The renowned spiritual mentor Premānanda Mahārāja, who is popular not only in India but also abroad and is visited by actors and politicians for blessings, recently published a video explaining whether one should watch television or use a mobile phone while eating.
According to Premānanda Mahārāja, food serves not only to satisfy the body; the consumed food has a profound impact on the body, mind, and moral qualities of a person. Therefore, sacred scriptures and sages state that during a meal, one should maintain positive thoughts, chant holy names, and keep a favorable state of mind. If a person hears negative things, sees indecent scenes, or entertains bad thoughts while eating, it directly reflects on their character. Thus, what a person thinks while eating has a long-term effect on them.
Maintain a Positive Attitude While Eating
Premānanda Mahārāja continues that the mind during a meal is very receptive and soft. The atmosphere prevailing at that moment penetrates into a person. If someone eats in a state of anger, criticism, envy, impure thoughts, or stress, their mind becomes the same. Conversely, if remembrance of God, kirtan, praises, recollections, and pure conversations occur during the meal, the mind remains calm. This is why it is customary in many spiritual circles to remember God's name before and during meals.
Scriptures also mention the necessity of remembering the Lord during a meal. One must first remember their protector and then eat, repeating His name. Some people also chant the name while drinking water, keeping in mind that this food and water are a gift from the Lord. This transforms the act of eating from merely nourishing the body to a means of achieving spiritual peace and devotion.
Do Not Make This Mistake While Eating
According to Premānanda Mahārāja, in modern times, people watch mobile phones while eating for entertainment, listen to unnecessary things on television, or engage in trivial conversations. This hinders both proper digestion and the attainment of mental peace. Consequently, mealtime should be special. During this period, the atmosphere should be clean, quiet, and sacred.
It is necessary to realize that the energy required for 24 hours of life enters the body through food. Therefore, the state accompanying the meal will influence a person's life. If food is taken with devotion, remembrance, and calmness, good moral qualities are formed. Hence, the practice of singing bhajans, repeating names, praises, and remembering God during meals is a very beneficial and wholesome activity.