Cafeine in Govindas?

[Guest guest]

I have a query - I understand cafeine is considered an intoxicant and is therefore against the four regs.

 

How come some ISKCON restaurants sell cafeinated tea, coffee and sometimes chocolate?

 

And the thing that is even stranger is that they don't serve onions, garlic etc. These things may be impure, but aren't breaking the four regs which is surely worse?

[Max_ 0]

I was under the impression coffee and chocolate was a no no too.

[Guest guest]

Seems strange all right. Any ideas anyone?

[Guest guest]

"How come some ISKCON restaurants sell cafeinated tea, coffee and sometimes chocolate?"

 

because they are not completely coherent with prabhupada's teachings... simple

[Guest guest]

So no real explanations?

[Guest guest]

the real importance is your relationship with such items, whether or not you are exhibiting an egoic disposition or one of detachment, the impurity that exists is not in the item but in the way you relate to it, they are considered bad because people become attached to them and relate to them in a very unhealthy and egoic manner, it is not bad to consume such things or even enjoy them, the impurity is in the individual...a pure person could consume poison and it would not affect him/her...sometimes it's good to be tested

[Guest guest]

krsna devotees eat and offer only krsna prasadam.. and the scriptures teach which are the foods that krsna likes to be offered by devotees

 

this is the reason why vaishnavas have relatively strict standards on foods

 

purity starts from executing purely the instructions of god, masters and scriptures..

[Guest guest]

"How come some ISKCON restaurants sell cafeinated tea, coffee and sometimes chocolate?"

because they are not completely coherent with prabhupada's teachings... simple "

 

"So no real explanations? "

 

what do you expect to hear? that they have special standards?

 

the only "special" thing authorized by prabhupad for restaurants is that they can offer the first plate of a preparation and consider offered all the other times that they cook that recipe in the same day

 

or

 

i cook a quantity of halava and i offer it at 10a.m.

 

 

if i cook other halava later, this halava is already offered

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

One explanation is that somehow or other they are getting you into Govinda's to take prasadam. Even if you mix prasadam with bhoga it is alright as long as they eat the prasadam, Srila Prabhupada said in a letter about the Hare Krishna restaurants.

 

Another possible explanation is the authorities at the restaurant just don't give a damn? They are in maya? They cater the restaurant's menu to the few regular customers they have instead of following Srila Prabhupada's instructions about cooking for the restaurant with ghee and so on. But no, these "authorities" use corn oil and soy curd. Chocolate, coffee, tea and "non-alcoholic" beverages. I have even seen heard of them using onions and garlic to sell to karmis but was the food bhoga or prasadam? No idea...

[Guest guest]

I just think that if Krishna's devotees want to be fanatics about food it's their problem...but you should remember that cacao and coffee, tomatoes and onions like potatoes and many other vegetarian things weren't unknown at vedic times, mainly because those veg foodstuff came originally from far countries not yet explored like the Americas or the arab countries...so, I think as devotees have added tomatoes and potataoes that were brought to Europe from the Inca and Aztec markets, they can allow too vegetarian karmis to eat delicious fried onions and drink a heaveny hot chocolate drink at some Krishnas's commercial restaurant, please do not be so blind fanatics!!!!

[Guest guest]

I want to rectify that items like tomatoes, potataoes, cacao and onions were NOT KNOWN at vedic times in India so the brahamanas at that time couldn't incude it on their supermarket shopping list hahhahhahahahahahahhahahahahahaa

[Max_ 0]

Aren't just onions, garlic, and mushrooms not good vegetable-speaking?

[Guest guest]

yes, they are as good as tomatoes and potatoes if you are not a monk living in a temple, but for god sakeness, those items were not known in India 5000 years ago and because of that they are devilised by the devotees...they do not know the word "modern" or "reform"...why they do not reform those horrible saris and dhotis to walk at the farms or in Paris or London streets in the winter????? as much as they would not be violating the four principles, please, R-E-F-O-R-M!!!!!!! they are eager to use nice swiss watches on their writs and operate expensive laptops and cellphones, so....

[Max_ 0]

Krishna never said you have to be a monk to attain Him.

[Guest guest]

we don't offer onions and garlic to krishna because they are considered to be in the mode of passion and we don't offer mushrooms because they grow on stool and are considered to be in the mode of ignorance and coffee, tea, and chocolate have some level of intoxicating effect and are also not offered to krishna. we don't base this on a 5,000 year old shopping list from puri, srila prabhupada told us what can and can't be offered to krishna and he specifically mentions all of the food items i mentioned in many letters to many of his disciples.

 

as for wearing devotional clothing, it is also what prabhupada wanted us to do.

[Guest guest]

Prabhupada said in "Science Of Self Realization" that we are not required to shave our heads and wear sikhas and traditional indian clothing. He referred to it as being like a military uniform. If you're in the army, you fight better if you're in a uniform, but it's not required to wear a uniform if you want to fight. Similarly, it's not required to wear the dhoti and kurta and have a sikha to attain Krishna consciousness. It just helps some people if they dress that way. If you are a monk, by all means dress traditionally. But for a householder, it makes no difference. In fact, I know several monks who only dress in the traditional garb when they go to program.

[Guest guest]

"eat delicious fried onions and drink a heaveny hot chocolate drink at some Krishnas's commercial restaurant, please do not be so blind fanatics!!!!"

 

If you are going into a Devotee restaurant, then expect that there will be food that is in our diet. You don't expect vegetarian restaurants to serve meat just because some people like it do you? That is why we have restaurants, to serve prasadam to people, not comply with what society feels we should serve. Tomatoes and potatoes are not firbidden to be offered to Krishna, as onion, garlic, and caffeine are.

Also BTW, I don't agree with them serving chocolate at devotee restaurants either.

[Max_ 0]

The only difference is onions and garlic don't make you spaz out like coffee and Coke does.

[Pankaja_Dasa 1]

 

 

Onions and Garlic dull your mind.

 

Caffine/Coke stimulate your mind.

 

I do feel but I could be wrong caffine is

not as bad. Onions stink the place up.

[Guest guest]

you are really old-fashioned!

not better than the amish people.

you must lack lots of valuable vitamins.

open your eyes!!!!!!!!!

[servegod 0]

very good for heart - and there is no problem in taking it if you have heart problem....otherwise there is no need for taking garlic, especially when it clouds our spiritual senses

[sumedh 0]

Hare Krishna and dandavats

 

Govindaram prabhuji, i was under the impression that caffeine etc are intoxicants, thus in the tamasic category and violate the 4 regs; onions/garlics are in rajasic category. The temporary effect of onion/garlic may be dulling, and temporary effect of intoxicants may be stimulating but they lead to increase of the respective (tamasic/rajasic) nature.

please correct me if this is wrong.

[Pankaja_Dasa 1]

 

 

Not sure about Rajasic foods. They are not so bad. We need to avoid Tamasic. Onions and Garlic dull the mind {thats was bad}. Caffine stimulates the mind. But its give a low later on. Same as Onions. This low is the Tamasic. Hope that helps. Not really an expert in this.