OVEREATING

  All  Glories to HDG Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami Maharaj

   All   Glories to HDG  Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati  Prabhupada

Srila Rupa Goswami has stated that for one who wishes to advance in devotional service then he has to give up the six faults as mentioned in the Upedesamrta

atayaharascha payascha  prajalpo niyamagrahah janah sangas cha laulayam cha sadbhktir vinasyati ; devotional service will be stunted if these faults are maintained and  not weeded out. This means there will be no advancement for the aspirant until that time. In order to do so one has to have an unflinching faith on the spiritual master which includes his  instructions. To attempt to remove these faults  by one's own independent striving will be very difficult. One who has been able to obtain the mercy of the spiritual master will  easily be able to overcome these six faults .Those who are unable to give up these faults means they have not been able to give up the duplicitousness whilst in the shelter of the guru nor did they have the proper faith whilst  in execution of devotional  advice. Otherwise, by the association of the saintly devotees their devotional service should have been progressive. The point is by the proper execution of devotional service ,the contamination in the form of these faults could have  been dissipated. Devotional service can never be performed properly in the midst of these six faults and they cease to exist by the proper execution of devotional service. Proper performance of devotional service literally means the removal of these six faults. Hence we have to cling firmly to the feet of the master and the Vaishnavas and while practicing  unalloyed devotional service ,determine whether or not we have actually managed to give up these faults. If we find out that it is still present in us ,we have to strive to  perform devotional service with increased faith in the guru and Vaishnavas that is the  only remedy. Association with these faults will gradually decrease with our increased devotional service. The first is overeating. One who indulges in eating is not able to perform devotional service properly. Their tongue and the belly by nature is very voracious. Their minds  bow down to the demands of these senses in servitude .So how will they be able to perform  devotional service properly  to Krishna? They are then considered  not qualified  to perform  actual worship to Krishna. Generally, If they accumulate any ingredient  supposedly for the service of Krishna ,their  tongues would  yearn to  enjoy it first. By bringing these to the feet of the Lord ,their thoughts would be focused on how  to enjoy all these themselves without any deep attachment to the Lord, so where is the question of worship of the Lord? Their  devotional charade  may be reduced to blindly following rules and regulations  but there will be  discrepancy in their  so called proper worship .Even if we were to somehow maintain that particular individual was performing worship, or one of nine limbs of devotion, still at the time of distributing these  offered foodstuffs ,his greed will take the better of him as worrying that he may not able to eat his allotted quota of the foodstuffs.  He thinks,'' all the Vaishnavas will eat and what is left may not be enough for me to fill my belly especially since thee foods are very delicious''  That will be the type of worry in his mind and in that way he will not be able to perform that limb of service properly. Since he is busy for his own gratification, there is no question of being able to please Hari, guru and the  Vaishnavas and his devotional service will be a farce and stunted. Whatever was  performed by him was just an outward  show or  to fool  other people as he  personally does not possess any devotion. Sometimes , simply collecting when  devoid of pure motives would make the donors suspicious and though outwardly appearing friendly ,inwardly would become  antagonistic towards the devotees. How to remove this fault has already been discussed in the first paragraph and this now just has to be repeated. By taking shelter of guru with a simple disposition and at the same time practicing devotions with determination will immediately bring results. On the other hand, trying to reduce one's food in a false manner will never bring any result, the urges of the tongue and the belly will never be mitigated at all artificially. Whatever comes by the mercy  of the Lord to partake of it but not in the mood of enjoyment but  as service to the remnants of the Lord will not implicate one .In this mood of service, there will be no avariciousness  for eating at all instead will increase our devotional rapture. One who serves the  holy remnants (prasada) in this way will never be implicated as a glutton but rather he will experience divine bliss. However any other method of forced reduction in eating will be a farce for  eventually he may fall from his position . Srila Rupa Goswami has clarified that of one of the sixty four limbs of devotion  regarding yavat nirvaha pratigraha 

adhikya nyunatanyancha cvyate  paramarthatah

atyaharah yeman dosha atyalpaharar  tahahai

meaning: this body is the foundation and means for our performing devotional service. To torture or reduce the body in various ways does not mean our advancement is guaranteed .The body is the channel by which one can make rapid advancement in devotions and to not to take of the body properly is detrimental to our devotions. In that respect, to eat in minute quantities which is insufficient to maintain a healthy body or to gorge enormous quantity up to the neck as they say ,both are to be renounced as unfavorable for executing pure devotional service. One other meaning of ahara is collection. In that context, scriptures say that to collect more that what is necessary is detrimental in our pursuit of devotion. In performance of devotion ,we should only collect what is necessary .Here collecting in excess  is an habit people indulge in that is never  favorable for devotional service at all. In fact, that simply demonstrates our lack of surrender and faith in the Supreme Lord. The basis of devotion  to God is surrender. The dominant  mood of one as being  the doer tends to suppress the inclination towards devotion. Just as the mood to eat very much less then the  required quantity  is not considered favorable,  similarly to eat excessively too  is considered a fault. For one who is performing worship not to collect the required materials for worship implies a lazy mood. This laziness is caused by  lack of enthusiasm in turn  unfavorable to the proper  execution of devotional service. Enthusiasm is a required and is an important quality required to advance in devotional  practice as mentioned by SriRupa Goswami. In that respect ,one may sometimes attempt to imitate very highly evolved devotees in our practices without the proper qualification. Therefore the former verse states ,one should be careful not to eat in excess or in a reduced quantity which will never give us any spiritual result. The point to be understood here is that actual renunciation(yukta vairagya ) has to be followed. Too much eating will result in more increased sense gratification leading to greater  material attachment resulting in decrease in devotions. In the same way eating in a reduced manner is false renunciation and it becomes difficult to practice  proper devotional service. In conclusion to accept what is necessary  for devotional service  to Lord Krishna without being attached will help one progress in spiritual life.