Dear Friends,
We would like to express our deep gratitude for all of your kind donations. Donating to Krishna, devotees of Krishna, and Krishna conscious projects is a spiritual activity that benefits both the giver and the receiver. In Srimad Bhagavatam, Krishna glorifies the trees of Vrindavan for their generosity in offering fruits, flowers, and cooling shade for the benefit of others. Krishna takes great pleasure in the trees’ offerings, and He blesses them with the touch of His lotus hand, at which time the trees shed tears of joy in the form of sweet sap.
In Bhagavad-gita 9.27-28, Krishna says, “Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform, do that as an offering to Me. In this way you will be freed from bondage to work and its auspicious and inauspicious results. With your mind fixed on Me in this principle of renunciation, you will be liberated and come to Me.” So, by giving donations to Krishna, we become free from the karma associated with our work, and we become eligible for the highest liberation. This is how pleased Krishna is with our offerings to Him.
At the same time, we must be careful to give Krishna things that He likes. Krishna prefers gifts that are all-natural, cruelty-free, and promote higher consciousness and physical well-being. Therefore, we do not accept any donations of food which contain meat, fish, eggs, onion, or garlic. Also, since Mother Earth is very dear to Krishna, we will no longer accept any items that come on Styrofoam packaging. Krishna has given us a beautiful natural environment to live in, and He expects us to maintain it. Therefore, we avoid the unnecessary use of non-biodegradable products such as Styrofoam. When you are purchasing gifts for Krishna, please check the ingredients and also ensure that the packaging is biodegradable or recyclable. The whole purpose of offering donations to Krishna is to please Him, so these are some guidelines for ensuring that Krishna will truly be pleased with your gifts.
We will be posting a sign at the back of the kitchen where you drop off your donations of food (bhoga) to remind you of these standards. We are grateful for your kind cooperation. By working together to improve our service to Krishna, everyone will surely be blessed with Krishna’s smiling glance.