charity and ISKCON

[Guest guest]

> Here is the story I promised. It comes from the wonderful biography

> of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura that is being prepared by

> HH Bhakti Vikasa Swami. It is not published yet, but I believe that

> the following paragraphs cannot change their message even after

> editing.

>

> <<There were many beggars at the Saksi Gopal temple once, when the

> Gaudiya Math grhasthas were passing. However, they didn't give any

> donations, thinking, "We shall give to God. Why give to the poor? The

> karmis, they're giving to the poor." Sarasvati Thakura became very

> sorry upon hearing this and said, "Inside the body of the poor there

> is the Supersoul. Lord Caitanya fed the poor. Don't dislike that. It

> is not bhakti to hate the beggars. You are not giving to the poor but

> to the Supersoul!"

>

> <<He himself used to give alms and never saw anyone as rich or poor,

> but as a temple of God. He said they should be served, and would

> personally give them prasadam. However, he did not do this regularly

> to the same people, because it would encourage them to just come to

> the temple for eating only. If anyone unknown came at the time of

> prasadam he would say, "They are antaryami-prerita (sent by the

> Supersoul)" and would have them fed.

>

> <<Sarasvati Thakura's sannyasis would also sometimes give alms to the

> poor, considering them antaryami prerita - sent by the Supersoul.>>

>

> ys apd

 

It does appear that BS Sarasvati Thakura was encouraging devotees

similarly to Srila Prabhupada in relation ISKCON Food Relief in a

_proximity_ of a temples (mile radii), i.e. god centered view, not

disaster-centered.

 

(Check www.ffl.org for God-centreness btw)

 

It appears that the original Groznyy (Chechnya) FFL was actually a

temple with quite a few brahmacari-devotees from Moscow with a programme

very close to Srila Prabhupadas programme (even bhagavatam) and the main

focus on free prasadam distribution, very close indeed to what Srila

Prabhupada himself wanted starting from days even long before ISKCON was

formed. (See league of devotees programme, ammount of prasadam on the

list is just .... well way more then a regular GM devotee would see in a

lifetime.)

 

But (on my liberal opinion) there is always room for innovation even at

the "emergency spots" as long as considerations that Srila Prabhupada

had back then were addressed (i.e. looking like mayavadis or Christian

aid guys, risking lives of devotees, shifting the accent from Krsnas

satisfaction to helping the victims of natural disaster, removing

conscious appreciation of prasadam as Krishna's mercy which is essential

to the process itself to be in any way successful). It is important to

be humble about any innovation (or look for any opportunity to be

humble) and not to present it as Srila Prabhupadas idea though. Service

to Krishna is such an unlimited thing; it may flood over to the

"emergency spots" just as it did in Chechnya on the huge wave of

preaching all over the Russia.

 

ys ccd