SOS Non-devotees sponsoring prasadam in our Indian temples

[Guest guest]

Dear Vaisnavas,

Hare Krsna. Please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to Srila

Prabhupada.

 

I have put this message together in about 15 minutes so excuse my mistakes.

But this is SOS message which brings to light a particular aspect which if

taken care of will solve to a considerable extent the problems the Indian

ISKCON temples are facing.

 

In India we manytimes face the situation of some life-members who are not

devotees sponsor prasadam for the devotees but Prabhupada clearly says in

the two purports below from the Cc that Krsna & the pure devotees never

accept this kind of prasadam and one may become a materialistic man by doing

so and also that this is showbottle devotional service. So ISKCON temples

should avoid this at all costs to preserve the consciousness of the

devotees. I feel this is one of the major factors contributing to the

problems the ISKCON Indian temples are facing atpresent. Devotees get

influenced by materialist consciousness very fast by eating this kind of

food. Brahmacaries start thinking of marriage and grhastas become grhamedhis

etc. etc. They loose their taste for the Holy Name. And if the cooks are

hired materialistic people then it compounds the problem even more.

 

"Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that people who are advanced

in learning but attached to material enjoyment, who are puffed up by

material possessions, by birth in an elevated aristocratic family or by

education, may offer showbottle devotional service to the Deity and also

offer prasadam to Vaisnavas. Because of their ignorance, however, they

cannot understand that since their minds are materially polluted, neither

the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna, nor the Vaisnavas accept

their offerings. If one accepts money from such materialistic persons to

offer food to the Deity and Vaisnavas, a pure Vaisnava does not accept it.

This causes unhappiness for the materialists because they are fully absorbed

in the bodily conception of life. Therefore they sometimes turn against the

Vaisnavas."

 

Cc Antya 6.276

 

"Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura suggests that people who are

materialistically inclined and sahajiyas, or so-called Vaisnavas who take

everything very casually, are both visayis, or materialists. Eating food

offered by them causes contamination, and as a result of such contamination,

even a serious devotee becomes like a materialistic man."

 

Cc Antya 6.278

 

"Gaurakisora was very selective about accepting invitations for food. He

believed that partaking of food here and there could adversely affect the

spiritual life of a devotee. Once a devotee name Harenbabu partook of

prasada offered at the festival held at Bhajan-kutir at Navadvipa. For this

Gaurakisora stopped communicating with Haren for three days. On the fourth

day Gaurakisora explained that the prasada of the above festival had been

financed by a woman of questionable profession."

 

>From Srila Gaurakishore Dasa Babaji Maharaj's biography

 

Then there is the story (?) of Srila Rupa & Sanatana unknowingly eating a

feast sponsored by a prostitute and momentarily loosing sight of the

astha-kaliya-lila in their heart while other sadhus having bad dreams &

loosing semen in the night.

 

I had read more of these kind of incidences at various places but I get them

together now.

 

Now one may ask what is the solution:

 

I have meditiated upon this for a long time and I like to propose a three

point program which in my humble opinion solves this problem:

 

(1) First only those congregation devotees who are chanting 16 rounds,

following the four regulative principles and are sincere in their devotional

service should be allowed to sponsor prasadam for the devotees . Not that if

any rich man wants to sponsor a feast for the devotees we welcome him open

hands.

 

(2) Note that Prabhupada says in the second purport that the pure Vaisnava

never accepts money from materialist persons to offer food to the Deity and

the Vaisnavas. He specifically says for offering food. So the money coming

as direct donations from materialistic people in the form of LM donations,

Janmasthami, Rama Navami donations etc. can be used for any purpose other

than buying foodstuffs to feed the devotees & the Deities like temple &

devotee maintainence, construction, etc. etc.

 

(3) Special care should be taken that the money coming from selling books &

selling paraphernalia be used for buying foodstuffs for offering to the

Deities & devotees. This money is obtained by selling our books &

paraphernalia and that is why it is considered pure. That is why Prabhupada

felt great pride to say that his temples are maintained by the selling of

his books.

 

This situation may not be big problem in our temples outside India because

materialistic people in other countries don't give direct donations in the

big quantities to the temples. There the temples sell books etc. and

maintain themselves or some congregational devotee gives regular donations.

 

So I would sincerely like to request our leaders in India to take this

matter very very seriously and act immediately in this regard to protect the

spiritual lives of the devotees under their care.

 

Your servant,

Nayana-rañjana d€sa