DONATE

Please refer to the current donation page for an up-to-date version of this section. This is an archived version, and it may also be a bit boring to read.

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The need for financial support for ensuring the continuity of all these projects is one of the substantial reasons for the existence of this portal. Not because I'd want to make lots of money, but because it's vital for sustaining the ongoing work – even if only for breaking even with the costs incurred. Looking at the work page, you'll note that there is a whole lot of work stacked up on my plate.

How do I allocate my time? First and foremost, I have my sadhana to tend to. The left-over time is used in varieties of seva and work. With our move to Radha-kunda and the start of the Bhajan Kutir project, I need to be increasingly aware of how I priorize the balance of my time in terms of sustaining our finances.

ON COMMUNITY SUPPORT

I would much like to see all the projects listed at this portal developed. I would also like to see myself working on them. Yet, wherefrom shall I find the time for it all without having some form of support from the community for whose benefit the work is done? Given the amount of work that has gone into all the ongoing projects, an echo of support – in whichever shape it may come – is an integral aspect in sustaining the work motivation.

The long list of projects in the work section is the prime reason for my having to put out a call for support – as you can imagine, with all things ongoing, work for income has not found its way to the forefront of my desk. If this offering of mine would find some practical sympathy from among those who have kept with their careers and busineses over the years, it would be heartwarming.

PRACTICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

The two kinds of support are practical and financial assistance. The former gets the task done, and the latter helps me secure the time to get it done. I have listed a good number of practical tasks under the work section that'd help in getting things done. If you have the skills required or the time at your disposal, please consider participating. If you have funds you can contribute towards the cause, please do so.

I cannot emphasize enough that support, whichever form it takes, should be sustained. A small one-time donation, while helpful, will not add up to much in the long run. Periodical donations and committed participation are the way for building up a working scenario in the longer term.

FINANCES

Our expenses? They are very modest, and hardly worth mentioning. Monthly food, rent and travel for two in Vraja comes to around 8000 INR (140€), 3300 INR being the rent. Topped with some loans to pay off, it comes to a total of around 300€ a month. The Bhajan Kutir project, of course, calls for funds – around 5000€ total – but we're looking at a lifetime investment there.

Most substantial expenses have to do with computer and website related costs – costs primarily incurred for the sake of all the ongoing projects. Laptop and accessories: 1400€. System upgrades over time: 1200€. External hard disks: 700€. Headphones 100€. Video camera upgrade: 350€. Digital Camera: 400€. Printer 120€. Monthly internet: 30€. Monthly website hosting: 30€. Yearly domain costs: 180€. Tape and DVD media, re-chargeable cells, and so on and so forth. They add up. While some contributions have been given towards all of this, I'm about 4500€ short of breaking even.

IN CLOSING

As finances are discussed, there may be strong contrasts made over service versus work. I would like to comment on this as my closing remark for the donations page, as I imagine it may concern many. Whatever I have done over the years, it has not been for money's sake. I have felt a sincere need to bring forward diverse resources for advancing Sri Caitanya's cause in the global arena, for aiding the dear Vaisnavas whom I have come in contact with, along with the general public.

A time has come, however, where I am discovering increased inclination for services I feel are more integral in my cultivation of bhakti. Services that call for no resources, generate no expenses, and bring about no tension. Services such as chanting the divine names and remembering Radha-Krishna's lila. With this evolution unfolding, I find myself periodically asking, "Why am I stressing over those 50 something open files?" Were there no substantial support from the community for whose sake the burden is borne, I would be at a loss in finding meaningful answers. I tend to equate substantial interest with support, as the former includes a desire for seeing the object of interest maintained.

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