Jagganath Mishra Das, September 2, 2009
for devotees who wish to fulfill the innermost desires of Srila Prabhupada: to open a temple in every town and village, to place a book in every home and allow every soul to honour prasadam
WHAT IS A TEMPLE?
Strictly speaking a temple is any room where a Pancattatva and Srila Prabhupada pictures are revered in an altar and chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra and lectures on the philosophy are going on regularly. Size is not a problem and in the beginnings sometimes they where as tiny as it can be due to circumstances, so any place will do. In addition, if Sunday Feasts and a couple of Bhagavad gita classes per week are held and there is always some prasadam and refreshment available, fulfills all the basic hof a preaching center. So, there you go, any house can be a temple provided you have the desire. This booklet guides you through the necessary operations, descriptions and skills and hopefully will serve as a starting point and manual to open and maintain a temple.
1. NECESSARY SKILLS
*Instruments
**where to get the instruments
***India or your local temple for the clay mrdanga, karatalas and harmonium, USA for the fiber glass mrdanga. Tip for purchasing in India, they always will try to sell you the worst instrument they have first, insist and be informed of the characteristics of the quality instruments, for example, good mrdanga has very clear and high pitch in the small head and very low in the big head. Fiber glass is of course resistant to shocks but has less quality sound.
**learning Mrdanga
***http://mrdanga.wordpress.com
**learning Karatalas
***one two three, resting the third stroke and letting vibrate both karatalas.
**Harmonium
***less important and easier. A nice complement but not strictly necessary. Links for simple exercises: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhDaM1RaDdk and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7q9CRKB1ns
*Cooking
**Cook always with nice bhajan music in the background or chant yourself.
**The number or recipes should be in accordance to your means, but never over endeavour. It is better 3 preps cooked in good consciouness than 10 rushed away.
** Plates, glasses and spoons must be preferably plastic ones and its better to look for a factory to get donations. It is easy, you should say we are distributing free meals and factories usually have some stock to donate for those purposes.
**example recipes
Rice, Kitri, Massala, Halava,lassi, moist sabji, dry sabji, chapatis, puris, gulab jamuns, pakoras, dhal, sweet rice, papadams
*Lecturing
**class structure: not more than 20 minutes and then ample time for questions and answers. It is good to choose a theme and give a title in advance to each Sunday Feast class.
**if a sufficient number of persons come regularly to Sunday Feast for some time, arrange special classes to touch more advanced topics, like how to avoid offenses, development of devotional service, etc. That can be done during Sunday Feast time.
**lecturer always with fresh clean and tilak
*Sankirtan
**Book distribution
***You need a variety of books in stock and a nice place (exclusive if can be, as they are Deities) to store them.
***And most important preaching item: invitations. Invitation can be a simple card with the word “Invitation”, telephone and address and a short description of activities. Each person contacted, specially in sankirtan must be given a card. All temple devotees should carry always a few cards.
***Book distribution techniques: ****Location: Choose a downtown location preferably where the shops and banks are. Look for the small streets affluent to the main one and work there, in this way, you go unnoticed in the main street and you avoid the rush.
****How to stop people
*****Call their atention without persecuting or going after them, like you would do asking for street directions. Once you have their attention, ask them a question so that you can place the book in their hands “Are you local?” type. Whatever the answer, place the book in their hands. Do not talk the mantra before that, it is waste of time.
***Mantra Sequence
*****All this sequence has to be quick but not rushed. 1) Present yourself (e.g. yoga students), and talk about a campaign we are doing distributing this books, 2) talk a little about the book, a few seconds is enough, most important is that they can see there is something in the book for them, 3) ask for a donation, clearly stating a minimum so that have an idea and wait for their answer. If they doubt, you can talk a little about something about themselves and repeat asking for a donation. Do not yield too easily when they want to return the book back, 4) Whatever the outcome, always close the interaction with some nice words and an invitation. An easy start can be going with a seasoned book distributor repeating exactly what he/she says and when you see some result with time you adapt your own style and mantra. If you have some paraphernalia like incense, stickers etc offer it to them when they clearly refuse the book and there is no way they will get the book, then quickly acknowledge their negative and give them the paraphernalia asking for any donation they can, this time no minimum donation or further explanation given. This way you get the max of the exchange. Do not sale paraphernalia only, you have to put in the line the same energy but w/o the book¥s mercy.
****Consciousness
*****Just before beginning BD day, pray to Srila Prabhupada to give you inspiration and strengh. Meditate on how you are servant of the people, chant between persons and take a little time to read a few lines from the book you are distributing. That will enhance your BD spiritual quality
****FAQ Frequent problems in sankirtan BD
*****People goes away when hearing the “donation” part. That happens if in your mantra you make a difference between the presentation, the book and the donation part. Make it all same importance. Actually make the donation part the lest important but at the same time mark very clearly what you expect from them.
***** If one day the mind opposses strongly to do sankirtan, tell yourself you are only going to distribute 5 books and then stop. You´ll always stay for more.
*Harinam
**Go on harinam always very clean, fresh tilak and well dressed, avoid bath shoes, torn clothes, funny hats and the like. Every now and then stop and preach very simple philosophy, explain the maha-mantra and make the gathering repeat each word of the maha-mantra collectively, all in a few minutes, then chant again. If bhajan is done, devotees should be on a carpet or similar with a donation box (can be the harmonium cover strategically laid in front of the bhajan team). Always bring prasadam, halava or a well presented similar sweet and a few books so that a devotee can hand them to the passerbys.
2. OPERATION
*Temple devotees
**As a temple president, keep the relationship channel always open and available specially with temple devotees.
**Gossip and/or criticism might enter the temple through a new bhakta that is probably used to that in the outside world. Another devotee will tell you that such and such is criticising you and/or others in your back. Do not get angry. Just call the devotee and kindly explain that such things have no place at the temple. If there is some criticism it has to be constructive (make clear that you can accept ANY constructive criticism) and in the open, except for delicate matters concerning an individual.
**If a devotee in your temple incurs in illegal matters, specially in sensitive matters, just call the police. Even if it means to go “against” the temple. It is better to be straightforward and honest as people apreciates that rather than cover-ups. Experience tells us that in the long run to try to protect specially sexual offenses and the like is conterproductive and greatly jeopardizes temple development.
*Donations
**Avoid as a principle taking large sums of money coming from new devotees. The tendency after reading Srila Prabhupadas books for the first time is to have that sort of enthusiasm, wanting to sale everything and move to the temple. Ask the person if he/she has some ideas in the future of marrying or being independent and tell them to keep their money for such events. Doing that, you will save the temple and yourself from a lot of strain, difficulties and probably lawsuits. If you happily accept the money, in time the person can feel betrayed for not having been informed properly and the donation can turn into a nightmare.
**Always make a receipt with thanks for the donation and give to the donor.
*Finances
**Base your income in book distribution going out everyday and regular donations (see Friends of Krishna membership below), . We do use money and do not avoid money but the principle should be putting money matters as low priority. Do not fall into the “vaishyas” mentality trap. Temple is for brahminical activities and money is only a corollary, not the basis of our activitites. For example a temple president vaishya type will think that as bhoga costs money we have to charge the Sunday Feast. Brahminical principle is different, you give what you have and rely on Krishna. That is a basic principle in temple operation, otherwise you will end as an enterprise with payed workers and people will not have the opportunity to naturally give service in return based just in Krishna conciousness.
**You do not need to strive for money separately, just follow the principles in this manual. Stick to them and money, manpower and facilities will come as needed. This is the practical aplication of the verse in BG where Krishna promises so.
**Friends of Krishna membership. When you have a number of people coming to the temple regularly, device a membership program so that you can easily pay for the regular expenses like rent, bhoga, electricity and the like. Make three categories, starting with small amount, something that is easy to afford in a monthly basis and give them back things like books, maha-prasadam, stays at the temple, courses, etc. The idea is many give a little. See example.
**You need to be free from financial strain so that you can engage in cultivating people. Time should be used in book distribution, prasadam preparation, inviting people to the temple and cultivating different people and groups in their places. You need time for that and if you have a membership program to cover basic temple expenses that is the best.
**Another nice way to minimize financial strain is to look for Sunday feast sponsors. Calculate the total bhoga expenses for a Sunday Feast. Make a list of the 52 Sunday Feast in the year and assign a donor to each one. Before serving the particular feast make an announcement that such and such has sponsored todays Sunday Feast… followed by a °Jaya! People can choose to sponsor for a particular date like birthdays, festivities or the visit of his/her guru, etc.
*Neighbors
**Always visit neighbours regularly with sweet words and prasadam. They have to be kept satisfied and make clear that you are always ready to hear their possible noise complains or other and to adjust accordingly.
*Hindu community
**Hindu community preaching is basically creating friendship liasons with the comunity leader/s and being very respectful and inviting all community to festivals. Do not give in to petitions like cooking for Deities by hindus not strictly adhering to vaishnava principles or allowing demigod worship or ceremonies not condoned in our vaishnava scriptures in the temple grounds.
*Altar
*Sunday Feast
**Structure
***Jaya radha madhava singing, lecture (see lecturing section for details), kirtan of Hare Krishna maha-mantra mainly and prasadam. Devotees should spread with guests in prasadam time to take care of them, sitting in small groups of people if needed. Show the books to new guests, take addresses and put them in the database to keep in touch.
**Prasadam
***Avoid charging a fee for the Sunday Feast (see finances section). Srila Prabhupada¥s original scheme of free prasadam and vaishnava hosting is perfect for our purposes of making devotees and spread the holy name and service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
***Always serve prasadam vaishnava style, with people sitting in rows and devotees serving a little portion and ready to serve more inmedeately. In this way you avoid wasting prasadam.
**Guests
***treat any guest the same, regardless of social status, that will give you credibility as a place of principles. Avoid special arrangements with rich people. That will be very beneficious for the temple in the long run. Only in the case you have many hippies you can separate them sitting then together.
***detect mad people and get them out. They will destroy any good atmosphere you create with much effort.
***do not expect anything from your guests,just treat them like kings and queens and gradually they will offer service, depending on how much time they need to reach the necessary desire and understanding.
***be polite but stern with the ones that somehow interrupt the program; you can call them apart and tell them to go for the day. That will spread the word that we are nice and open but strict with the public behaviour of our guests.
***entrance is allowed to everyone, but for the bad body odour ones. A bhakta should be in the entrance to check for that and explain the policy in a polite way, and give a prasadam plate so that the person does not go w/o prasadam. You will be surprised how many return next sunday very tidy and scrubbed clean, to be able to participate.
***If guests ask you about your source of income conduct them to the book storeroom.
*Bhagavad gita class
**Always fresh clean and tilak
**Give class two times in a weekday, no matter how many people comes.
**Have some prasadam ready.
3. KRISHNAS TEST
Stick to this principles and work on them only: daily book distribution, nicest sunday feast you can afford, vaishnava etiquette of treating guest as if they were God with some prasadam always ready. When some difficulty comes just stick to this principles, Krishna will supply. You need faith in this when one of this Krishna¥s test comes.
For example, you might have a valuable devotee doing essential service at your temple and he needs to marry and go outside, it is clearly his next step in spiritual life for advancement and sanity. You might be tempted to preach to that person so that stays to maintain the status quo of the temple, but you have to apply the rule “put the individual temple devotees before the project”. A temple is made of devotees not of bricks. If you follow this principle it might externally look that it is against temple interests, but in the long run Krishna will send another devotee and things will be even better. You will end with a new devotee as a replacement and a happy grhasta. But it takes faith in Krishnas protection to stick to this principle.
If you do that you will open the “magic” door, meaning Krishna will act in marvelous and unexpected ways helping develop your project. If you do not do that and instead device a means to make that person stay against his personal advancement and path to “save” the temple status, you will enter a material platform that will negatively unfold with politics, personal desires and agendas all over the place and you will not allow Krishna¥s special mercy to manifest. Same with money.
Spend wathever Krishna gives you in the stated principles, and rely mainly on book distribution. There will be also some sales at the temple, incense and some little paraphernalia, but do not give that sort of income priority. In time people will come with a checkbook in hand and ask you what do you need for your temple. Be sober and get only the things you need for a nice operation. Our reward is not good economy and money, but to engage in facilitating people to become devotees and to glorify the Supreme Person. That will make us happy, not a big bank account. Krishna will give the necessary for gradual development and we should utilize whatever comes easily in service. Spend all you get everyday in preaching and things will slowly and steadily improve.
Varna-Ashrama College 