In the Vedic tradition the food given by the Guru is called Prasad, which means it is full of the Guru's blessings, teachings, shakti and Love.  Prasad nourishes the Soul and Spirit as much as it does the body and mind.

I Love how this Master, who is so mystically majestic in every way, is also so down to earth practical.  For him there seems to be no difference between a karela and a cosmos.  He is as at home in the kitchen as he is in Brahma Lok.  In fact, to me, this page of this website gives his teaching as strongly as any other, if not stronger!  Here is a little story to illustrate Papaji's view of the Oneness of the world and Self.

Once, in 1990,  Steve traveled all the way from the States to ask Papaji just one question.  He finally made it to Lucknow and after a lot of searching found Papaji's house in Narhi only to be told that the Master was at the GPO park, Hazratganj.  This tiny park is at the most busy and intense intersection in Lucknow, a city of 1.7 million.  So Steve found the Park and the Master sitting on a bench.  He pranamed to him and, in the middle of the dusty swirl of thousands of people, cows, cars, tempos, trucks, overloaded buses, scooters, pigs and crows, asked his one burning question. He said, "Poonja, what is Sahaja Stithi?". (Sahaja Stithi is the technical Vedic term for the "Natural State", the state of Absolute Pure Enlightenment.)  Papaji looked into his eyes as only a true Jnani can, smiled at him, made a sweeping gesture indicating the entirety of the chaotic mileu around them, and said:

This!

This page is dedicated to Papaji's Prasad.  Hopefully we will get some recipes from Jyoti, Usha, Surendra, Reena, Shyamala, Gopal, Om Prakash and others who prepared a lot of this Prasad.  If you have recipes or stories to share please send them to prashanti at igc.org