Pariprashnena — Q&A Archive

Its the business of a grhasta disciple of Srila Prabhupada. There is a yoga space on the ground floor, a restaurant on the second floor, and a movie theatre on the third floor. Pratapana prabhu runs it and covers most of the expenses of the local temple with the weekly donation he makes, in addition to the preaching that he does there.

Over the past two or three years the amount of direct preaching there has been increasing, in addition to the prasadam distribution and the financial support it provides to the yatra. You can read my report of the opening of the yoga space there in 2006: http://www.urbanmissionary.info/2006/01/03/the-lotus-room-opens-in-sydney-australia/

The prasadam there is good. Ive never seen a movie, but Ive been to a kirtan concert in the movie space.

My favorite devotee cinema is the Regent in Murwillumbah, near New Govardhana. http://www.cinemaregent.com/

Again, Ive never seen a movie there, but they make the best darned prasadam pizzas Ive had in a long time!

Why devotees always have to invent "new" ways of preaching?
A bit of Maya here....some prasadam....some Maha Mantra....
Plse keep Iskcon pure!

ps. Do they still play bingo at NYC Iskcon building?

To Sitapati:

Are you a devotee of Lady Chatterley?:)

Why mix the sacred name of Govinda with karmi pictures?
cinemregent is no different,at least theres no spiritual Name.

Gaurangaliladas, if you really want to know, you need to ask Pratapana prabhu. Look on the website for a contact email and let us know how you get on.

If youre asking rhetorically because you want to indicate that its wrong, or because you want to obliquely influence it to change it, youre better off commenting to Pratapana prabhu. Look on the website for a contact email and let us know how you get on.

I recommend the prasadam in both places if youre ever in the area.

Gaurangaliladas, what do you do for a job, by the way?

When I went to Tirupati, I realised what real temples can become,if the Deities are in the centre of a region: pilgrims come daily from all over India and abroad,and queue up for hours just to have darsan,give donations in laksmi and pure gold,that they buy from a bank in front of the temple.Garlands are being made endlessly in little shops,where incense and other paraphernalias are sold. Hundreds of pujaris are employed,security men to make sure nothing is stolen,accountants,gardeners,cleaners,guest-house employees,drivers,jewellers,ayurvedic doctors/pharmacies,forests care takers,PR team etc etc...Laksmi comes in a regular flow,and they own most of the regions land.There are no beggars,and orphans are taken care of in orphanges,and widows also get protection by shelter and food.Theres a printing department for the thousands of brochures/books required...
Bhajan composers and singers/dancers also employ all their time for the Lord...
So,for westerners,used to go to Sunday mass,and work 6 days a week in factories,such conception of society may be a dream,but its reality for thousands of Indian temples.

The surplus funds are used to open other temples in other regions and abroad....
Such is the perfect society Srila Prabhupada wished for Iskcon,that can change the world into a better place...

My job:to remind you of Srila Prabhupadas instructions:live simply,with no accumulation of unnecessary items,thats costing more and more each day.

So step by step this will become a reality again worldwide. Things such as these cinemas show that the influence is spreading. Something like that obviously cannot be the core, but it shows that our edge is penetrating into society. As long as we retain a pure core somewhere where devotees do fully dedicated, pure devotional service / direct service, then from that core things will radiate out. Its just a matter of time.

As my Guru Maharaja said in his offering Srila Prabhupada this year:

"Srila Prabhupada, the opportunity to render selfless service is the greatest benediction of devotional service within your ISKCON. While coping with the ocean of ISKCONs diversity, our leaders must work hard to keep this special facility '97 selfless service '97 alive and available, so that at least somewhere in the ISKCON marketplace there is always demand for it"

(ref: http://www.devaswami.com/?q=node/181)