prasada to poor people

[Guest guest]

Awhile back one devotee wrote a letter saying prasadam should only be

distributed from our temples, and anything else was a great offense against

Srila Prabhupada. Here is a relevant quote from Srila Prabhupada regarding

the distribution of prasadam in other areas:

 

"If you can persuade them to give us foodstuffs directly, then we shall use

it properly and America's prestige will be widely spread throughout India.

We can organize for distribution of prasadam all over India, in factories,

schools, and so on. If we simply have kirtana and distribute nice prasadam,

everywhere there will be good respect for us. So I hope you will stick very

closely to this matter of acquiring surplus foodstuffs from your government

and seeing to it that the food is distributed widely throughout India by our

Krishna Consciousness devotees."

 

Srila Prabhupada is open to distributing prasadam "all over India, in

factories, schools, and so on." Not just within the ISKCON temples.

 

So then why does Srila Prabhupada sometimes mention otherwise? Here is a

letter where Srila Prabhupada answers this:

 

"The idea of distribution of Prasadam is long standing, and I suggested this

from the very beginning of my missionary activities, both in New York, and

in San Francisco. But it has never come to any practical shape till now.

Therefore, if you can actually start a Prasadam distribution program, it

will be very very nice. But to start a separate restaurant for this purpose

does not appeal to me. If we have Prasadam distribution program it is to be

done in the temple premises, not separately. Separate attempt will require

separate energy diverted from the temple management. Therefore if you do at

all start Prasadam distribution, try to do it in the temple itself."

 

The reason is simple, a "separate attempt will require separate energy

diverted from the temple management". His instruction was based on the

particular situation the temple was in at that time taking into account the

resources, the number of devotees, etc. To take such instructions, and to

hold them up as Srila Prabhupada's final conclusion on a subject is wrong.