AKSHAYA PATRA FOUNDATION – TOUCH OF YOUR HEART
Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Street Address: Akshaya patra Foundation, C-6, Opp Gyan Vihar, Mahal Scheme, Jagatpura, J Jaipur 302017 Rajasthan India
“We began this initiative with the vision that “No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger.”
Our mission is to reach out to 5 million children by 2020.
Close to 13.5 million underprivileged children in India are out of school and into child labour in order to earn a single meal in a day.
The surest way to break out of the cycle of poverty is through education. Education can significantly improve the quality of life of a family for generations to come. When the basic needs of a child, such as food are not met, education often becomes the last priority.
We are helping underprivileged children by providing them with a healthy, balanced meal that they would otherwise have to work for. The meal is an incentive for them to continue their education. It helps reduce the dropout rate to an enormous extent and increases classroom attendance.”
Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Street Address: Akshaya patra Foundation, C-6, Opp Gyan Vihar, Mahal Scheme, Jagatpura, J Jaipur 302017 Rajasthan, India
What grand service you provide in India! I pray Radha & Krishna provide everything needed to allways expand your devine outreach.
thanks to akshay patra for providing great services for india,
hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
haree ram hare ram ram ram hare hare
The akshay patra,hare krishna movement is provide us a felling iin which we can find god in us,thats good for every person,
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAM HARE RAM RAM RAM HARE HARE
i want to give thanks alot to akshay patra.n parbhu ko mera naman
“We began this initiative with the vision that “No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger.. The meal is an incentive for them to continue their education. It helps reduce the dropout rate to an enormous extent and increases classroom attendance.”
Yes, “Slaughterhouse-school” education in karmi government-approved schools only. IB/AP have no interest to establish gurukuls as Prabhupada instructed. Even the IB/AP devotees children go to non-devotee schools. Exactly where does Prabhupada give instructions for AP style mundane charity/business activities anyway? I have only heard him speak against these things. Even the AP food is prepared by non-devotee, salary-paid workers and machines.
The motive of the above cited Article certainly appears similar to the famous saying ;
” Manavseva – Madhavseva ”
which is very prominently advocated by the Arya Samaji – followers of Swami Dayanand Sarasvati and Swami Vivakanand group etc. in India as well as abroad.
The difference between both the groups remain as it seems that the Akshay Patra indeed offers foods first with the motive of the service to the Lord Madhavseva before distributing it to the children – Manavseva whereas the plain and simple motive of the Arya Samaji followers is simply to serve first the hungery massive people at large including children – Manavseva.
By doing such service to the humanity at large, they ( Arya Samaji ) believe that they are rendering service to Shri Madhavseva.
Hope it helps.
Hari BOL.
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.
This message is for Prahlad das and all other persons who see spots on the moon.
How about seeing the good preaching work that is being done by ISKCON Bangalore. I’m so tired of the complaining and fault finding from all you “Brahmana” pundits.
My suggestion is that you take your troubled minds somewhere else.
This website should be focussed on the important business of establishing Srila Prabhupada in his rightful position.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada !!
“How about seeing the good preaching work that is being done by ISKCON Bangalore. I’m so tired of the complaining and fault finding from all you “Brahmana” pundits.
My suggestion is that you take your troubled minds somewhere else.”
Agreed,
SO MANY MUNIS, SO MANY MINDS!
Hare Krishna. It is becoming difficult to see any portion of the ‘moon’ of ISKCON Bangalore / Akshaya Patra Corporation’s “preaching” activities due to the numerous large spots (endless deviations from Prabhupada’s instructions and attacks on non IB/AP Prabhupadanuga groups). And what’s with all these anti-Brahmana sentiments? Srila Prabhupada wanted to create a society of intelligent Brahmanas, not blind-followers, philanthropists, mundane welfare-workers, vaccinators, donation collectors, businessmen and opulent ‘temples’. Anyone doubting this should read his books or listen to his lectures sometime. It is very clear that he wanted regular book-distribution & Hari-Nama sankirtan parties, gurukuls, goshalas and self-sufficient farm communities. Hare Krishna Community Jaipur are doing all these things but Akshaya Patra Jaipur (who are doing none of these things) are attacking them for the last 5 years. Why?
“Fifty years ago, when I first came to Bombay, at that time I was grhastha. I saw there were persons lying down care of footpath, and fifty years after, we are seeing the same thing is going on. No change. There is a class of men who must lie down care of footpath. There are so many institutions, daridra-narayana-seva. But why there are daridras still? That means you cannot change. It is not possible. It is not possible. Just like a man who has done something criminal and he is in prison. Can you take him out? It will be another criminal action. If you try to take him away from the prison house by some means, then you’ll be punished and he’ll be punished, both. This is the law state. Similarly, how you can surpass the stringent laws of nature and the laws of God? That is not possible.” (Bhagavad Gita 13.21 Prabhupada lecture)
“We will establish hundreds of temples, and they will all be very opulent. But if we do not follow the instruction of the Spiritual Master, they will just be showbottle. Do you know what showbottle means? It means colored water in a bottle which looks just like medicine, but which does not work.” (Room conversation NY July 1970)
“Unfortunately, when the acarya disappears, rogues and non-devotees take advantage and immediately begin to introduce unauthorized principles in the name of so-called svamis, yogis, philanthropists, welfare workers and so on. [..] The perfect disciples of the acarya try to relieve the situation by sincerely following the instructions of the spiritual master.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.28.48, purport)
“Real success is how one is faithful to his guru. That is real success.” (Lecture, October 4, 1976, Vrindavan)
“To honor the spiritual master means to carry out his instructions word for word.” (SB 3.24.12 purport)
The Best Welfare Work (edit)
http://krishna.org/the-best-welfare-work/
All over the world we see that religious organizations are busy with so many different programs of welfare work for the benefit of the poor, the sick, the young and the disadvantaged. In India this is also very prominent. There they have a very bogus and unauthorized concept of “daridya Narayana seva.” It means “service to the poor Narayana.” It is such a nonsense concept. They think that Narayan has become poor and if they serve the poor then they will be serving Narayana. So on the basis of this daridya narayana seva all the religious organizations in India are very much interested in serving the poor.
“In Kali-yuga there is a scarcity of food almost every year, and thus philanthropists spend lavishly to feed the poor. For this they invent the term daridra-narayana-seva. This is prohibited. One should distribute sumptuous prasada, considering everyone a part of the Supreme Lord, but one should not juggle words to make a poor man Narayana. Everyone is related to the Supreme Lord, but one should not mistakenly think that because one is related to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he has become the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana. Such a Mayavada philosophy is extremely dangerous, especially for a devotee. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has therefore strictly forbidden us to associate with Mayavadi philosophers. Mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa: if one associates with the Mayavada philosophy, his devotional life is doomed.” (Srila Prabhupada from Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.15.6)
There are so many attempts all over the world by religious and philanthropic organizations to feed the poor but still there are so many poor people who are hungry. So what does this mean? For so many years so many organizations are spending billions to feed the hungry but there are still so many hungry people. The reality is that we experience things in this world according to our karma. Karma means work and every time we perform any type of work there will a reaction to that work and in the future we have to enjoy or suffer that reaction. If it is good work we will enjoy the results of it in the future and if it is bad work then that will cause us to suffer in the future.
So the hungry people are actually suffering from the hunger as a karmic result for sinful activities they have performed in the past. It is caused by their own sinful activities, and it is the arrangement of Krishna, the arrangement of the material nature — we all have to suffer and enjoy the reactions to our activities in the past. There is nothing we can do about this and it is not possible for the religious and philanthropic organizations to improve the situation either.
So this is the fact, this material world is a place of suffering and we will suffer here. And we can not stop the suffering of others no matter what we try to do, at least not on the mundane platform by trying to feed the poor people, etc.
Therefore this mundane welfare work is useless. It does not work, the hungry and poor people remain and the people who are trying to feed and give them money are also sinful in the same way as a man who tries to free the prisoners because they are suffering becomes a criminal himself and he will not be successful. Rather, even if he is able to free a few prisoners, the police will find him and they will also find those escaped prisoners and they will all be put back in the prison with much longer sentences this time…
Only a person who is fully Krishna conscious can be said to be engaged in welfare work which is truly beneficial for all living entities. When a person knows that Krishna is the fountainhead of everything and when he acts in that spirit he acts for everyone.
The sufferings of humanity are due to forgetfulness of Krishna as the supreme enjoyer, the supreme proprietor, and the supreme friend. Therefore, to act to revive this Krishna consciousness within the entire human society is the highest welfare work. One cannot be engaged in first-class welfare work without being liberated in the Supreme. So the real beneficial welfare work is to awaken everyone’s dormant Krishna consciousness and this is the purpose of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s Sankirtan movement.
There is no spiritual benefit actually in giving free meals to poor people. This is mundane welfare work and we have no business as devotees of Krishna engaging in mundane welfare work. We are interested in distributing Krishna prasadam. So if we can arrange to have actual devotees cook very nice foodstuffs and offer them to Krishna with real love and devotion and after Krishna accepts that offering then we, as devotees, are very anxious to distribute that Krishna prasadam to all living entities. Not specifically poor people. And we want to distribute the prasadam in conjunction with the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra and the distribution of Srila Prabhupada’s books. In this way we want to prepare and distribute Krishna prasadam in huge quantities to everyone. But not specifically poor people. Krishna prasadam is to awaken the dormant Krishna consciousness in the hearts of every living entity. Everyone nowadays is poor spiritually. So everyone needs to be able to respect Krishna prasadam, hear the Hare Krishna maha mantra chanted from the lips of pure devotees, and read Prabhupada’s books. So devotees are interested in this type of prasadam distribution program.
As devotees we have no interest in doing “good work”. We do not accept that this “good work” like feeding hungry people has any real value in itself. The point is not feeding the people. There is no real value in feeding people in the ultimate issue. We are interested in distributing Krishna prasadam, getting them to accept the mercy of the Lord.
As far as I am aware Aksaya Patra is a strictly non-religious organization who have to guarantee to the government that what they are distributing is not prasadam. They are clearly presenting themselves as a mundane charitable institution, and the food is not cooked by devotees, the whole thing is done by paid staff, and there is strictly no kirtan or preaching or book distribution associated with this program.
As devotees of Krishna and followers of Srila Prabhupada we see no value in just feeding hungry people. We want to feed the spirit souls of the hungry people. We do want to feed everyone with Krishna prasadam but we do not see that a hungry person is any more a candidate for Krishna’s mercy in the form of prasadam than a rich person. As I tried to explain in the article everyone is in a particular position in the material world according to their karma. This is the arrangement of the modes of material nature which are working under the direction of Krishna. So if we think we can change this and stop the suffering of the people then we are trying to go against the arrangement of Krishna. It will not be successful. As I said so many of these organizations have been feeding hungry people for so long but the hungry people still remain.
We want to feed all people with Krishna prasadam. We do not differentiate if he is hungry or not hungry. And we have no interest in programs specifically targeted to simply feed hungry people or to build schools to give them mundane education or to build hospitals to satisfy the needs of their material bodies. We want to have kirtan, distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books and feed everyone sumptuously with Krishna prasadam, we don’t want to be involved in mundane programs distributing ordinary mundane food to poor people for the pious benefits that come from feeding hungry people.
It is maybe difficult to understand but we are only interested in distributing Krishna prasadam and we are not distributing Krishna prasadam to fill hungry bellies. We are doing that to awaken the person’s dormant Krishna consciousness and this is best done when accompanied by kirtan and the distribution of Srila Prabhupada’s books and it is for everyone, not just hungry people…
Another big problem for devotees being involved in these government funded programs is the government pays huge amounts of money but for that money the devotees have to follow very strict conditions that means the the devotees simply become servants of the government and are working for them, forwarding the government’s agenda. Which is economic development, not Krishna consciousness…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
The A.P. program is I believe a ”compromise” and should be seen as such. In the endeavour to increase the movement of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the BASIC design principal of FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION should apply. This would of course be a ‘vehicle’ for increasing the distributing Krishna Prasad, Srila Prabhupadas’ books and propagation of Maha Mantra. I am refering to Visitors Centres, incorporating Diorama Museums, Restaurant, Gift Shop, and in Rural or Semi Rural areas, nice gardens, mazes, and cows/and farm animals (in farmyard setting, so visitors can feed and interact) and weekend retreats etc. The building of Million Dollar Temples is an OBSCENITY in Kali Yuga and is a reflection of an inability to stick to the instructions of Srila Prabhupada. The ONLY way to bring the public (especially in the Western countries where “Temples” are seen as the refuges of hypocrites, fanatics and zealots is Vedic Diorama Museums (and associated features)
Self Realisation is a SCIENCE and should be presented as such, there are ALL types of TEMPLES where I live be they only attract small ‘communities’ and nobody is really interested in visiting them. A museum on the other hand attracts EVERYBODY because it is related to SCIENCE
Dear Prahlad das, Madhudvisa das and any other Brahmana pundits who are seeing “big spots” on the moon.
Perhaps my article could help you to see the moon again, lets see.
As I understand it, ISKCON Bangalore is engaged in many exemplary activities that would please Srila Prabhupada.
If Akshaya Patra is bringing a good reputation to its core business of distributing Krishna Consciousness, then I would see that as a “good thing”
Apart from a massive court case to establish Srila Prabhupada in his rightful position in his society (which I would think all Prabhupadanugas would appreciate} ISKCON Bangalore do many other activities that Srila Prabhupada and Lord Govinda want, like for example:
Cow Protection
ISKCON Bangalore started a goshala in the year 1986, with one cow named Vasundhara, and her calf Tamala. Since then, over the last 25 years, the herd has increased. Currently there are 25 cows, eight heifers and five calves in the goshala. They are housed in a facility behind the temple complex, which is kept immaculately clean by a team of three trained dairymen. They are bathed every day and during the summer they are bathed twice. They are allowed to roam around freely in a corral everyday so that they can stretch their limbs and get some exercise. The milk from these cows is offered to the Lord not only as it is, but also used in a variety of forms to prepare delicious offerings. Many visitors have commented that the cows in Hare Krishna Hill are peaceful and content.
As the cows age, when they are unable to produce milk, they are moved to ISKCON Bangalore’s farm at Mahadevapura in Mandya district where they peacefully spend the rest of their lives, grazing on the fresh grass and the sweet hay that is readily available there. The young bulls are also moved to the farm. There, these energetic animals are trained to plough the fields and carry loads to help in farming activities.
Those interested in contributing towards cow protection can sponsor the maintenance of the goshala in Bangalore as well as the retired cows and bulls at the Hare Krishna Farm at Mahadevapura.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada and all Vaisnava devotess of the Lord !!
Due to computer malfunction only half (first half) of my previous comment was submitted (this is not in any way the fault of Prabhupada News) so I will attempt to complete the comment, below.
The overwhelming comments regarding the ‘activities’ of Akshaya Patra and ISKCON Bangalore indicate a very serious and flawed culture of greed and corruption and this cannot be put down to a few ‘malcontents’ or ‘brahmana pundits’. This is the age of Kali!. There are no genuine Brahmanas or Sannyasis what to speak of ‘Pundits’ so let’s just cut all the bullshit! This is why NO-ONE with half a brain wants to live in a Temple as 99% of the time they are run by ‘conditioned souls’ who invariably fall victim to Maya. Better to spend $2.00 and read the words of Acharya than listen to conditioned souls “preaching” in $100,000,000.00 Temple THIS IS AN OBSCENITY.
If you are serious about self realisation you need Public Space ie Vedic Museums (and associated features). Public Museum means non-sectarian promoting Vedic Culture, Science of Self Realisation, Prasadam distribution, Maha Mantra Meditation etc etc. Have any of GBC become ‘self realised’ by wearing of ‘devotional cloth’ NO! NO! NO! this is just NONSENSE!
If you think that by wearing devotional cloth and living in temple will make you ‘self realised’ then you are completely in illusion.
Daso Smi
Sudarsana
During my last visit to Vrindaban dham couple of years ago, I have had the opportunity to visit also AP in Vrindaban. They have a nice big temple and a big facility to prepare the prasadam. That is exactly what I noticed there that the Devotees are / were aimed to engage in doing what is written in Prahlad das comments ;
” ………….. We are interested in distributing Krishna prasadam. So if we can arrange to have actual devotees cook very nice foodstuffs and offer them to Krishna with real love and devotion and after Krishna accepts that offering then we, as devotees, are very anxious to distribute that Krishna prasadam to all living entities. Not specifically poor people. And we want to distribute the prasadam in conjunction with the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra and the distribution of Srila Prabhupada’s books. In this way we want to prepare and distribute Krishna prasadam in huge quantities to everyone. ”
I really do not know where and what is the problem, Prahlad das is referring to with regard to the different location of the AP ?
In his comments, Sudarsana Das Vanacari also says the same ; ” The A.P. program is I believe a ”compromise” and should be seen as such. ”
In what way AP program is compromised ?
Hari BOL…. AGTSP.
Dear Amar Puri Prabhu.
As far as my understanding goes, AP is run strictly on ‘secular protocols and procedures’ to satisfy the ‘neutrality’ of Government Policy with regards to religions. I am sure that these procedures vary from place to place and although I use the word ‘compromise’, this is not necessarily a negative connotation as there is a great deal of positive feedback (and spin-offs) associated with this programme. This does not mean that the many grievances of the Jaipur devotees should be ignored as so many complaints by the said devotees indicate a ‘systemic’ culture of unnecessary offences towards them.
Prahlad Prabhu and Madhuvisa Prabhu have made some very compelling points and there is strong supporting evidence that the sentiments expressed are those of His Divine Grace Himself, regarding Prasadam distribution not being confined to a particular ‘demographic’ (ie “the poor” etc).
I am also convinced BEYOND ANY SHADOW OF DOUBT that the instructions of Srila Prabhupada to distribute Prasada WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION (without any specific demographic) can ONLY be the BEST solution for society at large. This is why we have to see that it is ‘compromise’ because as devotees we will NEVER be satisfied until EVERYONE IS HONORING KRISHNA PRASADA.
I hope that my limited understanding is of some help in regards to your question. I am always ready to appreciate the sentiments and opinions of other devotees and endeavour to do this without any ill will.
As aspiring devotee I am always ready to rectify any anarthas and faults and this should be a constant theme for all vaisnavas. There are many devotees rubber stamping themselves ‘Prabhupadanuga’ so why all these different ‘camps’ are fighting? Temples are NOT the answer for western countries they just create different power structures and inflated egos, corruption and a parochial, segregated microcosm of individuals.
YHS
Sudarsana
Dear Prabhu Sudarsana Das Vanacari,
PAMHO. AGTSP.
Your comments are well taken and appreciated.
Any ” grievances ” arise on account of ” iccha-dvesa samutthena … BG.7.27 ” which creates delusional state of the mind due to the dualities of desire and hate. That is why all these different “camps” are fighting.
As you further indicated in your comments nicely ;
” …….. I am also convinced BEYOND ANY SHADOW OF DOUBT that the instructions of Srila Prabhupada to distribute Prasada WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION (without any specific demographic) can ONLY be the BEST solution for society at large. ……”
That would be only possible if the devotees arise above the ” iccha-dvesa ” in rendering service selflessly for the mission of our Jagat Guru HDG Srila Prabhupada as per His Divine Instructions.
That is why I humbly suggested in my comments to all the parties involved ( particularly to the Jaipur Devotees group who are progressing very nicely ) to settle the differences instead of continuously throwing the mud on each other which is very self destructive.
Hope it meets the readers satisfactory.
Hari BOL. OM TAT SAT.
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Dear Sriman Amar Puri Prabhu.
Dandavat Pranams.
Your suggestion that all parties involved in this dispute try to settle things amicably is of course most warranted should be explored to the fullest extent. The last time I was in Bangalore (mid to late 80s) I was with Maha Sringa (formally Swami) as he was previous to that time the TP of Bangalore Temple. I do not know the devotees who are presently in charge of Bangalore or the Jaipur devotees who are involved in this dispute which seems to have been deteriorating for many years. There seems to also have been many sincere efforts over many years also to solve this problem, but to no avail.
Any leader who is truly representing Srila Prabhupada has to be of the highest standard to win the support of the Vaisnava community by beying the most humble servant of that community and devoid of any self interest and material motivation. We have all been cheated before by persons ‘claiming’ to be TRUE representatives of Srila Prabhupada and at the same time DEMANDING the “selfless service” of others in the name of His Divine Grace and His Divine Mission. If the leaders are pure then that selfless service is voluntary and comes straight from the heart. Such devotional service is liberating and frees one from material bondage. That “selfless service” of others that is demanded by “leaders” who are IMPURE renders one a SLAVE.
The other point worth considering is that it may not be at all possible, for there to be any reconciliation if this means that the principals of Srila Prabhupada are to be ‘compromised’ or if one (or both) of the parties concerned are simply ‘making a show’ of their devotion to Srila Prabhupada whilst at the same time trying to further their own mundane ambitions. This beying said, as I do not know those involved I do not make any criticism, but only try to offer some reflection always with the desire to see Srila Prabhupada as the guiding principal.
Vaisnava Dasanudas
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Sudarsana
Prabhu Sudarsana Das Vanacari writes ; ” ……. If the leaders are pure then that selfless service is voluntary and comes straight from the heart. Such devotional service is liberating and frees one from material bondage.”
Indeed. That is exactly the key to success in rendering devotional service to the HDG. Srila Prabhupada mission which is expected from the Leaders of both the parties involved.
Otherwise the outcome of differences shall truly reveal the Truth of it whether or not it is headed towards the forecast predicted by Sudarsana Das Prabhu in his comments which read ;
” That “selfless service” of others that is demanded by “leaders” who are IMPURE renders one a SLAVE.”
Hari BOL. AGTSP.
so now there is a propaganda war going on about who is authentic. MPD should be ashamed of himself to stoop to this low and for publishing the outrageous comments by Tim Lee and having Tim Lee as his spokeman. I guess MPD’s authority is Tim Lee, since MPD has to have Tim Lee speak for him.
“So far prasāda distribution, it is not a question of rich or poor. That will be Karma Kāṇḍa. Our program therefore is that we offer prasāda to everyone. Make our temple so nice that everyone who comes is offered some prasāda. Not that we are after poor men. It is nice that we are feeding 200 daily, but gradually try to increase. But do not advertise, we shall be self-advertising. And do not go to poor areas, this is not our philosophy. Our philosophy is prasāda distribution, without discrimination rich or poor.” (Prabhupada Letter to Girirāja: Honolulu 15 May 1972)