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GURU 13 - FishGURU 13 - Fish
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THE LESSON LEARNT BY THE AVADHUTA BRAHMANA
The instruction learned from the fish is that because he comes
under the sway of attachment to the sense of taste, he is caught on the
baited fishhook and must die. Similarly, an unintelligent person who is
victimized by his insatiable tongue will also end up losing his life.
The Theme – Uncontrolled sense of taste
SLOKA RECITATION
Let us learn a sloka from the Bhagavad Gita which teaches us something
about the above theme.
Before teaching the present verse, the teacher should begin the class by
chanting all the verses of the 24 Gurus with the children all together.
Chant the 13th verse of the 24 Gurus again.
Learn the 13th verse. (The teacher recites the sloka line by line and makes the
children repeat and memorize the sloka)
Bg 17.10
yäta-yämaà gata-rasaà
püti paryuñitaà ca yat
ucchiñöam api cämedhyaà
bhojanaà tämasa-priyam
(Definition of junk food)
Food prepared more than three hours before being eaten, food that is tasteless,
decomposed and putrid, and food consisting of remnants and untouchable things is
dear to those in the mode of darkness.
1/3 60 mins 180 mins
Learn the 13th verse. (The teacher recites the sloka line by line and makes the
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Once the monkeys
of Lord Rama’s
army decided that
just like the human
beings, they will
also fast for ekadasi. They started fasting.
Suddenly one monkey got an idea, he
said, “After we fast the whole day, we
will not have the strength to even stand
up what to speak of collecting fruits.” He
proposed, “Let us collect the fruits and
keep them with us and we will eat them
tomorrow.” Accordingly, they collected
all the fruits and kept. Few hours later,
another monkey said, “What if we don’t
have the energy to peel the fruits.
Let us now peel the fruits and keep them
we will have to just pop them in our
mouths tomorrow.” Yet another monkey
said, “What if we don’t have the energy
to raise the fruits to our mouths, so let
us keep the fruits in our mouth and let
us eat them tomorrow.” They all popped
them into their mouths
and filled it with
fruits. Then it dawned
to another monkey,
“What if we don’t have
energy to bite them.”
So they all bit the fruits
and that was the end of
their ekadasi.
STORY 1- MONKEYS FASTING FOR EKADASI
them into their mouths
and filled it with
fruits. Then it dawned
to another monkey,
“What if we don’t have
energy to bite them.”
So they all bit the fruits
and that was the end of
just like the human
STORY 2 - GREATNESS OF RANTIDEV
Rantideva was so exalted that he would
sometimes give away his own food in
charity, and he and his family would
fast. Once, after Rantideva spent forty-
eight days fasting, not even drinking
water, excellent food made with ghee
was brought to him, but when he was
about to eat it a brähmaëa guest
appeared. Rantideva,therefore,
did not eat the food, but
instead immediately offered a
portion of it to the brähmaëa.
When the brähmaëa left and Rantideva
was just about to eat the remnants of
the food, a çüdra appeared.
Rantideva therefore divided
the remnants between the
çüdra and himself. Again,
when he was just about to
eat the remnants of the food, another
guest appeared. Rantideva therefore
gave the rest of the food to the new
guest and was about to content himself
with drinking the water to quench his
thirst, but this also was precluded, for a
person appeared with a pack of dogs and
he requested
Rantideva to
give him the water as his dogs were
thirsty for many days. Rantideva happily
gave it. This was all ordained by the
Supreme Personality of Godhead just
to glorify His devotee and show how
tolerant a devotee is in service to the
Lord. The Supreme Personality of
Godhead, being extremely pleased with
Rantideva, entrusted him with very
confidential service. The special power
to render the most confidential service
is entrusted by the Supreme Personality
of Godhead to a pure devotee, not to
ordinary devotees.
was brought to him, but when he was
about to eat it a brähmaëa guest
did not eat the food, but
person appeared with a pack of dogs and
was just about to eat the remnants of
LESSONS FROM GURU

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Srila Prabhupada once went to
the house of a life member to
have food. They served him un-
offered food. Srila Prabhupada’s disciples
were shocked and did not know what
to do – but when they saw that Srila
Prabhupada did not say anything and
quietly ate the food, they also followed
suit – but later when the host was not
around – Srila Prabhupada fired them
for not prior informing the host about
offering the food. Srila
Prabhupada told them that
they should always make
it a point to offer the food
and only then serve. Also Prabhupada
had the purity to digest the food but the
disciples did not.
STORY 3 - SRILA PRABHUPADA AND PRASADAM
Prabhupada told them that
EXAMPLE 1 -FROM OUR DAILY LIVES
We see in our society or
in our lives too, that we
are addicted to the sense
of taste and to satisfy that
we are ready to go to any extent. For
example, people living in one end of the
city are willing to travel the entire stretch
of the city to eat and satisfy their taste
buds. We see that kids are also addicted
to eating foodstuff provided by
outlets like Mcdonalds, which they
would not like to substitute at any cost.
Power point of “Bhanu”
HOW IS IT RELEVANT IN MY LIFE?
When we eat food, we should be careful about the source of the
food. Consciousness makes a lot of difference. Who is cooking, who
is cutting the vegetables, who is serving us, etc. Because at every stage
the vibrations in the consciousness are transferred from one person to
another via the object of transfer. For example, when a video is being
taken, the object is converted into a wave and transferred from one
place to another through an antenna, then in the other place the same
wave is captured by a receiver and converted back into an object and
shown in the television. This is conversion of wave into particle and
particle back into wave.
Similarly, when someone cooks food, his consciousness is in the form of
vibrations, enters the food particles and when these food particles are consumed
another via the object of transfer. For example, when a video is being
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by us, they enter our minds and affect our consciousness. Thus we
get influenced by others. Do we not find a great difference in the
food cooked at home by our mother and the food we eat outside,
not in terms of taste but in terms of love and affection contained
in the food. Food cooked for money and food cooked out of love
always taste different. You can ask this question to those who stay
in hostels.
Therefore, we should be careful which type of food we eat and especially
whom it is cooked by.
The tongue is like radar of the ship. The radar may seem to be a very small
unit compared to the other parts of the ship. But it plays a vital role to direct the
ship. Similarly, the tongue acts as radar to direct the ship of our lives.
You can observe your friends and others; from their external behaviour,
you can predict their food habits. If you see a person very sleepy all the
time and acting very lazily, you should know that either he is eating old
food or heavy meat or intoxicants.
Similarly, if you find someone very active and good in his behaviour and
personal hygiene, you can understand that he is eating food in mode of goodness.
Even externally your habits are influenced by the kind of food that goes
into your mouth. Therefore, by controlling the tongue and feeding it only Krishna
Prasad, you can actually influence and change your own personality.
Since we cannot eat food cooked by non-devotees and simultaneously, our
tongue hankers for good tasty food, you can get both if you learn to cook yourself.
Therefore this is also an opportunity to learn cooking which is an interesting hobby.

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SLOKA RECITATION
Bg 17.10
LESSONS FROM GURU
Kali Yuga rules us…
A passer-by noticed an old lady
sitting on her front step.
He asked: “I couldn’t help
noticing how happy you look!
What is your secret for such a
long, happy life?”
Project the picture of Lady
smoking “Kali yuga rules.”
“I smoke 4 packs of cigarettes a
day”, she said. “Before I go to bed, I smoke a nice big joint. Apart from that, I drink
a whole bottle of Jack
Daniels every week, and eat only junk food. On weekends I pop a huge number of
pills and do no exercise at all.”
“This is absolutely amazing at your age!!”, said the passer-by.
“How old are you?”
“Twenty four”, the lady replied.
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Statistics (Refer ppt)
• Food, education and medicine were free in Vedic times
• 40 % of American meals taken outside.
JUNK FOOD – WHAT IS IT?
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra the armies are lined up to fight on either side
and Arjuna asks Krishna to take him to the centrepoint so that he could see his
opponents. When Krishna starts speaking the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna we find that
of all things he speaks about food on the battlefield. Krsna took time to explain
about food before a battlefield.
Krsna took time out to explain the food choices before the battle.
Bhagavad gita says in 17th chapter
äyuù-sattva-balärogya-
sukha-préti-vivardhanäù
rasyäù snigdhäù sthirä hådyä
ähäräù sättvika-priyäù
Foods dear to those in the mode of goodness increase the duration of life, purify
one’s existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction. Such foods are
juicy, fatty, wholesome, and pleasing to the heart.
Bg 17.9
kaöv-amla-lavaëäty-uñëa-
tékñëa-rükña-vidähinaù
ähärä räjasasyeñöä
duùkha-çokämaya-pradäù
Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning are dear to
those in the mode of passion. Such foods cause distress, misery and disease.
Bg 17.10
Comment - Fish is caught, Vaco Vegam, Sadhu steals the plate accidentally, Krsna
only ate from Vidura,
PURPORT

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The purpose of food
is to increase the duration of life, purify the mind and aid bodily
strength. This is its only purpose. In the past, great authorities
selected those foods that best aid health and increase life’s duration,
such as milk products, sugar, rice, wheat, fruits and vegetables. These
foods are very dear to those in the mode of goodness. Some other
foods, such as baked corn and molasses, while not very palatable in themselves, can
be made pleasant when mixed with milk or other foods.
Protein is amply available through split peas, däl, whole wheat, etc.
Foods in the mode of passion,
which are bitter, too salty, or too hot or overly mixed with red pepper,
cause misery by reducing the mucus in the stomach, leading to disease.
Foods in the mode of ignorance or darkness are essentially those that
are not fresh. Any food cooked more than three hours before it is eaten
(except prasädam, food offered to the Lord) is considered to be in the
mode of darkness. Because they are decomposing, such foods give a bad
odor, which often attracts people in this mode but repulses those in the
mode of goodness.
Food In the mode of ignorance
Remnants of food may be eaten only when they are a part of a meal
that was first offered to the Supreme Lord or first eaten by saintly
persons, especially the spiritual master. Otherwise, the remnants of
food are considered to be in the mode of darkness, and they increase
infection or disease. Such foodstuffs, although very palatable to
persons in the mode of darkness, are neither liked nor even touched by those in the
mode of goodness.
According to Wikipedia, junk food is a term describing food that is perceived to be
unhealthy or having poor nutritional value, according to Food Standards Agency.
Definition according to modern context
- A food that is high in fat, sodium, and/or sugar is known as a junk food.
Junk Food includes those food items that do not add any value to a person’s
diet. Here, value denotes essential nutrients, vitamins & minerals. Street
food and fast food are also taken in the same context as junk.
No nutrients means junk food
So, what exactly is junk food? Irrespective of where junk food is made, it is on the
basis of how much value it contains in terms of nutrients that we get to decide what
junk food is. More over, junk food, apart from adding up empty calories, also causes
harm to the eater.
Foods in the mode of ignorance or darkness are essentially those that
mode of darkness. Because they are decomposing, such foods give a bad
persons in the mode of darkness, are neither liked nor even touched by those in the
Definition according to modern context
diet. Here, value denotes essential nutrients, vitamins & minerals. Street
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Remember, junk foods are empty calories. An empty calorie lacks in micro-
nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, or amino acids, and fiber but has high energy
(calories).
Since junk food is high in fats and sugars, it is responsible for obesity, dental cavities,
and heart diseases.
Junk foods have low satiation value. And they replace other, more nutritious foods
like vegetables and fruits. Such foods are low in fiber and high in fat and sugar, thus
making them very unhealthy.
List of Junk Foods
Sugar and its effect
Given below is a list of junk food (empty calorie) items that you
should avoid. It is now up to you how you can keep your four
trillion cells happy.
• Sugars, Refined foods, like sugar and plain flour (maida) based items like
white bread and most packaged goods, like Twinkies and sugar donuts, etc. (Sugar
Substitutes)Our body eventually turns sugars into fat.
• If you consume just 3 tsp of sugar daily, imagine how much sugar you would
have consumed by the time you are 50 years of age; it will be about 275 kg !, about
5 times your weight !!
Fats & Hydrogenated oils (HIGHLY REACTIVE COLORLESS GAS)
• Theyarefoundincookies,chips,candybars,friedfoods,muffins,
bologna, etc. etc. Many snacks, such as potato chips, cheeseburgers
and fries, have high levels of fat, sugar or salt-ingredients that are
usually best limited to a small portion of your diet.
saturated fat
• It mainly comes from animal products. Remember there is nothing
that is useful for our body in foods with hydrogenated or trans fat.
The excessive fats stick to our arteries and cause the blockages leading
to heart disease and strokes. They can also aid to cancer, arthritis,
PMS (pre menstrual syndrome) and sexual dysfunction.
Salt
• Excessive salt is not good for our body (Daily Salt
Recommendation). However, sodium in moderate amount, along
with potassium, maintains the water balance in our body. But too
Excessive salt is not good for our body (Daily Salt
• Sugars, Refined foods, like sugar and plain flour (maida) based items like

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much sodium can cause high blood pressure. Pretzels, chips and many canned food
items contain excessive salt. (a href=”/nutrition/high-sodium.html”>High sodium
food list)
Unhealthy condition for preparation
• When we speak of street food, the fact that it’s cooked in unhealthy conditions
makes it unhealthier than the same food made at home. Coming to the latter, fast
food is the kind of food item which can be made & served quickly. According to
Wikipedia, any meal with relatively low preparation time can be considered fast
food.
For teacher’s reference
Gutters are open nearby.
You may be walking down the street and your eyes and your
nose are attracted by the texture and aroma of your favourite dish
being prepared on a cart. what you overlook is that when you
are eating how the conditions are nearby sometimes gutters are open nearby which
means many germs and flies moving around the junk food stall cantaminating it.
this is extemely unhealthy state for one to eat.
Animals stand when they eat.
It is very interesting to note that while eating fast food majority
of people have to eat it on the move or standing which makes them
no different than animals unlike in a much more vedic way of sitting
down on an asana and being served by someone whom you know and
love.
White flour and cheese
• The biggest irony regarding junk food is the fact that it’s
mostly prepared out of healthy food. In many items coming
within the periphery of the term, vegetables are used as the
main ingredients. Consider a pizza loaded with a thick vegetable topping. Who
would refute the nutrients provided by the thick veggie topping? Now, the junk
factor of pizza comes from the cheese sprinkled over the vegetables. Even though
cheese is good for health, an excess of it is not recommended. And of course, the
pizza base, made out of refined flour, does contain empty calories.
Too much fried
• Coming to Indian junk food, locally called ‘chaat’, these mostly
include the very famous samosas, kachoris, panipuris/golgappas and
patties. These are fried items with various fillings within an outer layer
made of refined flour.

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Chinese food
• In India, even Chinese food sold in road-side stalls is junk
food because they contain high amount of Monosodium Glutamate
(MSG), which is a flavour enhancer. MSG is recognized as a health
hazard if taken in larger quantities.
A junk food has little enzyme producing vitamins & minerals and
contains high level of calories. When we eat these empty calorie foods, the body is
required to produce its own enzymes to convert these empty calories into usable
energy. This is not desired as these enzyme producing functions in our body should
be reserved for the performance of vital metabolic reactions.
Once some Chinese devotees were slated to cook authentic Chinese
prasadam for all the devotees. All were looking forward to it. When
the time for honouring pradsadam arrived, everyone had the first
morsel. It was completely alien, as in India the food that is sold as
Chinese and what the devotees prepared was completely different.
So we could infer that what we get in India is just some noodles with
spices suited to the Indian tongue.
Ill effects of eating
Junk Food
1. Concept of EATING FAST
• Eveniftheylikeeatingthem,mostpeoplerecognizethatprocessed
burgers and synthetic chips, served up in paper and plastic containers,
is junk food. McDonalds prefer the name “fast-food”. This is not just
because it is manufactured and served as quickly as possible - it has
to be eaten quickly too. It’s sign of the junk-quality of Big Macs that
people actually hold competitions to see who can eat one in the shortest time.
EATING WHILE CHEWING - DRINK YOUR FOOD, EAT YOUR DRINK
• Chewing is essential for good health, as it promotes the flow of digestive juices
which break down the food and send nutrients into the blood.
McDonalds food is so lacking in bulk it is hardly possible to chew
it. Even their own figures show that a “quarter-pounder” is 48%
water. This sort of fake food encourages over-eating, and the
high sugar and sodium content can make people develop a kind
of addiction - a ‘craving’. That means more profit for McDonalds,
but constipation, clogged arteries and heart attacks for many customers.
the time for honouring pradsadam arrived, everyone had the first

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Ayurveda says be conscious of your eating.
Chewing is essential for good health, as it promotes the flow of digestive juices
which break down the food and send nutrients into the blood.
At the Mysore zoo, a board put up by the authorities outside the tiger’s
cage was pretty interesting. It said, “Please do not throw any eatables
to the tiger. Eating outside food will be injurious to the tiger’s health.”
Eating sugar cane, beetle nuts, fruits.
2. Ill effects of packed food
One problem with junk foods is that they’re low in satiation value -- that is, people
don’t tend to feel as full when they eat them -- which can lead to overeating.
Another problem is that junk food tends to replace other, more nutritious foods.
* It’s low in fiber.
* It’s high in palatability (that is, it tastes good).
* It offers a high number of calories (measuring the energy value of
food) in a small volume.
* It’s high in fat.
* It’s high in sugar in liquid form.
Soft Drinks
“The relationship between soft drink consumption and body weight is so
strong that researchers calculate that for each additional soda consumed, the risk of
obesity increases 1.6 times.”
“Adolescents who consume soft drinks display a risk of bone
fractures three to four-fold higher than those who do not.”
“Sugar and acid in soft drinks easily dissolve tooth enamel.“
“Aspartame contains methyl or wood alcohol, which can
affect fetal brain development.”
“Americans drink 4,97,72,75,00,000 litres of carbonated drinks every year.“
Indians drink about 1.96 crore bottles (300 ml) daily.
Show ppt of Soft Drinks
Chocolate is sticky, it sticks to the teeth.
Srila Prabhupada in London talking to the gardener about his teeth.
In 1969, when Prabhupäda stayed at John Lennon’s estate, he liked
to walk in the misty morning through the gardens and groves. It
Chewing is essential for good health, as it promotes the flow of digestive juices
Another problem is that junk food tends to replace other, more nutritious foods.
* It offers a high number of calories (measuring the energy value of

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GURU 13 - Fish
was there that Prabhupäda met the head gardener, an old English
gentleman who used to wear a tweed suit jacket even when digging in
the earth. The gardener had shown no interest in the philosophy or
the devotees, but when Prabhupäda came he was interested to meet
him. On Prabhupäda’s first morning walk the head gardener presented himself.
Prabhupäda was also dressed in a gentlemanly way, wearing a long black coat, black
hat, and Wellington boots.
“I am the head gardener here,” said the man. Prabhupäda said he was glad to meet him
and asked him, “What are you growing?” The gardener eagerly showed Prabhupäda
some of the plants and fruits he was raising in the greenhouse, including watermelons
and varieties of flowers. He also pulled out trays from underneath a greenhouse table
and showed Prabhupäda his mushrooms.
“Oh, we do not eat this,” said Prabhupäda. “This is fungus.” The man admitted that
it was a fungus. Prabhupäda explained that mushrooms do not have a good taste,
and because they grow in a dark damp place, they are considered food in the mode
of ignorance. Çréla Prabhupäda then suggested that the gardener should try to grow
ladyfingers, but the man didn’t know what Prabhupäda meant. Prabhupäda pointed
to his own fingers. “You should grow these ladyfingers.” He gave the Hindi word,
bhiëòé, which the man also couldn’t understand. Finally the gardener understood
that Prabhupäda was talking about okra. Prabhupäda asked if the man could grow
mangos, but he said he couldn’t, not even in the greenhouse.
“What is your age?” asked Prabhupäda. The gardener replied that he was sixty-six.
Prabhupäda said, “Do you still have all your teeth?”
The gardener seemed to be a little embarrassed, but replied, “No, I don’t. I have all
false teeth.”
“My age is seventy-two,” said Prabhupäda, “but I have all my teeth.”
Prabhupäda opened his mouth and showed.
The gardener replied, “I’ve lost all my teeth because I like sweet things
too much.”
“I also like sweets,” said Prabhupäda. “I eat many sweets myself—
rasagullä, guläbjamüns. But I am eating the right kind of sweets. You should also eat
these sweets.”
After that, when taking his morning walk, Prabhupäda regularly greeted the gardener
with a few words, or at least, whenever the gardener was working at a distance, they
exchanged a wave of hands.
3. Obesity
Over one-half of the adult population in the US is constantly
trying to lose weight, yearly spending over 30 billion dollars.
It is estimated that only 2-5% of those who attain their desired
weight goals or inch 1 actually stay there.

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Moderation is half-way between disaster and discipline.
We do not have the concept of drinking moderately and eating meat moderately.
Physically and spiritually they are harmful therefore they are strictly eliminated from
our lives. Similarly the above description shows that it is poisonous and karmically
dangerous. Elimination is the best policy.
Socially -
There’s no point in feeling guilty about eating while watching starving African
children on TV. If you do send money to Band Aid, or shop at Oxfam, etc., that’s
morally good but politically useless. It shifts the blame from governments and does
nothing to challenge the power of multinational corporations.
*fast food corporations with investments in vast tracts of land in poor countries,
sold to them by the dollar-hungry rulers (often military) and privileged elites,
evicting the small farmers that live there growing food for their own people.
ThepoweroftheUSdollarmeansthatinordertobuytechnologyandmanufactured
goods, poor countries are trapped into producing more and more food for export to
the States. Out of 40 of the world’s poorest countries, 36 export food to the USA –
the wealthiest country in the world.
It shows that we are karmically responsible to starve the poor villagers. Actually
we are doing charity for the rich people to become rich.
Junk food economy
Some ‘Third World’ countries, where most children are
undernourished, are actually exporting their staple crops as animal
feed - i.e. to fatten cattle for turning into burgers in the ‘First World’.
Millions of acres of the best farmland in poor countries are being
used for our benefit - for tea, coffee, tobacco, etc. - while people there
are starving. Fast Food Company is directly involved in this economic imperialism,
which keeps most black people poor and hungry while many whites grow fat. These
companies produce both veg and non-veg junk food, if you are vegetarian or non-
vegetarian, their profits are not divided. We are directly involved in cutting and help
them slaughter more animals and starve the poor in third world country.

GURU 13 - FishGURU 13 - FishGURU 13 - Fish
WHY ONE CRAVES FOR JUNK FOOD?
*(Refer ppt)
There is also an additional (and little known) reason for physical cravings: an
imbalance in your inner ecosystem.
An imbalanced inner ecosystem is caused by stress, toxins, drugs and poor
dietary habits, like eating too many processed foods...essentially the
basics of our “modern” lifestyle. Some babies are even born today with
an imbalanced inner ecosystem, which sets the stage for childhood
illness and low immunity.
UNDERSTANDING UNDERLYING PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND JUNK FOOD
Half information
McDONALDS try to show in their “Nutrition Guide” (which is full of
impressive-looking but really quite irrelevant facts & figures) that mass-
produced hamburgers, chips, colas, milkshakes, etc., are a useful and
nutritious part of any diet.
What they don’t make it clear is that a diet high in fat, sugar, animal products and
salt (sodium), and low in fiber, vitamins and minerals - which describes an average
McDonalds meal - is linked with cancers of the breast and bowel, and heart disease.
This is an accepted medical fact, not a cranky theory. Every year in Britain, heart
disease alone causes about 180,000 deaths.
Nutritional guide - full of impressive-looking but really quite irrelevant facts &
figures, colorful gimmicks and ‘family fun are tricks.
THE NORMALITY TRAP
• Noparentneedstobetoldhowdifficultitistodistractachild
from insisting on a certain type of food or treat. Advertisements
portraying McDonalds as a happy, circus-like place where
burgers and chips are provided for everybody at any hour of the
day (and late at night), traps children into thinking that they
aren’t ‘normal’ if they don’t go there too. Appetite, necessity and
- above all - money, never enter the ‘innocent’ world of Ronald
McDonald.
We used to discuss. I am getting bored what should we do? Lets go to this restaurant.
We have never experienced hunger.
Money seems big in the temple and insignificant in the restaurant.
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SLOKA RECITATION
JUNK FOOD SEMINAR CONTINUED...
Understanding Junk Food from Spiritual Perpective.
• Regulated Eating
Bg 6.17 - Yuktahara viharasya…
Eating is yoga
Eating is not just an activity; it can be a possible spiritual experience.
So many different pastimes of Lord Caitanya in the CC are related
to eating Prasad. Lord Caitanya took Prasad only in the house of
Vaishnavas.
It has to be balanced. We should not live to eat, but eat to live.
Bg 6.16 Spiritually - Eating bhoga
Too much eating means eating more than is required to keep the body and soul
together. There is no need for men to eat animals, because there is an ample supply
of grains, vegetables, fruits and milk. Such simple foodstuff is considered to be in
the mode of goodness according to the Bhagavad-gétä. Animal food is for those in
the mode of ignorance. Therefore, those who indulge in animal food, drinking,
smoking and eating food which is not first offered to Kåñëa will suffer sinful reactions
because of eating only polluted things. Bhuïjate te tv aghaà päpä ye pacanty ätma-
käraëät. Anyone who eats for sense pleasure, or cooks for himself, not offering his
food to Kåñëa, eats only sin. One who eats sin and eats more than is allotted to him
cannot execute perfect yoga. It is best that one eat only the remnants of foodstuff
offered to Kåñëa. A person in Kåñëa consciousness does not eat anything which is
not first offered to Kåñëa. Therefore, only the Kåñëa conscious person can attain
perfection in yoga practice.
• Control the Tongue
Antya 6.227
jihvära lälase yei iti-uti dhäya
çiçnodara-paräyaëa kåñëa nähi päya“
“One who is subservient to the tongue and who thus goes here and
there, devoted to the genitals and the belly, cannot attain Kåñëa.”
to eating Prasad. Lord Caitanya took Prasad only in the house of

156
GURU 13 - Fish
Fish is caught by its tongue
A fish seeing some food that immediately gets drawn towards it does not
realizing that the same food will be the cause for its death as it is clipped
on to a hook which will trap it. Thus being a slave of its tongue it has to
pay a heavy price i.e. losing its life.
• Bad karma
THE menu at McDonalds is based on meat. They sell millions of burgers every day
in 35 countries throughout the world. This means that there is constant slaughter,
day by day, of animals born and bred solely to be turned into
McDonalds products.
Some of them - especially chickens and pigs - spend their lives
in the entirely artificial conditions of huge factory farms, with no access to
air or sunshine and no freedom of movement. Their deaths are bloody and barbaric.
These companies produce both vegetarian and non-vegetarian junk food, either you
are veg or non-veg their profit are not divided. We are directly involved in cutting
and help them slaughter more animals and starve the poor in third world country.
Exploitation of mind, body and soul
WHAT’s wrong with McDonalds is also wrong with all the junk-
food chains like Wimpy, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Wendy, etc. All
of them hide their ruthless exploitation of resources, animals and
people behind a facade of colourful gimmicks and ‘family fun’. The
food itself is much the same everywhere - only the packaging is
different. The rise of these firms means less choice, not more. They
are one of the worst examples of industries motivated only by profit,
and geared to continual expansion.
This materialist mentality is affecting all areas of our lives, with giant conglomerates
dominating the market place, allowing little or no room for people to create genuine
choices. But alternatives do exist, and many are gathering support every day from
people rejecting big business in favour of small-scale self-organization and co-
operation.
The point is not to change McDonalds into some sort of vegetarian organization,
but to change the whole system itself. Anything less would still be a rip-off.
Karma - Mamsa
The karma for killing of an animal is that you have to take birth as that animal in
your next life and the animal will similarly kill you
MURDERING A BIG MAC
A fish seeing some food that immediately gets drawn towards it does not

157
• In the slaughterhouse, animals often struggle to escape. Cattle become frantic
as they watch the animal before them in the killing-line being prodded, beaten,
electrocuted, and knifed.
A recent British government report criticized inefficient stunning methods
which frequently result in animals having their throats cut while still fully conscious.
McDonalds are responsible for the deaths of countless animals by this supposedly
humane method. We have the choice to eat meat or not. The 450 million animals
killed for food in Britain every year have no choice at all. It is often said that after
visiting an abattoir, people become nauseous at the thought of eating flesh. How
many of us would be prepared to work in a slaughterhouse and kill the animals we
eat?
Bg 3.13
yajïa-çiñöäçinaù santo
mucyante sarva-kilbiñaiù
bhuïjate te tv aghaà päpä
ye pacanty ätma-käraëät
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.Bg 1.41
According to the rules and regulations of fruitive activities, there is a need
to offer periodical food and water to the forefathers of the family. This offering
is performed by worship of Viñëu, because eating the remnants of food offered to
Viñëu can deliver one from all kinds of sinful actions. Sometimes the forefathers
may be suffering from various types of sinful reactions, and sometimes some of
them cannot even acquire a gross material body and are forced to remain in subtle
bodies as ghosts. Thus, when remnants of prasädam food are offered to forefathers
by descendants, the forefathers are released from ghostly or other kinds of miserable
life. Such help rendered to forefathers is a family tradition, and those who are not
in devotional life are required to perform such rituals. One who is engaged in the
devotional life is not required to perform such actions. Simply
by performing devotional service, one can deliver hundreds
and thousands of forefathers from all kinds of misery.

158
STORY 1 - YAJA AND UPAYAJA
There were two brahmanas
named Yaja and Upayaja – a king
wanted to perform a karma
kandi sacrifice. And he
knew that only these 2 brahmanas
were qualified to perform that
sacrifice. So he approached Yaja asking
him whether he could perform this
sacrifice. Yaja declined saying that he
could not do this kind of sacrifice. But he
recommended that he should ask
his brother and he will definitely
be able to do so.
The king asked him how
his brother will agree to this. Yaja said
that yesterday he ate a fruit, lying
on the ground without even knowing
its source. So he was contaminated.
Therefore he has lost his pious credits and
he therefore can perform this sacrifice.
were qualified to perform that
sacrifice. So he approached Yaja asking on the ground without even knowing
STORY 2 - REASON FOR KRISHNA‘S NOT EATING IN DURYODHANA‘S
HOUSE. (HURTING KRSNA - DVESA TANUNA BHOGTAVYAM)
1. I don`t love you, no
relationship of love and affection
2. I am not hungry
• Anyone who hates the
Pandavas (my very soul) is
harming me.
Their friends are my friends and
their enemies are my enemies.
• Outside food I do not eat.
• Contaminated food should
not be eaten and people with
contaminated consciousness
should not serve.
EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE EATING JUNK FOOD
Why devotees should never ever eat in outside restaurants or outside food in general?
Eating in Non-vegetarian Restaurants.
1. Many devotees eat in non-veg restaurants but say we are eating only vegetarian
items. If you ever get to visit a kitchen you will be shocked to see how the cooking
takes place in the kitchen. Externally everything will be clean, so called ISO standards
but what about the cooks. During peak hours when there is a lot of pressure we find
that instances of vegetarian food getting mixed with some non - vegetarian stuff. E.g.
The same waste water used while cooking non- veg items is used to cook vegetarian
dishes.
In a famous chinese restaurant, a person experienced some thing strange
while eating veg biryani, to his horror he found a small piece of non-
veg in it. He immediately brought it to the notice of the kitchen. After
he demanded explanation he protested to be allowed to have a look in
the kitchen, he caught them using the wastewater of non-veg items in
GURU 13 - Fish

159
cooking veg items. He raised a storm there and media was called. But
the mall owners apologized, and they offered food free of cost to him.
The matter was settled there itself behind the scenes, without causing
too much commotion.
ISO is a cleanliness western cleanliness standard. Far below our vaisnava stds.
The milk bottles are not washed properly.
2. In fine dining restaurants, 4 -7 sauces are used to prepare Jain items; these
contain onion garlic in paste form.
3. When Srinathji restaurant was ready to open, they had to delay it by one
month, the chefs who had come for a job there. When they started cooking the fact
was revealed that most of them had never cooked without spices not having
onion garlic paste powdered in it. Even the newly appointed chef confessed
that he used certain things that were naturally not correct, but the fact was
that they had never prepared any preparations without onion or
garlic. These were chefs from reputed hotels. In South Mumbai chefs, the
level of integrity has reduced to a great deal.
4. Survey report shows that 80% of veg restaurant
owners are either co-owning or have a stake in one bar or a non-
veg restaurant. 50% of people have non veg restaurants.
Tomato sauce –
Robert sauce – wrapper says no garlic – no onion but when tested by our devotees
for their use they found out traces of onion and garlic in them. Mainly
used in lower grade vegetarian hotels in pizza and sandwiches.
Manikchand packets found in coca cola bottle? Yes sealed bottle – how? Why?
Sheer carelessness of owner in packaging.
Apple fanta – animal fat found? wrong preservative used provided by a
vendor to apple mfg unit, though they claim to have used it unknowingly even
if devotees have a habit of drinking then what happens if you happen to drink
that bottle from that particular batch. Is it worth taking the risk?
Mountain dew – writing now initially not written for 1 year 3 months not
written
After court case they started writing contains caffeine
Apple fanta – animal fat found? wrong preservative used provided by a
Mountain dew – writing now initially not written for 1 year 3 months not

160
GURU 13 - Fish
A devotee was working in a five star hotel. He had to do this as part
of his hotel management lesson. During the course of his tenure, he
met several people and also saw the internal conditions as to how both
vegetarian and non vegetarian food was cooked in the same kitchen
and served. One time a waiter was attending to a customer who was
very rude in his dealing towards the waiter and never left a tip for him. The waiter
tolerated him for a few times but one day he decided to retaliate, though it might
have costed him his job. So in order to release his frustration he actually spat his
saliva into the dish he ordered and served him.
This is the condition one has to face while eating ouside.
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR OVERCOMING ADDICTION TO JUNK FOOD
Gardening – Gardening is a great way to combine a child’s yearning to
understand the way the world works with concepts about health and food.
Helping children grow their own fruits and vegetables will encourage
them to eat the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor. Chances are that
they will decide what they like something they never used to eat.
Cooking - If you let the children help you prepare the fruits
and veggies, they’ll be eager to find out how they taste. Just remember
to compliment your kids over the deliciousness of the foods they
helped to prepare.
ATTENDING MANGAL ARATI HELPS YOU MAINTAIN YOUR HEALTH? HOW…..?
Harmonize Your Body With Nature
“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”
This English proverb might sound too obsolete to most of you. Going
to bed at 9 pm and rising at 4 am? Come on, this is ridiculous, you
may say. What am I gonna do so early? Sing bhajans, eh?
For those of you who can’t trust the Vedic scriptural statements supporting this
lifestyle, here is some research information from the scientific world:
9:00 pm–11:00 pm: Your body eliminates toxic chemicals from the immune
system. It is best to be sound asleep by 9 pm for your body to properly execute
this important function.
11:00 pm–1:00 am: Your liver eliminates poisons and rejuvenates itself.
12:00 midnight–4:00 am: Your bone marrow produces blood.
1:00 am–3:00 am: Your gall bladder eliminates toxins and rejuvenates itself.
3:00 am–5:00 am: Your lungs eliminate toxins and rejuvenate themselves.
5:00 am–7:00 am: Your colon eliminates poisons and rejuvenates itself. This is
the proper time to empty your bowel.
7:00 am–9:00 am: Vitamins, minerals, proteins and nutrients get absorbed in
your small intestines. You should definitely eat breakfast in this period.

161
Nature acts and moves according to precise rhythm cycles influenced by the
rotation of the earth, sun and moon. The function of sleeping and wakefulness is
part of this natural rhythm. If we act foolishly and go against the natural order and
design of our body, we will pay the price by getting various diseases and problems.
For example, if your body is overtaxed digesting a heavy late meal or you are up late
(after 10 pm) working, playing, watching TV or computer, your vital body energy is
focused there and not available for rest and rejuvenation. Knowing how your body
works can help you regulate your schedule in order to attain the optimum level of
health and wellbeing.
A method to purge sins -
yajïa-çiñöäçinaù santo
mucyante sarva-kilbiñaiù
bhuïjate te tv aghaà päpä
ye pacanty ätma-käraëät
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.
Alternative Solution: Switch over to natural foods like milk, fruits, nuts and vegetables
THE GLORIES OF PRASADAM
NARADA MUNI AND THE SAGEST
NaradaMunisaysthefollowingtoVyasadeva,“Inthelastmillennium
I was born as the son of a certain maidservant engaged in the service
of brähmaëas who were following the principles of Vedänta. When
they were living together during the four months of the rainy season,
I was engaged in their personal service.
Although they were impartial by nature, those followers of the
Vedänta blessed me with their causeless mercy. As far as I was
concerned, I was self-controlled and had no attachment for sports,
even though I was a boy. In addition, I was not naughty, and I did
not speak more than required. Once only, by their permission, I
took the remnants of their food, and by so doing all my sins were
at once eradicated. Thus being engaged, I became purified in heart,
and at that time the very nature of the transcendentalist became attractive to me.”
Srila Prabhupada says that -
The bhakti-vedäntas as above mentioned were pure devotees, and the boy became
infected with their qualities of purity by their association and by eating once the

162
GURU 13 - Fish
remnants of the foodstuff taken by them. Such remnants may be taken
even without permission of the pure devotees. There are sometimes
pseudodevotees, and one should be very much cautious about them.
There are many things which hinder one from entering devotional
service. But by the association of pure devotees all these obstacles are
removed.
RAMANUJA AND LUSTY MAN
Ramanuja and his disciples went to the house of Varadacharya. Now
Varadacharya was a very poor man, he had nothing. In fact he used
just go out to beg to get food for him and his wife. His wife’s name was
Luxmi. So when Ramanujacarya came to the house, Varadacharya was
out begging, door to door. And only Luxmi was home and she was shocked. “Here’s
our Gurumaharaj, Ramanujacarya, with all his topmost disciples had come to my
house.”
And she sat them down, and she was, “Let me cook them a feast.”
But then she looked in the kitchen, there was not a single grain of rice. What to do?
So she told Ramanujacarya and all of his disciples that, “Please go to the Pukur and
take your bath and while you’re taking bath I will prepare your Prasad”.
While they were taking bath she was wandering what to do, “My Guru and my
husband’s Guru is at my home. I must serve him properly but I have nothing to
offer.”
But then she remembered. There was a very wealthy man, who is young
and handsome, who had terrible lust for Luxmi. Again and again he
offered Luxmi all sorts of wealth if she would be enjoyed by him. But
being a chaste and a faithful wife, even though her husband had nothing, she always
totally rejected him and ignored him. Again and again and again he tried to seduce
her but she never reciprocated. So he was beginning to give up hope, but Luxmi
Devi ran out the back door and she went to that wealthy man’s house and went right
into his inner quarters and she told him that, “Tonight I will be enjoyed by you, but
you just do this one thing for me. My Gurumaharaj has come to my house and I
have nothing to offer him. Please send all the bhoga and facilities for me to cook a
wonderful feast for him, and then I will do anything you want tonight.”
He was jubilant; it was the fulfilment of years of his longing to enjoy this beautiful
woman. He sent most delectable grains and vegetables and fruits and
spices. And she prepared an incredible feast and served it to Ramanuja
and all of his disciples who came with him. And in the middle of it all
Varadraj comes home with a little bag of chipped rice that he went out begging to
get, and he sees his Gurumaharaj in his house.
“Ah, Ramanujacarya, Gurudeva, you’re at my house”
And he saw Quresh and Dasarathi and all these disciples and he saw they were all
our Gurumaharaj, Ramanujacarya, with all his topmost disciples had come to my

163
eating a succulent feast of so many opulent preparations, and his wife was serving it.
He was bewildered, he said, “How is this possible?”
He approached his wife and said, “What’s happening? How did he come and where
did you get this Prasad?”
And Luxmi put her head down in great shame and she explained,
“You know that notorious, low-class lusty man? I told him that I
would spend the night with him because I was thinking that service
to the Guru is a love… it’s above anything else, even if I have to go to
hell I must serve my Gurumaharaj properly.”
Varadacharya became ecstatic, he said, “I am so fortunate to have a wife like you,
who has so much faith and devotion to our spiritual master. I am proud of you and I
fully, fully respect and adore the decision that you made to serve our Gurumaharaj.”
Then Varadacharya and Luxmi both told Ramanujacarya about what had transpired.
Are you still awake? Haribol!!!
Ramanujacarya took the remnants of his Maha Maha Prasad and he fed Luxmi and
Varadacharya, and he also took the remnants of their Maha Maha Maha Prasad, that
were the remnants of Ramanujacarya. He said, “You both go this evening to this rich
merchant and give him this Prasad.”
So the two of them went. Varadacharya waited outside the door and Luxmi went
inside to the inner quarters and she gave him Ramanujacarya’s Maha Prasad. He ate
that Prasad, just by eating that Prasad his heart changed. He no longer looked at
Luxmi with lust but he looked at Luxmi as the most respectable mother. Amazing!
He said, “I am ashamed of how I have treated you. Now I adore you like a mother. I
havenodesiretoenjoyyou;I’llgiveyouwhateveryouwanttoserveyourGurumaharaj
unconditionally.”
They said, “Ramanujacarya wants us to bring you back to meet him.” That person
was transformed by the power of Maha Prasad and by the power of Luxmi’s unalloyed
devotion. That merchant came and fell at the feet of Ramanujacarya and begged
forgiveness for his sins and surrendered his life at the lotus feet.
3. The Scriptures says that if someone honors prasadam unknowingly, sinful
reactions of seven lifetimes are counteracted. If someone does that knowingly, sinful
reactions of one million lifetimes are counteracted. The Vishnu Purana says that
simply by honoring prasadam once, one gets the credits of fasting for 6 months. The
Brahma Vaivarta Purana says that when a person is full with prasadam and he walks
on the earth, he purifies the earth; when he goes to holy place, he purifies the holy
places; when he touches someone, that person is purified. Honoring prasadam is
equivalent to performing millions of horse sacrifices.

164
GURU 13 - Fish
1. Parappana Agrahara prison in Bangalore is crowded with 4,700 inmates, more
than twice its capacity.
2. Criminals are refusing to apply for bail to get out while juvenile offenders
are lying about their age to get in, reports the Bangalore Mirror.The paper says the
reason is healthy food being served by ISKCON, or the International Society for
Krishna Consciousness, a Hindu evangelist organisation.Lunch and dinner - piping
hot rice, two vegetables and a spicy lentil dish called sambar and buttermilk.A
dessert is added on festival days and national holidays like Independence Day, and
also once a week.Prisoner Raja Reddy, who has been arrested 20 times in 30 years
for theft, robbery and burglary, said: “When we are getting tasty, nutritious food
three times a day here, why should we go out and commit crimes.”
3. The Muslim girl who was blind took Jaganatha carnamrta for 7 days. Got
sight and even in old age she can see properly.
4. Prana gopal the cook of Lord Jaganatha , his son got sick and was dying
admitted him to the local hospital, took tulasi leaves and put them under his pillow
and gave him carnamrta to give him a better destination. He recovered the next day.
5. The girl Hemalata anaemic from birth took Jaganatha Prasad for three days
and was cured completely and no further treatment was required since.
6. Bhakta Vikas could not relate anything but prasad in his first year of IIT.
7. The utility van runs on Diesel and prasad since the last four years.
8. The Dadar book distribution counters run on prasad
Conclusion
• How do you make a good offering?
• What is an ideal Prasad?
• The importance of fasting in vaisnava culture.
Video of Mcdonalds
If a neighbour comes to your house and gives you a cake which is your
favourite type, what will be your first reaction on having
the cake? Will you first gulp it and then think about what was the
content in the cake? Or will you do the reverse?
What will you do if you know that there is no non-eatable content
in the cake? What will your reaction be now on receiving the
cake?
Think carefully before answering each of these questions.

Guru13 13 15

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