Everything comes from the Lord (Taittiriya Upanisad 3.8)
Food nourishes all beings because of the fire of digestion. This fire of digestion is also a representative of the Lord, and in this way, all food we eat is ultimately offered to the Lord.
Section 8: Everything comes from the Lord
Food nourishes all beings because of the fire of digestion. This fire of digestion is also a representative of the Lord, and in this way, all food we eat is ultimately offered to the Lord. We should thus be careful to not eat any polluted ingredients. Just as the Lord maintains everything, He also maintains the fire of digestion that is so essential for life.
Text 3.8.1
annam na paricakṣīta, tad vratam
āpo vā annam, jyotir annādam
apsu jyotiḥ pratiṣṭhitam, jyotiṣyāpaḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ
tad etad annam anne pratiṣṭhitam
sa ya etad annam anne pratiṣṭhitam veda pratitiṣṭhati
annavān annādo bhavati
mahān bhavati prajayā paśubhir brahmavarcasena mahān kīrtyā
Water is food; it sustains life. Water should not be wasted, this is the vow. Fire is the eater of food. Fire is established in water, and water is established in fire, thus they depend on each other. All types of food are the energy of the Lord and one who understands this becomes well established. He is maintained by the Lord with sufficient food, good progeny, animals, and spiritual understanding.
Commentary: Water is also a form of food, and is even more essential for life. When one is hungry, he can feel satisfied by just drinking some water. The fire mentioned here is the fire of digestion. The fire digests the water, as well as other types of food, and thus fire is the eater. Because the fire of digestion is representative of the Lord, one should offer only pure food to it, avoiding any type of polluted ingredients, such as meat, eggs, and so on. The fire of digestion has no meaning without food, therefore it is in a sense maintained by the food. The Lord, in the form of food, is thus also the support for the fire of digestion. Again, the conclusion is that everything is a manifestation of the Lord and should be used in His service.