Someone Has to Pay | Bhakta Matty

BY: BHAKTA MATTY

Dec 06, 2011 — WATFORD, ENGLAND, UK (SUN) — Dear Mahavidya prabhu, I am sorry that my latest offering has saddened you, but now that my hands are free from milking Krsna’s cows, let us try, for once and for all, to put this issue to bed. (Somehow I doubt it, but…anyhow.) In your latest article you have stated…

“As of yet, Bhakta Matty has yet to respond to my own simple question… Are those devotees receiving salaries at Bhaktivedanta Manor working within the parameters as established by HDG AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada?”

As a devotee who does not receive a salary from Bhaktivedanta Manor, I am not sure why you keep directing this question at me? I guess it is because I am the only one who can be bothered at this moment in time, or is not as yet bored as the other devotees have obviously become in the past, who tried to debate these issues with your good self while you keep on running over the same old ground.

So Srila Prabhupada has said…

“Any householder who is working full-time (with his wife ) as a sankirtana book distributor, or temple managerial duties, artist, cook, etc. shall be provided food, shelter, and other bare minimum necessities by the temple itself. They should not cook their own meals separate from the temple meals. If they have children, then some minimal allowance may be given according to the number of children. If they want anything extra or over and above what the temple president sees as absolute necessity, then they should work outside–the temple cannot pay for anything beyond the bare necessities. And definitely, the BBT cannot pay any salary to anybody. Our philosophy is “simple living and high thinking”–not sense gratification. The temple presidents and leaders (elder students ) must show this by example. Temple or asrama means for renunciation and renounced persons. If one is engaged in self-realization process, then his material necessities become almost nil. Persons who do not like this can work outside.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter from Siksamrta)

“Any householder who is working full-time (with his wife ) as a sankirtana book distributor, or temple managerial duties, artist, cook, etc. shall be provided food, shelter, and other bare minimum necessities by the temple itself.”

This order is being fulfilled.

“They should not cook their own meals separate from the temple meals. If they have children, then some minimal allowance may be given according to the number of children. If they want anything extra or over and above what the temple president sees as absolute necessity, then they should work outside–the temple cannot pay for anything beyond the bare necessities.”

This order is being fulfilled.

“If they want anything extra or over and above what the temple president sees as absolute necessity, then they should work outside–the temple cannot pay for anything beyond the bare necessities.”

This order is being fulfilled.

“And definitely, the BBT cannot pay any salary to anybody.”

Ok, so now we reach the real point that Mahavidya is trying to make as regards Srila Prabhupada’s parameters.

So Mahavidya das (in his previous article) is telling us that “Akhundadhi das was buying his own house with an ISKCON salary“. So why did he not also complain to Akhundadhi das at the time, there and then about any devotee receiving an ISKCON salary, and the “parameters” laid down by Srila Prabhupada? I myself seem to recall that in 1989, Akhundadhi das was also a Grhastha, as was Mahavidya das.

Also, how many years from 1989 until you were banned from Bhaktivedanta Manor, Mahavidya prabhu? Yet between these times you were happy enough to tow the party line and still associate yourself with the Manor.

I personally remember buying murtis from you (you had your workshop for making them just where the Tulasi greenhouses are now) in the late 1990’s or early 2000’s. In fact, I still have them at my home… one of Hanuman ji and one of Lord Sri Krsna. They were creamy white colour with an antique finish, I am not correct? I seem to recall that you also sold murtis of Ganapati and Lord Siva… demigods. I bet you had plenty of Hindu customers and that you were probably, indeed very happy to pocket the Hindu cash for yourself?

So its alright to live in the temple as a householder ‘for free’ and to allow the brahmacaris to collect to pay for your existence, or to take donations from working householders, albeit indirectly, and allow them to pay for your existence – but never to have the collections or donations processed to be provided as ‘devotee maintenance.’

That’s like saying its OK to have milk, but never to touch yogurt.

Also, as most devotees know, and especially the devotees of Srila Prabhupada, that he could and often would change his mind due to time, place and circumstance. I remember a devotee once telling me a story that many years ago, the devotees were getting many nice donations on the streets from the public for the Goddess of Fortune and Change of Heart records. But Srila Prabhupada was not so happy so about the selling of these records and insisted that the devotees stop the selling of them and go back to selling his books. Shortly after, when there was some financial problems at the temple, Srila Prabhupada then asked “why is this financial problem happening?” The devotee replied to Srila Prabhupada “that not so many people are interested in books, Srila Prabhupada.” Prabhupada immediately said, without a second’s hesitation, “Alright, then go back to selling these records, but still try and push for books as much as possible.”

Today in the world we all are facing a huge economic collapse, the biggest in every country on this Earth, and in the history of the western world. There are no jobs for anybody. School leavers with degrees can’t even find employment, what to speak of neo second generation ex-hippies types like myself who became devotees, and who,(in my own case), left school with no qualifications.

Of course, we can only speculate on what Srila Prabhupada would advise the devotees to do in today’s international social climate. What would Srila Prabhupada say… “Because there are no jobs, then take minimum wage from the temple and remain in the temple environment as much as possible, associating with devotees?” Or… “Go and stack shelves at the local supermarket with the bad association of non-devotees, for the same income which barely covers house rent and bills.”

So then how would the temple be sustained by the Grhasthas when they can only cover their own basic survival needs, i.e. rent, bills, fuel, clothing, etc.? We live in a very, very different place in this world today, compared to the 1970`s. Of course, to know what Srila Prabhupada would say about today’s current global financial situation is pure speculation, but he was not a fanatic, and he clearly stated on many occasions that the devotees should use their own common sense. Time, place and circumstance.

Nobody who lives at the Manor serves ‘for free’ – because it costs money to run the building, feed them, clothe them and so on. Even the gurukala at the Manor is subsidised £60,000 a year by, in Mahavidya’s own words, “the wedding factory”. But then of course, he would be aware of this, as his daughter is a volunteer at the gurukala, and his granddaughter also attends the gurukala. The money to pay for all that has to come from somewhere. Actually most of the devotees who are on a wage at the Manor are on the U.K minimum wage.

£6.08 – the main rate for workers aged 21 and over £4.98 – the 18-20 rate
£3.68 – the 16-17 rate for workers above school leaving age but under 18

Charity Commission
CompaniesHouse.gov.uk
ISKCON, ISKCON Goshalla Ltd.

Some devotees even have to take a second job because they cannot afford to pay their rent. As Srila Prabhupada says above… “the temple cannot pay for anything beyond the bare necessities.”

The main question seems to be, who should pay for whose life – and with what money?

Another point is that devotees do not serve for the wages they receive. They are not motivated by the money, they are motivated by their desire to serve the Lord. The wages they get just pays for their rent and just about enough to maintain their dependents. No one is living luxuriously.

So before I carry on, can Mahavidya prabhu please answer my question to him from my last article… A Straight Answer, Please.

Now you also state that “you are forced to beg from the government.” Did not Srila Prabhupada say.. “that as devotees, we should not be dependant on any government hand outs.”

As you are so eager to point out to us, Srila Prabhupada says… “If one is engaged in self-realization process, then his material necessities become almost nil.” Then why are there many very rich Vaisnavas, some of which you often visit, living in million pound mansions with £50,000 cars?

Because as you have said…Srila Prabhupada also states… Our philosophy is “simple living and high thinking”–not sense gratification.

Did you express these points to them? And if not, why not?

So Mahavidya prabhu, why don’t you set the example, take sannyasa and live under a tree in the holy dhama of Vraja? Like Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis? I can tell you for a 100% fact that if I was a divorced man on income/sickness benefit living in the U.K., that I would have no hesitation to have to think about it twice.

Still… Mahavidya seems to be perfectly happy to accept the principle of someone else paying for his existence – call it brahmacari collections, devotee maintenance, householder’s allowance, government hand-outs… provided it is never called wages. But nevertheless, someone has to pay for him!