A sannyasi keeps 'his' donations - is this a joke?

[Guest guest]

On 16 Dec 1998, Mahanidhi das wrote:

 

> Vijaya-venugopala prabhu wrote:

>

> > No doubt some sannyasis may have (or may still do, I have no first > >

hand knowledge) utilised donations given to them, for their own sense

> > gratification...

 

It's a hard one, with countless pros and cons. A recent example I can give is

of a sannyasi here who recently purchased a bus for his preaching. He is going

to furbish it out, and will likely mostly use it for himself. Now, is this

okay? I don't know where to begin weighing the pros and cons. Is it sense

gratification? Who's to judge? Certainly there are doubts in my mind.

 

It's a fact that Prabhupada had great opulence and stated that if he didn't

have so many temples and opulence and just sat under a tree who would take him

seriously? So he opened great temples etc... But the one great thing about

Prabhupada, which deeply inspired his followers, was that he did not use any

of it for his own pleasure. He just travelled constantly, living out of a

simple suitcase. Very simple, and very austere, especially at his advanced

age. Deep complex topics it seems. Haribol.

 

Ys,

Bhaktavatsala dasa (NZ)