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Prasāda. We are always speaking of prasāda. So, what is prasāda? The word "prasāda" itself signifies something very pure, spiritual, and filled with divine energy. Merely pronouncing the word "prasāda" transmits an energy into whatever you are about to give or eat. You can give prasāda as food, a cloth for a dress, or a shawl. Anything we consider beneficial, when sanctified, becomes prasāda. The word denotes holiness. When a holy saint touches something and gives it to you, it is prasāda. Prasāda is not measured in kilos; it can be a quarter of a single grain of rice. It is not about quantity but quality. When we receive and eat prasāda, it immediately affects our brain system. This means it brings sāttvic, positive, and spiritual thoughts into the mind. For students, it is very important. When leaving home, they should go to the altar and take prasāda—perhaps just one almond, two almonds, or a little sweet. Before going to school, college, or university, if you take prasāda, you will be successful. Fruits offered are also prasāda. What we have now is kheer. This kheer holds great meaning as prasāda. Rice. In spirituality, we apply a tilak on the forehead. You apply black (kajal) on your eyes and red on your lips, for decoration. But the tilak is here, on the forehead. This spot is called kismat—your destiny, your luck, your karma resides here, not elsewhere. When we apply a tilak here, what does it mean? We are performing a ceremony, worshipping, giving you luck, and opening your third eye. This is the tilak. It represents three: the three times (past, present, future) and the three lokas (realms). When we say "three luck," "luck" is an English word for good fortune. It is said that when you go somewhere, you should first see if a person has a tilak on their forehead. If there is no tilak anywhere, then look at the tilak on your palm, on this finger—the ring finger. This finger holds that luck. It has the right to touch your destiny on the forehead. We do the tilak first with this ring finger, and then a second time with the thumb. This signifies greater luck. The thumb is for weddings; when you marry, you receive the tilak. The tilak from the thumb is a symbol of kingship, like when a king is crowned. In your culture, you may not have this, but you crown a king. In India, in the ancient times of Sanātana Dharma, all these lands—Hong Kong, Bangkok, and all—were part of India. Indonesia was the kingdom of the god Rāma. In Bangkok, on Thai Airways, when you enter, how do they greet you? Like this. In Thailand, whether in a hospital, office, bank, street, or shop, when you meet someone, they greet you with this gesture. This is the crown of the king. First, they give the crown, but it is a half-crown. Then comes the tilaka. After the tilaka is applied, they worship, acknowledging the person as king with the crown and tilaka. Different traditions also give the king a nice stick, a gun, a sword, or other regalia, and then a beautiful garland for the mid-heart, adorned with gold and finery. This is called the Rāj Tilak. Do not think that Swāmījī is making anyone foolish. We have witnesses. So, what happens? Who receives the tilak? The king. It is a sign of respect, marking him as the supreme ruler of the place. He is given the tilak to show respect, and then the mukuṭ (crown). That is it. For everyone who is married, during the marriage ceremony, the groom is regarded as a king. In our marriage system, the boy is regarded as the god (Viṣṇu), and the bride is regarded as Lakṣmī. At that moment, everyone shows respect. When they enter the marriage place, everyone stands to show respect for Lord Viṣṇu. So, king and queen. Those who wish to marry must wait and choose the right person, not just pick someone from the street. Your queen is waiting for you somewhere, and your king is waiting somewhere—it is your kismet. On that day, the brāhmaṇa, the priest or paṇḍit, will bring on a silver plate rice, coconuts, and everything. Then the time comes. With this big thumb comes the Rājā Tilak. Then comes the crown, and then the tilak. Not first the tilak and then the crown. When the crown comes, one has the right to receive a tilak. This is also a blessing. At other times, you might receive a tilak with this finger and then like this. Rice. Why do we use rice? We could use other grains, but no. Rice is one of the oldest grains. It is white and rarely rots unless destroyed by animals. It is the king of food for us. Then milk. Milk is purity. Milk is a mother. From whom do you drink milk? From a goat, a cow, a buffalo, a camel, or your own mother. She from whom you drink milk is your mother. Do not kill your mother; do not eat your mother. These are all symbols present in prasāda. A blessing is a prasāda when you receive a blessing on the head from your mother, father, elder brother, elder sister, or elderly neighbors. Every elder has the right to give you a blessing. When you go, when you offer praṇām, they will say, "Bless you." Nowadays, you say, "Bye bye." They say, "You go, jai jai." You say, "Bye, go bye." Previously, this was not so. When a child goes to school or anywhere, the mother blesses them and says, "My child, take care. Cross the road carefully. Go to school, don't go elsewhere, and come home happy and healthy." The father does the same. If parents are not there, your neighbors will take care of you and send you off. Every elderly person has the right to give a blessing. You are blessed, and this blessing will function because it is a blessing. It is not your hand but the power of the blessings. Since you also receive blessings in church or elsewhere in the name of God, this is prasāda. If no one is at home and you are preparing food, you should cook your food as prasāda. Do not eat while cooking, putting food in your mouth. Many people in the kitchen stare at the food, taste it with a spoon, and say, "Oh, very good," and put it back. God will not accept this. You have no right to taste. You should have the knowledge that you cook perfectly, but if some are in doubt, what should you do? Take a little from the spoon onto your palm, taste it, and then wash your hands. You can say, "God, excuse me, but I want to know if the salt is more or less." You are cooking prasāda. When you cook in your kitchen, it is best to sing some mantras, good songs, play good music, and maintain good thoughts. Always feel that you are cooking prasāda for all. Prasāda has great meaning. It does not matter who is who. At a high level of spirituality, everyone will take prasāda. Some people think they bring prasāda in front of you, and they take it... He said, "I don't know who brought this system that you give to the Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara, and the Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara will take it like this." No. Prasāda is more divine than that. You should give the prasāda; they should receive the prasāda like this. But if you offer, they will take it. Those with more knowledge and education will say, "No, no, please give me prasāda." It goes into the hand. So, do not offer; give. If someone takes your hand, say, "No, no... this is prasāda I am giving." That is very... we should know the tradition properly. When another person puts their hand into your prasāda pot, it is no longer prasāda. Understand? When we are sitting and receiving prasāda, everyone should wait. After everyone has received theirs, we will say "Hari Om" and eat the prasāda. If it is liquid prasāda, like the kheer we had, then you can eat, then go and wash your hands and mouth. Prasāda is quality; it is superpower. When you eat prasāda, nothing bad will happen. It will give you better memory, and you will have no fear. When you have eaten prasāda and go anywhere, no one can harm you because you carry that divine energy, divine God, or Gurudev with you. One day if you go without prasāda, you will see what happens. You will say on the way, "I am sorry, I was in a hurry, Mahāprabhujī." We always tell Mahāprabhujī or Devapurījī, "Please bless me with the prasāda." That is enough. You asked, and the blessing has already come. A blessing is prasāda. Bhaktas know, spiritual people know, good people know. Others are like grass that all cows, donkeys, or pigs go and start with. Humans have goodness. You see what is called in the church—I do not know if you know in Australia or New Zealand—but generally, at the door of the church, there is a stone with holy water. Yes or no? You take this water and make a tilak. From where does this tilak come? It is from ages and ages. Christianity is only a few thousand years old. All this comes from Agravatī. Pūjā comes from what? It comes. Dīpak comes from what? So, everything is there because this is the truth, the reality. Everywhere, one can perform pūjā, think, bow down, and call upon God. There are many types of prasāda, many blessings. There is what we call Caraṇāmṛta. Amṛta: your words are amṛta. Your words are like nectar—sweet words, humble words, good words. If you say, "No, I don’t want, I don’t like," it is not amṛta because your inner self says, "It is poison, I don’t like." But when your heart is open and you accept, then it becomes nectar. Vācana amṛta, caraṇa amṛta, jñāna amṛta. There are different kinds of amṛta, and that amṛta is prasāda. Whether someone believes or not, it is ours; we know we must accept prasāda. You can make prasāda at home. Keep some seeds or anything at home as prasāda. You can take prasāda. Bring fruits, place them on your altar or a clean spot, wash them, and then take them as prasāda. Believe that everything is from God. Everyone, before eating, says a mantra at the table or over the food. Every religion and tradition has different mantras. We have mantras. Anna is food, but Anna specifically refers to grains, nothing else, because real nourishment comes from grains, from seeds. The seed is life. Annapūrṇā: in whose house there is enough grain, enough food. Annapūrṇā sadāpūrṇā: when you have this Annapūrṇā... Remember who Annapūrṇā is. Annapūrṇā is the Divine Mother. Śiva never goes asking for food, but in front of Annapūrṇā, even Śiva goes to receive bhikṣā. So, Annapūrṇā is sadāpūrṇā. When you have the blessing and mercy of the Divine Mother, you always have everything. Annapūrṇe sadāpūrṇe śaṅkara prāṇa vallabhe. And Śiva is the prāṇa. Śaṅkara prāṇa vallabhe jñāna vairāgya siddhyarthaṁ. Jñāna, vairāgya, and siddhyarthaṁ: knowledge, renunciation, and food. Annapūrṇe sadāpūrṇe śaṅkara prāṇavallabhe jñāna vairāgya siddhyarthaṁ sākṣīś. Bhikṣāṁ dehi mātā pārvatī. O Mother Pārvatī, for this reason, please give me bhikṣā, meaning prasāda. All these mantras we sing are very important and beautiful. In the Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā, 15th chapter, there is: "brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma-haviḥ brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam / brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ brahma-karma-samādhinā." "Brahmārpaṇam": I am not eating; I am offering to Brahman. "Brahma-haviḥ": I am offering into the fire of Brahman, in the yajña of Brahman. "Brahmāgnau..." So, in the fire of Brahman, where is that? In our nābhi, our navel. That is the fire, Jāṭharāgni. So, where are we offering? Into this, which is Brahman. It is Brahman whose offering is to Brahman, whose receiving is Brahman. Everything is Brahman. That is the fire. Yajñī Devo Namaha. Further, after this, all say: Pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate / pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate. So, everything is pūrṇa. The supreme, the highest one, is pūrṇa. That is Brahman. What comes from the pūrṇa is also pūrṇa. When you take from the complete, it does not become half. It always remains. So, what comes from pūrṇa? We come from Brahman, and we are also pūrṇa. Everything that comes from that is pūrṇa, and through our pūjā, pūrṇa and everything will go to the pūrṇa. All these mantras we are singing are Vedic mantras, real and powerful mantras. Not only that, God gives you bread and all; thank you. This is too little. You do not have to just take; you have to multiply, to give that which we are giving to this Annapūrṇā. So, prasāda is divine. Always respect prasāda. Do not deny prasāda. Do not throw prasāda. Otherwise, it is a sin. If you throw it or neglect it, it is a sin. It means some good quality of use is gone. You may not know, but that quality is gone. Today is enough; it is already 8:30. We have early morning sādhana tomorrow.