When prasad is so purifying, why don’t those who take prasad regularly get fully purified?

The question is that when we take prasad, prasad is said to purify those who take the prasad. So, how exactly do people get purified by taking prasad? See, prasad is one form of devotion, taking prasad is one form of devotional service. But it is not the only form of devotional service.

We want to make, develop a full relationship with Krishna. So, in the Mahaprasad prayers also we say, Say annamrut pao, Radha Krishna guna gaon. We only take annamrut and we forget to do Radha Krishna guna gaon.

We only take the food and we don't chant the glories. So, prasadam is a part of a full package. And that package is meant for redirecting our heart towards Krishna.

So, we need food in life to eat. And bhakti is so inclusive. Bhakti allows us to even accommodate our desire to eat delicious food within the fold of bhakti.

You want to eat delicious food? Yes. Offer it to Krishna and eat delicious food. But gradually, so initially when we take prasad, we are attracted simply to the taste of the prasad.

Oh, this tastes so good. And that's why when devotees cook food, they also cook it well so that it tastes good. But in due course of time, gradually, we start realizing that this prasad tastes good because it is connected with Krishna.

They said in Chaitanya Charita Amrit, when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would taste prasad, actually he would taste the nectar of Krishna's lips. Krishna has tasted this prasad. How delicious this would be.

So, initially when we taste prasad, we are simply tasting the food. But as we become purified, we start tasting the remembrance of Krishna. We are tasting the love of Krishna.

You know, for Madhavendra Puri, Gopinathji stole kheer. And in that pastime, it is described that Madhavendra Puri ate all the kheer. I feel very joyful.

But after that, he kept the pot. And every day, he would take a small particle of that pot and eat that pot also. Pot is not something to be eaten.

But he was actually not just tasting the sugar and the milk when he was tasting the kheer. He was tasting Gopinath's love. And even when he was taking the mud that made the pot, that time also he was tasting Gopinath's love.

So, as we become purified, we see the connection of Krishna with the prasad. And that becomes the source of our happiness. Then we become more and more purified.

So, that's why when we distribute prasad, our goal is not just to distribute food. We want to distribute food and distribute food to spiritual knowledge both. So, by prasad, by taking prasad, people get connected with Krishna in one way.

But along with that, when there is distribution of spiritual knowledge also, when people get connected with Krishna intellectually, people get connected with Krishna through their emotions, they dance and sing in kirtans, say Radha Krishna Guna Gau. So, prasad is a part of a complete package. And what we need to do is, prasad can often be the starting point.

But people need to be encouraged to take prasad and practice the other limbs of bhakti also. And to the extent we practice all the limbs of bhakti, including taking prasad, to that extent we will become very steadily purified. Very rapidly purified also.

Very quickly purified. Otherwise, if a person is taking only prasad and not doing other limbs of bhakti, that is also purifying. But that will be very slow purification.

There is purification, but it is slow because one is not directing one's heart towards Krishna. One is only taking food that is offered to Krishna without any attempt to direct one's heart. That's why the purification will be relatively slower.

But if a person starts practicing the whole process of bhakti and takes prasad, they end up in miraculous progress. Thank you very much.