Community Service

[Vinayaka]

Here's a link to a nice article about Hindus in the DC area who started helping the community ... the homeless, impoverished, etc. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/murali-balaji/local-organization-highli_b_12960238.html

A lot of Hindu charity work goes along unnoticed, as it should. My home temple has a food bank deposit area in the foyer, and they come collect once a month, or as needed. My sampradaya runs Hindu Heritage Endowment, an umbrella giving organisation, where overseas and other charities have registered, and the money is transferred through secured ways.

In the old days it was less organised, I think, and more on the local level, neighbours helping neighbours. But nice to see a wider more organised way.

 

[Kirran]

Nice when this stuff gets organised. Both by secular and religious groups. Sadhana does some good stuff, especially in interfaith work and in environmental cleanup type volunteering. They're hoping to branch out to the UK.

 

[ShivaFan]

ISKCON has been feeding people since the 1960s.

It is called prashad. It is seen as the mercy. Because it is offered to the Lord, it becomes empowered and is spiritual food.

Spiritual food is better than just food.

But some do not get that. Simply handing something out may help, but it may not, and it may even make things worse.

But temples all over India have prashad. And Mother Annapurna. You have to have the vision. Some don't. Would you as a Hindu hand out Burger King double bacon whoppers to the homeless and then call yourself a good Hindu because you fed the homeless? What did you feed them?

Prashad?

You not only hurt them, you became dirty in your soul. Do not think simply handing out food makes you good.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Well, I am sort of double-minded. I am reminded of 'DharmaVyadha'.

 

[ShivaFan]

HACSI is working volunteers at the DC Central Kitchen - which is serving Tyson Foods chicken (Tyson also a huge contributor), Beuchert’s Saloon is a big provider also at the DC Central Kitchen giving the homesless salami sandwiches, George Rodrigues Tico DC beef tacos for the homeless, Hank’s Oyster Bar a biggie and yummy oysters for the homeless.

Tyson chicken gave over $600,000 to the DC Central Kitchen to promote their chicken livers and chicken necks. They are also part of this great community service.

There is a difference between ISKCON and their service to their Hinduism and this other community service. ISKCON serves those who come to the feast of the Lord Krishna with their own hands in the Temple of God or in the Name of the Lord sung in public, pure vegetarian food that is mercy and spiritual food because it is offered to God and any who partake even the poor or the rich benefit.

But this DC Central Kitchen isn't the Temple of Krishna or for that matter ANY Hindu sacred place, nor do we hear the Names of God. It may as well be McDonalds. What sampradaya thinks this is service? Service to God? Or to something else?

Then why not just do your "service" at Joe's BBQ Pork Ribs Joint that also gives out their leftover pork ribs to the crowd at the back of the joint about 10pm DC time but don't choke on the Swisher Sweets cigars a lot of the brothers are smoking before getting back to the bottle after those ribs, or just get behind the counter at McDonalds and help the homeless who frequent Mikey D's for those $1 dollar chicken burgers and McNuggets? There is little difference than doing that or doing "service" in the butchers DC Central Kitchen which is just a big McDonalds in another venue.

Nice. Real good for the soul. Nice publicity, too, just like Fosters Chicken a big friend of Bill Clinton.

Look, a lot of Hindus eat chicken. Fine. But if your sampradaya doesn't go for the meat, this seems sort of bizarre form of seva to be promoting if you ask me. Who do you serve?

 

[SomeRandom]

HACSI is working volunteers at the DC Central Kitchen - which is serving Tyson Foods chicken (Tyson also a huge contributor), Beuchert’s Saloon is a big provider also at the DC Central Kitchen giving the homesless salami sandwiches, George Rodrigues Tico DC beef tacos for the homeless, Hank’s Oyster Bar a biggie and yummy oysters for the homeless.

Tyson chicken gave over $600,000 to the DC Central Kitchen to promote their chicken livers and chicken necks. They are also part of this great community service.

There is a difference between ISKCON and their service to their Hinduism and this other community service. ISKCON serves those who come to the feast of the Lord Krishna with their own hands in the Temple of God or in the Name of the Lord sung in public, pure vegetarian food that is mercy and spiritual food because it is offered to God and any who partake even the poor or the rich benefit.

But this DC Central Kitchen isn't the Temple of Krishna or for that matter ANY Hindu sacred place, nor do we hear the Names of God. It may as well be McDonalds. What sampradaya thinks this is service? Service to God? Or to something else?

Then why not just do your "service" at Joe's BBQ Pork Ribs Joint that also gives out their leftover pork ribs to the crowd at the back of the joint about 10pm DC time but don't choke on the Swisher Sweets cigars a lot of the brothers are smoking before getting back to the bottle after those ribs, or just get behind the counter at McDonalds and help the homeless who frequent Mikey D's for those $1 dollar chicken burgers and McNuggets? There is little difference than doing that or doing "service" in the butchers DC Central Kitchen which is just a big McDonalds in another venue.

Nice. Real good for the soul. Nice publicity, too, just like Fosters Chicken a big friend of Bill Clinton.

Look, a lot of Hindus eat chicken. Fine. But if your sampradaya doesn't go for the meat, this seems sort of bizarre form of seva to be promoting if you ask me. Who do you serve?

The main difference I can see would be potential food safety laws. I don't know about other places, but what can be considered safe to donate in Australia has a lot of hoops to jump through. Even day old bread is considered unsafe. For any company, even a big company, to donate free food to the homeless is more than a tax right off and a bit of nice PR. It's a pain in the neck and subject to all kinds of potential lawsuits (hence the reason for food safety laws.) A company is legally liable for any and all edible things it sells or donates. It's actually pretty risky to donate any food whatsoever. Not only that but companies by their nature are restricted by what they can donate. If you are a taco store, you can't exactly go around donating pancakes!
I say kudos to Tyson and his chicken. Doing so might not be ultimate spiritual food, but he doesn't have to do this (presumably) and by giving to charity despite any legal barriers shows human decency and compassion. Which I think is the ultimate celebration of the Lord.

 

[तत्त्वप्रह्व]

Namaste,

There used to be (still continues in some) a good system in temples in most villages of the south (of India) where land belonged to the temple, was administered by the local king, the farmers who tilled the land leased the land from the temple in return for contributing a portion (around 1/10th) of their produce back to the temple, which took care of feeding all those in its vicinity with two meals a day (perhaps the reason why purāṇas attach great merit to constructing temples). With the arrival of british administration, however, the administration was taken over by them under the Hindu Temple Endowments Act (christian churches however remained out of it!) and the allocation of food grains accumulated soon got diverted into brit granaries to provide for their troops. The elected govt of independent India continued the law; a portion of the money collected at some of the richest temples (temples which are in dilapidated condition requiring immediate rehabilitation are almost always ignored) goes into the govt coffers, but even that portion retained with the managing board seldom gets invested in improving the conditions of the temples.

Hopefully one day the temples will regain their erstwhile position of being central to all activities of villages (whether urban or otherwise).

श्रीकृष्णार्पणमस्तु ।