34 Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers

immediately he purchases one bottle of wine and drinks
and lies down flat. [All laugh.] So that is charity. But that is
not goodness; that is ignorance.

BOB: Charity is ignorance?

SRILA PRABHUPADA: There are three kinds of charities—
good, passionate and ignorant. Goodness is giving charity
where charity must be given. Just like this Krsna conscious-
ness movement—if anyone gives charity to this movement,
that is goodness because it is spreading God consciousness,
Krsna consciousness. That is goodness. And if one gives
charity for some return, that is passion. And if somebody
gives in charity in an improper place and time, without
respect and to an unworthy person, just like the Bowery
man, that is ignorance. But Krsna says:

yat karosi yad asnasi
yaj juhosi dadasi yat

“All that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give
away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should
be done as an offering unto Me.” If Krsna takes, that is the
perfection of charity. Or anyone who is a representative of
Krsna—if he takes, that is perfection.

BOB: And what kind of charity is it when you give food to
somebody who is hungry?
SRILA PRABHUPADA: Well, that depends on the circum-
stances. For example, a doctor has forbidden his patient to
take any solid food, and if the patient is asking, “Give me
some solids,” and if you give him solid food in charity, then
you are not doing good to him. That is ignorance.

BOB: Are the devotees beyond accumulating karma? These
devotees—do they feel karma? Do they work in these
modes? Are they in the mode of goodness?
