prasada to poor people; some relevant quotes

[Guest guest]

> That Srila Prabhupada repeatedly spoke against mundane welfare work and

> indicated that even so-called prasada distribution could fall within

> karma-kanda is as undeniable as that he wanted widespread prasada

> distribution.

 

I belive that it is of importance to make some fine tuning

into what Srila Prabhupada was up to in the certain occasions.

Thus, while Srila Prabhupada undeniably spoke against mundane

welfare work, he also undeniably was not against such

welfare work when the aspect of Krsna consciousness added

to it. And when he, undeniably so, indicated that even such

prasada distribution could fall within karma kanda when

the funds that belong to the temple be used, he undeniably

did approve such ("so-called", in your estimation) prasada

distribution when the funds were coming from the donors for

that purpose. Prabhupada was even getting angry when he realized

that devotees were spoiling such an opportunity by not caring

much for it. Prabhupada was not making every his statement or

approach into the universal laws, as some of his followers

unfortunately tend to do.

 

Yes, it is also undeniable that Prabhupada wanted widespread

prasada distribution. But that this doesn't really exsist yet,

in my opinion, is only the falure that goes onto the addres of

ISKCON and its leaders that find the money to be of priority

everywhere else, including their own personal comfort. The

only fault of the FFL is that it has become very successful,

thus this meagerness of the "rest" of ISKCON becomes more

and more obvious.

 

 

> Devotees should be careful to

> avoid becoming like charitable fruitive workers or presenting themselves

> as such.

 

Personally, I belive in the future of such "widespread and

massive" ISKCON where devotees will becoming professors, doctors,

statesmen, police officers, businessmen, farmers, workers, teachers,

scientists... and even, oh, what an unimaginable horror...!

Charitable workers. Yes. No matter wether they will be labeled

"fruitive" and "mundane" by somebody. That is of no real substance,

in my opinion, so long so they relate to Krsna with their activites.

 

> It is surely better if food is at least perfunctorily offered to Krsna

> before being distributed. But it may not be a prasada distribution program

> according to the standard that Srila Prabhupada wanted.

 

"Food at least perfunctorily offered to Krsna before being

distributed" seems to me to have just nothing to do with

to whom it is being distributed afterwards, poor or no

poor. In any case, one or other way, "Krsna" appears to be

involved there, and that is undeniable too.

Wether He accepts the offered food or not... well... It's

up to Him to disclose that.

 

I belive that ISKCON got to unavoidably split into various,

more or less independently operating, branches. More and more.

In order to accommodate waste possibilities of different levels

of various activities with the reference to Krsna. It can't grow,

otherwise. It wouldn't fit into the concept of our particular

mind frames where everybody got to be shaped-up just alike.

 

True, FFL may not be a massive indiscriminate prasada

distribution program Prabhupada wanted. Never pretended nor

claimed either, according what I could see. But then, why depend

of such FFL and its directors like Priyavrata das? You have

undoubtedly indicated these as mundane fruitive workers that

all their activities are less worthy for the humanity than a

ringing of a bell of a neophyte Vaisnava devotee when making

a puja back in the temple. So do not depend on these. Don't

wait.

 

 

 

- mnd