The Lord is merciful (Taittiriya Upanisad 3.9)
Everything comes from ether and in the end everything returns to ether. The element ether is thus also a manifestation of the Lord. Being a transformation of ether, food also represents the Lord.
Section 9: The Lord is merciful
Everything comes from ether and in the end everything returns to ether. The element ether is thus also a manifestation of the Lord. Being a transformation of ether, which comes in turn from the energy of the Lord, food is also a representation of the Lord. Food offered in sacrifice, prasadam, should be distributed to guests. This is an important part of spiritual practice and helps us to grow in spiritual realization.
Text 3.9.1
annam bahu kurvīta, tad vratam
pṛthivī vā annam, ākāśo’nnādaḥ
pṛthivyām ākāśaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ
ākāśe pṛthivī pratiṣṭhitā, tad etad annam anne pratiṣṭhitam
sa ya etad annam anne pratiṣṭhitam veda pratitiṣṭhati
annavān annādo bhavati
mahān bhavati prajayā paśubhir brahmavarcasena
mahān kīrtyā
Food should be plentiful, and distributed to guests, that's the vow. Earth is the origin of food, and earth rests on ether. Ether is thus the eater. 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: All material elements originate in ether and everything rests on ether. At the time of dissolution, everything returns to ether, therefore ether is also the eater of everything.
In the Vedanta-sutra, this ether, or ākāśa is defined as a representative of the Lord. Everything comes from the Lord, everything rests on the Lord, and everything returns to the Lord. Food comes from earth, and earth comes from ether (through the transformation of ether into air, fire, water, etc.), therefore food comes from the Lord and is a representative of the Lord.
Food, in the form of prasadam, should be plentiful. While one should not eat more than necessary, one should cook a lot and distribute the prasadam to guests. That's also an important part of our spiritual practice.
Mrgari, the hunter, attained perfection by chanting the holy names in front of Tulasi and distributing prasadam to guests, by cooking the ingredients he was receiving as donations. By doing so, we satisfy the Lord, and we are maintained not only with sufficient food but also with spiritual understanding.