Donations from the Asuras

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"COM: Madhava Gosh (das) ACBSP (New Vrindavan - USA)" wrote:

 

> [Text 2351106 from COM]

>

> "Advaita Acarya, My spiritual master, should never accept charity from

> rich men or kings, because if a spiritual master accepts money or grains

> from such materialists his mind becomes polluted.

> <br>PURPORT

> <br>It is very risky to accept money or food from materialistic persons,

> for such acceptance pollutes the mind of the charity's recipient. According

> to the Vedic system, one should give charity to sannyasis and brahmanas

> because one who thus gives charity becomes free from sinful activities.

> Formerly, therefore, brahmanas would not accept charity from a person unless

> he were very pious. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave this instruction for

> all spiritual masters. Materialistic persons who are not inclined to give

> up their sinful activities like illicit sex, intoxication, gambling and

> meat-eating sometimes want to become our disciples, but, unlike professional

> spiritual masters who accept disciples regardless of their condition,

Vaisnavas

> do not accept such cheap disciples. One must at least agree to abide by

> the rules and regulations for a disciple before a Vaisnava acarya can accept

> him. In fact, a Vaisnava should not even accept charity or food from persons

> who do not follow the rules and regulations of the Vaisnava principles.

> <p>>>> Ref. VedaBase => Adi 12.50

 

Hare Krsna dasi comments:

 

Srila Prabhupada's caution about the risks of accepting charity from

materialistic

persons is an important point to keep in mind. Whether in ISKCON or in the US

government, the fact is that when one accepts donations from materialistic

persons,

there is always a chance of one's character becoming like theirs. Furthermore,

too

often, he who gives the money, calls the shots.

 

Specifically some farm communities have found a similar problem with accepting

charity for cow protection. A successful businessman -- even though he is also

a

devotee -- wants to give a substantial donation. Then, once he has given such

a

large donation, he feels entitled to influence the policy of how the cows are

cared

for. In one respect, that is fair enough,

it's reasonable to consider his input, after he has made such a major

commitment.

 

But, in another respect, it is often troublesome, because as a capitalistic

businessman, his first impulse is to put the dairy project on a self-supporting

basis. His plan is to breed 15 cows and start up an organic dairy business.

 

Unfortunately, there is no place in his plans for training and using the 8 bull

calves that result from the dairy business, nor is there any plan for the

retirement of the original 15 animals + the 15 calves that result. So, this is

the

drawback of accepting funds from someone who has a materialistically-tinged

understanding of economics.

 

BUT -- in spite of the real dangers of accepting funds from people who are

extremely or only slightly tinged by materialistic values, it is important to

keep

in mind that Srila Prabhupada also viewed the subject from another perspective.

 

It seems like it is the most impossible thing to do, to get devotees to see

things

from more than just one perspective. Instead, we tend to grab onto one

Prabhupada

quote and then have a shoot-out with any devotee who proposes anything

different

(yes, me too).

 

BUT, ANWAY -- here is the other perspective that we should also keep in mind,

the

one where Srila Prabhupada explains how it will be to the benefit of the

non-devotees if they give in charity to support the development of our Krsna

conscious communities:

 

********************

 

It is sort of a disease of the Asuras that they have learned to accumulate

wealth

unlawfully. The conditioned souls, under the influence of the External Potency

of

Godhead, are always bewildered in their intelligence, like insane persons are

always bewildered in ordinary dealings. As such, the governing body of the

Geeta

Nagari has to make some intelligent plan so that the Asuras may be engaged in

the

service of Sree Partha Sarathi with all their accumulated unlawful wealth. If

they

are at all able to make such a plan, surely they will be able to render more

valuable service to the people of the world than any number of political

parties or

organisations are able to do.

 

INTERPRETATIONS OF BHAGWAT GEETA, 1948 ["Gita-nagari Prophecy"]

 

******************

 

Now of course, there are several ways of accepting wealth from the Asuras. One

way

is to take their money, and then become like them. One way is to take their

money,

and then let them call the shots. One way is to take their money, and maintain

an

arrogant contempt for them. We've seen various examples.

 

But, I don't think that these are the ideal that Srila Prabhupada had in mind.

Another way would be to take their money, build some wonderful self-sufficiency

project, and praise them for their wonderful project and their service to

Krsna.

Then they give more money, you praise them more for their service to Krsna,

etc.,

etc. Gradually, their self image should become that they are a devotee.

 

When an asura gives a contribution, it is our moral obligation to do whatever

we

can to see to it that this is the beginning of the end of his identity as

asura,

and the beginning of his identity as devotee of Krsna.

 

***************

 

So we need to keep both perspectives that Srila Prabhupada presented in mind.

On

one hand, we must remain aware of the dangers of accepting donations from the

asuras; on the other hand out of compassion and for the purpose of developing

our

Krsna conscious communities we should cautiously accept such donations.

 

FOOTNOTE: Also, to be remembered, it's not just the asuras that Srila

Prabhupada

wanted to support these rural communities. In the Gita-nagari Prophecy he also

states that the "sucis and sreematis" (educated and wealthy devotees) should

also

be supporting such a community.

 

your servant,

 

Hare Krsna dasi