 FOOD
FOR LIFE Global’s mission is inspired by the following words of
the world’s foremost Vedic scholar and teacher, Srila
Prabhupada:
“By the liberal distribution
of prasad (pure vegetarian food) and sankirtan (pure sound),
the whole world can become peaceful and prosperous.”
At the heart of these statements are the spiritual practices
and truths that are central to virtually all faith traditions: thanksgiving,
offering to God the earth’s first yield, helping the poor and promoting
peace and justice.
The Founder-Acharya of the International
Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, was an extraordinary person who dedicated
his life to
teaching the world about Krishna consciousness, ancient India's
most noble message of spiritual wisdom.
Srila Prabhupada wrote more than forty volumes of translation and commentary
on ancient Vedic texts, including the Bhagavad-gita. He wrote not only
as a scholar, but also as a consummate practitioner; he taught not only
through his writings, but also by the example of his life.
Throughout his works, Srila Prabhupada conveyed the natural meaning of
the scriptures without far-fetched interpretations, offering an authentic
rendition of the Vedic conclusions on such important topics as the purpose
of human life, the nature of the soul, consciousness, and God.
In 1965, at age 69, Srila Prabhupada sailed from India to New York to
share Lord Krishna's message on behalf of a distinguished line of masters
dating back thousands of years. He brought with him nothing more than
the clothes on his back, a box of books, and $7 worth of change. In the
years that followed, he traveled and taught throughout the world, opened
108 temples, and established ISKCON.
Srila Prabhupada introduced the teachings of the Vedas
as well as the Vedic culture of food and hospitality. In 1974,
he exhorted his yoga students
to liberally distribute sanctified food so that there would be
no hungry people anywhere in the world. The students enthusiastically
complied,
and so began what was then called ISKCON Food Relief. Their first
humble efforts soon blossomed into the world's largest vegetarian
food relief
program. Known today as FOOD FOR LIFE (FFL), and acting as an
independent, non-sectarian charitable service, the program operates
in over
50 countries around the world.
Though no longer physically present among us, Srila Prabhupada lives
forever in his writings and in the hearts of those whose lives he touched.
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Food
for Life MUSIC
