BB Govinda Swami: Dear friends, let us support this initiative of a small but most wonderful Bhakti-yoga community of Lebanon 🇱🇧 Bhakti Beirut
🔸What is the situation in Beirut now?
On August 4th, Lebanon made world headlines with the news of an atomic like blast in the port of Beirut that literally left the city in pieces. Shattered glass littered the streets, homes laid destroyed, and hospitals- already at near capacity- overflowed with innocent citizens lacerated by flying glass. This explosion disaster left 190 people dead, more than 6500 injured, and over 300,000 homeless, without food and any shelter.
If that were not enough, the country was already going through a revolution, COVID-19, and a crippling economy that has seen its food prices quadrupling and almost half the population falling below the poverty line. The main currency, the lira, has devalued almost 100%. Many have lost their jobs, and even those who have jobs are often paid half salary, barely affording to buy goods with the depreciated lira.
The people have found little solace from their leaders and have been left despaired, traumatized and enraged. Many of those with dual citizenship have abandoned the country, foreseeing little future left for themselves and their families. Those who have no choice but to stay are faced with a dismal reality – a seemingly hopeless situation with so many insecurities in regards to receiving the basic necessities of food, water, electricity, and shelter.
🔸How does your community help people in these circumstances?
To address the food shortages, the Bhakti Yoga community in Lebanon has been preparing food cooked with love by our community members. There are organizations that are giving bulk foods, such as rice and lentils, but some people don’t even have the place and the means to prepare these meals. The Bhakti Yoga community distributes ready to eat hot cooked meals that are prepared at home with love and devotion. For those without shelter, this is live-saving.
To address the hopelessness, we have a small center not far from Beirut. A place where we can help heal the wounds of the heart and give courage. There we host regular kirtan programs and philosophical discussions. Kirtan has this incredible potency to wash away anxieties and re-establish the connection that gives the greatest strength and hope. Through the discussions, we pass on the deep Vedic knowledge that connects us to the ultimate source of all strength and hope, giving people a solid spiritual foundation to face their challenges with courage and determination. There are also some philosophy books available (in English, French, and Arabic) and we hope to bring more, so that even more people can have access to this deep wisdom in their own language.
🔸What are the ways in which donations might help?
Donations will allow us to continue helping the Lebanese community. Due to the financial collapse of the country, by law, no one can access their funds in dollars, only in local currency which is almost completely devalued. Dollars may be withdrawn only if they are coming from a source abroad.
Firstly, with funds, we will be able to buy the food supplies for the meals, and ensure that this distribution will remain a long term project. Secondly, funds will help us to maintain our center close to Beirut, our spiritual hub, shelter, and meeting place to personally uplift and inspire the community. All our spiritual programs are run on donation basis only so that there is never any financial obstacle to joining. We want to keep it this way. Finally, funds will enable us to bring in more books, giving people greater access to the incredibly transformative bhakti philosophy.
🔸If you feed people, how do you do it?
All meals are cooked with devotion in the homes of various members of our own community. We purchase the dry goods, then prepare hot ready-to-eat meals in aluminum foil containers, as well as sandwiches and fruits, four times a week (and aiming for more!). Other volunteers then pick up everything and with the help and guidance of local individuals and organizations, deliver it to those people and families who really need them. It’s a collective labor of love.
🔸What is Spiritual Food?
Most people have experienced how mom’s home cooked food is always the best. Why? It is cooked with selfless love. This food has a similar special quality- it’s cooked with love, and then offered to the Divine, essentially blessing it and infusing it with this same devotion. In this way, the food acquires a spiritual component which not only fills one’s belly, but also uplifts one’s consciousness, satisfying the very soul.
🔸Who is Bhakti Beirut?
We are a small handful of dedicated bhakti yoga practitioners, with a small but committed community. Small but determined. Many of those near and dear to us have left or are planning on leaving in these trying circumstances, along with countless others in this struggling country. But we are steadfast in our desire to stay here and serve, even as we ourselves struggle to pull through. “Where there is the greatest necessity, there is the greatest opportunity to serve”, said Bhaktivinode Thakur. And Lebanon is definitely in need.
And this is why we are reaching out to the worldwide community. Please, help us to continue our service.
How can you help?
💌Any amount of donations from your heart, either single or monthly (bhaktibeirut.com/support-us/)
📱 Maximum reposts to all social media networks
❣️Helping to bring more awareness by spreading the message across personally to your friends and relatives
💛 Subscribe to @foodforlife.beirut Instagram Page and Facebook page of Bhakti Beirut
🎞Watch the full video at bhaktibeirut.com/food-for-life