Mother Rasavathi of Seattle has more impact than Mother Theresa of Kolkota

Mother Theresa needs no introduction. She embodied the biblical injunction below and was a great preacher of the catholic faith she was associated with “‘Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me’; for I was hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless, unwanted, untouchable – and you did it to me” (cf. Matthew 25:34-40). [1]

Mother Rasavathi devi does that and a bit more. She cooks for 300 - 500 people every day and loads the food truck with her group of Volunteers. These food trucks then travel to various parts of greater Seattle to distribute Krishna Prasadam to destitute, battered women, college students, the homeless and otherwise disadvantaged sections of the society. The day starts at five A.M. with managala arati to the Lord. Then Rasavathi devi along with her group of volunteers, cuts the Vegetables, washes rice, make the Chapathi dough and prepares a full meal. There are atleast 30 large dishes to be washed. Sometimes she washes them herself and sometime she has a volunteer do it. Under the guidance of her spiritual father H.H Harivilas Maharaja she works continuously and has not take a vacation in the 21 years I have known her.

She lives in the room given by the temple management and works continuously day after day for the welfare of struggling souls in the greater Seattle area teaching them Krishna Bhakti. No alt text provided for this image Rasavathi devi was the last child in a family of four boys and one girl. Their parents were wealthy by Fijian standards. She was born on the main Fijian Island in 1970. They had a good childhood where she grew vegetables in the backyard and had a pious life. She met her future Diksha guru HH Tamala Krishna Maharaja, a fearless preacher in Asia. She took initiation from her guru and obtained the name Rasavathi Devi dasi. Later she married a Hare Krishna devotee Lakshmipathi dasa. They moved to USA in 2000 and joined the Seattle temple. When I first came to the temple they greeted me every time came into temple and gave me a plate of hot prasadam.

The temple was a old Ramshackle single floor "ranch" building and the floor creaked when devotees danced for arati. Rasavathi devi cooked tirelessly and catered prasadam for various events such as Telugu association, Bengali association, Indian Independence day celebration, Interfaith conferences, etc. She was instrumental in raising over a $1 Million in funds for the new temple construction. She wanted to dedicate her life to Krishna so took 'Vanaprastha' in 2008. Since then Rasavathi devi became a one-woman army in managing the temple kitchen and deity services for Sri Sri Radha Neelamadhava, the presiding deities of the temple in outskirts of Seattle, in a town called Sammamish.

She cooked for 7 days a week, made garlands for deities, conducted arati for the lordships (In ISKCON USA women are allowed to go up on the altar to perform arati). She led various festivals such as Anandamela, Balamela, Interfaith conferences, Rath Yatra, Flavors of India, Colors of India (Holi), etc. Rasavathi devi continues to serve the city of Seattle and always remains in the background. That prompted me to write about her and give her the adequate recognition.

While Mother Theresa focused on the body, Mother Rasavathi focuses on the soul of the visitors to temple and shows genuine interest in liberating them from cycle of birth and death.

Srila Prabhupada used the analogy of a drowning man to emphasize the importance of spiritual salvation over material compassion. He taught that trying to save only a person's physical body (the "dress") while ignoring their spiritual needs is misguided. Prabhupada explained that true compassion involves addressing the eternal soul rather than just the temporary material body. He stated that "Compassion for the dress of a drowning man is senseless. A man fallen in the ocean of nescience cannot be saved simply by rescuing his outward dress—the gross material body."

This analogy illustrates the Vedic perspective that the soul is the true self, while the body is merely a temporary covering. Prabhupada emphasized that real help involves spiritual knowledge and guidance to liberate one from the cycle of birth and death, rather than only addressing material needs

Mother Teresa's legacy is far more complex and controversial than her public image suggests. While globally celebrated as a saint of compassion, she faced substantial criticism from scholars, journalists, and humanitarian experts who scrutinized her work in Kolkata.

Christopher Hitchens, a prominent critic, argued that Mother Teresa's facilities were more akin to places of suffering than healing. He documented numerous instances where medical care was substandard, with patients receiving minimal treatment and experiencing preventable pain. Reused needles, lack of proper diagnosis, and a philosophy that seemed to glorify suffering rather than alleviate it were central to his critique.

Financial investigations revealed that despite receiving millions in donations, her organization did not substantially improve infrastructure or medical facilities. Critics argued that the enormous funds were not efficiently utilized to create sustainable solutions for poverty and healthcare.Her religious motivations came under intense scrutiny. Many argued that her primary goal was religious conversion rather than genuine humanitarian service. Her approach often seemed more focused on spiritual salvation than addressing the systemic causes of poverty and illness.Politically, she was criticized for accepting donations from controversial figures and maintaining relationships with dictators and corrupt politicians. Her stance on social issues like abortion, contraception, and women's rights was considered regressive by modern standards.Local Kolkata intellectuals argued that she perpetuated a narrative of poverty that damaged the city's reputation, presenting a one-dimensional view of suffering that ignored the region's complexity and potential for development.Despite these criticisms, her supporters maintain that her intentions were pure and that she provided comfort to thousands who would otherwise have been completely abandoned. They argue that her work brought global attention to the plight of the poorest of the poor.

References:

1. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/mother-teresa-s-canonization-controversy-clouds-nun-s-work-n641181
2. https://www.cnn.com/2016/08/31/asia/mother-teresa-controversies/index.html
3. https://newint.org/blog/2016/09/14/criticism-of-mother-teresa
4. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/02/25/why-to-many-critics-mother-teresa-is-still-no-saint/