AW: sad-acharity and ISKCON

[Guest guest]

>My question concerns number 10 here and especially the last sentence

>concerning "emergency spots".

>

>> 10. It could be greatly enhanced and accelerated by cooperation with the

>> government, welfare organizations and businessmen if organized properly

>> and conducted in a rational, reliable, intelligent and socially relevant

>> manner. This includes programs in emergency spots.

>

>

>I can't speak with great authority on this point but I think the GBC body

>may have to in order to give a final verdict because of what Srila

>Prabhupada's says in this letter to Jayapataka Maharaja which follows.

>

 

Dear Trivikrama Maharaja,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances unto your lotus feet. All glories to

Srila Prabhupada.

 

It would be very presumptuous and self-destructive for me to even think of

instructing a worshipable superior like your good self. You joined the

movement when I was not even born.

 

It would probably be much more appropriate if you seniormost devotees

discuss the above statement by Srila Prabhupada among yourselves and then

give us your carefully weighed conclusion on the matter.

 

>Regarding food distribution, they may come to take at our Temple. With

>travelling sankirtana we can distribute wherever we go, but not to the

>emergency spot, like that.

> --letter to Jayapataka Swami, 09/28/76

 

Somehow it appears to me that here Srila Prabhupada is speaking

disapprovingly of just engaging ***traveling sankirtana*** in going to ***a

particular emergency spot*** -- a decision, which makes perfect to me, given

how few traveling sankirtana parties Srila Prabhupada had in Indian back

then and how valuable their service was (and still is).

 

But I am not sure if the above letter could be fairly interpreted as

prohibiting any ISKCON devotee to go to any emergency spot on earth.

 

Looking forward to being corrected and begging to remain

 

your servant,

Madana-mohana das