(by harekrishnacommunity.blogspot.in)
The daily regulative duties must be performed by everyone very strictly, the beads chanted sixteen rounds, and our literatures read and discussed. In this way everything should be done very nicely. Sankirtana should be done by you in the streets and at gatherings and in this manner display what is this Krishna consciousness movement and how it is for everyone’s eternal welfare and happiness. So you do all these with great enthusiasm and very carefully. Our all activities must be open so that no one may criticize our mission, so all dealing must be to the standard of Vaisnavism. We cannot misrepresent ourselves for the purpose of taking monies from the public, but as everything is undertaken forthrightly in Krishna consciousness way, then Lord Krishna will be pleased to provide all facilities for aiding our such sincere service.
(Srila Prabhupada Letter to Sridama, 8th July, 1970)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9RFkARPNTg
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1MU5iN1EbA
Hare Krishna. Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Jayate.
Its wonderful. Thanks for uploading here. I am feeling so much ecstatic after watching this. All young devotees singing glories of Lord’s holy name. Really impressive.
Harinaam Sankirtan ki Jai.
your servant
Very nice to see the Sankirtana Yajna being performed. all glories to the assembled devotees. I am curious about the need to carry a large donation box. Please don’t take my question as a criticism. I have never seen Harinam Sankirtana being performed with someone carrying a large donation box. As far as I know and please correct me if I am wrong, Srila Prabhupada didn’t set this example, Lord Chaitanya and his associates didn’t carry a donation box. It seems a little weird to me, kind of spoils the mood of distributing love of Krishna freely.
Can any respected Vaisnava’s shine some light on this anomaly for me?
Thanks prabhu’s.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada !!
Hare Krishna Sundrananda prabhu.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Actually we are trying to follow the instructions of Srila Prabhupada regarding sankirtan and book distribution. During sankirtan our main focus is on distributing the Holy Name as you can see from the spiritually happy faces of the devotees and the onlookers. We also keep a donation box so that any onlooker who feels inspired can contribute voluntarily. Normally this donaton box is kept on the table and all the devotees are performing sankirtan and when the public joins in some of them feel inspired and drop some money in the donation box. As soon as somebody gives donation we immediately give him a book. This way we are able to distribute 300 to 400 books of Srila Prabhupada within 4-5 hours of our Sankirtan. This way they hear the holy name, get a book of Srila Prabhupada and we are able to collect some money which we are depositing for buying a Sankirtan Bus.
The above way of working is fully approved by His Divine Grace as it will become very clear from the following quotes of Srila Prabhupada.
“Chanting in the park and on the street is our new movement and it is successful. It has become successful in San Francisco, in New York, as well as in Montreal. So if we adopt this means in Los Angeles, I am sure it will also become successful. In San Francisco, I understand the Kirtana party collects sometimes up to $40.00 daily, and Montreal, the other day, Hamsaduta collected $24.00, similarly I hear from Boston, they are also making good collection. So if you can organize this Sankirtana party chanting in the parks and in the street, with permit from the authorities, there will be no scarcity of money, and people will be very glad to contribute.” (Letter to: Aniruddha — Montreal 24 August, 1968)
“Regarding collecting fund: The Brahmacaris, Vanaprastha, and Sannyasis are not supposed to earn money like Grhasthas. The Grhasthas or the householders can engage himself in earning money, either by accepting job or some professional work. But a Brahmacari, Vanaprastha, and Sannyasi is supposed only to depend on Krishna and beg from the Grhasthas. The same system can be followed if it is possible. You are completely right when you think that if by begging alms we can provide ourself, we should not accept any job. So far I can understand from the indication in your letter, that if you form a party of Sankirtana, and walk in the street, I think you can get not less than 50 to 100 marks daily.”
(Letter to: Sivananda — San Francisco 18 September, 1968)
“The Sankirtana party is walking in the streets and is getting good response, from the public. They are selling Back To Godhead nicely, and getting good sympathy from the public by considerable collections. We are not after collecting money, but when people offer something out of love and sympathy for our mission, it becomes a great asset.” (Letter to: Satsvarupa — Seattle 28 September, 1968)
“It is so much encouraging that your Sankirtana party is going everyday collecting some money and encouraging also that you are selling Back To Godhead. Similarly the Sankirtana party here also led by Tamala Krishna is doing very nicely.” (Letter to: Cidananda — Seattle 15 October, 1968)
“Regarding your idea of supporting the temple by Sankirtana collections, it is nice. In Los Angeles, New York, and other centers they are chanting on the streets every day and they are getting good remunerations, better than any job. New York once collected $500.00 in one weekend, and Los Angeles sometimes collects $250.00 in one day. Uddhava and Vaikunthanatha are collecting at least $20-$40.00 daily, so if it is possible to collect it is very good. Simply we have to work and people will give contribution for this good cause. It is better to get money by collections than to work.”
(Letter to: Sivananda — Allston, Mass 4 May, 1969)
“We are already experiencing in several cities in the USA that by performing Sankirtana on the streets, they are collecting $40-$50 minimum daily. Sometimes they are going to $150, so now you are three, so one mrdanga and two karatalas will be nice beginning for your German Sankirtana Party. I think if you go and chant in the park, you can sufficiently collect for meeting your expenditures, and the balance money you can engage for producing Back To Godhead and other German literature.”
(Letter to: Krsna dasa — Columbus, Ohio 8 May, 1969)
“Regarding your nice Sankirtana collections, this should be kept in a separate account so that it may help in some great emergency.” (Letter to: Satsvarupa — Los Angeles 17 July, 1969)
“We should not deviate much of our time for any business manipulations. Our main business is Sankirtana. You will be very glad to hear that in New York last week they collected $1,000 and sold BTG at a rate of 200 per day on the weekend days. Similarly we have got good report from Boston that they are collecting $50-$60 daily and selling about 60-70 copies of BTG. And what to speak of Los Angeles? So if we can organize our Sankirtana Movement, there will be no scarcity of money; rest assured.”
(Letter to: Krsna dasa — Los Angeles 28 July, 1969″
“Regarding the question you have raised about traveling sankirtana parties and selling of books, yes, we want money.”
(Letter to: Bali-mardana — Los Angeles 30 September, 1972)
Your Servant
Raghav Pandit Das
Dear Raghav Pandit das,
thank you very much for your reply to my question. I appreciate your diligent and thorough answer. I have never seen this style of Harinam Sankirtana carrying a donation box. I live in Australia, perhaps there is a cultural difference with the way the public perceive Krishna devotees on the street.
At the end of the day, whatever works is all that matters. Well done to all of you for performing the Yuga Dharma and collecting donations to support your preaching. My head is at the feet of you all.
All glories to the bright faced and ecstatic souls from Jaipur.
Thanks again for your reply.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada !!
Hare Krishna. Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Jayate.
Dear Raghav Pandit prabhu. Thanks for clarification. Nice answer with Prabhupada’s quotes. I really like them, both your Sankirtan and answer to Sundarananda prabhu.
All glories to your services
your servant
Hare Krishna prabhus.
All glories to Sankirtan yajna. Very happy to see the bright faces and dancing people.
Please keep uploading such nice Sankirtan videos.
Yours
Bhakta John
Jaipur is a very auspicious place to practice Krishna Bhakti and Harinam is part of the social and cultural fabric as I used to do this also when I was in Jaipur. in the late 80s and early 90s. There are so many nice temples like Sri Radha Govindaji. Radha Gopinath, Radha Vinoda (dieties of The Six Goswamis and eternal associates of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu), market sellers would give you free veg and grain also at the big grain markets. Most of the marble dieties are also made in Jaipur as there are many vaisnavas there which makes for a very ‘traditional approach’ to preaching there, which usually works very well all over India generally.
Where I live (South Australia) is very much ‘alien’ compared to Jaipur and Harinam and street preaching are seen as very ‘confrontational’. Even the Christians who preach in the city centre (Adelaide) have had legal battles with the City Council for years and are perceived as a ‘public nuisance’. When I was a kid I used to hear the Salvation Army every Sunday coming up the street banging on their tambourines and drums but you never see them anymore. Books have never been sold on the street in Australia and many are thrown into a bin If you try to give them away. The many quotes Raghav Pandit Prabhu has supplied in regards to ‘Harinam and street book sales’ I am sure work very well in Jaipur (or even USA, as people are more religious there) but have never been successful in Australia. This does not mean however that ‘preaching in Australia’ cannot be successful only that it requires us to ‘put our thinking caps on’ and use a more lateral and hybrid approach which is what Srila Prabhupada would have done had the ‘traditional’ approach only produced a limited success.
Another point I would like to make is that even though Jaipur has some very wonderful temples there are also many ‘neglected’ Radha Krishna temples in Jaipur which are literally falling to pieces and require government (Dept of Devasthan) assistance as they have virtually no congregation. So as with ‘growth’ you also have ‘waste and decay’ when an over-emphasis is put into the construction of too many temples.
There is only ONE Radha Krishna temple in Adelaide (ISKCON) and that has already been and continues to be neglected and wasted…….What’s the point?
Daso Smi
Sudarsana
Dear Sundarananda Prabhu, as you state…” I am curious about the need to carry a large donation box.”
Balaram das>>The pious Indian population is very used to giving donations at the temples, whether Vaisnava, demigods or whoever. There is always a large donation box called ‘HUNDI’ which is placed very prominently before or near the alter. So in this case I think it is very innovative of the Jaipur devotees to take the ‘Hundi’ box out on their street harinam, as most pious Indians would just see this as a simple way to facilitate their donations. Taking the temple ‘out on the street’ so to speak, very contrary to western attitude.
Also in Sudarsana Prabhu’s comment he states that.. “Books have never been sold on the street in Australia and many are thrown into a bin If you try to give them away.”
Balaram das>>I joined in 1972, and as a brahmacari my only service from 9am till 5pm each day and till 9am late shopping nights was to sell Srila Prabhupada’s books and BTGs on the streets in all the major cities, suburbs, country towns etc, but never to give them away. In 1972 & 73 it was mainly BTGs, then Buddhimanta Prabhu (now passed away) arrived and gave us the confidence to distribute big hardbound books. Up until then we just used to carry 1 or 2 Gitas along with the BTGs in case we came across that special soul. This was all done still with dhotis and shaved up and the matajis in saris.
One very favourable shop owner of a top menswear store in Melbourne’s busiest street, Swanston St, even allowed us to store our dozens of book boxes in his shop and distribute right outside. He also visited the temple regularly and brought some of his business partners.
One time in Hindley St. Adelaide, late 1973, I was showing a nice couple the small KRSNA Book trilogy set and just as they were handing me the Laxmi, I was ‘king-hit’ in the jaw from behind. I dropped half conscious to the sidewalk as the demoniac character ran off and the couple helped me up and doubled what they were giving me for the trilogy.
After 1974, Tripurari das arrived from USA and introduced ‘plain clothes’ distribution, but even though book sales initially increased greatly, it was really the beginning of the end as many of the devotees started employing devious and often illegal means to sell/distribute Prabhupada’s books in what became known as ‘the pick’. In many cities the authorities ruled sidewalk distribution illegal, and devotees also were charged and did prison time. It was then in the later part of the 80s that the ‘paraphenalia sales’ took over for income and we started concentrating on developing book sales through the Life Member and associate temple programs.
Of course this was over 40 years ago and as Sudarsan Prabhu correctly states the western public has generally been alien and seen our preaching as confrontational, but that’s the nature of the conditioned soul. I guess in those days we were able to take them a bit more by surprise. Also agreed with comments re the state of these special Vaisnava temples in Jaipur-Vrndavan. It’s a great shame they don’t take the example of the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams in South India and show proper appreciation and respect for the Vaisnava heartland.
Your unworthy streetsweeper.