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

[Guest guest]

Dear Priyavrata Prabhu,

 

I have been recently travelling in West and East Africa.There is a huge

potential there for developing FFL programmes and the devotees are

interested to develop new programmes.In the past FFL has been sporadic and

disorganised and integrated with the temple programmes.As I see it they tend

to become overdependent on the very small Indian community and these creates

other problems.If they developed FFL in a more professionalindependant way

then they would get recognition and support from the black local

communities and start to benefit from mainstream recognition whereas at

the moment they are sidelined and grouped with the Indian minority.The

devotees there agree with this and are interested how to do this.

 

I suggested that they register FFL separately for the sake of accountability

and transparency.Thus they could gain the trust of both Indian and black

communities I quoted them the famous Africa formula statements from Srila

Prabhupada which emphasis this and which confirms that Krishna will support

the temple even more:-

 

"Devotee (1): Srila Prabhupada, he states about Africa, that the food...,

that they do not know what to eat tomorrow, and in fact, that here it's very

hard for them to understand Krsna consciousness. My question is which, what

can we do which is...?

 

Prabhupada: Go and chant Hare Krsna and give them food. They are hungry.

Then it will be successful. Chant Hare Krsna, let them come and dance with

you, and give them prasadam. They are hungry. It will be success. It is not

difficult at all. That was Caitanya Mahaprabhu's preaching to the mass of

people. He would chant for four hours, and after finishing kirtana, He'll

give them sumptuous food to eat. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was doing this. So you

can do this.

 

You collect money not for your eating but for distribution of prasadam.

That is required. And if you do that, Krsna will send you. Yoga-ksemam

vahamy aham [bg. 9.22]. There will be no need. We have got about 102

centers, and each center, there are so many people, up to 250, and not less

than fifty. So Krsna is sending their food. There is no scarcity. We do not

do any business. We do not go to serve in the office, but Krsna is sending.

One hundred and two centers, average hundred men -- how many? Hundred into

hundred? Hm. So ten thousand men we are feeding daily, apart from

distribution to others. So Krsna is sending them. So you can attain.

Everything belongs to Krsna. He'll give you supply. You have to attempt

only. So chant Hare Krsna and distribute prasadam, your movement will be

success. Bhagavad-gita 7.3 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975

 

So I wanted to send the Temple presidents in Accra(Ghana),Lagos(Nigeria) and

Kampala (Uganda) some more information as to how to set up a separate FFL

institution.How can it be constituted etc.Can you advise me please?Do you

have any information handy.

 

Hoping that this finds you well in Krishna consciousness,

 

Your Wellwishing,

 

Mahavishnu Swami