College Students Discover Higher Taste—Kṛṣṇa

College students on two American campuses have discovered that they can add Krsna consciousness to their college life by studying the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita and eating prasada (vegetarian food offered to Krsna with devotion).

Every week at the University of Maryland, in College Park, sixty to ninety students attend a prasada-cooking class taught by Gabhira dasa, who is an authorized chaplain there. While deftly demonstrating how to whip up some curried rice or milk sweets, Gabhira expounds the philosophy of Krsna consciousness. He also teaches yoga meditation through the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, and four days a week he distributes prasada and Krsna-conscious literature outside the Student Union. In addition, Gabhira has been a guest lecturer in history, American studies, anthropology, and health education courses.

Some of the other university-recognized chaplains (there are ten in all) take a dim view of Gabhira's enthusiastic preaching. Rabbi Robert Saks, Hillel chaplain, disagrees with Gabhira's idea that a chaplain's role is to elevate the spiritual climate of the campus. "We're not university chaplains," Rabbi Saks said. "We're here to serve our denominations as guests of the university… I'm scared of opening the door to proselytizing."

Gabhira responds, "Krsna consciousness is non-sectarian: we want to elevate everyone's consciousness. We're basically teaching surrender to God… something like a spiritual peace corps. We're showing that there is another way of life, a spiritual way."

Meanwhile, Amarendra dasa has established a similar prasada-oriented program at the University of Florida, in Gainesville. But he had to win the right to hold his transcendental picnics on campus. Last April campus police arrested him and another devotee on three occasions and charged them with various violations of civil codes. The third incident drew a crowd of students, who cheered Amarendra and booed the police. The overwhelming majority of the students saw the incident as a clear-cut case of religious persecution, and they came out for the devotees in the school newspaper, the Alligator. Finally the local circuit court lifted its injunction banning the prasada distribution, and now Amarendra is back on campus to stay-dispensing rich, creamy Gaurahga potatoes; buttery, flat-bread chapatis; fruit nectar; and generous helpings of Krsna-conscious philosophy.