In light of this, what to make of all the earthquake relief?

February 15, 2001

Dear Vidvan Gauranga,

PAMHO AGSTP!

You are very right. There is ample evidence from Srila Prabhupada endorsing

prasadam distribution away from the temples to the poor and needy in

distressed situations. You just need to search Prabhupada's letters and

books.

It really ticks me off when devotees start quoting Prabhupada to support

their totally insensitive feelings towards to needy. Don't they have any

service to keep their minds occupied?

Give them this to read:

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

Prasada distribution outside the temples

Although Srila Prabhupada emphasized the need for the temples to be places

where anyone and everyone could come and take Krsna prasada, he also

encouraged devotees to go out from the temples so that even more people

could get the opportunity to taste Krsna prasada. The following references

provide evidence to support this idea...

"If we can widely distribute free food-stuffs to the people of India, by

giving it out at our centers, as well as our traveling parties to villages,

we will win over the whole country and the whole world by this activity on

Krishna's behalf." (SP ltr to Satyajit 16 March 1974)

In 1966, during a lecture in New York, Srila Prabhupada clearly outlines his

plan for mass prasadam distribution. Prabhupada clearly wanted to see it

done everywhere, not just at the temple...

"Everywhere. In the hospitals, charitable societies, Industrial places,

everywhere-distribute this prasada and chant this Hare Krishna. Just see

what is the result. You want peace? These are the processes of peace." (SP

lecture, New York December 16, 1966)

In this famous purport to the story of Sivananda Sena, Srila Prabhupada

takes the opportunity to stress that everyone should be given the

opportunity to experience Krsna prasada, and not just those who visit the

temples. Ordinarily a dog would not be allowed into a temple of Visnu, and

thus would hardly get a chance to receive Krsna prasada. However, through

the causeless mercy of the Lord's devotee, a dog actually achieved the

Vaikuntha planets because of having received the Lord's prasada. Such is the

power of sadhu sanga...

Srila Prabhupada comments: "...all our devotees in the ISKCON community

should become pure vaisnava's, so that by their mercy all the people in the

world will be transferred to Vaikunthaloka, even without their knowledge.

Everyone should be given a chance to take prasada and thus be induced to

chant the holy names of Hare Krishna and also dance in ecstasy. By these

three processes, although performed without knowledge or education, even a

dog went back to Godhead. (CC Antya lila 1.32 pp)

TRANSLATION

One should distribute visnu-prasada to everyone, including the poor man, the

blind man, the nondevotee and the non-brahmana. Knowing that Lord Visnu is

very pleased when everyone is sumptuously fed with visnu-prasäda, the

performer of yajna should then take prasada with his friends and relatives.

(SB 8.16.56)

ys Priyavrata das

Food for Life Global

> Dear Priyavrata Prabhu

>

> Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

>

> Please read the following self-explanatory message posted in a public

> PAMHO conference.

>

> Didn't Srila Prabhupada state elsewhere to distribute prasada to the poor

> or in emergency situations? I would think so. Do you have some evidence to

> this effect?

>

> It appears to me that in a regular varnasrama society, such anna-daana is

> one of the routine duties of ksatriyas.

>

> Your servant,

> Vidvan-Gauranga Das

>

> ---------- Forwarded Message ----------

>