Bhagavat Cultural Immersion || Mantra Meditation & Sanctified Vegetarian Meals
Soul Clinic | Cultivating Spiritual Development of Life
Bhagavat Cultural Immersion programs have been established under the guidance and instruction of our Spiritual Master, the Serving Director of the BVI, B Madhava Puri Maharaja, PhD. This program is held at the Princeton YMCA on the last Sunday of every month from 1:00-3:00 PM and runs throughout the year. During the colder months, we are inside the YMCA.
Prasadam is specially prepared foodstuff that has been offered to the Lord, and then consumed for spiritual purification. Not only is prasadam vegetarian, i.e. does not include meat, fish, or eggs, but it also excludes onion and garlic. The method for honoring prasadam is described in the Vedic literature of ancient India.
Honoring prasadam is for nourishing the soul by purifying the heart and mind, not merely for filling the belly and nourishing the body. Prasadam is karma-free, thus it does not further entangle us in reactions from fruitive exploitive activities.
Prasadam is not limited to Indian-style dishes. Just as the Supreme Lord is present everywhere, dishes of any culture may be prepared and offered for the pleasure of the Lord.
Kirtan is ecstatic mantra meditation that purifies the heart by glorifying the Lord.
When practiced in the association of devotees like the genuine followers of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhara Dev-Goswami Maharaja, these nonsectarian devotional activities foster spiritual development towards recognizing our constitutional position as humble, loving, servants of God.
Since March 2021, as highlighted in Planet Princeton, the Princeton Bhakti Vedanta Institute has been distributing sanctified vegetarian meals (prasadam) for free and having kirtan (ecstatic mantra meditation) at the Princeton YMCA on the last Sunday of every month from 1:00-3:00 PM. Whether it’s just for the prasadam, or also to participate in kirtan, all members of the community, their families, and friends, are welcome to join us! The Bhagavat Cultural Immersion is not intended solely for the Indian community, but for anyone who would simply like a vegetarian meal and also for sincere seekers interested in learning more about the nonsectarian approach to spiritual life that Bhagavat philosophy and culture offers. The Bhagavat Cultural Immersion was an idea that our Serving Director, Dr. Bhakti Madhava Puri, had for some time. He decided to implement it to offer some community relief during COVID-19. This has been our primary means of engaging with the community since leaving our Nassau Street office, where the Princeton Bhakti Vedanta Institute had kirtan and prasadam distribution since 2012 (pictured below).
Our prasadam distribution is featured in:
Town Topics | July 05, 2023 (Princeton’s Weekly Community Newspaper)
We are 100% funded by well-wishers
To support us in continuing and expanding this prasadam distribution, kindly consider making a donation — a devotional contribution. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization — all donations are tax-deductible (EIN# 20-8332347).
In addition to being distributed at the Princeton YMCA on the last Sunday of each month and at Tiger Statue or Albert E. Hinds Community Plaza the week before our YMCA program, this prasadam is distributed twice per month through the Princeton Kindness Food Project and the Robbinsville/Hamilton locations of Project Freedom, where it goes to senior, low-income, and disabled individuals throughout Mercer County, New Jersey.
