Vaishnava (Vegetarian) Cooking Classes

 What is Vaishnava?  Vaishnava is a sanskrit word indicating the worshipers of Lord Vishnu.  The worshipers of Lord Vishnu eat foodstuffs that are in the mode of goodness and also cooked in the mode of goodness.  Not only that but those foodstuffs are also offered to Lord Vishnu for eating and thus the remnants of that food (called Prasad in Sanskrit - which means mercy of Lord) is accepted by the Vaishnavas.  Vaishnavas honor those remnants of Lord Vishnu by eating it and thus the process of eating prasad is actually called honoring prasad.

 It is stated in Bhagavad-Gita by Lord Krishna (origin of Vishnu), what is food in the mode of goodness?  "Foods that increase the duration of life, purify one's existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction and are juicy, fatty, wholesome and pleasing to heart are foods in the mode of goodness."  [Bhagavad-Gita 17.8]

Other two kinds of foods are also mentioned in Bhagavad-Gita (Bg.) as foods in mode of passion and mode of ignorance.

"Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning are foods in the mode of passion.  Such foods cause disress, misery and disease."

"Foods prepared more than three hours before being eaten, food that is tasteless, decomposed, and putrid and food consisting of remnants and untouchable things are foods in the mode of ignorance."        [Bg. 17.9-10]

Vaishnavas eat only foods in the mode of goodness - which are offered to Krishna (or Vishnu) and thus sanctified completely.

Come and join us for Vaishnava Cooking classes :

Venue : Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling, WV.
When  : Second and fourth Thursday of every month
Time    : 5:00-7:00pm