Balaramkrishnadas.jps: Temple first, or the devotee ? Definitely a chicken first or egg first situation !
Some believe a temple built by nondevotees through a body of congregational or furtive public donors is not a place worth the visit.
Yet others feel that a devotee of a regular temple who doesnot hit himself at regular managalarati or discuss bhakti is not so bonafide.
So distribute books ,distribute books ,distribute books- a medicine for both the above parties? May be…
Dont have to even worry which books to whom. Just pass it all the way, as they buy?
Some one can even, out of higher mercy donate an english maha-book to a rich illiterate Indian business man out of sheer enthusiasm: distribute the books, anyway!
It has to happen .
So there is the need of an organisation in order to realise the feat and all are on such speculations.
Mathematics and inductive logic is Kinder joy chocolate. Those who are kinder (more kind) may now please read on.
Srila Prabhupada’s Four Active Principles :
Books are the basis; Purity is the force; Preaching is the essence.Utility is the principle.
Well,this is Kinderjoy in itself!
Taking utility principle from the above and applying it on the set of above four, we get as below:
Utility of Preaching= make devotee /an outsider (a)
Utility of Books Distribution = Make devotee /an outsider(a)
Utility of Purity=Make devotee out of self (b)
Applying utility principle( remember utility is the principle) once again and simplifying we get :
Utility of (a) implies : to respect, regard an upstart vaishnava.
Utility of (b) implies : to self realize
Conclusions:
1.Any congregation devoid of cent percent respect and regard for upcoming devotees is but a tool for material gains and social status .
2.Any one passive to self realization cannot be taken into account as a devotee
Anyone who being a pure resort to others, help transcend others’ basic instincts and give them a free ride into life efficiency and spiritually ecstatic mellows, making them yet another resort for sheltering many more, is a spiritual force.
Factually speaking, Temples, Kutirs and Societies are not at all built by the pure but, for the pure, in order to preserve their precious memories and through such sacrificial work executed we get liberated(yagnyartat karmana).
ISKCON is such a monument indeed. It is powerful .
It works! Hare Krishna.