Simple Steps

for a Simple Temple

Dedicated to:

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Simple Steps for a Simple Temple is based on talks

by His Holiness Radhanath Swami
Editor: Radha Vallabha
Layout and Design: Caitanya Daya
Contributing Editors:
Dattatreya Dasa, Amrita Mody, Phani Bhusan Dasa
Transcriber: Jvala Mukhi
Art Director: Gaura Vani
Technical Director: Radha Madhava

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Contents:

The Basic Principles of the Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha Temple ........ 7
Organization According to Ashrams Lord Caitanyas Teachings .................................................................... 11
Brahmacari Ashram - History and Description ................................ 15
The Grhastha Ashram - Counselor System ...................................... 27
Committees for the Care of Devotees ................................................ 38
Two Stories ............................................................................................. 44
Conclusion .............................................................................................. 46

The Basic Principles of the

Sri Sri Radha-Gopinath Temple

y dear Godbrother, Dhananjaya Prabhu, told me a story

from the first Gaura Purnima festival in Mayapur. The building the
devotees stayed in was still a construction site. Srila Prabhupada was
very concerned the devotees received proper prasadam and that they
did not fall sick. If they were sick, he was concerned that they got
proper medication. While they rested at night, Prabhupada walked
around and looked in each room to make sure that all the devotees
were all right. He was very concerned that each devotee had a mosquito net so their bodies were not bitten.
To serve a Vaisnava means to serve his body, mind, and soul.
Every devotees body is a temple of God; it is worshipable. We
should see the bodies of the Vaisnavas as sacred, and we should try
to help them so that their bodies are fit to engage in devotional service. We can show our love for that devotee by helping his bodily
condition. We serve the mind of the devotee through encouragement, appreciation, and being a well-wisher that can be trusted.
Inspiring others to take shelter of hearing and chanting, through
our words and example, is the best service we can offer to the devotees soul. If the leaders come together and decide that this is what is
most important, we can develop programs that will fulfill that purpose according to the particular time, place, and situation. If we live

according to the principles that Prabhupada taught, the devotees will

be satisfied and protected in Krishna consciousness.
Throughout the world, many devotees have very little faith in
resolutions, proposals, and position papers; they want to see something that works. So it is our humble attempt to serve the society of
devotees throughout the world by trying to create a model that actually works.
At one time, the leaders of our brahmacari ashram and the
leaders of our congregation thought that every member of our community was well cared for. Then we actually undertook an investigation, asking individual devotees to be completely honest, and we
found that so many people were thinking, Nobody cares about me
in this movement. The leaders were shocked.
We felt it was important to develop a system to make sure that
each devotee is educated, trained, and feels the support of the
Vaisnavas. This basic principle is simple but powerful. If a sincere
person feels cared for, he will reciprocate. He will want to serve and
make sacrifices for other devotees and for Krishna. When devotees
are inspired, they surrender joyfully. Through such surrender one
makes great spiritual progress.

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People are nourished by love. We have to teach devotees how

to love and serve each other with spiritual purity. For devotees to
continue chanting the holy names throughout their lives, we must
give them the support of a strong spiritual family. This will help sustain their enthusiasm to purify their hearts through hearing, chanting, and preaching Srila Prabhupadas message. It is very important
to feel the loving reciprocation of devotees, especially until we
become so pure that we can directly experience a loving reciprocation with Krishna.
Sometimes we see older devotees who after many years are not
enthusiastic in devotional service. We should create a society in
which devotees are supporting, encouraging, and
It is very important to
inspiring one another in a
feel the loving reciprocaway that they will be
tion of devotees, especially enthused through every
stage of their life.
until we become so pure
The strategy our
that we can directly expe- preachers and managers try
rience a loving reciproca- to follow is to set as the
foremost priority the future
tion with Krishna.
of each devotees Krishna
consciousness. It is our
responsibility to make sure that devotees remain within our movement for the rest of their lives. This should take priority over what
has to be done today. What has to be done today is a serious concern, but even more serious is to think, What do I have to do to
keep this devotee inspired, enlivened, and spiritually strong for the
next thirty years?
At our temple we tax our brains to ensure that devotees who
come here never feel neglected. Every man, woman, and child
should feel protected and thoroughly cared for, and they should
get more and more education, knowledge, and inspiration in

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Krishna consciousness year after year. When devotees are happy,

enlivened, and cooperative, they can do anything.
We have seen much dissatisfaction in our society because of
impersonal relationships. Actually, the common reason many leave
this movement is that they feel uncared for. They do not have spiritually satisfying relationships with devotees. Any devotee in the
world who is nicely cared for and protected, who feels loving relationships will likely never leave our movement. This is the principle
of our efforts in Bombayto help devotees find happiness in
Krishna consciousness throughout their entire lives with Vaisnava
relationships based on the nine processes of devotional service.

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Organization According to Ashrams

Lord Caitanyas Teachings

he
Cdid not practice his duties carefully. He acted improperly but
with a
hota haridas was in the renounced order of life,

woman, and therefore Lord Caitanya chastised and rejected him.

Yet, Lord Caitanya was happy when He heard that His grhastha
couples had children. When Sivananda Senas good wife gave birth
to Puri dasa, she and her husband brought the baby to Lord
Caitanya. The Lord placed the toe of His lotus foot in Puri dasas
mouth, and the little baby had the good fortune of sucking on the
Lords toe. Lord Caitanya loved Sivananda Sena and his family
because of their sincere Krishna consciousness. The Lord taught us
to carefully follow our prescribed duties according to our particular
position in society. By properly performing our prescribed duties,
we make the best spiritual progress.
Vaisnava etiquette is the science of serving devotees by dealing with them according to their particular status in relation to ones
own. Lord Caitanya told Sanatana Goswami that the observance of
Vaisnava etiquette is the ornament that makes a devotee beautiful in
the eyes of Krishna. It is the observance of Vaisnava etiquette that
gives a loving, sweet mood to the society of devotees. But Vaisnava
etiquette is not something that we automatically understand. It is
something we must be taught. It requires education on how to live

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in our particular position in society and how to relate to others in a

spirit of service to Krishna.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu has explained that the essence of
Vaisnava etiquette is in the simple verse, gopi padakamalayor, dasa
dasa anudasa. I am not a brahmana, ksatriya, vaishya, or sudra. I
am not a brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprasta, or sannyasi. Who am I?
What is my eternal identity? I am the servant of the servant of the
servant of the servant of the Lord of the gopis, Sri Krishna, and that
is my only true aspiration.

Relations Between Brahmacaris and Grhastas

within our society that grihastas, sannyasis and brahmacaris do not respect each other. At times
brahmacaris think of the grhasthas, Sense enjoyers! Addicted to sex
life! Living in a deep, dark well! But I am a brahmacari, I am
advanced! Grhastas may look at the brahmacaris and think, They
are just useless parasites! They do not know how to do anything, so
they are living in the ashram. I am successful. I am making money.
They are depending on me, because I am giving money! This is not
Krishna consciousnessthis is ego consciousness. We should all feel
ourselves the servant of the servant, and we should learn to respect
and honor one anothers service.
It is very importantindeed, essentialfor the progress of
our movement that the grhasthas genuinely honor and respect the
renounced orders and that the renounced orders honor and respect
the grhasthas. That respect becomes natural when both the brahmacaris and grhasthas are exemplary. We strive to train our brahmacaris to think, How difficult it must be to have a wife and children and remain Krishna conscious. I am so fallen. I offer my love
and respect to those grhasthas who are striving on the path of bhakti. And we train the grhasthas to think, I am so attached to this
husband or wife and to the children and home, but these brahmacaris

unfortunately, it has been noted

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are so simple and renounced. I should offer all loving respect to them
and serve them nicely.
By Srila Prabhupadas mercy there is respect and cooperation
between grhasthas and brahmacaris in our community. The grhasthas
want to come to the temple mainly to get the association of the saintly brahmacaris, and the brahmacaris feel indebted to the service of
the grhasthaseveryone strives to be a humble servant of all
Vaisnavas.

Book Distribution
A Practical Example of Cooperation Among Ashrams
for the past few years during the December book marathon, the
grhasthas have taken charge of the entire temple. They do all the
cooking, Deity worship, cleaning, and management. Half of the
brahmacaris go on traveling sankirtana, and the other half go out to
distribute books immediately after the morning program.
Hundreds of the members of the congregation distribute
books as well. One year we distributed 60,000 books during the
December marathon. The biggest distributor was a lady who has two
children and a husband. She was going house to house for several
hours every day distributing thousands of Gitas. Other congregational ladies sit at book tables in groups of four or five. They take
shifts babysitting and cooking for each other so that they can all distribute books. Some of the young unmarried girls of the congregation go out the whole day and distribute books. The grhastha men
are also immersed in book distribution. The congregation is so happy
doing this that they are disappointed when the first of January comes.
All the success we have had in distributing books has been due to
the cooperation between the grhasthas and the brahmacaris. When
the congregation and the temple devotees work together, it has
tremendous power.

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About Varnas and Ashrams

our temples efforts to practically implement the daivi varnashram system has been to try to teach people to become first-class
Vaisnavas. It is very important that devotees be properly trained in
their respective ashrams. Often devotees do not understand the
responsibilities and spiritual qualities they should be cultivating.
Brahmacari doesnt just mean not having a wife and wearing saffron.
It is a state of consciousness applied to ones lifestyle. Grhasta doesnt
just mean being a devotee and having a wife or husband. It is a science of how to live with Krishna in the center. If devotees never learn
the real meanings of the ashrams, after some years they will feel frustrated. The family is falling apart, or the brahmacari is getting old
and he doesnt know what hes doing as a brahmacari. So there is a
great need for training and education.

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Brahmacari Ashram
History and Description

I nitially, our brahmacari ashram consisted of five brah-

macaris who fought like cats and dogs. If you asked a brahmacari,
Prabhu, can you do this? he would say, Do it yourself! They
were always arguing. Sometimes they fought with fists. We even
caught brahmacaris stealing from the temple in the middle of the
nightthey would send the stolen articles home to their families,
who would sell the items and send the brahmacaris the money.
We gradually raised the standard of the ashram so that only
serious and surrendered people could stay. Anyone who wants to be
a devotee can live in the congregation, but those who want to live in
the temple have to be very serious and submissive. The brahmacaris
should be true sadhus, not lazy people; they should be more hardworking than anyone.
At the Sri Sri Radha-Gopinath temple, the standard is that a
person has to chant sixteen rounds, follow the principles, and seriously dedicate himself to the process of Krishna consciousness for at least
one year before he can apply to enter the brahmacari ashram. For the
next year they are placed in the temples Vaisnava Training Academy.
After the training, if the leaders see that a candidate is strict in sadhana, submissive, and sincerely willing to be educated in the principles of Gaudiya Vaisnavism, he may enter the brahmacari ashram.

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Before the successful applicants move in, we tell them that if

there is ever a day when they are asked to do a service and they say
no, that is the day they must leave the ashram. And if they ever gossip or get involved in any level of politics, they must leave the ashram.
Each brahmacari is given one cupboard for all of his belongings. There are no private rooms for the brahmacaristhey all sleep
on the temple room floor. It is a simple life. They must really want
to be there to continue. If so, they are very happy.
They all do menial service. Everyone from the temple president down to the new bhaktas has to clean the toilets and do other
such menial services. Every brahmacari has his shift to sweep and
wash the temple room floor before mangal-arotik. However big or
small we may be in position, ultimately, we are all menial servants.
One brahmacari in our temple gives bhagavat-kathas, in which he
speaks from Prabhupadas books to thousands of people. He is honored and worshiped at these engagements, but when he comes back
to the temple: Clean the toilet, Prabhu. Clean the floor, Prabhu.
All brahmacaris are taught to be as enthusiastic to do that as to speak
from the Bhagavatam.
The brahmacaris must attend the entire morning program every
single day. From before mangal-arotik until after class, they are not to
leave the temple room. During japa, no one is allowed to speak to each
other, this rule is enforced quite strictly.
Only japa is allowed at that time. If anyHowever big or
one starts to fall asleep, immediately
small we may be
people will say, Prabhu! The brahmacaris chant japa in small groups and
in position, ultimately, we are all make sure that everyone is attentive.
Each brahmacari is taught to
menial servants.
strive for deeper sadhana, preach
enthusiastically to the public, and
serve the congregation. Therefore, we have another rule in the
ashram: If a brahmacari ever disrespects a woman or a grhastha, he

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must leave the ashram immediately. The purpose of life is to be

the servant of the servant. We
teach our brahmacaris to respect
every woman as their mother.
They shouldnt think, This is
Maya-devi. She is a Vaisnavi. If
you disrespect a woman devotee, you are making Vaisnava
aparadha and you will fall down, whoever you are. Brahmacaris may
not mix freely with women, but they should honor and respect
themworship their feet from a distance. This is Vaisnavism.You
may think, who would want to join such an ashram? Actually, there
are many serious people looking for a genuine devotional experience. If they see low standards in the ashrams, they will think, I
dont want that. We now have about seventy brahmacaris who are
all very happy, and there is a line of people wanting to join.
If someone is going to make the sacrifice to be a brahmacari,
it is very important that he feels he is getting something special by
being part of the ashram. He should receive very serious education
and training in every aspect of Krishna consciousness. This can be
used for the rest of his life. He must feel that he is well cared for.
Year after year he
feels he is getting
more and more. He
should feel that
through his detachment and renunciation, he is receiving
the matchless gift of
our parampara.

[A brahmacari]
should feel through his
detachment and
renunciation, he is
receiving the matchless
gift of our parampara.

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Principles of the Brahmacari Ashram

Brahmacaris should be trained to deeply value the importance of strict sadhana.
They should be humble, menial servants at heart, expecting
nothing but ready to offer their lives in the service of the
Vaisnavas.
They should learn the essential virtue of chastity and loyalty
to our guru parampara, never searching elsewhere.
They should scrutinizingly learn and comprehend Srila
Prabhupadas books and be enthusiastic to distribute them.
They should be trained to fearlessly preach the Krishna conscious philosophy to the people in general and to defend the
principles of pure bhakti.
They must learn the brahminical standards of cleanliness and
always keep the ashram clean.
They should be trained to offer puja to the Deities and to
cook for Them with punctuality, cleanliness, and care according to the authorized process.
Kirtanas should be performed with great feeling, enthusiasm,
and much grace for the pleasure of the Deities. All should
learn to nicely play instruments.
Brahmacaris should be eager to humbly serve the grhastha
community and have great respect for the services the
grhasthas render. They should respect all women as honored
mothers. However, they may associate with women only for
essential service and not for sense gratification.
Most important is that brahmacaris develop great love, trust,
and personal friendships with one anotherthat they
become the servant of the servant of the servant.

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Brahmacari Counselor System

there is a counselor system for the brahmacaris, in which senior brahmacaris serve as counselors for junior brahmacaris. In this system, each counselor brahmacari has about six brahmacaris under his
care. The counseling system is designed to create a kind, loving mood
in which older brothers provide help and encouragement. The goal is
to enable each brahmacari to be completely satisfied in his service, to
feel completely cared for, and to never feel lonely or isolated.
Every day counselors speak individually with their counselees
to understand their state of consciousness and their needs. Once a
week the counselors and counselees meet as a group to reveal their
minds to each other and discuss various subjects. These group meetings are not authoritarian in structure. Rather they are characterized
by a friendly willingness on the part of the counselors to help their
counselees spiritually. Each brahmacari should develop deep, loving
Krishna conscious relations with other brahmacaris. This helps create a unified spiritual atmosphere amongst the brahmacaris and it
helps them remain satisfied and strictly follow the regulative principles. They are enthusiastic to serve one another, to distribute books,
and to preach. When problems arise and cause anxieties or when
maya attacks, devotees feel there is an easy way to communicate and
seek help to overcome the problems.
This system creates a wonderful atmosphere that attracts the
congregation to the temple. The congregation of grhasthas greatly
appreciate coming to the temple just to experience the atmosphere
of such spiritual association. In addition, management becomes very
simple when devotees are happy.

Special Classes for Brahmacaris

all the brahmacaris attend a daily brahmacari class.
The aim of this class is to train them to scrutinizingly study Srila

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Prabhupadas books and to be first-class preachers. They are also systematically educated in the principles of Vaisnava etiquette and how
to live by these principles. The class creates a setting in which the
brahmacaris develop intimate relationships on the basis of discussion of topics of Krishna.
The class begins every morning at 11:15 with kirtan. At 11:30,
the brahmacaris chant all the prayers to the previous acaryas and
then memorize slokas from Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam.
They chant the same five slokas daily for fifteen days and then change
to another five, so every brahmacari learns five slokas every fifteen
days. They study Srila Prabhupadas books progressively from beginning to end. A senior brahmacari delivers a prepared analysis on subjects contained in the days readings, and the other brahmacaris take
notes. Then there is an open discussion with questions and answers.
Regular exams are held on the content of the classes.
As part of each class, a devotee gives a ten minute presentation
on a particular subject. The devotee has one week to intensively
research the subject in Srila Prabhupadas books, listen to tapes, and
prepare notes. After the presentation, the senior brahmacaris ask
scrutinizing questions to make sure the speaker really knows what he
is talking about. All the brahmacaris participate in this program
from the newest devotee to the oldest. This system trains them to be
preachers. The class ends in time for lunch prasad at 1:00 p.m.
There are two traveling book distribution parties that hold
exactly the same classes on the road. It is coordinated so that when
the devotees come back after traveling, they are in the same place in
the classes as everyone else.
When there is a festival, the class is dedicated to discussing the
pastimes and teachings pertaining to that auspicious day.
Brahmacaris are given their assignment in advance to research and
prepare. Also once a month they hold a special brahmacari festival in
honor of a particular auspicious day. They cook a big feast for the
Deities, have class, and hold a big kirtan in the temple. They hold

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regular debates on such topics as Mayavada philosophy, demigod

worship, the sahajiya mentality, and atheistic science. Every two
weeks there is an istha-gosthi during the second half of the class,
where the brahmcaris discuss subjects concerning the ashram and
various practical concerns.
As a result of this program, some of even the newest brahmacaris are able to deliver very authorized lectures with great conviction, quoting from sastra. They learn to defend the principles of
bhakti against various deviations.

College Preaching
the results of organizing the brahmacari ashram in such
a structured way can be seen in the preaching. There are several brahmacaris whose full-time service is college preaching. From after lunch
prasad until night, these devotees go to college programs. We have
regular weekly programs at thirty colleges and universities, and there
are many more colleges where preaching programs are held on a less
regular basis. The majority of our brahmacaris came to Krishna consciousness through these college programs. They remained in college
to help with the preaching, and after they graduated many of them
joined the ashram.
College preaching is so important; the future of the nations
leadership is in the hands of these people. Before a brahmacari is
allowed to take part in college preaching, he first must prove himself
to be well versed in our philosophy. We have created a series of outlines of lectures on the basic topics of Krishna consciousness. A
potential college preacher is tested on those outlines; then he is
required to assist a senior college preacher. When he becomes experienced, he can start leading his own programs, first in small groups,
then graduating to larger ones.

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Other Preaching Programs

brahmcaris hold preaching programs in different neighborhoods in Bombay on a weekly basis. These programs are designed to
develop the congregation in those areas of the city. Grhastas who live
in the neighborhoods advertise for them, arrange for the place, cook
prasadam, and sponsor them financially. In this way the brahmacaris
and the grhasthas work
together to develop each
Each brahmachari should
neighborhood. At this time
develop deep, loving
there are twenty such weekly
programs in the Bombay Krishna conscious relations.
area.
This helps create a unified
We have a group of
spiritual atmosphere
brahmacaris whose main
service is greeting guests who
amongst the brahmacaris.
come to the temple, assisted
by a team from the congregation. Every guest that comes is greeted
in a friendly way. They are given a pamphlet about our temple, Srila
Prabhupada, the philosophy, and our movement. Then they are given
prasad, darshan of the Deities, and have any of their questions
answered. In this way, every guest makes friendship with a devotee
on the first meeting. Many people come back because they feel that
they have a wonderful friend at the Hare Krishna temple.

Rotating Temple President

we found that if a brahmacari is a temple president,
he sometimes starts to identify himself with that position, instead of
seeing himself as the servant of the servant of the servant. Also, there
is so much management that the temple president doesnt have much
time to preach. Therefore, we have four temple presidents who rotate
in three-month terms. If a decision must be made that would affect

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the temple for a period longer than the current presidents threemonth term of service, all four temple presidents decide on the policy together. For other matters, the acting temple president has
authority to make all decisions.
As far as I know, we are the only temple that uses this system.
I do not necessarily recommend this system for other temples, but in
our situation this system works smoothly, and no one person is
crushed by overburdening managerial responsibility.
In the traditional form of temple management, in which there
is one temple president, the best president is the person who is able
to develop a team of serious, responsible managers. The temple president oversees them, coordinates them, and makes major overall decisions. A good manager is not necessarily one who does everything
himself. A good manager is one who inspires others to take serious
responsibility, helps develop new projects, and has free time to make
sure everything is going well.

Changing Ashrams
if a brahmacari is having difficulties or has a strong tendency
for the grhastha ashram, he should not be discouraged. Rather, he
should be encouraged to be a wonderful, strong grhastha. Whatever
time he spent in the brahmacari ashram was of great value. He has
gained precious training that will be of immense help for the rest of
his life. Only devotees who really want to be brahmacaris should
remain in the ashram. Those who are by nature determined and
happy in the renounced order are encouraged to continue.
If a brahmacari desires to enter the grhastha ashram, we avoid
putting undue pressure on him to remain a brahmacari. When a
brahmacari decides to marry, there is a special function in the ashram
to express gratitude to that devotee for his years of sincere service to
the ashram. The brahmacaris all offer their prayers for his continued
success in Srila Prabhupadas service.

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Everyone sincere to follow the acaryas teachings is a devotee.

To live in the congregation is a special, honorable privilege. Anyone
willing to strictly follow the standards is welcome to live in the brahmacari ashram. All others should live as respectable devotees in the
congregation. The heart of this ideal is to encourage, enliven, and
inspire devotees in Krishna consciousness. Devotees should be given
the opportunity to use their free will for making the best possible
spiritual progress.

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The Grhastha Ashram Counselor System

W hen the man and woman first meet before marriage, they

often feel that their marriage is made in heaven. The man may think,
Lord Brahma, with his own personal hands, created this woman
just for me. And the woman may think, Maha Visnu has cast the
glance of this spirit soul in this particular body just for me. We will
live happily together forever. Once we are in the same house together, how much joy we will experience. We will worship the Deities
together. The husband thinks, She will cook me prasad and serve
it to me nicely. We will read Krishna book together while drinking
hot milk before taking rest. The wife thinks, My husband will be
like Narayana, and I will be like His consort Laksmi. Together we
will make our home Vaikuntha. There will be so much love and
affection. All the other devotees will think, Oh, how wonderful this
grhastha couple is.
Then they get married, and at first they each think, Yes, what
I was dreaming is coming true. But after some time, they start seeing faults in each other. They come to realize that their partner has
a false ego. They think, His (or her) false ego is different from mine,
and I am right and he (or she) is wrong. The faults they see in each
other become unbearable, intolerable. They start getting angry with
each other. The husband starts criticizing the wife, and the wife

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starts arguing with the husband. Vaikuntha turns into a hellish planet. Then they hear rumors floating around our society. I heard that wives
are like drums and should be beaten. Then so many aparadhas take place.

Reasons for the Counselor Program

most divorces take place in our movement simply because the husbands and wives dont know what to do. They do all the wrong things
because of misconceptions. Gradually their relationships become worse
and worse. There is no one to guide them on how to respect one another
and live together in Krishna consciousness.
A senior grhastha should be there who can help them grow spiritually through dealing with their problems. It is very important that married couples receive training and guidance from experienced devotees.
Most everyone goes through similar problems in the grhastha ashram.
An experienced, senior grhastha couple that has stayed together and overcome those problems through Krishna conscious understandings can
counsel a younger couple. There is no reason for divorce. When a husband and wife learn how to deal with those problems under proper
Krishna conscious guidance, they grow in their spiritual lives together
and come to a much higher spiritual relationship with each other. If we
know how to deal with obstacles and conflicts in a Krishna conscious
way, those obstacles will aid in development of higher unity and realization.
Couples should not be confused about how to honor their husband or wife in any situation. They should learn how to adjust with one
another in a spirit of selfless service to Krishna. When people take an
interest in helping devotees in this way, their marriages become so satisfying and spiritually strong that marriages that would otherwise have ended
in divorce actually flourish.
At the Radha-Gopinath temple, we established a system in which
senior grhasthas serve not only as spiritual guides but as guides on various
levels of life. They help educate younger grhasthas on how to live properly in the grhastha ashram, and how to balance sadhana and service with

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occupational and domestic duties.

The system provides a framework where personal care and
attention can be extended to all devotees. It should encourage a spirit of love and trust based on Krishna conscious principles. It is also a
forum through which services and major events are organized and
decisions facilitated.
In the beginning we started our counselor system with four
grhastha couples. We tried to give them a basic understanding of
h
o
w
to educate other grhasthas. Then we encouraged other grhasthas to
voluntarily accept one of these couples as their counselors or guides.
At that time people were thinking, Why should anyone guide me?
But some people accepted it, and those people became very satisfied
and exemplary. By extending themselves as a team to help junior
grhasthas be more Krishna conscious, the counselors gradually
became very advanced in Krishna consciousness themselves. They
became so effulgent and satisfied that more and more people wanted
to be trained by them.

If we know how
to deal with
obstacles and
conflicts in a
Krishna conscious way, those
obstacles will aid
in development
of higher unity
and realization.
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As time passed several counselees became assistant counselors.

As these couples became more educated, highly realized, and willing
to care for others, they became counselors. At this time there are
about fifty counselors and assistant counselors amongst the
grhasthas. All the counselees and the counselors meet on a regular
basis. They rotate by having a program at a different counselees
home every two weeks. There are about 750 families being educated
and trained in Krishna consciousness under them.

Benefits of Becoming a Counselor

if we understand the importance of sacrificing time for the
welfare of others, we can find time to do so. One doesnt have to be an
erudite preacher or a great kirtan
leader. One simply has to be exemIf you say, Please
plary, understand our philosophy,
respect your wife.
and be willing to personally help
Please honor your
others.
To be a counselor for othhusband, you have to
ers, one should be an example in
do these things as well.
ones own life. A good example is
necessary for our preaching to be
Otherwise, people will
effective. If you say, Please respect
not be inspired by
your wife. Please honor your huswhat you say.
band, you have to do these things
as well. Otherwise, people will not
be inspired by what you say.
We have seen that one of the greatest ways for grhasthas to taste the
nectar of Krishna consciousness is to take responsibility for helping others.
Often grhasthas are so concerned with the affairs of their family and their personal finances that more and more of their time is spent in material pursuits.

30

Simple Steps

They start drying up spiritually. When a grhastha counselor is able to inspire

the counselees, he also feels the mercy of Sri Guru and Gauranga. Much unity
and enthusiasm is generated through such Vaisnava relationships.

Counselor as Personal Friend

the counselors relationship with the counselee is not managerial. It is on a personal level. The counselor should not interfere
with the management of the temple. He and the temple management should work together cooperatively to help the devotees. If the
counselors and managers are united in the spirit of helping devotees,
faith is increased for all.
The counselor does not enforce any rules upon his counselees; he is simply the loving friend and guide for people who want
to make the best possible spiritual progress. Rules are presented to
sincere souls who want to do their best in Krishna consciousness.
The spirit of the counselor system is not to get people to do things
on a managerial level but to nourish the counselees spiritual life,
and to give personal care for this person and his or her familys
Krishna consciousness.

Dealing with Counselees Personal Problems

a counselor is not a garbage can. Nor is he a psychiatrist to
whom the counselee tells every sad thing that ever happened in his
life. When seeking spiritual guidance, we should reveal our minds
honestly, but we should be sensitive to not overburden the counselor
with our material problems.

The Board of Counselors

one of the most important parts of our system is the board of
counselors and assistant counselors, which meets once a month in

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the temple. The temple presidents and leaders of the brahmacaris

also attend, in turn creating a congenial spirit in which devotees in
both ashrams can work together to serve the rest of the community.
After starting with a kirtan, five subjects are discussed for 10
minutes each. One counselor is assigned for each of the subjects, and
that counselor has a month to research the topic. The results of that
research are shared with the other counselors, who in turn present
the information to their counselees. Each counselor takes notes,
because every month he has two meetings with his counselees where
he presents the subjects from this board meeting.
Counselors go deeply into the subject of sadhana. They may
discuss at length the finer points of japa, worshiping the Deities at
home, serving Vaisnavas prasad, waking up early, and reading
Prabhupadas books properly. Then there is a ten-minute discussion
on exemplary behavior, during which the twenty six qualities of a
devotee are discussed in detail. Next is a discussion on caring for
devotees. If any counselor or counselee is having a serious problem
and needs the help of the other counselors, they discuss it together.
Finally, any concerns about managerial policies are discussed. The
meeting ends with another kirtan, and then devotees take prasad
together.

Counselors for Counselors

there are three different ways in which the counselors themselves are
counseled. The first is by electing a head counselor who acts as coordinator for the whole system. This very senior grhastha acts as the counselors
counselor. The coordinator could be the temple president or the regional
secretary. He could be a very senior devotee who is greatly respected by
everyone for his Krishna consciousness and seniority. The other counselors accept his efforts to coordinate all of them. The second way counselors are counseled is by accepting one of their peer counselors as their

32

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counselor, out of natural humility. The third way is through the board of
counselors meeting itself, which provides counseling for all of the participants. The counselors receive the most counseling. Then they share it with
their counselees. In this system no one is king. Everyone is servant.

Counselee Meeting Format

the counselors meet with their counselees every two weeks
for a joint meeting. They sing Vaisnava bhajans, and read and discuss several pages of Prabhupadas books. One of the counselees gives
a presentation that he or she has prepared over the past week or two,
and they discuss that subject together. They share realizations of what
they are going through in their family lives in a Krishna conscious
spirit. There are discussions on Vaisnava etiquette and improving
sadhana within the family environment. There is also a general discussion on problems people may have that are not private. Regular
exams are given for those who wish to take them.

Choosing Counselors
on sundays we announce that new devotees interested in accepting a
counselor can enter this program. Devotees sign up for whomever they
wish to be their counselor. Sometimes we ask people to sign up for two
or three counselors, so that in the event that everyone wants to be counseled by a particular person, we can then delegate people to their second
or third choice. This is necessary because there is a limit to the number
of people that one counselor can care for. Generally a counselor does
not have more than twenty families as counselees. When a devotee is
serving as counselor for more than ten families, an assistant counselor
helps to take care of the devotees.
If at any time someone wants to choose a different counselor, that
is all right. At the beginning, it is a good idea for devotees to keep their
counselors for at least six months unless there is a serious problem.

Starting a Counselor Program

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initially, the counselor program may begin in a small way, but

one should not give up, for in time it will grow. There will be troubles at the start of the program. Krishna always tests any good
endeavor to see if we are serious about it. He will make it very difficult, and one may think, What is the use? But if you do not give
up, Krishna will bestow His mercy. Once the counselor program is
begun, it should continue, no matter what the result. Gradually,
devotees will be very satisfied, and it will expand. In our case, we
had no model to followit took a couple of years for the program
to become strong.
Even if only one or two members of the congregation agree to
participate, they will in time tell others that being a counselor is very
spiritually enlivening. Gradually, people who initially did not trust
the program will see how very happy in Krishna consciousness the
counselors are. They may also want to participate.
I would not suggest that participation in the counselor program be mandatory. The opportunity should be available for those
who want the best care and training in Krishna consciousness.

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Important Qualifications for Counselors

Counselors should have a nice understanding of the
philosophy and practice of Krishna consciousness.
They should be able to give balanced advice according
to time, place, and circumstance.
They should not be prone to taking extreme and controversial positions on issues.
They should be willing to extend themselves to help
others and have a spirit of sacrifice.
Counselors should be compassionate and have a genuine concern for the welfare of devotees.
Counselors should be good listeners. They should be
able to listen to the people they are trying to serve.
Counselors should be mature and sober.
They should have been active within ISKCON for a
reasonable length of time.
Counselors should demonstrate a good standard of sadhana, etiquette, behavior, and commitment to serving
the mission of Srila Prabhupada.
Counselors should be stably situated within their
own ashram.

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Responsibilities of the Counselors

Counselors should be a Krishna conscious friend
and guide.
They should be an elder spiritual brother or sister
and should take personal care of the devotees in
their group.
They should encourage and inspire their counselees in Krishna consciousness and monitor their
progress.
They should provide Krishna conscious training to
their counselees.
They should not only counsel their counselees in
spiritual matters but also in personal and domestic
matters whenever necessary.
They should look into the overall welfare of their
counselees.

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Simple Steps

Basic Training Principles Given to Counselees

Counselees should be ideal grhasthas by keeping
Krishna in the center.
They should maintain proper devotional standards
while at home, in the kitchen, and on the altar.
They should be a proper wife, husband, or parent.
Children receiving counseling should behave in
accordance with the teachings of our scriptures.
Counselees should balance economic and social
responsibilities with spiritual vows.
Men should know how to deal with their wives,
the wives of other men, and unmarried women.
Women should know how to deal with brahmacaris, sannyasis, their husbands, and the husbands of other women.
Counselees should have a proper attitude toward
the other ashrams and understand the proper way
for grhasthas to deal with brahmacaris, sannyasis,
and vanaprasthas.
Counselees should understand how to deal with
family members who are not devotees.
Counselees should know how to relate with materialistic people.

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Committees for the Care of Devotees

A fter the caring for devotees became a priority at the Radha-

Gopinath temple, the counselors developed newer ways to serve

devotees in different aspects of their lives. They established committees that concentrate on a particular type of care that devotees
require. The more one serves devotees in this way, the more one
wants to serve them and thinks of striving to help in every aspect of
their lives.

Marriage Board
the marriage board is very important for us. In the West, people
who wish to get married go about it like hunters entering the forest with
various weapons, which include glances, sweet words, and the way they
dress. In Vedic culture, marriages are made with the help of senior, experienced people. The marriage committee never arranges a marriage;
rather, they simply help young men and women find a proper partner in
a respectable way. There are many wonderful benefits of this. Even before
marriage begins, the couple is trained in how to respect and honor each
other in a Krishna conscious way. This system also protects the brahmacaris who want to remain brahmacaris.
Those who want to marry give their names to the committee,
which then meets to determine which candidates would be most compatible. The committee members must be very sensitive and intelligent
as to what makes a marriage work. They consider commitment to devotional service, personalities, backgrounds, professions, and astrology. If
they feel they have found a good match, they ask the boy and girl if they

38

Simple Steps

are interested in each other. If they are both favorable, the committee
arranges for them to meet in a setting where a member of the marriage
board is also present. Members of the board suggest important questions
the couple should ask each other, and they also suggest important things
to discuss. They arrange as many meetings as necessary to decide if the
couple is compatible. If either one of them says no, the marriage board
then tries to find someone else. If the two devotees agree, then the board
goes to the parents to speak with them. If everyone is favorable, the board
may help (if requested to do so) to arrange for the ceremony.

Womens Committee
a woman in our congregation once told me that she felt the
women of the congregation were disagreeing too much. So we
arranged for three of our
senior Krishna conscious
ladies to conduct a meeting
for other women once every
two weeks. They discuss the
lives and exalted characteristics of saintly women such
as Kunti, Jahnava, Draupadi, and Gandhari. They
have created wonderful ways
to help women overcome
difficulties in Krishna consciousness. They share realizations about being a
mother, a wife, and a daughter, and they become good
friends. There are women in
the congregation who previously had no friends, but because of this
program they now have wonderful relationships.

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We have no matajis ashram at the Radha-Gopinath temple.

Srila Prabhupada approved of unmarried women living in temples
outside of India, but often discouraged them from living in temples
in India. Still, we have a team of single women who do a great
amount of service and hold very dynamic preaching programs, and
they are getting tremendous results.

Childrens Committtee
on the first saturday of every month, we hold a popular childrens
festival in the temple. The children between the ages of 4 and 16 do
everything. Children lead Gaura-arotik and play the mrdanga and
karatalas. They sit on an asana to tell Krishnas and Lord Caitanyas pastimes. They perform dramas that are written, produced, and directed
by children. They give Bhagavad-gita class. They put on puppet shows
with puppets theyve made. The adults cook the prasadam.
This festival program has created so much Krishna consciousness in the children and helped them feel that they are making a serious
contribution to Lord Caitanyas movement. They get the chance to
develop the spirit of being a preacher. When parents see that their children are Krishna conscious, their own Krishna consciousness grows.
Children tell their relatives who are unfavorable to Krishna consciousness, Come and see me tonight. I am speaking a story. And they
come. Children can be excellent preachers; they can reach some people
that adults cannot.

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Simple Steps

Economic Aid
we should try to do whatever is within our means to help
people advance in Krishna consciousness and feel cared for. Once
that spirit is there, gradually the whole society comes together to
help devotees. That may include economic aid. People should not
join our movement because they want material benefit. There
should not be any expectations of economic help between counselors and counselees. Otherwise, people will come for material aid.
That is not our mission. We may offer economic aid to those who
we see are sincerely trying to become Krishna conscious and are facing serious difficulty

Bhaktivedanta Hospital, and Business and Employment

Committees
many grhastha have economic problems, so they have come
together to discuss how to help one another. Its unbelievable how
many ways they are trying to generate laksmi for the temple and for
their families. They also try to find people employment if they need it.
The congregation started the Bhaktivedanta hospital, where
one hundred fifty of our devotees are employed. About twenty five
initiated devotees are specialist doctors there. Devotees who previously worked at their own jobs now work full time with other devotees. They have taken many occupations within the hospital: cooks,
plumbers, electricians, managers, accountants, carpenters, cleaners,
and nurses.
The atmosphere of the hospital is very Krishna conscious. In
the entrance is a beautiful vyasasana with a full-size murti of Srila
Prabhupada. Many doctors, nurses, and staff workers wear tilak. All
the patients food is cooked by devotees and offered to the Deities in the
hospitals temple room. There is an audio speaker in every room, and

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patients have access to two channels: one with Prabhupada singing bhajans and the other with him giving lectures. These lectures and bhajans
go on twenty four hours a day in every room, in every hallway, in the elevator, and even in the operating room. Everyone listens to Prabhupada.
Prabhupadas Bhagavad-gita is next to every bed, and in every room there
are pictures of Krishna.
There is also a spiritual care department dedicated to cultivating
the seed of bhakti in each of the patients. Each day a devotee brings a
small chariot with Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra to each room to
give darshan, caranamrita, and prasad.
By nature when people are sick, they are very submissive to their
doctors. Our doctors often tell their patients, I am giving you the medicine, but it cannot work without the grace of God. If you want the grace
of God, you should chant this maha-mantra. Through this preaching,
many patients have become devotees. Some are initiated and have become
counselors. Many staff members we hired have also become devotees.

Financial Assistance and Housing Committees

some of our brahmacaris who entered the grhastha ashram have
been assisted by the congregation in their housing and occupational needs.
If some tragedy or financial crisis comes to any member of the congregation,
all the other members of the community help.
Devotees should see that if they dedicate their lives to this movement,
this movement will flourish. They should not think, I will give the best years
of my life in serving, and when I get older I will have nothing. If a brahmacari wants to get married, the society should help that person establish a
family. In this way, devotees help and serve each other on every level possible.

42

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43

Two Stories

who is about sixty years old,

found out that he had a heart problem. The doctors said if he did not
undergo heart surgery within one week, he would either die or suffer
serious health problems for the rest of his life. But all the operating
rooms in Bombay were full and the devotee would have to wait at least
one month to receive heart surgery. In addition, this man had no
money for the surgery. He is just a simple, hardworking person who
lives in an apartment outside of our temple. For a middle-class Indian,
it would take years to raise enough money for such an operation.
The devotees came together and decided to help this person.
Every devotee with any connection whatsoever approached hospital
administrative authorities, and somehow or other got the devotee
into an operating room in three days. Within one day the devotees
donated enough money for the operation, without any consideration that he had to pay them back.
The operation was dangerous, and his wife was in great anxiety.
Devotees came to their house and cooked, cleaned, and held kirtan
with his wife day and night. They were at the hospital at all times,
reading, chanting, and trying to encourage him. They made schedules
to care for him and his whole family. No one in his family had to do
anything throughout this troubled period except to hear and chant.
I was in America when this happened. I got a letter from his
son, who was a twenty-year-old college student. He wrote pages and

44

ne devotee in our congregation,

Simple Steps

pages of appreciation for the devotees, saying, I have never seen

such love among people anywhere on the planet. Devotees were giving money, spending all night with us, cooking for us, cleaning for
us, buying things for us. I dont think this family will ever, ever consider leaving the Krishna consciousness movement. Every other family in the congregation saw that if the community did this for him
and his family, they would do the same for them if they were ever in
an emergency.
He hated devotees
of Krishna. When his son became a devotee, he was outraged. He
was so angry that he would do nothing but blaspheme. He thought
his son was uselessly disgracing his family and wasting his life. He
thought the Krishna consciousness movement was a terrible, dangerous cult.
One day he had a heart attack. Because he was a devotees
father, devotees stayed at the hospital with him twenty four hours a
day, helping him in every possible way. When he left the hospital, he
said, The devotees are the greatest people in the world. None of my
family members or relatives would ever care about me as much as
these devotees do. He said, I respect devotees more than any other
people in the world.
Soon after he got out of the hospital, he invited all of his business associates, friends, and relatives to gather on the roof of his house to hear me give
class and perform kirtan. At that time he told everyone, When I was in need,
none of you helped me! Not like these people did! There were people at my
bedside all night long who I had never met in my entire life. Just because my
son is a devotee, they did all this for me. Such love and care is nowhere to be
found in the world. His heart completely changed. Now he is very happy
his son is a devotee.
These types of activities encourage devotees. Krishna consciousness is
not just a philosophyits a way of life. We have to express the compassion
and love that we learn from the philosophy in our dealings with one another.

the father of one of our devotees is a jain.

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Conclusion

is how our temple has been trying to establish an ideal according to our time, place, and people.
The ideal is essential, and it may be applied in different ways according to the circumstances.
If devotees are interested in these ideas, please contemplate
how to move in this direction. Education, training, and caring systems can begin in a simple way practically anywhere. Once you
begin, there is no end to how many wonderful opportunities there
are to create a stable and happy community of Vaisnavas.
If the leaders are inspired by this idea and make it a priority,
it will certainly be a successbut not without hard work. Good
things do not happen automatically; they come through sacrifice.
Even in our temple, when we started the counselor program, devotees gave up on it twice. Brahmacaris were thinking, I have so much
service, and grhasthas were thinking, I have so many economic
and family responsibilities plus my sadhana and my service for the
temple. We dont even know if it will work. Now they will never
give it up for anything.
The only way such a system could be really successful is if the
leaders of the temple are committed to caring for devotees as the top
priority. This is the primary concern of the whole project. We should
strive to take care of the devotees and to cultivate in their hearts a
deep attachment to hearing and chanting the names and glories of

46

hat we have shared with you

Simple Steps

the Lord. If this is the first priority, then book distribution, temple
building, fund raising, Food for Life, Deity worship everything
will flourish.
Devotees have to be inspired; they have to be satisfied. They
have to be willing to stay and perform their service to Srila
Prabhupadas mission. To keep devotees in that mood, we should
invest energy into each devotees life. We should make this the top
priority of our whole society. Hearing and chanting the names and
glories of Sri Radha-Madhava in the association of devotees is our
only hope. It is our very life and soul. Let us create such a wonderful
sat-sanga of devotees that we will never give up preaching the glories
of the holy name.
When devotees of all different categories can share love and
trust, striving for purity, we will have a spiritually satisfied society.
Few will want to leave. When we come together to chant the holy
names in such a spirit of devotion, the spiritual world will descend.
That kirtan will attract the whole world. That will be a wonderful
offering at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada.

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