HUMBLE GREENS ....Nourish the Body, Mind, & Soul

My realization about Shaak, simply spinach or a generic word for various greens in the Bengali language is the simplicity of it. These greens cook with water and can be eaten raw. Sak pronounced Shaak, is simply spinach. But this divine spinach has a special place in heart of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In Bengali cooking there are many varieties of greens that are cooked and it is mentioned in many of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes of Him eating many varieties of Shaak.

In this current age of Kaliyuga, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to teach us how to be devotees of Radha and Krishna. He is Krishna Himself in the skin color and mood of Srimati Radharani, Krishna’s consort. Mahaprabhu taught by example to eat very simply and practice controlling our tongue, without which the mind is never going to be in control. There are many places in the scriptures where He enjoys sak of many varieties made by His mother Saci Mata, or His dear devotees. We are followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu first as we are here in Kaliyuga. We follow in the footsteps of the six Goswamis who were satisfied with very little food as Prasāda (food offered first to the Lord). We must not imitate the Goswamis but we must follow in their footsteps. Even Krishna shows by example that He relished the prasāda He ate at Vidura house, mentioned in the Mahabharata which was simply spinach.

Sri Bhaktivinoda Thakur, esteemed 19th century Vaisnava saint and profuse author, writes in a song glorifying the relishing of food offered to Krishna before partaking:

heno sak-asvadane, krsna-prema aise mane,
sei preme koro asvadana
jada-buddhi pari-hari’, prasada bhojana kori’,
hari hari’ bolo sarva-jan

“O brothers! One day at Santipura, in Sri Advaita’s house, Lord Caitanya and Nityananda were seated for prasāda. When Lord Caitanya tasted the green vegetables, He said, ‘My devotees, this sak is so delicious! Lord Krsna has definitely tasted it. At the taste of such sak as this, love of Krsna arises in the heart. In such love of God you should take this prasāda. Giving up all materialistic conceptions and taking the Lord’s prasāda, all of you just chant ‘Hari! Hari!'”

Furthermore, Chaitanya Bhagavata, a much loved and respected medieval devotional text composed in classical literary Bengali states:

“Mother Saci knows that Lord Caitanya is greatly satisfied with sak, therefore she cooked twenty different varieties. The vegetable known as sak is more fortunate than any other preparation, for the Lord eats it again and again. Slightly smiling the Lord takes His meal, speaking the glories of sak to everyone.”

The Lord says “this sak is called Acyuta, by eating the sak attraction for Krsna develops (at the time of eating, Lord Caitanya would call different kinds of sak different names of Krishna) by eating  patala,  bastuka, and kala sak, one gains the association of the vaisnava’s life after life. If one eats salinca or helanca sak, he remains free from disease and gets devotion to Krishna”. (CB Antya 4.279, 293, 295, 298).

Source: http://www.kurma.net/blog/archives/archives-2007/sak-divine-spinach

The point is to simplify life for better health, longevity, and to prevent diseases. Modern science with recent studies also tells us the nutritional value of greens is very high and very important for health. Putting two and two together we should strive for adding more greens to our diet. Simple food offered to Krishna will control the mind from unnecessary rajas, tendencies which are in the modes of passion. Eating rich heavy food contaminates the mind, makes us sleepy, and can put extra weight on the body becoming tamasic, in the modes of ignorance.

Nectar of Instruction

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us to avoid very palatable dishes even while eating prasāda. If we offer palatable dishes to the Deity with the intention of eating such nice food, we are involved in trying to satisfy the demands of the tongue. If we accept the invitation of a rich man with the idea of receiving palatable food, we are also trying to satisfy the demands of the tongue.

Sloka 1, Nectar of Instruction

“A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind's demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world.”

In Caitanya-caritāmṛta (CC Antya 6.227) it is stated:

jihvāra lālase yei iti-uti dhāya
śiśnodara-parāyaṇa kṛṣṇa nāhi pāya

"That person who runs here and there seeking to gratify his palate and who is always attached to the desires of his stomach and genitals is unable to attain Kṛṣṇa."

As stated before, the tongue, belly and genitals are all situated in a straight line, and they fall in the same category. Lord Caitanya has said, bhāla nā khāibe āra bhāla nā paribe: "Do not dress luxuriously and do not eat delicious foodstuffs." (CC Antya 6.236)

Additional details here

Service to Krishna is the most important part of our sadhana, our practice of Bhakti. Simplifying life as much as possible should be the goal. Mercy is still coming from Krishna, as Krishna is hungry only for our love.

In Bhagavad Gita it is mentioned in the Ninth Chapter 26th verse:

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.”

With all the atrocities happening towards the cows in Kaliyuga, maybe it’s a sign for us to stop participating in support of those who do these crimes. Nothing is happening by chance. Whole food plant based diets are gaining popularity in the west. The west is where maximum cow killing is happening. There are no coincidences. Everything is controlled by the Lord. Krishna enjoyed milk products in Dwapara yuga and when He appeared as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Kaliyuga He enjoyed various type of greens. We follow the mantra of Kaliyuga not of Dwapara yuga so why not consider going all the way and follow what has been prescribed for Kaliyuga …..Just a thought!!

So get your greens and offer them with love to Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Nourish your body, mind, & soul !!

Here are this weeks tunes !!