prasada to poor people

[Guest guest]

Mayapur

 

 

 

His Holiness Bhakti Vikasa Maharaja asks:

 

> How does the following instruction from Srila Prabhupada tally with

> his famous one that no one within ten miles of our temples should go

> hungry?

>

>

>

> So far prasada distribution, it is not a question of rich or poor.

> That will be Karma Kanda. Our program therefore is that we offer

> prasada to everyone. Make our temple so nice that everyone who comes

> is offered some prasada. Not that we are after poor men. It is nice

> that we are feeding 200 daily, but gradually try to increase. But do

> not advertise, we shall be self-advertising. And do not go to poor

> areas, this is not our philosophy. Our philosophy is prasada

> distribution, without discrimination rich or poor.

>

> >>> Ref. VedaBase => Letter to: Giriraja -- Honolulu 15 May, 1972

 

 

 

May I offer an answer from Srila Prabhupada?

 

As follows:

 

----------------------------

Prabhupada: . . . whatever income you'll get from this record

business, spend it for giving prasadam. So we have got so many

centers, they will feed.

 

Ramesvara: But they... That way a whole new...

 

Prabhupada: Therefore I started Mayapura this prasada distribution.

And it is coming to be successful. People are, politicians are

appreciating that here is Hindu-Muslim unity.

 

Ramesvara: All the devotees will appreciate this then. That the

records now, the money is going to be used for food relief.

 

Prabhupada: Yes. And we can increase. The same thing (indistinct) in

the farm, in the village, "Come on, any number, I shall feed you. Come

here, chant Hare Krsna, and take prasadam." And we shall increase the

quality of the prasadam. They will be very much pleased to come and

chant. That I want. I am interested in these rascals (indistinct). . .

I used to think like that. In all our temples the prasada distribution

should be so random (?) that within ten miles nobody should remain

hungry. There are many persons in India, they are half time hungry. So

if you distribute prasadam, "Come over here. You are hungry, take

prasadam. If I cannot supply daily, I'll supply at least two days,

three days weekly." And they're coming. You have seen Mayapura

(indistinct). A big prasada distribution hall. Regular two thousands

are coming (indistinct). And Hindu, Muslim, they're sitting down. No

(indistinct).

 

Hari-sauri: Is there any reason why we are just distribute on a

Saturday and Sunday?

 

Prabhupada: Oh, (indistinct) we can distribute every day.

 

Hari-sauri: Let them come every day.

 

Prabhupada: Yes. . . . Let them eat. They can eat.

 

--Conversation, 13 Jan 77, Allahabad

 

------------------------------

 

Again, the same consistent themes: Profuse distribution of prasadam.

Along with Hare Krishna sankirtana. At all of our temples.

 

And we can understand the instruction further by seeing how Srila

Prabhupada implemented it--at Sridham Mayapur, the place where he

asked that all funds from the 1970's "ISKCON Food Relief" be sent.

 

There, Srila Prabhupada arranged for profuse distribution of prasadam.

 

As His Holiness Tamal Krishna Maharaja recalls in "Servant of the

Servant":

 

While the other temples in the area only distributed prasadam

during the annual festival of Lord Caitanya's birthday, Srila

Prabhupada had ordered that our Mayapur Chandrodaya temple

distribute prasadam at least twice a week, and if possible every

day. As a result, THOUSANDS CAME, MANY WALKING AS MUCH AS TWENTY

MILES FROM DISTANT VILLAGES. [emphasis mine]

 

Mayapur too is where Jayapataka Maharaja, in 1976, was instructed:

 

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.

 

 

 

Here's another instruction from Srila Prabhupada:

 

 

So, take more land and engage them in agriculture, plowing by the

bulls instead of tractor. Bulls can be engaged in plowing and

transporting. Nice bullock carts village to village for preaching.

Make the farm the center and go ten miles this side, ten miles that

side, ten miles this side, etc., with four bullock carts. Sell books

and preach and live peacefully on the farm.

 

--letter to Balavanta, 3 Jan 77

 

 

Presumably when you go village to village with your bullocks to preach

and sell books, you also distribute prasadam.

 

So I find that all these instructions tally very well.

 

By the way, since Basu Ghosh Prabhu is a receiver to this chain of

messages, I'd like to take the opportunity to compliment him publicly

for his beautiful, exemplary program of large-scale distribution of

free kichadi prasadam--to rich and poor alike--every day on the front

lawn of ISKCON Baroda.

 

Hare Krsna.