Prayer Before Meals – A Spiritual Perspective

In order to better understand this article we suggest you familiarise yourself with the following articles:

• Definition of prayer
• Benefits of prayer
• What are Sattva, Raja and Tama

1. Introduction

Food is a basic necessity of life, and provides nourishment and energy for us to sustain in daily life.  We are well aware of the nutritive properties of food as they are extensively researched. The psychological satisfaction of eating something we like is also known to us through personal experience.  However there have been comparatively few studies about the effects of a common practice – that of making a prayer before meals.

In our fast paced lifestyle, for some of us, a prayer may seem like a redundant step in our meal routine for which we have little time or patience. For others, it may be an altogether unknown experience.

To understand the effects of prayer before meals from a spiritual perspective, we conducted spiritual research using advanced sixth sense and compared what happens when we make a prayer before meals to what happens when food is eaten without praying beforehand.

2. Spiritual research on prayer before meals

The following drawing based on subtle-knowledge has been drawn by Mrs. Yoya Vallee, a seeker of SSRF using advanced sixth sense.

Yoya has an ability to see into the subtle and creates drawings based on subtle-knowledge as part of her spiritual practice and service unto the Absolute Truth (satsēvā).  The drawings based on subtle-knowledge are then verified by His Holiness Dr. Athavale for accuracy.

This drawing based on subtle-knowledge shows the effect of eating without praying.

From the drawing based on subtle-knowledge we can understand the following:

• Divine consciousness (Chaitanya) is attracted towards the food. After consuming it, a sheath of Divine consciousness is created around the person eating it too.
• Due to a lack of prayer and communion with God before the meal, a sheath of distressing energy is created around the person. Distressing energy subsequently covers the food too and is transferred into the body while eating.
• As a result our inner organs and mind become clouded with distressing energy and a ring of distressing energy is created at the heart chakra (Anāhat-chakra) due to the ego present in eating food without prayer. This is due to the mind remaining active in the absence of prayer, which gives rise to various thoughts and extrovertedness.

Therefore when one consumes food without praying, distressing energy enters the person’s subtle-body, which can increase distress.

Along with this, if one also talks loudly while eating this increases the person’s extroverted nature which attracts even more Raja-Tama vibrations. Our energy then becomes depleted and we carry these negative vibrations around with us throughout the day.

3. Subtle-picture on the effect of prayer before meals

Now let us look at another drawing based on subtle-knowledge drawn by Mrs. Yoya Vallee of what happens when one prays before eating.

From this drawing based on subtle-knowledge we can see the following.

• Due to praying, spiritual emotion (bhāv) is awakened in the person and a communion with God is established. This attracts Divine consciousness towards both the food and the person eating it.
• Divine Energy (Shakti) is activated in the food and this reaches the person’s subtle-body and creates a protective sheath around it.
• Finally, after consuming the food, the Vital energy (Prāṇa-shakti) in our body increases.

Therefore from a spiritual perspective, prayer before meals is beneficial.  The types of prayers one can make before eating are:

• “God, let this food be consumed by me with the spiritual emotion that it is Your Holy sacrament (Prasād). Let me gain Divine Energy and Divine consciousness through it.”
• “God, if there is any black energy in the food, please destroy it and infuse Divine consciousness into the food particles.”
• “God, please form a protective sheath of Your Name around me while eating.”

4. In summary – prayer before meals

Making a prayer before meals is a simple act through which we can establish communion with God, gain Divine consciousness and protection and obtain the Vital energy required for our body’s functions. It also brings continuity into our spiritual practice, which occurs even during our daily routine acts such as having meals.