God Is Supplying Everyone Food - The Supreme Provider
Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently highlights the absurdity of modern society's obsession with economic development at the expense of spiritual realization. Since the Supreme Personality of Godhead has already arranged for the maintenance of every living entity, the anxiety over food and shelter is a symptom of ignorance. True human civilization begins with acknowledging God as the supreme maintainer.
The Universal Provider
No human institution can claim the ability to feed the entire world. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that only the Supreme Lord possesses the boundless resources necessary to supply food to the millions and trillions of living entities populating the cosmic manifestation.
- Nobody is dying out of starvation, nobody, not even an animal, not even a bird dying of starvation, not a beast. God is supplying everyone's food. Eko bahunam vidadhati kaman. He is supplying food to the elephant.
- There are 8,400,000 species of life. Out of that, human beings are very few, 400,000 species of life in different planets. And out of them, civilized men, they are very, very few. But God is giving food to everyone actually.
- You can supply your family, you can supply your society, you can supply your country, but you cannot supply everyone. But there are millions and trillions of living entities. Who is supplying food?
- In Africa there are millions of elephants. They take food, at a time, forty kilos. But they are also being supplied with food. But who is supplying food?
Anxiety and the Animal Kingdom
One of the most striking proofs of God's provision is the animal kingdom. Śrīla Prabhupāda observes that animals do not perform business or pray in churches, yet they are effortlessly maintained, exposing the unnatural and unnecessary anxiety of human society.
- God is giving bread to the eight million other living entities. Birds, beast, tigers, elephants, they are not going to the church for asking bread. But they are getting it. So if God is supplying everyone food, why He shall not supply you?
- Your anxiety for food, that is not humanly. Even the cats and dogs, they are not anxious for their food. Even the birds, they rise early in the morning, they are also not anxious for the food. God has arranged for food, everyone.
- Why I shall steal? There is enough food. But because I haven't got this knowledge that "God is the proprietor. I am His part and parcel, son. So if He has provided food for the elephant, who eats at a time forty kilos, I cannot eat?" This is knowledge.
- I am traveling all over the world; I see people are very busy for searching out food and shelter. But according to Vedic scripture, it is said that food and shelter is already there, given by God.
The Root Cause of Scarcity
If God is supplying abundantly, why is there starvation in human society? Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that scarcity is an artificial crisis created by humanity's greed, mismanagement, and rebellious failure to recognize the Supreme Proprietor.
- The Vedas say, eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman - the Supreme Person is supplying food to many living entities. The difficulty in this material world is that we take more than we need and thus create our own problems.
- We are receiving so many benefits through the agents of Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we do not acknowledge even, 'God is great. He is supplying us nice foodstuff,' so how much ungrateful the human society has become. And they want peace and prosperity.
- It is God who is supplying food, but still we are creating rebellion against Him. The word dhruk means "rebellious." Those rascals who are going against the law of God are rebellious.
- The Lord is supplying everyone food, but according to the living entity's association with the modes of material nature, the living entity develops his specific character.
The Higher Intelligence of Devotion
A person advanced in spiritual knowledge understands that asking the Lord for daily maintenance is unnecessary. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the highest intelligence is to simply serve Bhagavān, knowing perfectly well that the Supreme Father will always protect and maintain His surrendered children.
- Why shall I bother God? He is supplying everyone food, why shall I ask Him food? My food is also there. Let me serve Him - That is his higher intelligence.
- If you are serving for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, why He will not supply you? Krsna is supplying food to everyone, those who are not devotee, and why not to the devotees? What we have done?
- God is supplying us food. This conception is there in the Bible, "God, give us our daily bread." This is nice. Accepting that you are getting all supplies from God, this is sukrti, this is punyavat.
- We should be satisfied with what God has supplied in the form of food, shelter, defense and sex, and should not want more and more and more. The best type of civilization is one that ascribes to the maxim of - plain living and high thinking.
Conclusion
To understand the universal management of the Absolute Truth is to be completely freed from material anxiety. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is perfectly supplying the daily food for all 8,400,000 species of life. While the conditioned souls entangle themselves in karma by hoarding and fighting over resources, the Lord as Paramātmā quietly maintains everyone according to their allotted portion. By stepping out of this rebellious mentality and accepting the simple maxim of high thinking and plain living, a sincere soul can redirect all their energy toward devotional service. Assured that the all-powerful Lord is maintaining them, a pure devotee never begs for material necessities but simply rejoices in glorifying the Supreme Provider.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category God Is Supplying Everyone Food. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.