Why do we offer food to the Lord before eating it?

[Guest guest]

In western tradition food is partaken after a thanks giving prayer - grace.

Indians make an offering of it to the Lord and later partake of it as prasad - a

holy gift from the Lord. in temples and in many homes, the cooked food is first

offered to the Lord each day. The offered food is mixed with the rest of the

food and then served as prasad. In our daily ritualistic worship (pooja) too we

offer naivedyam (food to the Lord)

 

This is done because : The Lord is omnipotent and omniscient. Man is a part,

while the Lord is the totality. All that we do is by his strength and knowledge

alone. Hence what we receive in life as a result of our actions is really his

alone. We acknowledge this through the act of offering food to him. This is

exemplified by the Hindi words " Tera tujko arpan from the aarti " Jai Jagdesh

Hare " - I offer what is yours to you. Thereafter it is akin to his gift to us,

graced by his divine touch.

 

Knowing this, our entire attitude to food and the act of eating changes. The

food offered will naturally be pure and the best. We share what we get with

others before consuming it. We do not demand, complain or criticise the quality

of the food we get. We do not waste or reject it. We eat it with cheerful

acceptance (prasad buddhi). When we become established in this attitude, this

goes beyond the pre-view of food and pervades our entire life. We are then able

to cheerfully accept all we get in life as his prasad.

 

Before we partake daily meals we first sprinkle water around the plate as an act

of purification. Five morsels of food are placed on the side of the table

acknowledging the debt owed by us to the :

 

Divine forces (devta runa) for their benign grace and protection.

Our ancestors (pitru runa) for giving us their lineage and the family culture.

The sages (rishi runa) as our religion and culture have been " realised "

maintained and handed down to us by them.

Our fellow beings (manushya runa) who constitute society without the support of

which we could not live as we do and

Other living beings (bhuta runa) for serving us selflessly.

 

There after the Lord, the life force, who is also within us as the five life -

giving physiological functions, is offered the food. The five life-giving

functions are praanaaya (respiratory), apaanaaya (excretory), vyaanaaya

(circulatory), udaanaaya (reversal) and samaanaaya (digestive). After offering

the food thus, it is eaten as prasad - blessed food.

[Guest guest]

I found your sentence and good intention so lovely: but there are no prayers for

food at all in western tradition. Nobody knows one. Yes in the church there is a

ceremony for the hosty. When i was little we did prayers but now....the youth is

not even know one single prayer no more. One told me that jesus was dead. it was

a christian scool. it even seems a croos may not be wared or put on a wall no

more, because they don't want to ennoy islam persons.

 

If i talk about buddhist prayers to non-catholic white young people, i'm having

no succes at all.

 

Dolma

 

 

 

 

divinesprt

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 03:27:36 +0000

Why do we offer food to the Lord before eating it?

 

In western tradition food is partaken after a thanks giving prayer - grace.

Indians make an offering of it to the Lord and later partake of it as prasad - a

holy gift from the Lord. in temples and in many homes, the cooked food is first

offered to the Lord each day. The offered food is mixed with the rest of the

food and then served as prasad. In our daily ritualistic worship (pooja) too we

offer naivedyam (food to the Lord)

 

This is done because : The Lord is omnipotent and omniscient. Man is a part,

while the Lord is the totality. All that we do is by his strength and knowledge

alone. Hence what we receive in life as a result of our actions is really his

alone. We acknowledge this through the act of offering food to him. This is

exemplified by the Hindi words " Tera tujko arpan from the aarti " Jai Jagdesh

Hare " - I offer what is yours to you. Thereafter it is akin to his gift to us,

graced by his divine touch.

 

Knowing this, our entire attitude to food and the act of eating changes. The

food offered will naturally be pure and the best. We share what we get with

others before consuming it. We do not demand, complain or criticise the quality

of the food we get. We do not waste or reject it. We eat it with cheerful

acceptance (prasad buddhi). When we become established in this attitude, this

goes beyond the pre-view of food and pervades our entire life. We are then able

to cheerfully accept all we get in life as his prasad.

 

Before we partake daily meals we first sprinkle water around the plate as an act

of purification. Five morsels of food are placed on the side of the table

acknowledging the debt owed by us to the :

 

Divine forces (devta runa) for their benign grace and protection.

Our ancestors (pitru runa) for giving us their lineage and the family culture.

The sages (rishi runa) as our religion and culture have been " realised "

maintained and handed down to us by them.

Our fellow beings (manushya runa) who constitute society without the support of

which we could not live as we do and

Other living beings (bhuta runa) for serving us selflessly.

 

There after the Lord, the life force, who is also within us as the five life -

giving physiological functions, is offered the food. The five life-giving

functions are praanaaya (respiratory), apaanaaya (excretory), vyaanaaya

(circulatory), udaanaaya (reversal) and samaanaaya (digestive). After offering

the food thus, it is eaten as prasad - blessed food.

[Guest guest]

Two questions:

 

1. Offering food to the Lord (or the many gods) has lead - even today - to

sacrificing animals and blood during certain " religious " rites, and even

human beings were being sacrificed in ancient and cruel rites, .. in order

to please the gods... Always to please the gods.

 

But we may ask ourselves, do the gods truly want this? Does the Lord truly

want the offering or even sacrifices? Or are they more than satisfied with

just a thanksgiving?

 

2. Are rituals really necessary? Let's ask ourselves what the meaning is of

the traditional rituals, and of the ritualistic behavior itself. Why would

man perform rituals? Just thanksgiving or to " play safe " . Are rituals not

some outer expressions that man ought to do within?

 

johan

 

 

 

Van:

Namens divinesprt

Verzonden: dinsdag 24 maart 2009 4:28

Aan:

Onderwerp: Why do we offer food to the Lord before eating

it?

 

In western tradition food is partaken after a thanks giving prayer - grace.

Indians make an offering of it to the Lord and later partake of it as prasad

- a holy gift from the Lord. in temples and in many homes, the cooked food

is first offered to the Lord each day. The offered food is mixed with the

rest of the food and then served as prasad. In our daily ritualistic worship

(pooja) too we offer naivedyam (food to the Lord)

 

This is done because : The Lord is omnipotent and omniscient. Man is a part,

while the Lord is the totality. All that we do is by his strength and

knowledge alone. Hence what we receive in life as a result of our actions is

really his alone. We acknowledge this through the act of offering food to

him. This is exemplified by the Hindi words " Tera tujko arpan from the aarti

" Jai Jagdesh Hare " - I offer what is yours to you. Thereafter it is akin to

his gift to us, graced by his divine touch.

 

Knowing this, our entire attitude to food and the act of eating changes. The

food offered will naturally be pure and the best. We share what we get with

others before consuming it. We do not demand, complain or criticise the

quality of the food we get. We do not waste or reject it. We eat it with

cheerful acceptance (prasad buddhi). When we become established in this

attitude, this goes beyond the pre-view of food and pervades our entire

life. We are then able to cheerfully accept all we get in life as his

prasad.

 

Before we partake daily meals we first sprinkle water around the plate as an

act of purification. Five morsels of food are placed on the side of the

table acknowledging the debt owed by us to the :

 

Divine forces (devta runa) for their benign grace and protection.

Our ancestors (pitru runa) for giving us their lineage and the family

culture.

The sages (rishi runa) as our religion and culture have been " realised "

maintained and handed down to us by them.

Our fellow beings (manushya runa) who constitute society without the support

of which we could not live as we do and

Other living beings (bhuta runa) for serving us selflessly.

 

There after the Lord, the life force, who is also within us as the five life

- giving physiological functions, is offered the food. The five life-giving

functions are praanaaya (respiratory), apaanaaya (excretory), vyaanaaya

(circulatory), udaanaaya (reversal) and samaanaaya (digestive). After

offering the food thus, it is eaten as prasad - blessed food.

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

My reply to this is that each person had the right to worship as they will

without being judged on the whys and wherefores. There is freedom of

religion and freedom from religion. Take your pick my friend, that choice is

yours.

 

It is your right to keep a deeply personal and quite way about your

spiritual life. I respect that and I will not comment on it at all. I also

think I have a good idea of how I should go about mine.

 

I promise you with all my heart that all the little animals in the

neighborhood are quite safe from sacrifice....heck.... I'd venture to say

that even the people who live around me don't have to worry about their

quiet little Hinduism practicing neighbor doing more than a small Yagna Fire

from time to time. I also promise not to revert to cruel rites while I do

it.

 

As for question number two, ask the billions of Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims,

Catholics, etc that question. There has to be something to it.

 

Om Shakti Om

 

 

 

On Wed, Mar 25, 2009 at 8:13 AM, johan <johanders wrote:

 

> Two questions:

>

> 1. Offering food to the Lord (or the many gods) has lead - even today - to

> sacrificing animals and blood during certain " religious " rites, and even

> human beings were being sacrificed in ancient and cruel rites, .. in order

> to please the gods... Always to please the gods.

>

> But we may ask ourselves, do the gods truly want this? Does the Lord truly

> want the offering or even sacrifices? Or are they more than satisfied with

> just a thanksgiving?

>

> 2. Are rituals really necessary? Let's ask ourselves what the meaning is of

> the traditional rituals, and of the ritualistic behavior itself. Why would

> man perform rituals? Just thanksgiving or to " play safe " . Are rituals not

> some outer expressions that man ought to do within?

>

> johan

>

> Van: <%40>[

> <%40>]

> Namens divinesprt

> Verzonden: dinsdag 24 maart 2009 4:28

> Aan: <%40>

> Onderwerp: Why do we offer food to the Lord before eating

> it?

>

> In western tradition food is partaken after a thanks giving prayer - grace.

> Indians make an offering of it to the Lord and later partake of it as

> prasad

> - a holy gift from the Lord. in temples and in many homes, the cooked food

> is first offered to the Lord each day. The offered food is mixed with the

> rest of the food and then served as prasad. In our daily ritualistic

> worship

> (pooja) too we offer naivedyam (food to the Lord)

>

> This is done because : The Lord is omnipotent and omniscient. Man is a

> part,

> while the Lord is the totality. All that we do is by his strength and

> knowledge alone. Hence what we receive in life as a result of our actions

> is

> really his alone. We acknowledge this through the act of offering food to

> him. This is exemplified by the Hindi words " Tera tujko arpan from the

> aarti

> " Jai Jagdesh Hare " - I offer what is yours to you. Thereafter it is akin to

> his gift to us, graced by his divine touch.

>

> Knowing this, our entire attitude to food and the act of eating changes.

> The

> food offered will naturally be pure and the best. We share what we get with

> others before consuming it. We do not demand, complain or criticise the

> quality of the food we get. We do not waste or reject it. We eat it with

> cheerful acceptance (prasad buddhi). When we become established in this

> attitude, this goes beyond the pre-view of food and pervades our entire

> life. We are then able to cheerfully accept all we get in life as his

> prasad.

>

> Before we partake daily meals we first sprinkle water around the plate as

> an

> act of purification. Five morsels of food are placed on the side of the

> table acknowledging the debt owed by us to the :

>

> Divine forces (devta runa) for their benign grace and protection.

> Our ancestors (pitru runa) for giving us their lineage and the family

> culture.

> The sages (rishi runa) as our religion and culture have been " realised "

> maintained and handed down to us by them.

> Our fellow beings (manushya runa) who constitute society without the

> support

> of which we could not live as we do and

> Other living beings (bhuta runa) for serving us selflessly.

>

> There after the Lord, the life force, who is also within us as the five

> life

> - giving physiological functions, is offered the food. The five life-giving

> functions are praanaaya (respiratory), apaanaaya (excretory), vyaanaaya

> (circulatory), udaanaaya (reversal) and samaanaaya (digestive). After

> offering the food thus, it is eaten as prasad - blessed food.

[Guest guest]

Hello sheree,

 

My apologies for not being able to respond earlier.

 

My comments were meant for each one to think; not to judge. However if

rituals are being performed which do harm to life, i.e. to animals, then I

will stand up and protest. Rituals are not holy; life is holy, and today we

have to take care of our responsibility for life like a good stewardship and

to oppose everyone who does not consider life holy.

 

Animals are like our brothers. Then why would we kill them in a sort of

false devotion for God? For indeed, it is false devotion, since God never

ever has accepted deadly sacrifices from life. It is the priest cast that

has interpreted these kind of rituals. It is a false interpretation.

 

The right to worship is therefore limited. No living being should be

sacrificed for this reason. One step further, and the door to satanic

rituals can thus be opened easily. We see this already in many cultures, and

certainly also in the west.

 

My second question was also meant to think in what way rituals do play in

our life.

 

In my way to meet God no single ritual was ever necessary. The Cosmos was

ever friendly and gentle. Except the purifying, but that had no part to any

ritual.

 

Simply said, in my view all rituals are manmade, and bound to the hard and

traditional religions or philosophies. Those who want to become Eternal

FREE, have to let go all that is manmade.

 

johan