namahatta.org - Congregational Development Ministry

Thank you for your contribution, Vaisnavi Rani Prabhu.

Yes, I can only agree with you that established temples and centers should do their best to offer effective pastoral care to the home-based members of their communities.

At the same time the focus of the article on tithing was different. Anyway, I would like to make two points in relation to what you say.

1. How much to give?

I explained in the article that my understanding of the "50 percent principle" is giving 50 percent of what is left after essential expenses. Therefore someone may be able to give 5,000 euros every month, someone 500, someone 50 and someone may be only 10. The the principle applies independently of one's financial prosperity (or lack of it). It's of course up to you to decide what is essential expenditure. (Therefore many people in the world opt for the mathematically simpler method to give a fixed percentage "in the beginning" as soon as they receive the monthly payment--many settle for 10 percent of the total).

Since the norm is proportional, whoever wants to apply it can apply it.

2. Give to whoever you like

If you don't feel inspired (for whatever reason) not to give to your nearest official ISKCON center, you can donate to any other individual or entity you think will properly use your gifts. The point is that even if we do have grudges towards the closest temple the obligation to give charity remains; give it to the Korean BBT, give it to a farm in Guatemala, give it to a Gurukula in South Africa, give it to a devotee who is taking care of the departing Vaisnavas in Vrindavana, give it to the temple in Timbuktu, but give it.

Kaunteya Das