Maybe devotees should go out to parks in the cities and chant and preach under trees like Srila Prabupada did. How much would that cost? Probably nothing. When I joined the local Iskcon temple it was so poor we went to the local markets on a Saturday and pulled out Pumpkins that were rotten on one side, we would cut off the bad end and the other side was perfectly good. We fed 200 people prasadam for 40-50 bucks which we collected in the streets by asking for donations with old back to god head magazines in the streets as we chanted and sang...aye those were the days :)

Personally I think big bucks gets in the way of true devotion, Srila Prabhupada could handle it because he was so pure, but we have seen so much money abuse in Iskcon. I joined because it was poor, pure and simple, even austere. The austerity attracted me, I gave the temple everything, sold all my possessions, gave them everything in my bank accounts, i was stripped of all my possessions and the feeling was so awesome.

At the time the temple was preaching to poor university students, and thats where most of the devotees were made. Then when they got money they moved uptown to preach to the rich...and guess what?...we made no devotees there!

i have done an article on temple management which includes money management if anyone cares :)
http://jaganat.wordpress.com/2009/09/02/how-to-open-and-maintain-a-temple/

Here is an example from a different tradition: Mormon missionaries are people who have worked for several years, and saved enough money for at least two year's expenses. A person isn't allowed to go on a preaching mission unless they have enough money saved (I think the number is around 20,000 US Dollars).
Their policy is thus: If you want to preach, bring your own money for it.

They are very self-sufficient in this regard.

Our matha is keen to appreciate the iskcon success ,we are severely limited financially.Just how you can build huge temples in the usa and australia as iskcon has acheived and created is certainly a huge benediction upon your process and your devotees.Even shows the limitations of even NARAYANNA MAHARAJA,in that he seems intent of taking them,since he also cannot duplicate swami maharajas acheivements!

Would anyone say that more money = bigger preaching and more money = better preaching?

compassion = better preaching

Yes, keeping temples in debt is great! That is how so many of them were lost...

There is a Vedic saying, to the effect of:
Three things should be immediately attended to and remedied: fire, illness and debt.


I found some references:

Prabhupāda: Bigger or smaller, it is always dangerous. Big fire or small fire, fire is fire. It will burn. That's all. In a... Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has given this example: this fire, debt and disease. Never think big or small. They are always dangerous.
http://prabhupadabooks.com/d.php?g=161316&h=fire%20debt&f=354164#354164


Prabhupāda: So disease, when you are in diseased condition, it means increasing suffering. Disease increases. Without treatment disease increases, as fire, without being extinguished, without attempt of extinguishing the fire, it increases. Debt, compound interest, increases. So therefore the instruction is that disease, fire, and debt should not be kept as it is without any attention. The attention must be there to see that it is not increasing, it is being completely extinguished. That is intelligence.
http://prabhupadabooks.com/d.php?g=160890&h=fire%20debt&f=333046#333046

bhagavan prasada:

This wonderful description is symptomatic of the beginings of the unique vision of yukta-vairagya and its application within an ''orthodox'' indian cultural setting.I personally found it interesting....especially the bodygaurd and gun! The use of car,servants...dressed in suits...to re-establish the actual mission of Rupa goswami Prabhupada....LAXSMI...is the honey,was our sankirtan logo!

The only question is: Did this strategy actually work? I would say that there were very serious problems in Iskcon created by this so called yukta-vairagya of 'laxmi is the honey' and scamkirtan ways of collecting that money. It polluted a lot of devotees and created very bad taste and very bad propaganda for our movement. We had plenty of money to build opulent temples in India but our kids in gurukulas were eating substandard food. The traditional Vaishnava approach of being extremely careful with regards to using money in spiritual pursuits is absolutely valid.

anandahari:

of course,Srila Prabhupada emphasis was on book distribution not scamkirtan.

Scamkirtan started very early and there was plenty of it during SP presence. It was not really books that got built all those temples projects in India.

anandahari:

Where can u read or hear SP putting emphases on scamkirtan in all his taped lectures and books? Brhad-mrdanga only!

I did not say he was placing emphasis on scamkirtan, but to his disciples he was also placing emphasis on collecting a lot of money, rewarding best collectors with a lot of his attention, which can be seen as very natural - his movement and his vision definitely required a lot of money to function. Thus one thing led to another. The need for money led to scamkirtan.

mung:

[quote] It was not really books that got built all those temples projects in India.

Please expand on this statement.

Specifically merchandise sold that wasn't books and authorised by Srila Prabhupada.[/quote]

In UK - The album sales "Radha Krishna Temple" recorded by Apple (George Harrison). USA also Spiritual Sky business were the income, but at times Manor did not even own a car, Prabhupada had to ride a Used Volkswagen Beetle painted with hippie flowers to ride to Indian Ambassador (to ask for a long term visas for his devotees).

1967 letters to Brahmananda:
"I have arranged for supplying incense with a gentleman here and I'm taking samples with me. Similarly I've arranged for sending spices and frankincense. "

1976:
Gopala Krsna: China they can do books and incense.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Gopala Krsna: He's a Spiritual Sky sales representative or looking into the possibilities of manufacturing incense in China.


1969 letters:

Regarding Spiritual Sky business, I am very happy to learn that it is making very nice progress and you are getting demand. Do it nicely, and as already agreed, you can use the profit exclusively for opening branches. The sales which an individual center makes by selling incense may be employed for temple expenditures. Similarly, Los Angeles also can employ it for this purpose. But so far as Spiritual Sky business is concerned, done by you, this profit should be set aside in a different account reserved for expanding branches....

1976 HSD

At 6:15 p.m. Srila Prabhupada went out for a walk, this time to tour the whole property. A group of about thirty devotees were already waiting for him at the foot of the wide stone staircase that forms the main entrance to the Chateau. Walking steadily in the bright evening sun, Bhagavan prabhu took Prabhupada around the grounds and then to the east of the property to a large factory building nearby. It is being rented from the owner, who used it to manufacture boats and plastics. The devotees now operate Spiritual Sky incense company from it. Sales extend through France, Germany, Holland and Belgium, and last year the business gave $80,000 to the temple.

BTW after 1977 competition became stronger. Painting distribution was introduced in early 80s. Only then temples started to 'have money;.