[world-vedic] Forget this centralizing and bureaucracy.

[Guest guest]

Dharmapad wrote:>I do admit that private ownership of the temples was not Shrila

>Prabhupada`s plan. But 25 years later, I have to question whether the >plan

works, whether or not something should not have changed.

 

The problem is *the Srila Prabhupada plan* was rejected AFTER Srila Prabhupada's

disappearence. If it was fully working during Srila Prabhupada's physical

presence why will it not work now?

 

The FACT is It can work if devotees allow it to work.

 

The problems are these devotee who captured top positions are too greedy/lusty

for material ends instead.

 

ISKCON was designed so that EVERYONE was to be engaged in cent percent devotional service.

What happened later was exploitation. They decided to take HUGH salaries, books

were sold to devotees at exorbitant prices thus making them unafforable. Words

in Srila Prabhupada's books were changed and in many case the meanings of the

words was totally different--so the potency was lost.

 

Tapes, CDs, Videos and other preaching tools were made simply out of reach of

the devotees too much exploitation.

 

71-11-30. Letter: Rupanuga So far the posters for temple altars, if you have

got extra money you can print the posters. But I am against the policy of our

ISKCON Press charging exorbitant prices for books and other things which they

sell to the temples. Our policy should be cost price, or if a little more (10%

above cost) is required for other expenses, that may be added. But it is not

that we are in business to make profit from each other. With the public, that

is a different thing. But our real business is to spread Krishna Consciousness,

and for that our centers require so many things like books, tapes, photos, like

that--and these should be freely exchanged between the temples to be utilized

nicely in preaching work, without profit-making.

 

So unless the ORIGINAL BOOKS are brought BACK and Srila Prabhupada followed--

time ahead is disastrous. Srila Prabhupada has often said trust no future

however certain.

 

Some devotees have now resorted to printing ORIGINALs --so the BBT is now losing

out--afterall the demand Is for the GENUINE ORIGINALS. Sales have plunged badly

in the recent years-- now hardly any one bothers to go out in the

streets--whats the point in distributing changed books? Enthusaisam is LOST.

 

Many sincere devotees are also doing cut price CDs and videos now--making it

available--so "pirating" is having a BIG response for those who cannot afford.

The copies are even BETTER in QUALITY then ISKCONS ---and they are NOT spliced.

 

 

>There is still no brahminical, religious profession for the devotees >to engage

in, just selling stickers, or working for someone else as a >sudra of some sort,

mixed in with a few vaishyas. Working within a >burocracy is still sudra work,

religious or otherwise, and even at >that a person cannot support his familiy

by dedicating himself to >temple burocracies, so one still has to go out and

get a karmi job >and serve others and spoil his or her consciousness. Even on

an >ISKCON farm, one can`t earn money ploughing the fields with some >donkey or

ox, and one still has some needs, such as a car, so a >person still has to slip

away and sell stickers or incense and incur >the wrath of society for being a

beggar.

Did not the pandavas ALSO had to resort to other professions-(Arjuna was a

dincing tutor Bhima was engaged as a cook)-so in dire circumstances we have to

do the necessary.

>I think that if you were to harness capitalism and allow devotees to >set up

temples and earn a living in them, through them, that that >would solve a few

problems.Temple is not to be used as a means of livelihood--this is an insult

of Vedic Culture-- better to be a street beggar then follow such means of

trickery to befool the public---(as is unfortunately happening ISKCON today).

Note: Temples--means of livelihood result: deteriorate---neglect.760924SB.VRN

Just like immediately our Subhavilasa Prabhu was asking me that "We have seen

so many temples. Why they are so neglected?" Is it not your question?And why

they should not neglect it? The, mostly, the temples, they havebecome the

**means of livelihood.** That is the defect. Temple is not meant for means of

livelihood. **Then it will deteriorate.** How long you can falsely worship

Deity and make show of arati? You cannot go on very long time. That is not

possible. You'll be disgusted. Unless there is feeling, bhava, that "Here is

Krsna. Krsna has very kindly come here to receive, to take, accept my humble

service. He's so great that He cannot be approached by a person like me." Anor

aniyan mahato mahiyan.

720308BG.CAL LecturesThat is the test. As soon as he has become

Krsna conscious, he has fully surrendered to Krsna. Immediately he becomes the

greatest mahatma. Sa mahatma sudurlabhah. A mahatma like me, because, simply by

changing dress... That is another thing. Because sometimes this dress gives us

good opportunity for easy livelihood. That is another thing. But those who take

this dress for begging and for fulfilling the hungry belly, that is..., that

mahatma is different thing. He is not mahatma; he is duratma. My Guru Maharaja

used to say that if one is inclined to collect money by showing Deity, it is

better to become a sweeper in the street. It is better to become a sweeper in

the street, because he's earning his livelihood honestly. And this man who is

keeping a temple and doing all nonsense, simply by showing Deity, collecting

some money, this class of men, they're most sinful. You cannot do so. You

cannot take other's money. You'll be debtor. Therefore gradually, because this

class of men are developed at the present moment, they have become... In

Vrndavana there are so many temples, they have become, made a business by

showing temple, collecting money. This is not good. There must be... Temple

means people should come, people should learn the science of God. That is

temple. Not that to make a business of temple. Therefore everything is, not

only in India, all over the world, the churches also, they're dwindled. Now,

Europe and America, so many churches are for sale. We have purchased so many

churches because people have no more interest. There is no education. Temple

means spiritual educational shelter. People should come, they should learn what

is spiritual life, what is God, what is my relationship with. That is temple.

Otherwise, if you simply came... Therefore two processes should be followed:

pancaratriki viddhi and bhagavata-viddhi. We follow both. Bhagavata-viddhi is

the philosophical side of religion, and pancaratriki viddhi is the worshiping

side of temple--how to worship Deity, how to dress, how to decorate, how to

offer respect. Mad-yaji. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji. Temple worship is

mad-yaji, worshiping the Deity. So this is the test, this is the test.

ys mahesh