Hare Krishna,
They say Sanyasis and brahmacharis must go around and seek alms.
Then why ISKCON Sanyasis and brahmacharis are not doing so ?
Thanq
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Hare Krishna,
They say Sanyasis and brahmacharis must go around and seek alms.
Then why ISKCON Sanyasis and brahmacharis are not doing so ?
Thanq
You need to be a member of ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT to add comments!
Replies
Hare KRsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
ISKCON is a sankirtan and preaching movement. It is as per instructions of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu - prithivite aache joto nagar adi graam, sarvatra prachar hoibe mor naam - each and every village and town in this world, My name will be preached.
Bharat bhumite janma hoilo jaar, janma sarthak kare koro par upkar - those born in the land of Bharat, make your life successful by preaching to others.
To do preaching activity as well as for sankirtan and prasadam, money is required. The way Srila Prabhupada designed it was to distribute books and ask for donation. In India, it is more of selling the books than distributing against a donation.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
Hare Krishna
Iskcon brahmacharis main duty is to preach hari naam all over the globe, and the alms you are talking about are the duty of those sanyasis who grow in their personal sadhna,
These are my opinions please don't take it otherwise.
Are there any references in sastra regarding, way of living of ISKCON brahmacharis or sanyasis, such as preaching, subsisting on donations to temple by people etc.,
Do sastras allow devotees to accept money for livelihood ?
Is selling books in conformity with sastras ?
:Are there any references in sastra regarding, way of living of ISKCON brahmacharis or sanyasis, such as preaching, subsisting on donations to temple by people etc.,
Do sastras allow devotees to accept money for livelihood ?
Preaching is an universal instruction by Sri Krisna and all acaryas for all Vaisnavas, not just brahmacaris and sannyasis.
Bhiksa is the universal way of subsistence for monks in all traditions.
:Is selling books in conformity with sastras ?
I'm not aware of any prohibition to sell sastras with commentaries but plain sastras shouldn't be sold. I have collected a handful of quotes about this on my website. One example:
avamantA gurUNAM yo yaz cAkroSTA narAdhamaH
vedadUSAyitA yaz ca vedavikrayakaz ca yaH
agamyagAmI yaz ca syAt te yAnti lavaNaM dvija
...he who is disrespectful to his spiritual guide, who is abusive to his betters, who reviles the Vedas, or who sells them, who associates with women in a prohibited degree, [falls] into the Lavana (salt) hell. (Visnu Purana 2.6.12-13, Wilson 1840)
Hari Hari
ys J.