Guest guest Posted March 18, 2003 Report Share Posted March 18, 2003 On the busy afternoon streets of Madras, the famous city of South India, I saw a moving sight. Three children were prostrating in front of a bus begging for alms - I have fasted for three consecutive days and I know how the body yearns for food and water. No one around was responding to the plea. Looking around, one could see nice new models of cars and banks. There was also a temple nearby. There are so many nice temples, churches and mosques in chennai. In fact, there are eleven divya desams in chennai itself apart from ancient temples for lord siva. There are very ancient and opulent churches and mosques. But abject poverty, prostitution and corruption are widespread. Should one blame the influence of time ? Our inactivity ? Of course, one can philosophize and say that the Lord has His own purpose and justice - or even realize that. But to me there is some hollowness there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theist Posted March 18, 2003 Report Share Posted March 18, 2003 is a Temple of Vishnu. To see God in others and to offer our service there. This is not "poor Narayana" doctrine. God is never poor, but sometimes His children are. New Testament Matthew 25:31-46 The Judgment 31 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 " The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' 41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, ' Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' 45 "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kishalaya Posted March 18, 2003 Report Share Posted March 18, 2003 ISKCON Bangalore and the likes are feeding Krishna Prasadam to poor children etc. By Krishna's grace we are able to get two square meals a day. Let us also give those not so priveleged, a chance to taste prasadam. -Kishalaya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theist Posted March 18, 2003 Report Share Posted March 18, 2003 Yes ISKCON has a great Prasadam distribution program, benefiting the soul as well as the body. As does our kind host JNdas. On a personal level I feel that hollowness that ram spoke of within myself. I hate to face it but I think I have a harder heart now than when I was younger in many ways. Makes me doubt if I have many any tangible spiritual advancment at all, other than memorizing some spiritual concepts I mean, and collecting sukrti for my *future* spiritual life. Christ said that one who seeks to save his own life will lose it. BR Sridhar Maharaja said we must die to live. Kind of depressing to realize I am still just wrapped up in worrying about myself. Such a faithless and small way to to live. Good topic ramji Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avinash Posted March 18, 2003 Report Share Posted March 18, 2003 I have seen the plight of these poor people very closely. There was a time when I had accute money problem. I used to sleep in bus stands or on road sides and used to be mostly hungry. I never begged. I used to see many other poor people around. I used to feel a lot to help them, but I could not because I did not have money to help them. But now that I have, I never say no to those who beg me for food. But there is one aspect of my nature which I find very odd which will be clear from the following incident. I was once in Chennai railway station. My cousin was with me. My cousin has the habit of laughing at those who help poor people. I saw something very pathetic there. Some people were drinking fruit juices and throwing the empty container in dust bins. Some poor children were picking up those containers to see if anything was left. Some people were eating foods and throwing the left-overs in dust bins. These children were eating those left-overs. I felt like giving food to them, but I did not want to be made fun of by my cousin. Then the train for which we were waiting came. My cousin and I went inside the train. The train had to stop there for one hour. I told my cousin that I wanted to buy some chocolates. I came out. I bought and gave food to these children. I also bought some chocolates and came back in the train. (Actually, buying chocolates was just an excuse). I still wonder over this incident. I do not think I was doing anything bad in giving food to those children. But, why did I try to hide it from my cousin? Why did I have to make an excuse that I wanted to buy chocolates? I had to make that excuse simply because I did not want to be made fun of. I do not know what this says about my nature. May be this is ego. It is possible that there are many people who want to help poor but they do not because they keep thinking, "What will others say?" Though, in reality, we should feel happy that we are feeding poor people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2003 Report Share Posted March 18, 2003 Not only is there poverty, but the soul needs to be fed. That is why in this world of hardship, chanting is important. The vacancy caused by depletion of will and strength is filled with the opulence and light of Krishna and Godhead. Krishna takes our emptiness and poverty and fills it with the illumination of the face of the of his cosmic fire. The spirit rids us of hopelessness caued by miseries found in this world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narayanidd Posted March 19, 2003 Report Share Posted March 19, 2003 It is a quality of a vaisnava to feel compassion for the suffering living entities. A vaisnava wants to relieve that suffering even at the risk of personal harm. The only way to completely relieve all suffering is by spreading the glories of the Lord to all the conditioned souls. YS, Narayani d.d. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2003 Report Share Posted March 19, 2003 theist, your point about JNDas helping poor children is correct. he does not waste money as far as i have seen and uses it for feeding prasadam. this should be practised widely in iskcon and all affiliates. also we need ways to help more. JNDas should come to tamil nadu and help in prasadam distribution/ preaching programmes. the food for life programme in iskcon is good. but there is a lot of wastage of money by rich devotees and that has to be controlled. there has to be education on the need to help poor people. many iskcon devotees get hard hearted because of incorrect understanding of philosophy. they think that it is material to feed (even prasadam) to poor people but it is spiritual to buy a great car so that their family can go in comfort to the temple. they are very good at heart but they dont have the training to understand the suffering of other people. i have never known what it means to be hungry until once i had to fast for 3 consecutive days without food and water. the whole body is on fire then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kishalaya Posted March 19, 2003 Report Share Posted March 19, 2003 My humble obeisances! http://www.akshayapatra.org ISKCON Bangalore's prasadam program is audited by an independent authority. Personally I can say that I served there for 2 months as a totally unqualified bramachari. Their discipline is nothing less than spartan. Your servant, Kishalaya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gauracandra Posted March 20, 2003 Report Share Posted March 20, 2003 I've always thought of how Srila Prabhupada instructed that no one within 10 miles in all directions of a temple should ever go hungry. I have on many occasions directed homeless people asking for some money for food, to visit a local temple for as much free food as they want. The Sunday feast is a great program in that usually wealthier individuals sponsor it, but anyone and everyone can take part. If you are poor, it doesn't matter. We all sit in the same line, and come together. Its a great way of spiritual redistribution of wealth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theist Posted March 20, 2003 Report Share Posted March 20, 2003 ram, I used to try to go on three day fasts and never finnished one of them. I cannot even imagine going one day without water. I'm not sure its very healthy to do that, which is why I used to fast, but I'm sure you had other reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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