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Recently, I read one of interesting article in a leading newspaper about spiritual organizations starting FMCG companies & becoming very successful in India. They criticized & generalized all the spiritual organizations saying, “If you want to become successful businessman in India first become spiritual teacher.” Add followers with skillful presentations through TV, internet…etc & open the business to become successful entrepreneur.

From Wikipedia we get the information, about Patanjali (Ramdev baba). They are doing business from last 7 years & his business grew from 100 crores to approx. 5000 crores   In 2017 they have targeted revenues to become 10000 crores. Sri Sri Ayurveda (from Art of Living) following same suit. Stunning revenues in the public view from their businesses.

If we think deeply about spiritual + organization. It is a type of organization about spirituality.

From Srila Prabhupada’s words(SB.1.2.5) There are two kinds of services, para and apara. In Sanskrit para means transcendental, and apara means material. Spiritual or material. Because we have two understandings, matter and spirit. Everything is material or spiritual, mundane or transcendental. So here Bhāgavata says, paro dharmaḥ. Paro dharmaḥ means spiritually.

If the organization does not cater core Spiritual or transcendental services like publishing Vedic literature & educating & elevating people from lower to higher consciousness above the material platform, then we cannot call it as real spiritual organization.

In Bhakti tradition, whatever we do, we should try to make it spiritual by devotional process, for eg. food becomes prasadam by offering to Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna. Some activities might be seen as Philanthropic but when mixed with devotion it is elevated to become Spiritual or KRISHNA conscious.

If you look at good things in business houses or corporate structures, they are very systematically planned. Similarly Spiritual organizations are required to be systematically structured for propagating their missionary activities.

But the goal of corporate (Business) is making more & more profits, irrespective of people around you. Enjoy material life with power, name & fame. Hurt others without any care & concerned.

If leading spiritual organization’s goals & intentions are as above then it should be condemned. They are not only deviating from core spiritual principles for which they are existing in the society but they are also misleading people and by seeing the easy business other small spiritual organizations also crop up in the society. Due to this the real Spiritual Organizations also get a bad name because people tend to see all spiritual organizations with the same view.