SV: prasada to poor people; some relevant quotes

[Guest guest]

Mahanidhi prabhu wrote:

 

> Please. I do not wish to argue this. I am already absolutely

> convinced that the building of the temples is an important

> part of ISKCON's mission. I _only_ noticed one of the main

> purpose (among others) in building most extraordinary impressive

> complex of a temple -- to attract the people of this world.

> In order to compare it with the same kind of effect that FFL

> brings about in the minds of materialistic people that are

> attracted to such missionary activities as feeding the poor.

> ISKCON and Prabhupada only get prized, apreciated and respected

> by these people, wouldn't you agree?

 

I am not sure I agree. It seems to me that if you do basic Krishna

conscious activities like distributing prasadam or building temples

(note there is always prasadam distribution where there is a temple),

it will be attractive to different people for different reasons. Some

will be drawn by the spiritual benefits and others will be attracted

for material reasons, but it is all good. Whatever our material

reasons for approaching God, they will become purified by Krishna's

association.

 

> Not intended. I intended to point rather that the vast majority

> of the materialistically minded people are rather not so much

> concerned about where Krsna is actually to be found (there where

> His pure devotee is). But are attracted to the big grandioso

> temples, regardless wether there are pure devotees of the Lord or

> some priests who make their livelihood. They really do not bother

> much about that, do they? Just have a look at the world.

 

Well, when I was in Vrindavan this summer, I saw massive numbers of

materialistically minded people flock to the temple every day. The

poor come for darshan and the daily free prasadam, the rich come for

darshan and to give donations to the deities, because they know it is

pious and will give them good karma. Little do they know that by

bowing their head to the floor before Krishna's deity in the temple

they are guaranteed to go back to Godhead

 

> It is not that the masses around the world search after the pure

> devotees. Pure devotees are already there in Maypaur. And the

> temple too. But the world (expect the locals) doesn't pay much

> attention. But it will, it will... When the biggest temple

> ever built on the surface of this planet comes to be.

 

That's the idea.

 

> It is the grandiosity of Prabhupada's Puspa Samadhi that is

> attracting the masses of Bengal to come and see the attraction.

> Not that they come in search after the pure devotees of the

> Lord ther in the temple. But once they come... they can't

> avoid all the preachers there giving them the impressions of

> Krsna consciousness on various ways.

 

That's right. Well put.

 

> That is why a pure devotee would move from his bhajan-kutir to

> the marble temple. Not really to have a "nicer" facilities for

> his worship, but to be available to the masses that won't care

> to go to his bhajan-kutir otherwise.

 

I couldn't have stated it better myself.

 

Ys, Jahnu das