If eating opulent prasad harms our consciousness how can we regulate our eating?

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, a question from Suraj Pramod, when we eat opulent Prasad, it affects our consciousness in negative ways, we start becoming passionate. On the other hand, when we eat simple Prasad, our consciousness stays much more sattvic and spiritual.
So, is it that, although Prasad is transcendental, does it still affect our consciousness? And, do we, how important is it to regulate our taking of Prasad also? So, Prabhupada writes in N.O.M. Vaachyo Vegam, Jeeva Vegam, and then he writes that, as devotees, if we eat too much Prasad, or if, say, he gives the example of, somebody goes to the house of a grahastha, just so that one can eat opulent Prasad, then that is, that one is a coming to Jeeva Vegam. So, Prabhupada, in that sense, was quite clear, and, there are a number of quotes of Prabhupada also, I think, in Brahmacharya and Krishna consciousness, in eating, there are a number of quotes of Prabhupada, even when he talks about how, when devotees are asked, Prabhupada said that, food should be sumptuous, but not opulent. Sumptuous means, it should be adequate in quantity.
And there he writes that, rice, dal, sabzi, chapati, or normal food, which is what is the right, that can be, that should be the normal diet, and opulent food should be occasional. Say, like once a week, Sunday feast, or festivals. So, he said, so he discourages, especially those who are in the ground store, and devotees in general, from taking opulent food, to regularly.
Now, there are, two approaches to this. One is, that, some devotees, try to be very strict about their food, and avoid all sweets, and, avoid all opulent foods. Now, if it is possible, and if you find that, it really helps us in our Krishna consciousness, then, we can do it.
But, if that itself becomes a, continuous battle, which, is consuming our mental energy, then the focus is not just to not eat sweets, the focus is to fix the mind on Krishna. So, what happens is, there is too much attachment to, opulent food, then, then, even when we say no, before we say no, there is so much struggle. And after we say no also, there is so much regret.
Maybe I should have taken. And then, we are also, trying to, substitute, the loss of, gross, sense gratification, with, subtle sense gratification. That means, you know, oh, I didn’t eat, see I am so retarded.
Others are so attached. So, when we do like that, then basically, we become distracted from Krishna. So, and sometimes what happens, we, sort of, follow very strict standard for 5-6 days, and then, we feel that I deserve a break, and then, in English the word is binge.
Binge means, we just, do a lot of, excessivity. So, that is one way, it requires a lot of determination, but it’s not just determination, sometimes it just leads to excessive, distraction. So, for us, even renunciation, is meant to, meant to, help us fix our mind on Krishna.
In the 11th Canto, there is a verse where, it says that, Krishna has told Uddhava, that even if a devotee is unable to control his senses, the devotee should not become discouraged. So, it says that one should not become a, frustrated devotee of renunciation. So, we make renunciation like our God, and when we are unable to attain that God, we become frustrated and disheartened.
We should still say, enthusiastic devotees of Krishna. So, if there is a certain standard which, by our experience, we find that, it is difficult to follow, and it is too distracting, then we can have some level of regulation. So generally, when Radhananda Maharaj asked this question, he said that, you know, the main thing is for devotees, eat only pasar, and eat at fixed times.
If these two things we can follow, a lot of regulation will happen. Eat at fixed times means, that, when the normal pasar is served, if along with that some sweet food comes, we can take that. Normally what happens is, if we are taking in a, in a, in the prasadam hall or something like that, then, it is unlikely that we will take too much.
We will take a little bit, one helping, two helping, three helpings. But, if we have food to ourselves, then it may be, it may be more likely that, if somebody comes and gets this pasar, somebody comes and gives that prasad, then it may be more likely that we will take a lot of it. So, if that also we can do, that just regulate ourselves, to fixed times, and even if somebody else gives prasad at other times, we can accept it, and take it at the time of prasad.
So then, even if there is opulent, generally speaking, the, opulent food, it’s also part of, the cuisine of prasad, so it’s not that we have to give it up. But it’s just that, we have to regulate, regulate its quantity. So, that’s why, how do we do that? That is, as I said, by giving fixed quantity, and at fixed times.
Not, that should be good enough. Only to get too much distracted in terms of, emotional energy. And, if sometimes the consciousness goes down, that is also, I would say not so much because prasad is a problem, but because we are too caught up.
Sometimes the mind beats us with guilt. You made a resolution, you didn’t stick to it. So, that is also not required.
Again, okay, I have over it. Fine. When Prabhupada was asked what is prasad, if you are over it, then work harder.
Don’t just have to over it, he doesn’t go to sleep.