats it are all kamically responsible. For example, during a bank robbery, many people play specific roles such as the robber, the person who drove the car, the person who drew the gun and the person who shot the teller. One individual may say, 'I didn't shoot anyone so I am innocent.1 However, that same 'innocent' person drove the car that took the murderer to the bank, which means he or she directly assisted in the killing... each person is a part of the crime."

In addition to foods prepared in the prison kitchen we must be mindful of items sold in the prison commissary or store. Whenever possible we should avoid "ready-to-eat" foods like potato chips, candy, cakes, sodas with caffeine, etc. All of these items are prepared in mechanized food factories in questionable environments. Their ingredients and the consciousness of those who work in their preparation are all suspect. At least in the case of commercially available items, they certainly were not prepared by devotees and offered to Krsna. Therefore, such things are to be avoided.

In some cases we will have at least limited facility to prepare some of our foods ourselves. Whenever possible we should obtain separate bowls and utensils for cooking, offering, etc., distinct from our personal eating bowls and utensils. While this may not always be possible in every case we should certainly understand the higher standard, even if we are unable to follow it in all instances.

I prepare an offering for Krsna on a daily basis in my cell. I use one packet of refried beans and rice, some fresh veggies, and one can of tomatoes and or spinach. Since our facility has microwave ovens in the housing units, I wipe out the inside of the oven and cook the ingredients. I then wrap it all in a few towels and have a small personal kirtana before my Gaura-Nitai Deities. Then I offer the food to Guru and Krsna. After this I transfer the prasadam to my own bowls. I wash everything used for cooking and offering before eating the prasadam.

It often happens that I can cook some extra portions and share the prasadam with others. This makes it all even more pleasurable. Whenever possible, always try to share a bit of prasadam with another.

At the root of our eating, indeed, everything we do, is our commitment so serve Krsna and the devotees in a spirit of love and trust. Even if you are without any facility to cook for yourself, your consciousness will determine the outcome.

We are always begging Krsna and the spiritual master for mercy. Alone we cannot accomplish anything. So if you are given a tray of food in the inmate dining room, vegetarian or not, you can offer a humble prayer to guru and Krsna, begging forgiveness for having to offer such a pitiful meal. I truly know how this feels, since I have lived the experience now for twenty years. Your heartfelt sincerity will make all the difference. Whether you are able to offer something nice or third class, do so in a spirit of humility and love, asking the Lord to please excuse your offense for such an offering.

Even when I do manage to make a "good" offering, it is still far below the normal standard for a devotee on the street. Even my Deity bowls and cooking paraphernalia are plastic. Still, as I am offering it to guru and Krsna, I visualize I am presenting everything in golden bowls and plates, each encrusted with precious jewels. Picture like this in your mind and remember, it is the sentiment of love that Krsna accepts from us.

When Lord Caitanya was preaching to the Mayavadi sannyasis in Varanasi, He was able to convert all of them into Vaisnavas by dint of His powerful explanations of the Vedanta philosophy. After this the sannyasis present there offered Lord Caitanya lunch, and He accepted from them. Srila Prabhupada explains that while this food wasn't offered to the Deity of Krsna or even to a demigod, He still accepted their offering. This is because first, Lord Caitanya forgave them for their previous offenses and that they had chanted the Hare Krsna Maha-mantra.

This is our process. If we take to the process of Krsna consciousness, chanting Hare Krsna and eating Krsna prasadam, we are likewise forgiven. Even though we may remain in our present situation, our internal spiritual growth is revived and reconstituted. This is why Lord Caitanya is considered the most merciful of all incarnations. He is the deliverer of the most fallen. We then have a just claim to beg for His unlimited mercy. We are indeed the most fallen among men, even rejected by society. But if we sincerely pray to guru and Krsna, asking Lord Caitanya for His causeless mercy, our lives, too, shall be transformed. It is a fact.

Remain strong in your convictions and always do the very best you can. Your success is measured only by your sincerity of heart. If we remain true to the precepts of Krsna consciousness, Lord Caitanya will surely bestow His unlimited mercy upon us. Hare Krsna.

Your worthless servant,
Tirtha dasa