En route to the Baltic Festival

We are heading out today for the Summer Baltic Krishna Conscious Festival in Harmony Park, Lithuania. If you would like to hear and see my seminars live on 19 and 20 July, you can do so at:

www.ultimateselfrealization.com

On Thursday 19 July from 12:30pm to 2pm I will be giving a seminar: "How to Give Up Material Sense Gratification by Developing a Higher Taste." And then on Friday 20 July from 5:30pm until 6:45pm I will be giving a seminar: "How to Stay Connected with Krishna 24 Hours a Day."

If are going to be at the festival, I hope to see you there, and if you are not, I hope that you will tune via the internet.

Sri Krishna, the Supreme Center of Attraction

Sri Krishna, the Supreme Center of Attraction

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

Question: Temples and Feeding the Poor

Dear Guru Maharaja,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Recently i met school friend after a long 12 years gap. He is one my best friends. He lives in the US and is currently in India spending his vacation. He is a theist and a charitable person and strongly believes that service to mankind is service to God. He visits ISKCON temples and other temples on weekends. He observed one thing in temples that the deities are being worshipped while no service is being rendered to the poor. He posed a question: Why does ISKCON build very lavish magnificent temples instead of using the money to serve the poor? Since he is charitably disposed, I told him the story of son who was living a wretched life because he ran away from his wealthy father's home, and who is now being brought back to his father by his father's friend. He was not convinced. Guru Maharaja, how can I help my friend understand that ISKCON is doing the highest welfare work?

Your Servant
Suresh

Answer: The Supreme Charity

In this world people do not realize that everyone is poor because they are not Krishna conscious. Because they are not Krishna conscious they are suffering in so many ways, and they going down to the animal kingdom in their next birth. Therefore the greatest service to the poor people of this world is to awaken the dormant Krishna consciousness that is sleeping in their hearts. Therefore there is no greater feeding of the poor than a temple which attracts everyone to the sublime and magnificent beauty of Krishna. Charity which only serves the body is imperfect and incomplete. Charity which awakens one to Krishna consciousness is the supreme charity.

And, by the way, the Hare Krishna movement operates the largest vegetarian food relief program in the entire world. We distribute massive quantities of Krishna prasadam to relieve the hunger of the body and even more importantly to relieve the hunger of the soul.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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