Pray before you eat

Today, we are all aware that food nourishes the body and energises the mind.  So we pay great importance to the nutritive content of our food, diet and its taste. 

However, the scriptures tell us that the spiritual vibrations of our food are far more important because food also nurtures and energises our Soul.  When we eat satvic food which contains moderate quantities of salt, sugar, spices and oil and which is free from onion, garlic, meat and eggs, it enhances our purity. 

When the mind is pure, calm and composed, it becomes totally receptive to divine grace which makes our lives flow smoothly and effortlessly.

Our body is the shrine where divinity abides. We must protect this sacredness every moment of the day. The lifestyle of our ancestors was specially designed to do this. Somewhere in between, the significance of these traditional customs were not passed on from one generation to another.

Unfortunately this has prompted most people to drop these valuable customs and our tradition is dying.

Food is a manifestation of divinity because it nourishes us and keeps us going with energy.  That is why the Upanishads say ‘Annam Brahman’ or ‘Food is God’. So we must receive all food with an attitude of gratitude and pray before we eat by saying – “Anna Datha Sukhi Bhava” or “May the giver of this food be blessed with peace, prosperity and happiness”. 

We are thus thanking all the divine cosmic forces, entities and beings who have laboured tirelessly to bring us each morsel of our food – Mother Earth, the Sun, the rain, the five basic elements, the farmer, the transporter of grains, the grocer and the person who cooked and served the food to us.  By praying for their well being, we are fulfilling our karmic obligations towards them. Our gratitude acts as a link to connect us to the divine cosmic energy and to all living beings.  We should also thank God for giving us this food. That is why we must always share whatever we have generously with others.

When we pray, we should also offer the food to God by saying – “I offer this food to You as a consecration and receive it as Your prasad.” Immediately the vibrational frequency of the food changes as it is filled with Divine Grace.  This also removes all the deficiencies in it and makes it satvic.  Then we do not catch food or water-borne infections even when we eat outside.  All our digestive ailments disappear.  We exude joy, vitality and enthusiasm and our life overflows with contentment and confidence.