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There is no question of vegetarian, nonvegetarian. Even nonvegetarian, he is eating sinful things, provided he is not offering to Krsna

Expressions researched:
"accepting a vegetarian and rejecting a nonvegetarian" |"eat vegetables or nonvegetable" |"no quarrel with the nonvegetarian" |"nonvegetarian or vegetarian" |"vegetarian and nonvegetarian" |"vegetarian nor non-vegetarian" |"vegetarian nor nonvegetarian" |"vegetarian or non-vegetarian" |"vegetarian or nonvegetarian" |"vegetarian, nonvegetarian" |"vegetarianism or nonvegetarianism"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

We are teaching people to eat kṛṣṇa-prasādam. We are not teaching people to become vegetarian or nonvegetarian. That is not our business.
Lecture on BG 4.10 Festival at Maison de Faubourg -- Geneva, May 31, 1974:

You must have discrimination. You are human beings; you are not cats and dogs. You must have discrimination, what to eat, what to not eat. Because we have to eat some other living entity, it does not mean that I shall eat my sons and daughters. "Discrimination is the best part of valor." So far we are concerned, we are eating certainly vegetable, but not directly. We eat kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: (BG 9.26) "Anyone who offers Me with love and affection vegetables, grains, milk, I eat." So if there is any sin for eating vegetables, that is Kṛṣṇa's sin, not our sin. We take the prasādam. We are teaching people to eat kṛṣṇa-prasādam. We are not teaching people to become vegetarian or nonvegetarian. That is not our business. After all, we have to eat, so if we eat kṛṣṇa-prasādam... That is stated, yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ: "If you accept prasādam which is offered to God, then you are free from all sinful resultant action."

So far the Vaiṣṇava is concerned, sometimes they come forward to fight with us: "Why we should be vegetarian?" No, no, we have no quarrel with the nonvegetarian. Let them eat at their risk. But because we recommend, "You take Kṛṣṇa's prasādam," therefore we must be satisfied with this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam.
Lecture on BG 16.10 -- Hawaii, February 6, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa said, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Kṛṣṇa said that "You give Me patram, means vegetables, flowers, fruits, and phalam, fruits, and some liquid, water or milk." Kṛṣṇa does not say, "You give Me meat or egg or fish." No. Kṛṣṇa can eat everything, He's all powerful, but He does not eat, although He is all powerful. He can eat everything. He can eat fire. That is another thing. But because we have to take prasādam, remnants of foodstuff, Kṛṣṇa, therefore He says, "Give Me this: food grains, milk, or fruits and flowers." Prepared or unprepared, it doesn't matter. Kṛṣṇa wants that. We... So far the Vaiṣṇava is concerned, sometimes they come forward to fight with us: "Why we should be vegetarian?" No, no, we have no quarrel with the nonvegetarian. Let them eat at their risk. But because we recommend, "You take Kṛṣṇa's prasādam," therefore we must be satisfied with this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26), nothing more than that.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

We don't say that you are vegetarian and nonvegetarian. Vegetarian or nonvegetarian, it does not make very much difference. If you eat only for yourself, for sense gratification, it doesn't matter whether you are vegetarian or nonvegetarian. You are simply eating sinful results of your life.
Lecture on SB 1.2.9-10 -- Delhi, November 14, 1973:

You should eat what is actually needed by you. Don't eat more. A human being, there is... Certainly we are eating. But we are eating... A Kṛṣṇa conscious person eats kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Our business is to eat... We don't say that you are vegetarian and nonvegetarian. Vegetarian or nonvegetarian, it does not make very much difference. Ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpāḥ (BG 3.13). If you eat only for yourself, for sense gratification, it doesn't matter whether you are vegetarian or nonvegetarian. You are simply eating sinful results of your life. Ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt, yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9).

So our business is, so far we are concerned, Kṛṣṇa conscious people, we are not advocates of vegetarian and nonvegetarian. Of course, vegetarianism is very good, even for health's sake. But we do not take vegetables even if it is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is our principle. If Kṛṣṇa said that "You give Me nonvegetarian diet," then we can eat also. But Kṛṣṇa does not say. Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). So we are preparing so many nice foodstuffs with this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. We can prepare many, many hundreds of preparation of this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, and we can offer Kṛṣṇa and then take prasādam. That is all right. The human life is not meant for sense gratification. Sense gratification—my food is Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Why shall I go to restaurant?

We have to eat, so we eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Because after all, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. So if He eats something, the responsibility is His. But we are not advocate of vegetarianism or nonvegetarianism.
Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Honolulu, May 17, 1976:

Suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām. A saintly person is friend to everyone. "Why unnecessarily an animal should be killed?" That is his feeling. You can eat animals because by nature this is the arrangement, that ahastāni sa-hastānām. Even we eat vegetable, that is also killing. But because I have to kill somebody to eat, that does not mean that I can kill my child also. That is also going on. There is discrimination. Similarly, our principle is that we are kind, merciful, to everyone. But we have to eat, so we eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Because after all, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. So if He eats something, the responsibility is His. But we are not advocate of vegetarianism or nonvegetarianism. No. That is not our business. We are Kṛṣṇa-ites. What Kṛṣṇa said, we have to do. Therefore sādhu, suhṛt. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām. Sādhu is not enemy.

Initiation Lectures

Even if a man becomes vegetarian, what does he gain? In this material world, either vegetarian or nonvegetarian, they are on the same platform, birds of the same feather. You see? So that is not our propaganda. We are introducing Kṛṣṇa-prasāda.
Initiation Lecture -- Boston, December 26, 1969:

We have no quarrel with vegetarian and nonvegetarian. We are after Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. If Kṛṣṇa accepts something beyond these vegetarian dishes, then we can accept also. But Kṛṣṇa says, "No. Give Me patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26)." Kṛṣṇa can eat everything. He is God. But He says that "Give Me this." Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. "Offer Me this flower, fruit, water. Like that." So we are after Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. That is our motto. We don't fight with vegetarian and non... We are not making propaganda... Just like there is vegetarian society. No. We have no business. Even if a man becomes vegetarian, what does he gain? In this material world, either vegetarian or nonvegetarian, they are on the same platform, birds of the same feather. You see? So that is not our propaganda. We are introducing Kṛṣṇa-prasāda; therefore we invite people to take nice prasāda. So these four principles we should follow. We shall not accept anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is our position.

General Lectures

We have no quarrel with nonvegetarian or vegetarian. No. Because vegetable has also got life. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is also stated that yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. You have to eat after offering sacrifice.
Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

We recommend not exactly nonvegetarian diet. We are vegetarian diet, we restrict from nonvegetarian diet, but we recommend Kṛṣṇa prasādam. We have no quarrel with the nonvegetarians, because vegetable also has got life. The plants, the grass, the trees, the fruits, the flowers, they have also life. They are not dead. So simply becoming vegetarian is no great qualification. Somebody is taking meat and somebody is taking vegetable, it does not make any difference. But we are taking vegetables not as vegetarian. We are taking as Kṛṣṇa prasādam, remnants of foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that,

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
(BG 9.26)

Kṛṣṇa said that "If somebody offers Me some foodstuff prepared from vegetables and fruits and grains"—grains are also fruits—"so with love and devotion, then I eat." Therefore we offer these things to Kṛṣṇa. Just like here, we have offered fruits. Not that because we are vegetarian, but Kṛṣṇa wants this. Just like if you invite some of your friend, you ask him, "My dear friend, what do you like to eat?" So if he says, "I like this," so you immediately supply. This is the sign of love. Similarly, because Kṛṣṇa says, "If somebody offers Me fruits, flowers, grains, milk, with devotion and love, I will eat," so we are pledged to Kṛṣṇa, I offer these things to Kṛṣṇa, and we eat. That is our process. We have no quarrel with nonvegetarian or vegetarian. No. Because vegetable has also got life. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is also stated that yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. You have to eat after offering sacrifice. Sacrifice means to worship the Supreme Lord. That is called sacrifice. So if anyone eats the remnants of sacrificial foodstuff, then he is freed from all kinds of sins.

Those who are vegetarian, they are thinking that "We are better than the nonvegetarian." But it is not the fact. Either you eat vegetables or nonvegetable, you are liable to be punished because you are accepting something without offering to the supplier.
Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

The purport is that those who are vegetarian, they are thinking that "We are better than the nonvegetarian." But it is not the fact. Either you eat vegetables or nonvegetable, you are liable to be punished because you are accepting something without offering to the supplier. That is the law. We must acknowledge at least that "This foodstuff is supplied by the Supreme Lord, and we are obliged to Him." In Christian Bible also, they pray, "O God, give us our daily bread." So one should accept that it is supplied by God. So if one does not even accept this obligation, then he is sinful, certainly. So, yajñarthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. One who offers sacrifice and then he takes foodstuff, then he becomes freed from the sinful activities. In the eating there is sinful activity also. But bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt: (BG 3.13) anyone who is simply cooking for himself, he is simply eating sins. These are the statements of Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore it is our duty to offer foodstuff to the Lord and then take it: "My Lord, You have supplied so nice foodstuff for my maintaining my life, so You first of all taste it, and then I shall eat it." It is very nice. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa is not going to take your foodstuff. But simply if you think like that, then you become freed from the implication of sinful activities.

The nature's law is that you must eat, and that eating is something living. Vegetable is also living. But we are not concerned, vegetarian or nonvegetarian. We are concerned with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "You give Me fruits, flowers, grains." We offer that. If Kṛṣṇa says, "You give Me meat, chickens," we shall offer and we shall take.
Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

So this is the law, that nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. So one life is meant for maintaining another life. This is the law of nature. But Upaniṣad says that īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam: (ISO 1) everything belongs to the Lord. Just like in a hotel there are many kinds of foodstuff, but they all belong to the hotel keeper. And you can take only on your table what is offered to you. You cannot take anything, anything, whatever you like, no. That is illegal. Similarly, everything is food, that's all right. But you can take only what is allotted for you, that's all. So human being should take, as far as possible, vegetables. The teeth is made for eating vegetables. That is scientifically true. And if you take vegetables all along, then you will never be diseased. And so far we are concerned, we are taking Kṛṣṇa prasādam. That I have already explained, that Kṛṣṇa wants this foodstuff... If Kṛṣṇa says that "Give Me meat," then we shall eat meat. Because we are concerned with Kṛṣṇa prasādam. We are not distinguished that "Vegetable eating is nice, meat eating is not nice." No. The nature's law is that you must eat, and that eating is something living. Vegetable is also living. But we are not concerned, vegetarian or nonvegetarian. We are concerned with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "You give Me fruits, flowers, grains." We offer that. If Kṛṣṇa says, "You give Me meat, chickens," we shall offer and we shall take.

To become vegetarian or nonvegetarian is not very big business. We do not admit that vegetarians are very much pious and nonvegetarians are not pious. No. Not like that. We say that everyone is impious who is not taking foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is our view.
Pandal Lecture at Cross Maidan -- Bombay, March 26, 1971:

Every living being has to eat another living being. That is the law of nature. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. Those who have got hands, they are eating the legless. Just like the vegetables. Just like cows, goats, or other animals, they are eating grass. The grass is also a living entity, but it has no legs. It is being eaten up by another animal which has got legs. Similarly, we are also a kind of animal with hands. We are eating another animal which has no hands. Similarly, those who are strong, even in animal kingdom or vegetable kingdom, those who are strong, they are eating the less strong. In this way the whole world is maintained by one animal is eating another animal or one living entity is eating another living entity. That is the law of nature. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. So you (we) are not interfering with the right of the living entities. A tiger has got the right to eat another animal. So we are not going to preach amongst the tigers that "You become vegetarian" or "You become Kṛṣṇa conscious." That is not our business. Our business is that we are inducing, we are entreating, we are requesting people that "You take Kṛṣṇa prasāda." That is our business. To become vegetarian or nonvegetarian is not very big business. We do not admit that vegetarians are very much pious and nonvegetarians are not pious. No. Not like that. We say that everyone is impious who is not taking foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is our view. Anyone. That is stated by Kṛṣṇa. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ: "Anyone who is eating foodstuff offered to Yajña, to Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, he is diminishing his volumes of sinful life." Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt: (BG 3.13) "And anyone who is cooking for himself, not for Kṛṣṇa, then he is simply eating a lump of sinful life." It doesn't matter whether he is vegetarian or nonvegetarian. This is the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have to eat what is offered to Kṛṣṇa.

There is no question of vegetarian, nonvegetarian. They are equally sinful. Only those who are taking prasādam, they are free from sinful activities.
Sunday Feast Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Yajña means for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, whatever you do, you are not implicated with sinful activities. And bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt (BG 3.13). And a person who is doing on his own capacity, he is simply acquiring sinful resultant action. So the conclusion is: even a plant you cannot kill, what to speak of bigger animals. If one thinks that "I am killing only plants; therefore I am very pious, vegetarian," no. There is no question of vegetarian, nonvegetarian. They are equally sinful. Only those who are taking prasādam, they are free from sinful activities. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ.

Philosophy Discussions

We are taking the remnants of yajña. This is our philosophy. We are not taking directly. If I take directly, either a vegetarian or non-vegetarian, then I become responsible. Sinful. This is our philosophy. The law is there, but we have to tackle things very intelligently.
Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: I observe in nature that everything is killing something else for eating so it seems only rational that I should be able to eat animals.

Prabhupāda: Well, that also accepted in the Vedic philosophy, jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. One life is, one living being is food for another living being. But that does not mean that you shall kill your son and eat, and it will be supported by the society. That is discrimination, that is conscience. You can say that "I must eat some, another living entity. That is by nature's law. So I produce my children and I kill them and I eat them so that the population problem will be solved." You can say that. Will you be accepted? So therefore there must be discrimination. That you have to eat another living being, that is nature's law, but if you eat fruit, you don't kill the tree. You take the fruit. If you eat vegetables, you take, still it is growing, and that is a factually not killing. But if you eat animals, you are killing. Actually he is being dead. So things should be done intelligently so that... The word is to make the best use of a bad bargain. So our philosophy is that although you can take that, although it is not killing, it is taking fruits, flowers and vegetables, it is taking from him, it is not killing, and we are offering to Kṛṣṇa and so if there is any responsibility, it is Kṛṣṇa's responsibility. We take the prasāda. Therefore we have no such responsibility and that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhuñjate te tv agham pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt (BG 3.13). Anyone who is cooking for himself, he is taking all responsibility for sinful activity even if he is a vegetarian, it doesn't matter. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. But if he takes the remnants of yajña—we are offering Kṛṣṇa daily—this is performing yajña. So we are taking the remnants of yajña. This is our philosophy. We are not taking directly. If I take directly, either a vegetarian or non-vegetarian, then I become responsible. Sinful. This is our philosophy. The law is there, but we have to tackle things very intelligently.

Apart from this vegetarian or nonvegetarian diet, we are concerned with Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Our philosophy is whatever Kṛṣṇa eats, we take the remnants of His foodstuff. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "You give Me food, and prepared from patraṁ phalaṁ toyam, vegetation." So if by killing vegetable or plant there is any sin, that, that is Kṛṣṇa's. We simply eat after His eating.
Philosophy Discussion on St. Augustine:

Prabhupāda: Those who have got hands, they eat the animals without hands, only four legs, and the four-legged animals eats the animals which cannot move—that means plants and vegetables. Similarly, the weak is the food for the strong. In this way there is natural law that one living entity is food for another living entity. But our philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy, is not based on this platform, that plant life is not sensitive and animal life is more sensitive or human life is more sensitive. We take all of them as life, either human being or animal or plants or fish, it doesn't matter. That is inevitable. Either you eat animal or vegetable, you eat some living entity. That is inevitable. You cannot avoid. Now it it the question of selection. That, of course, is there. But apart from this vegetarian or nonvegetarian diet, we are concerned with Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Kṛṣṇa, whatever..., our philosophy is whatever Kṛṣṇa eats, we take the remnants of His foodstuff. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "You give Me food, and prepared from patraṁ phalaṁ toyam, vegetation." So if by killing vegetable or plant there is any sin, that, that is Kṛṣṇa's. We simply eat after His eating. This is our philosophy. We are not after vegetarian diet or nonvegetarian diet. Whatever Kṛṣṇa eats, we take the remnants of food.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

As devotee of Kṛṣṇa, we are not after accepting a vegetarian and rejecting a nonvegetarian. That is not our criterion.
Room Conversation with Latin Professor -- December 9, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So far vegetable-eating is concerned, it is actually very scientific to eat vegetables. I think some German doctor proved it, that our teeth are meant for eating vegetables. So as devotee of Kṛṣṇa, we are not after accepting a vegetarian and rejecting a nonvegetarian. That is not our criterion. God is open for vegetarian and nonvegetarian, both. But once he becomes, I mean, a devotee of God, automatically he becomes vegetarian. So we don't make any propaganda to make one vegetarian. We make propaganda to make one devotee of God.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

We don't advocate vegetarianism or nonvegetarianism. We advocate, "Eat Kṛṣṇa's prasādam, the remnants of foodstuff which is offered to Kṛṣṇa." This is our philosophy.
Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany:

Prabhupāda: The tiger will never eat grass. But we human being, we eat grass, goat, cows and everything. Because advanced, so-called advanced. But our foodstuff is to accept the remnants of foodstuff which is eaten by Kṛṣṇa. That is our philosophy. Kṛṣṇa-prasāda. Just like in this temple, we don't eat anything. Neither we eat grass, neither we eat animals. We eat kṛṣṇa-prasāda. So Kṛṣṇa says that "You give Me these foodstuffs." Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). So we are not eating on the material platform. We are eating on the spiritual platform. Because we are eating, if there is anything sinful, that is Kṛṣṇa's. We are taking His remnants of foodstuff. So this is our philosophy. We don't advocate vegetarianism or nonvegetarianism. We advocate, "Eat Kṛṣṇa's prasādam, the remnants of foodstuff which is offered to Kṛṣṇa." This is our philosophy. And apart from this philosophy, because one living entity is food for another living entity, it does not mean that I shall eat my children also. There is discretion, that human being, they should offer these fruits, vegetables, milk as it is prescribed in the śāstra to God, Kṛṣṇa, and take. That is human civilization, not for the satisfaction of the tongue we have to maintain big, big slaughterhouse and eat them. No, that is not human civilization.

Things are prepared according to the order of Kṛṣṇa, and when Kṛṣṇa eats, we take the remnants of foodstuff. Therefore we do not fall in the group of vegetarian or non-vegetarian. We are transcendental.
Room Conversation with Reverend Gordon Powell, Head of Scots Church -- June 28, 1974, Melbourne:

Reverend Powell: Thank you. Yes, I think I need it. You, you, you're completely vegetarian, and not have meat of any kind and not eggs at all?

Prabhupāda: No.

Reverend Powell: Why not eggs? Because...

Prabhupāda: We are not even vegetarian.

Reverend Powell: You're not.

Prabhupāda: No. We are negative of vegetarian and non-vegetarian. We are not vegetarian, neither non-vegetarian. We eat Kṛṣṇa prasāda. Rather, "prasādarian." We are neither vegetarian, nor non-vegetarian. Because we don't eat which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. Things are prepared according to the order of Kṛṣṇa, and when Kṛṣṇa eats, we take the remnants of foodstuff. Therefore we do not fall in the group of vegetarian or non-vegetarian. We are transcendental.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ. So we offer Him, and then we eat it, so we have nothing to do with vegetarian and nonvegetarian. If Kṛṣṇa says that, "You give Me flesh," then we can eat flesh also. But Kṛṣṇa does not say that.
Morning Walk -- January 8, 1976, Nellore:

Indian man (1): But according to.... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...not vegetarian. We are neither nonvegetarian. We eat kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Kṛṣṇa says, "Give me this food." Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ (BG 9.26). So we offer Him, and then we eat it, so we have nothing to do with vegetarian and nonvegetarian. If Kṛṣṇa says that, "You give Me flesh," then we can eat flesh also. But Kṛṣṇa does not say that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? I have heard one person say that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ doesn't include other things. There are many other things that we offer Kṛṣṇa besides patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So similarly, why can't we offer meat? He doesn't say, "Don't offer me meat."

Prabhupāda: Hm. Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In the Bhagavad-gītā it doesn't say you can't offer Kṛṣṇa meat.

Prabhupāda: So if you like, you can do that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't want to.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) What directly He says, you have to take. And if you interpret, that can be interpreted.

To become vegetarian, nonvegetarian, that is not very important. But we are interested in Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. We are not in the group of vegetarians or nonvegetarians. We are Kṛṣṇized.
Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: How to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, that is really.... To become vegetarian, nonvegetarian, that is not very important. But we are interested in Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. We are not in the group of vegetarians or nonvegetarians. We are Kṛṣṇized. We take Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. That is our.... We are servant of Kṛṣṇa, so whatever is left over by Kṛṣṇa, we take. If Kṛṣṇa eats meat, we shall take Kṛṣṇa prasādam. What can we do? Therefore we offer Kṛṣṇa whatever He wants to eat, and we take the remnants. That is our.... Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26), so we offer Him. If Kṛṣṇa says, "Māṁsa, eggs, give Me," then we shall offer Him and take.

Whatever Kṛṣṇa eats, we eat. If Kṛṣṇa says that "Give me meat, give me eggs," so we shall offer Kṛṣṇa meat and eggs and we shall take it. So don't think that we are after vegetarian, nonvegetarian. No. That is not our philosophy. Because either you take vegetable or you take meat, you are killing.
Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Guru-kṛpā: "If one offer me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalam. He is asking very simple thing which everyone can offer. Just like a little leaf, patram, a little flower, puṣpam, a little fruit, and little liquid, either water or ghee, er, milk. So we offer that. We make different varieties with these ingredients, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26), and after Kṛṣṇa's eating, we take it. We are servant; we take the remnants of foodstuff left by Kṛṣṇa. We are neither vegetarian nor nonvegetarian. We are prasād-ian. We don't care for vegetable or not vegetable, because either you kill a cow or kill a vegetable, the sinful action is there. And according to nature's law, it is said that "The animals which has no hand, that is the food for the animals with hands." We are also animals with hands. We human being, we are also animal with hands, and they are animals—no hand but four legs. And there are animals which has no leg, that is vegetable. Apadāni catuṣ-padām. These animals which has no leg, they are food for the animals with four leg. Just like cow eats grass, the goat eats grass. So eating vegetable, there is no credit. Then the goats and the cows are more credit, have more credit, because they don't touch anything except vegetable. So we are not preaching to become goats and cows. No. We are preaching that you become servant of Kṛṣṇa. So whatever Kṛṣṇa eats, we eat. If Kṛṣṇa says that "Give me meat, give me eggs," so we shall offer Kṛṣṇa meat and eggs and we shall take it. So don't think that we are after vegetarian, nonvegetarian. No. That is not our philosophy. Because either you take vegetable or you take meat, you are killing. And you have to kill because otherwise you cannot live. That is nature's way.

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

We have no quarrel either with the vegetarian or non-vegetarian, because according to Bhagavad-gita both of them are sinful. Anyone who is not eating Krishna Prasadam, either vegetarian or non-vegetarian, he is a sinful person.
Letter to Nandarani -- Seattle 18 October, 1968:

Regarding vegetarian movement, practically we are not very much interested with such partial movement. We have taken the supreme sublime movement, Krishna Consciousness, which includes all other subordinate movement. Although we are not interested in the vegetarian movement, but because we eat Krishna Prasadam we are already vegetarian. So any good thing all over the world may be brought before us and we can say that we have already accepted it. That is the position of Krishna Consciousness. Krishna Consciousness is all including. Just like if a man has got one million dollars, so 10 dollars, $20, $50, or $500, or $5000, everything is included, in that one million dollars. So we have accepted something which is all including so don't worry about this vegetarian movement—if they are not inclined to understand what is Krishna consciousness. We have no quarrel either with the vegetarian or non-vegetarian, because according to Bhagavad-gita both of them are sinful. Anyone who is not eating Krishna Prasadam, either vegetarian or non-vegetarian, he is a sinful person. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, Bhunjante Te Agham Papam Ye Pachyante Atmakaramak. Anyone who is cooking for himself, he is eating simply volumes of sin. So in the material world, either a man is vegetarian or non-vegetarian, they're eating simply sin, and they will have to suffer the consequence. But so far we are concerned, we are eating remnants of foodstuff which was offered to Krishna, so we are not afraid of anything. If Krishna wants vegetable foodstuff, therefore we supply Him vegetable foodstuff, and if He wants non-vegetarian foodstuff, we can offer Him also, but He does not want it, as it is explicitly stated in the Bhagavad-gita. So we are concerned with Krishna Prasadam, neither vegetarian or non-vegetarian. You can say your friend who has invited us that Swamiji is not very expert at speaking about nutritional value of foods, but whatever we take as Krishna Prasadam, there is no comparison of nutrition with any other foodstuff all over the universe.

We are not vegetarian nor non-vegetarian. We are transcendental. We are concerned with Krishna Prasadam.
Letter to Rayarama -- Los Angeles 19 November, 1968:

We are not meant for moving anyone's sentiment against animal slaughter, we are neither Buddhists or Jains, whose main propaganda is against animal slaughter. Even the so-called vegetarians who do not take Krishna prasadam are as much sinful as the non-vegetarians. Our propaganda is different, to make people Krishna Conscious, which automatically makes them sympathetic against any kind of animal slaughter. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, one living entity subsists on the life of other living entities, either vegetarian or non-vegetarian. But we are neither of them. We are not vegetarian nor non-vegetarian. We are transcendental. We are concerned with Krishna Prasadam. Try to popularize Krishna Prasadam as you have already done. People will naturally become vegetarian without any ghastly propaganda.

Page Title:There is no question of vegetarian, nonvegetarian. Even nonvegetarian, he is eating sinful things, provided he is not offering to Krsna
Compiler:Labangalatika
Created:09 of Feb, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=12, Con=6, Let=2
No. of Quotes:20