For the past several decades, individuals, families, and corporations have been giving to ISKCON Berkeley. We are a 501(c)(3) EIN #94-2376368 tax-exempt public charity and spiritual organization engaged in propagating the teachings and values from the great ancient Vedic literature.
We always welcome donations, both financial and in-kind, to help us with our mission. No donation is too small.
Bhagavad-Gita (9.26): “If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.”
Your generous donations make possible the functioning of the temple and sharing of spiritual activities that strengthen the moral and ethical fabric of society. Following are the average monthly running expenses of the temple:
- Prasadam/Food Distribution – $5,500
- Book Distribution, Shastra Daan – $300
- Offerings to the Deities – $2,500
- Temple Maintenance – $5,500
- Brahmachari/Brahmacharini Ashrams – $2,000
You can make donations one-time or a monthly donation through PayPal by following the Donate buttons in the tabs below. You can also make a donation by putting cash/check in the donation box in the temple, or setting up Bill-Pay Service with your bank, or mailing a check in favor of ‘ISKCON Berkeley’ to the temple.
Book Distribution: People are suffering in this material world due to their lack of this transcendental knowledge. By distributing Srila Prabhupada books you can help people understand their forgotten relationship with Lord Krishna, elevate them to Krishna consciousness, and bring them to happiness, peace and prosperity. By sharing the transcendental knowledge with others, you become dear to Lord Sri Krishna.
Your donations make possible the sharing of Srila Prabhupada books. Normally people taking the books offer a donation; average monthly costs of printing brochures/flyers and providing free books runs in the order of $300.
Srila Prabhupada writes: "By fully concentrating on distributing books for Krsna, one is fully absorbed in Krsna. This is samadhi." - Srimad Bhagavatam 10.2.37 purport
Food distribution: By accepting Krishna prasadam (spiritualized food), ones Krishna consciousness is awakened.
Your donations make possible offering of prasadam daily to the guests visiting the temple, to guests coming to the Sunday Feast festival and on special festival days, and to the devotees staying in the ashram and engaged in serving in the temple. Average monthly expense for groceries, kitchen supplies, and associated utilities (gas, water, and garbage) run in the order of $5,500.
Srila Prabhupada says “By the liberal distribution of prasadam (pure plant-based food) and sankirtan (congregational chanting of the holy name), the whole world can become peaceful and prosperous.”
Offerings to the Deities of the Lord: Lord Krishna says, “one should worship Me in My Deity forms by offering the most excellent paraphernalia” (SB 11.27.15). Such worship brings the greatest benefit possible in human life (SB 11.27.2). Lord is most pleased when nice presentations of fragrant oil, incense, flowers and palatable foods are offered to Him with love (SB 11.27.18).
Your donations make possible offering the Deities with elegant outfits, jewelry, fresh flower garlands, special bhoga offerings, worship paraphernalia, and maintenance. Average monthly expense for offerings to the deities runs in the order of $2,500.
Srila Prabhupada says: "Actually, Deity worship should be done very carefully: the dress should be changed daily, and as far as possible there should be ornaments. Everything should be so clean that the Deity is attractive to all visitors."
Temple Maintenance, Utilities, and General Expenses: The temple provides an excellent facility for the San Francisco Bay Area community to participate in spiritual and cultural events, and festivals that help preserve and promote the traditional Vedic arts, cuisine, music, dance, drama, literature and languages. Vedas are ancient scriptures from India that provide spiritual and material knowledge for the upliftment of all people. Veda means knowledge. This knowledge has been passed down from the very beginning of time. Vedic culture has preserved the principles of right action and right thought that promote peace and social harmony. Modern society can benefit tremendously from the Vedic knowledge and culture.
Your donations make possible the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the temple facilities. Average monthly expense for property taxes, electricity, water/gas use associated with bath rooms, phone/internet, security alarm, termite control, repairs, cleaning, and maintenance of the temple facility runs in the order of $5,500.
Brahmachari/Brahmacharini Ashrams: The temple provides spiritual environment for the education of both men and women living a celibate life and engaged in performing devotional service in Krishna consciousness. A grihastha makes spiritual advancement by giving in charity to the other three ashram (brahmacharya, vanaprastha, and sannyasa), which are meant exclusively for making spiritual progress. They are not supposed to be burdened with the problems of earning a livelihood for food, clothing and shelter.
Your donations have made possible covering for frugal expenses of the brahmachari and the brahmacharinis. Average monthly expense for covering frugal stipends, travel and incidental expenses of vaishnavas staying, visiting, and serving in the temple runs in the order of $2,000.
Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā, Festival of Chariots: The chariot festival of Lord Jagannātha, the Lord of the Universe involves taking the Deities of Lord Jagannātha, Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra on chariots. On this day the Deities come out of the temple to offer blessings to all living entities, exposing them to devotional service to the Lord and freeing them from repeated cycle of birth and death.
Your donations make possible paying for permit fees to the Golden Gate Park, the Police Department, and the Fire Department; setting up the three chariots, rental and setup of the festival area, flowers for deities and for decorations, groceries for cooking Jagannātha prasādam for a few thousand guests, rental of propane gas cylinders, trucks for transportation of goods, and much more. Costs of the annual Ratha-yātrā festival runs in the order of $60,000 to $70,000.
If you would like the pujari at the temple to perform a specific puja for you or your family you can offer your donation here. If you have any questions regarding making donations, please contact the temple president.
Krishna Book, Chapter 81: “What the devotee actually offers the Lord is not needed by the Lord, for He is self-sufficient. If the devotee offers something to the Lord, it acts for his own interest because whatever a devotee offers the Lord comes back in a quantity a million times greater than what was offered. One does not become a loser by giving to the Lord; one becomes a gainer by millions of times.”
Bhagavad-Gita (18.5) “Acts of sacrifice, charity and penance are not to be given up; they must be performed. Indeed, sacrifice, charity and penance purify even the great souls.”
If have questions, please contact me. Thank you very much for your support.
Yours in the service of Lord Krishna
Jagannatha Swami Das
ISKCON Temple, 2334 Stuart St, Berkeley, CA 94705
Email: jagannathswamidasa@gmail.com
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