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Prasad

Why is this on the altar pages in the practices section you may wonder? That's because prasad is blessed being food, imbued with very special energies. It has a blessing residing within it. In many religions, this kind of Sacred Food is handed out to the participants by the congregational director, whether Priest, Preacher, Rabbi Guru. The Sacred Food may be called Prasad, Eucharist, Communion wafer and wine, but all Sacred Foods fall into the category of a communion with the Universal Beingness, and all types of foods are used for these practices, including fish, bread, wine, candies, special vegetables and fruits and brandies.

Prasad contains a substance, a higher, finer substance which you may have been able to sense consuming what otherwise appears as just another bit of food. When receiving prasad, one is given something non-ordinary and as such, it is best consumed in a non-ordinary space. This space can be your intention and attitude, but it is also possible to create a ritual around eating prasad around your physical altar space.

E.J. Gold has created 2 especially designed prasad being foods, the "Umm", which is given during workshops, and the "Magic Truffles".

It's amazing that you can receive this without having to go on a pilgrimage, namely via mail sent to your home. This particular prasad is made of the finest chocolate, but really, it is not about the chocolate. Yes, you do get the health benefit of dark chocolate, and did I mention, you love chocolate anyway - but you also get the energy of prasad food. Frankly, if I lived, say, thousands of miles away, I'd stop buying chocolate in the store and get these truffles instead. They are delicious - just from the chocolate stand point alone and it serves so much all at the same time and feels reciprocal in a very good way.

Create a ritual, once a day, week, or month around the taking of this special food and allow yourself to be nourished in this special way. This is not ordinary, it is extraordinary if you are willing to go there - and that is why it showed up on the altar pages - because it deserves a kind of special attention, because it nourishes you in ways other foods are not able to do, because it has an aspect of sacred in it.

Traditionally it means literally a gracious gift, usually edible, given by a Saint, Perfect Master or the Avatar to their followers is prasad. Anything, usually edible, that is first offered to a deity, saint, Perfect Master or the Avatar and then distributed in His name. The prasad has the blessing residing within it. In contemporary Hindu religious practice in India, the desire for prasada and have darshan are the two major motivations of pilgrimage and temple visits. In all traditions whether Christian, Jewish, Moslem, Hindu, Buddhist and more, Sacred Food plays an important part of the rituals.