HKC 2: Rice

It is explained in the Upanisads that in order to live a life of peace and happiness and make progress in self-realization, one should live in a very simple and pure manner. One should know that because he is an eternal part and parcel of Krsna, Krsna will surely provide whatever he needs for his maintenance and sustenance. Therefore one should be contented with the simple food which Lord Krsna has provided for human society, and he should not take more than that. Knowing that everything actually belongs to Krsna, the devotee first offers all his food to Krsna, and then he joyfully accepts the prasadam remnants as Krsna's mercy.

In order to be accepted by Krsna, food need not be very opulent, but it should be offered to the Lord with love and devotion. In the Krsna Book Srila Prabhupada relates the story of a poor devotee who had nothing to offer the Lord but a few grains of the lowest grade of rice. But because of his sincere devotion, the Lord was so pleased by this offering that he turned the devotee's small hut into a palace and granted him unlimited opulence. Srila Prabhupada comments, "What the devotee actually offers to the Lord is not needed by the Lord. He is self-sufficient. If the devotee offers something to the Lord, it acts for his own interest because whatever a devotee offers comes back in a quantity a million times greater. One does not become a loser by giving to the Lord, but he becomes a gainer by millions of times."

Even plain steamed rice will be accepted by the Lord as a very opulent offering if it is offered with love and devotion. Rice is a very simple preparation, but to cook it nicely for Krsna requires practice. Each grain should be separate; it should be neither mushy nor hard. To cook plain rice, use two parts water for one part rice, bring it to a boil, cover it, lower the flame, and let it summer for 15-20 minutes. Rice should first be washed and rinsed several times, until the water becomes clear. The pot should be deep and the cover tight-fitting. Just before removing it from the fire, "flake" the rice gently with a fork.

Plain steamed rice and be made fancier by adding some peas in the last five minutes of cooking, and of course plain steamed rice can be offered with curry. Rice also combines with vegetables, nuts and curd in a very pleasing way. The most important consideration, however, is not the elaborateness of the preparation but the devotee's sincere desire to please the senses of Lord Sri Krsna.