devotee care special issue

8/12/2019 Devotee Care Special Issue

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Published by

The Devotee Care Committee

for ISKCON GBC

Published by

The Devotee Care Committee

for ISKCON GBC

ILS

Special

Issu

eILS

Special

Issu

e

Carry on the

Care legacy ...

Carry on the

Care legacy ...

Special IssueSpecial Issue


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Published by the Devotee Care Committee for ISKCON GBC


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Dear Vaishnavas / Vaishnavis,Welcome to the special ILS issue of your Devotee Care magazine. Asyou are aware, the Devotee Care Committee is creating guidelines,best practices, and systems to help local agencies get a jumpstart onimplementing devotee care at the grass roots level. Subcommitteeshave now been established to research the essential needs of differentsectors: Children & Youth, Vaisnavi, Grhastha/ Vanaprastha,Brahmacari/Sannyasi, Elderly/Health, and Caregivers. They are atwork designing practical solutions that will be easy to employ andadaptable to the particular demographics of the local yatras.

Some highlights of this edition: Learn how those in leadership

positions may become more spiritually nourished; achieve radianthealth by following the different facets of brahmacari care; andexplore ways of nurturing and strengthening our grhastha and

vanaprastha asramas. Discover some striking parallels betweenbook distribution and devotee care; see the amazing power of loveand trust through a suspenseful first-hand account; and find but howthe corporate world is using care culture.

We plan to launch pilot programs for interested temples, preachingcenters, congregations, and farm communities, under the guidance ofthe divisional director and his team of devotee care regionalrepresentatives. Quality control tools-including a certification

process, monitoring, and star ratings for each provider- will encourageexcellence in our programs and services.

Devotee Care is the best investment we can make for fulfilling thepurposes of our global Vaisnava family, ISKCON.

Tending to our physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being will yieldstable marriages and families, protected women and children, and asteadfast renounced order-empowering all asramas to reach theirpotential in Krishna consciousness. It will result in happier, healthierdevotees who are inspired to contribute their voluntary services forthe satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. As we know, when Krishna ispleased, all other resources follow in abundance.

Please join us as Devotee Care initiatives begin to take shape for thepleasure of Srila Prabhupada and the benefit of all Vaisnavas.

Lets carry on the great care legacy that Srila Prabhupada has so kindlyleft us with.

Hope this finds you in the best of health and caring blissfully for thosesouls Lord Sri Krishna and Srila Prabhupada have sent you.

Your Servant,

Revati Raman DasChairman,

Devotee Care Committee.


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Sometimes ISKCON members think about ISKCON as an institution, or as theleaders of the temples, or the GBC, or someone else other than us. We expectISKCON to care for devotees, and we may feel hurt or disappointed when care isnot given as we would expect or as we would like.

ISKCON is a society made up of members. Each of us is ISKCON. When eachone of us feels that we have the responsibility to care for one another, thenISKCON will be a caring organization, with a family atmosphere based on loveand trust, as rla Prabhupda wrote. If, however, we wait for such a society tocome only from leadership, or from some vague idea of institution, it will bevery hard to achieve the real devotee care we desire.

So, let us look in the mirror, perceive that I am ISKCON and I care, and decidetoday how each of us can exemplify devotee care in our own lives.

Vision

Every devotee in ISKCON is to beprovided with the spiritual,mental/emotional and physicalcare they deserve as parts andparcels of Ka, according torla Prabhupda's instructionand example. This should be doneon the personal and institutionallevel.

Mission

We strive to care for the spiritual,emotional, physical and socialwell being of the devotees ofISKCON. We want devotees to beencouraged, inspired andempowered to be happy and makeprogress in Ka consciousness,and thus be enthused to expandrla Prabhupda's mission.

Aims

We aim to give life-long personalcare to devotees so they can make

continued progress in spiritual life.

We aim to have care that includespersonal attention to bothdevotees' spiritual and materiallives.

We aim for care to be given in abrotherly and sisterly mood ofcompassion and love, sacrificingsome of our time and pride.

We aim to assist with the overallmanagement and facilitation ofthe leaders of ISKCON in takingcare of devotees.

We aim to have a mood whilegiving care that Ka is theprovider of all we lack and thepreserver of all we have.

We aim to define real success as thecreation and maintenance of a happy,loving Vaiava community.

We aim for a society thatrecognizes the real assets as beingthe devotees, not physical assets.2

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Actually, everyone is a leader. Fiveyears ago the GBC formedcommittees to work on variousperceived needs of the Society.When the Preaching committeemet we realized the most important

aspect of preaching is to have happydevotees. Out of that the DevoteeCare committee was formed. It hasbecome a very strong and activegroup. I am fortunate to be part of it.

When devotees are rememberingSrila Prabhupada, a main theme ishis personal attention and love. HHMukunda Goswami recalls howwhen he was in trouble andabandoned by all his so-called

friends, Srila Prabhupada phonedhim, showing concern and invitinghim to visit. From that time hebecame ful ly serious aboutsurrendering to Srila Prabhupada.The results are well known.

Lord Caitanya stated:

prabhu kahe, -- "vaisnava-seva,nama-sankirtana dui kara, sighra

pabe sri-krsna-carana"

TRANSLATION

The Lord replied, "You shouldengage yourself in the service of theservants of Krsna and always chantthe holy name of Krsna. If you dothese two things, you will very soonattain shelter at Krsna's lotus feet."(CC Madhya-lila 16.70)

Service to devotees comes

first.

In my opinion, Srila Prabhupada'scaring for us was a major inspiration

that created such a powerful preachingforce.

HH Giriraja Swami recalls:

One evening I came to SrilaPrabhupada's room after a long day inBombay. As usual, I had traveled to andfrom Bombay in crowded trains, and toand from the train station in a crowdedbus. I had not taken any prasadam fromthe morning until the time I returned.Srila Prabhupada looked at me andasked, 'How are you feeling?' I thennoticed how weak and sick I was. 'Well,

frankly speaking, Srila Prabhupada, Ifeel a little tired.' Anyway, SrilaPrabhupada already knew.

Immediately Srila Prabhupada orderedgrapes for me. He said that grapes werevery good for strength and energy. Thenhe insisted that I eat the grapes in hispresence, and soon he asked if I wasfeeling stronger. And yes, I was.

Finally he concluded: To work hard forKrsna for two days and then to

recuperate for three daysthat is not a

Srila

Prabhupadaphoned him,

showing concern

and inviting him

to visit. From

that time he

became fully

serious aboutsurrendering to

Srila

Prabhupada.

The results are

well known.

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very good proposal.

From Planting the Seed, abeautiful book that has manysimilar stories. Please read it.

So our committee would like to beable to inspire all devotees to havesuch loving concern for others.When leaders exhibit that aspect ofSrila Prabhupada's management,our movement will be very strongand attract many to join.

As humans, certain deficiency

needs have been noted:

1. Safety and survival 2. Security 3. Belongingness

IBM Corporation stressed

some basic principles:

1. Respect for the individual 2. Customer service 3. Pursuit of excellence

Everyone knows that IBM is lauded asa most successful company. Theiremployees are very loyal.

We want all the devotees to feel thatthey belong and are important. Andto feel that the leaders love them andcare for them as individuals, not justfor what service they can do. SrilaPrabhupada did that and inspiredgreat results.

We know that Srila Bhakti-siddhanta Saraswati Thakura saidthe only shortage in the world is

Krsna consciousness. We all want tospread Krsna consciousness. HHRadhanatha Swami spoke that the mostpowerful preaching is happy devotees. TheRadha Gopinath temple in Mumbai surelyproves that.

I have found many statements fromworld leaders in various fields thatconfirm that need for caring.

Mother Teresa

The biggest disease today is notleprosy or tuberculosis, but ratherthe feeling of being unwanted.

Loneliness and the feeling ofbeing unwanted is the mostterrible poverty.

Love begins at home, and it is nothow much we do but howmuch love we put in that action.

Love begins by taking care of theclosest ones the ones at home.

Albert Schweitzer

In everyone's life, at some time, ourinner fire goes out. It is then burstinto flame by an encounter with

another human being. We should allbe thankful for those people whorekindle the inner spirit.

We have seen many devotees leave oursociety saying that they were notloved. Some efforts must be made tolet devotees know they are loved.

Every culture has the GOLDENRULE - Do to others what you wouldlike them to do for you. Or, Do notdo to others what you do not want

them to do to you. That can beconsidered the essence of the mood ofthe Devotee Care committee.

I don't want to go on for a longdissertat ion. Anyone who isinterested can look on our website:www.devo teecare i skcon .com.

We have seen that wherever we presentseminars on devotee care, the responseis very enthusiastic. Devoteesnaturally want to care for others. It

need not be a big thing. When themood is there amongst the devotees,

We want allthe devotees to

feel that they

belong and are

important. And

to feel that the

leaders love

them and care

for them as

individuals, not

just for what

service they can

do. Srila

Prabhupada did

that and

inspired great

results.

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they create many facilities.

We hope to have a society that trulyprotects those needing it:

Brahmanas Women

Children Old people Cows

Vaisnavas are the best of thebrahmanas. When they are caredfor they will care for all.

We are often asked what we are doingfor old people. There are someprojects under way. You can learnabout them from our web site.

One thing is that if the children andyouth are properly cared for, theywill take care of us when we get old.

This fear of being abandoned in oldage is common:

Give me your answer, fill in a formMine for evermore Will you stillneed me, will you still feed me,When I'm sixty-four?

- Beatles

Brian Tracy is a leading motivator,

writer and corporate advisor. Hereare a few of his ideas.

Successful people are alwayslooking for opportunities to helpothers. Unsuccessful people arealways asking, "What's in it for me?"

The greatest gift that you can giveto others is the gift of unconditionallove and acceptance.

If you raise your children to feel

that they can accomplish any goalor task they decide upon, you willhave succeeded as a parent andyou will have given your childrenthe greatest of all blessings.

Devotees often feel that they cannottrust the leaders, and/or the leadersdo not trust them. We need to workon building trust. Everyonetrusted Srila Prabhupada.

"The motive that inspires thegreatest trust is genuine caring--

caring about people, caring aboutpurposes, caring about the quality ofwhat you do, caring about the societyas a whole. Think about it: Are yougoing to trust someone who could reallycare less about youor about work, or

about principles, or values, or anyone oranything else?

"People just want to know thatsomebody knows, and cares."Dennis P. Le Strange, former Senior

Vice President, IKON OfficeSolutions

"The only thing worse than a coach orCEO who doesn't care about his peopleis one who pretends to care. People canspot a phony every time. They know he

doesn't care about them, and worse, hisact insults their intelligence.

- Jimmy Johnson, former coachDallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins

I feel that you have to be with youremployees through all their difficulties,that you have to be interested in thempersonally. I want them to know thatSouthwest will always be there forthem."

- Herb Kelleher, Chairman

Southwest Airlines

I hope that this imperfect attemptmight inspire someone to be morecaring.

Once upon a time I was lamenting tomy god brother HH Bhakti TirthaSwami that I really had no skills. Atthe time he was expecting to leave hisbody in two to three weeks. Even inthat condition he was only concernedabout others, and he tried to cheerme.

He said, You are a caring person. Thatis what is needed. Since then I havetried to be caring.

Thank you for reading this. If youthink that I can help you in any way,please contact me.

[email protected] and skype:

Kavicandraswami

Do to others

what you

would like

them to do for

you. Or, Do

not do to

others what

you do not

want them to

do to you. That

can be

considered the

essence of the

mood of the

Devotee Care

committee.

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KavichandraSwami, a Guru andGBC, is a memberof the DevoteeCare Committee.


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durlabha manava janama sat-sangetaroho e bhava-sindhu

Human life is extraordinarily rare, and therarest, most precious blessing in life is theassociation of devotees. Lord Caitanya revealedhis own heart when he exclaimed that all thewealth in Brahma's creation cannot equal thevalue of one sincere devotee.Caring for devotees is perhaps the mostimportant responsibility we have. When we

create an atmosphere where devotees feel loved,valued, and encouraged, we can empower themto cross over the inevitable obstacles on the pathof bhakti and experience happiness on thespiritual platform.In relation to devotee care, Srila Prabhupadasaid that he had shed buckets of blood to bringeach devotee to our movement. He expected ourleadership to recognize his sacrifice by creating a

Vaikuntha atmosphere, a family ofVaisnavas where respect,

affection, and a desire to serve

each other is in theforefront, and the motive

behind all of our efforts. A movement that is sosatisfying that no one will want to be anywhere else.We should ensure, as far as possible, that every devoteeis educated in the teachings and culture of SrilaPrabhupada and our parampara and given the tools tofollow the path through all phases of life. Our joyshould be to see each devotee developing Vaisnavacharacter while enthusiastic in devotional service.When a devotee is weak, is having difficulty, or in aspiritual crisis, the Vaisnava family should be there to

uplift and restore their strength and enthusiasm.Selfless service to each other, with Krishna in thecenter, creates trust. Trust nourishes love. Lovingrelations in Srila Prabhupada's service is the string thatbinds all of us together on the necklace of bhakti.The Devotee Care sangam is dedicated to helping keepour spiritual family focused on this sacred blessing. Let usunite on this higher principle and attract the world to thebeauty of Krishna.

When a

devotee is weak,

is having

difficulty, or in a

spiritual crisis,

the Vaisnava

family should be

there to uplift

and restore

their strength

and enthusiasm.

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Radhanatha Swami, a Guru and GBC, is a

member of the Devotee Care Committee.


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Why is devotee care

important in our society?

We have the most completephilosophy, and Srila Prabhupadahas given us the wonderful processof Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Partof that process is taking care of thedevotees. Actually, Krishna saysthat He has nothing else to do but totake care of His devotees. And sinceHis devotees are always thinkingabout Him, He is also alwaysthinking about His devotees. Soactually, devotee care is one of theprimary angas or aspects of Krishnaconsciousness.

However, I heard that there was astudy by some outsiders where they

said that of all the schools, ISKCONhas the best philosophy, but whenthey talk about taking care ofdevotees, then ISKCON is way downthe list. So serving the devotees andtaking care of the devotees should bea part of our religion, and we shouldbe doing that as daily work instead offeeling it is something that should beforced.

What areas need care?

Of course, we should take care ofdevotees in all aspects, but there aresome areas that deserve extraattention, like the children, elderly,ladies, the sick, those who areentering into a new ashram thesegroups especially need to be helped.People who are visiting andbecoming new members of thecongregation also need help.

Of course, not everything is to bedone by the devotee care ministry

some services can be taken up bycongrega-tional devotees or by thetemple but at least some areas that arenot dealt with by others can be picked upby the devotee care committee.

How can leaders show they

care?

Sometimes it's the small things that count.In the year 2000, I did somebrainstorming to find out how the GBCcould consider this idea in all its aspects,and what they were willing to do. I wassurprised to note that about 75% of whatwas needed was local; the rest was dividedbetween 15% national and 10%international. So most of the dealings areat the local level. If our leaders understandthis and take an interest in devotee care,they can make a big difference.

Devotees believe that leaders shouldcare. For instance, someone said thatwhen an ISKCON leader arrives anddevotees offer obeisances, he might stoponly to acknowledge them, whereas ifthe leader of a Christian or otherreligious group sees someone offeringobeisances, they often stop and inquire,How are you?

How will this help ourmovement?

If devotees see that this movementactually cares, they will be moreconfident to give their lives to Krishna,to give their lives to devotional service.Some may have needs, which ifanswered, make them feel much moresatisfied and willing to serve themovement. The greatest help that canbe given is to unite everyone. We

should take care of our devotees,especially those who have given their

So serving the

devotees and

taking care of

the devotees

should be a part

of our religion

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Sometimes

when Srila

Prabhupadasaw that people

were struggling

to control their

senses,

struggling to

become Krishna

conscious, heactually was

seen crying! He

really cared

about the

devotees.

lives to ISKCON. The variousactivities of devotee care will go along way toward making one feelthat Krishna really cares, also.

How did Srila Prabhupada

show devotee care?

I had the good fortune of being inMayapur when Srila Prabhupadawould visit twice a year; once he wouldcome in the summer, during themonth of August, and in December hewould stay a month and a half. Duringthese times he would work ontranslations and oversee variousprojects. Then he would come forabout two weeks during the GauraPurnima festival. Of course, Srila

Prabhupada coming here was verymuch necessary to unite the devotees.He called this the United Nations of theSpiritual World. Sometimes whenSrila Prabhupada saw that people werestruggling to control their senses,struggling to become Krishnaconscious, he actually was seen crying!He really cared about the devotees.And he would give some instructionseither to those devotees or those whohad already surrendered, how tosomehow help them.

In what ways do you

suggest each devotee

engage in devotee care?

We should make it a major part of ourdaily culture Krishna consciousnessand caring. We need to learn how totake better care of each devotee,according to his or her requirements.And of course, those who are in ahigher position of responsibility are

more empowered to help devotees.

Some people feel that caring fordevotees is more on the sentimentalplatform and may spoil them.

Actually, those who think that taking

care of devotees is sentimental alsowant to be appreciated and cared for.

Krishna wants us to take care of Hisdevotees.

If someone is leaving their body, weshould create a nice environment sothey can think of Krishna at the time ofdeath. This will go a long, long way inbenefiting the devotee. If someonedesires to marry and we can help themto find a devotee partner, the chances

of them marrying a non-devotee aremuch lower. In these simple ways wecan make a big difference and avoidhaving devotees put in difficultsituations unnecessarily, due to nothaving a a care system in place.

This is not sentimental. It issomething very much needed andreal.

Can you suggest some ways

in which we can makedevotee care popular in

ISKCON?

To start, we can make the temple ofRadha-Krishna a center of thecommunity, a place that is there to helpyou.

When devotees get sick, sometimesthey are asked to go home to theirparents. That's ridiculous. We don'thesitate to take them when they wantto do service, but when they becomeill, we send them home. In somecountries, devotees have healthinsurance; in others, at least somemedical needs could be supplied bymembers of the congregation.

These acts will go a long way towardhealing wounds and proving thatISKCON cares.

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Jayapataka Swami, a Guru and

GBC, is a member of the DevoteeCare Committee.


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Why Is Compassion

Important?

Compassion is the hallmark of Krishnaconsciousness. "A person who is unableto bear another's distress is called

compassionate," states the Nectar ofDevotion. The greatest distress forhuman beings is to be ignorant of theiroriginal position as Krishna's servants.The living entities have been wanderingin the material world since timeimmemorial and only by a devotee'smercy can they be free. But if this mercyis not transmitted in a compassionatemanner, people will not be able to acceptit, thinking that devotees judge themand want to change their lives forcefully.

Therefore it is useful for devotees toacquire proper communication skills topreach in a balanced way and also toassociate with other Vaisnavas withouthurting or offending one another. Anideal Vaisnava society is based on theprinciple of compassion. Under-standing the important Vaisnava qualityof compassion helps us toimplement it practically,so that it becomes

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Why is compassion important?

Does material compassion help

in cultivating spiritual

compassion or not?

What is the source of

compassion?

What is the difference between

real compassion (whether

transcendental or material) andmere sentimentality?

Why is it good to be empathic

toward others?

How do we develop compassion?

What is the preliminary requisite

for becoming compassionate?

What are the situations in which

we should not be tolerant or

empathic?

Who are the role models for

Vaisnava compassion?

Is it enough to have empathy only

for human beings?


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Spiritual and Material

Compassion

...the Supreme Personality ofGodhead walked on the bank of theYamuna, touching the leaves of the

trees and their fruits, flowers and twigsand praising their glorious welfareactivities. Different people may acceptcertain welfare activities to bebeneficial for human society,according to their own views, but thewelfare activity that can be rendered topeople in general, for eternal benefit, isthe spreading of the Krishnaconsciousness movement. Everyoneshould be prepared to propagate thismovement.

Sri Krishna, while walking with Hisfriends on the banks of the Yamuna,makes a comparison between thegenerous trees and the noble-heartedpeople who work for the welfare ofothers. Srila Prabhupada emphasizesin the above paragraph from theKrishna book (and also in manyother places in his books) that asVaisnavas, our main duty ispreaching and distributing the holy

name to others. This is the waydevotees exhibit spiritual compa-ssion for the fallen souls.

So the question may arise: Is it alsonecessary to be compassionate orempathic toward others in regard totheir material situation? It isessential for us to be very clear aboutour priorities. Giving Krishnaconscious-ness to others is our firstpriority. However, it does not meanthat we do not care about thematerial sufferings of others. Attimes, devotees may have themisconception that we need not beconcerned about the materialsufferings of people (such as disease,starvation, poverty, natural disas-ters, wars and so on.) We may thinkthat we want to give people onlyKrishna consciousness, which is themost important and exclusivewelfare activity, and that we do not

have to care about anything else.We should show our compassion by

helping people on a personal levelwhen we have the opportunity to doso. As human beings, we have thecapacity to understand others' pain ina distressed situation, because wemight feel the same under similar

circumstances.A person who has a pinprick in his bodydoes not wish others to be pricked bypins; a considerate man in the life ofpoverty does not wish others to be alsoput into that condition. Generally it isseen that one who has risen from apoverty-stricken life and becomeswealthy creates some charitableinstitution at the end of his life so thatother poverty-stricken men might bebenefited. In short, a compassionatepoor man may consider others' painsand pleasures with empathy.

Devotees are happy to distributeprasadam to hungry people or to justshow a simple act of kindness or toassist someone who is old or sick.When we see beggars, we may givethem a little prasadam or give them afew small coins. Srila BhaktisiddhantaSarasvati Thakura corrected hisdisciples who were not giving charityto the beggars in Vrindavan, becausetheir refusal to give was based uponfalse pride. They were thinking, "I ama great devotee." He said to hisdisciples, "If you do not give almsthinking that you are better than thebeggars since you are devotees, it willmake you hard-hearted."

Srila Prabhupada explains comp-assion in the Srimad Bhagavatam asfollows:

Therefore all the great sages assembledtogether and, after observing cruel Vena'satrocities, concluded that a great dangerand catastrophe was approaching thepeople of the world. Thus out ofcompassion they began to talk amongstthemselves, for they themselves were theperformers of the sacrifices.

Srila Prabhupada in the purport says:

Before King Vena was enthroned, all the

great sages were very much anxious to seeto the welfare of society. When they saw

Giving

Krishna

consciousness

to others is our

first priority.

However, it does

not mean that

we do not care

about the

material

sufferings of

others.

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I am a great

devotee." Hesaid to his

disciples, "If

you do not give

alms thinking

that you are

better than the

beggars sinceyou are

devotees, it will

make you hard-

hearted.

that King Vena was most irresponsible,cruel and atrocious, they again began tothink of the welfare of the people. Itshould be understood that sages, saintlypersons and devotees are notunconcerned with the people's welfare.

Ordinary karmis are busy acquiringmoney for sense gratification, andordinary jnanis are socially aloof whenthey speculate on liberation, but actualdevotees and saintly persons are alwaysanxious to see how the people can be madehappy both materially and spiritually.Therefore the great sages began to consult oneanother on how to get out of the dangerousatmosphere created by King Vena.

We are concerned about the well-being of others. That is the symptomof someone who has a soft heart anddoes not like to see others in distress.A devotee does not like to see anytype of suffering, whether it ismaterial or spiritual. We must notchange our priorities in terms ofwhat our main interest is. In otherwords, we must not become ahumanitarian organization insteadof an organization that spreadsbhakti. However when devotees are

falsely indifferent to the suffering ofothers, their tendency is to becomehard-hearted, and the danger is thatthe devotees may also becomeinsensitive to giving Krishnaconsciousness to others. Thus,when a devotee has the desire to easeboth the material and spiritualsuffering of others, then the devoteeis truly compassionate.

Compassion grows with becoming

eager to receive and give the mercy ofthe holy name. As BhaktivinodaThakura says, "jive doya, krsna-nama sarva-dharma-sara."

What Is the Source of

Compassion?

Compassion is a product of theinternal potency of the Lord. Whenone is in knowledge of the sufferingof others and possesses love for allliving entities, then one has thecapability to feel compassion. As Ihave mentioned earlier, compassion

or empathy manifests through theact of giving others the treasure oflove of Godhead and trying tominimize their material suffering.

As it is described in the Nectar ofDevotion, the original compassio-

nate personality is Lord Krishna:

Krishna's compassion was alsoexhibited when Grandfather Bhismawas lying on the bed of arrows, whichhad been shot through his body. Whilelying in this position, Bhisma was veryanxious to see Krishna, and thusKrishna appeared there. Upon seeingthe pitiable condition of Bhisma,Krishna began speaking with tears inHis eyes. Not only was He shedding

tears, but He also forgot Himself in Hiscompa-ssion. Therefore, instead ofoffering obeisances to Krishna directly,devotees offer obeisances to Hiscompassionate nature. Actually,because Krishna is the SupremePersonality of Godhead, it is verydifficult to approach Him, but thedevotees, taking advantage of Hiscompassionate nature, which isrepresented by Radharani, always prayto Radharani for Krishna's compassion.

So the compassion of the Vaisnava is


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not his own. The ocean ofunlimited compassion or mercy isoriginally possessed by Radha-Krishna and it is this mercy that wereceive through the agency of ourspiritual masters. The example is

given in the Gurv-astaka that thespiritual master is just like the cloudthat pours water on a forest fire. Thewater does not belong to the cloud,it comes from the ocean. But thecloud is the agency through whichthe water reaches the forest.

Because the compassion or mercy ofa devotee comes from an ocean ofmercy, a devotee also possesses anocean of mercy. The word "ocean"signifies something unlimited.Devotees have unlimited compassionfor the fallen conditioned souls.

Compassion or empathy is origin-ally present in every person's heart,because it is a natural quality. Ouroriginal spiritual nature is onehundred percent compassionate, andwe can develop compassion bycultivating the mode of goodness.Srila Prabhupada explains this in theKrishna book in the following way:

When the demon was thus preparingto cut off his head, Lord Siva becamevery compassionate. This compassionis a symptom of the quality ofgoodness. Lord Siva is called tri-linga, a mixture of the three materialq u a l i t i e s . T h e r e f o r e , h i smanifestation of the nature ofcompassion is a sign of the quality ofgoodness. This compassion, however,is present in every living entity. The

compassion of Lord Siva was arousednot because the demon was offering hisflesh into the sacrificial fire, butbecause he was about to commitsuicide. This is natural compassion.Even if a common man sees someonepreparing to commit suicide, he will tryto save him. He does so automatically.There is no need to appeal to him.Therefore, when Lord Siva appearedfrom the fire to check the demon fromsuicide, it was not done as a very greatfavor to him.

Differentiating Between

Empathyand Sympathy

Is it possible to misuse compassion?In other words, what is the differencebetween real compassion (whether

transcendental or material) and meresentimentality? In this article, I referto real compassion as "empathy or"compassion" and I refer tosent imental compass ion as"sympathy".

It is important for us to distinguishbetween true compassion andsentimental compassion, because weusually cause harm to other livingentities by sentimental compassion.Prabhupada gives the example that,once upon a time, there was a youngboy with some sort of liver disease.The boy's brother was sentimentallysympathetic toward him, so he gavehim some fried food and sweets,which are very bad for the liver. Inother words, without properunderstanding, acts of sympathy canbe violent and can hurt the livingentity both materially and spiritually.So compassion is based on sastras,

and sentimental compassion meansone does what they think is best forthe other person without consideringthe Vedic injunctions.

In everyday situations, if we aresympathetic with someone insteadof being empathic, we are feelingmore of our own emotions withregard to how that person'sexperience affects us. We feel badfor the person who is distressed,which neither helps us nor the otherperson. For example, you arehaving some tooth pain. Someonewalks up to you and says, "I feelreally bad for you. That does notreally do anything for you, does it?You may even think about the otherperson, "Just get out of here andleave me alone!" Sympathy is simplytalking about yourself.

Empathy Contrasted with

SympathyUnlike sympathy (when one is more

However

when devotees

are falsely

indifferent to

the suffering ofothers, their

tendency is to

become hard-

hearted, and

the danger is

that the

devotees mayalso become

insensitive to

giving Krishna

consciousness

to others.

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Unlike

sympathy(when one is

more concerned

with their own

emotions,)

empathy is

when one is

reallyconsidering the

other person's

feelings to be

important.

Empathy is

much more

helpful toothers than

sympathy.

concerned with their own emotions,)empathy is when one is reallyconsidering the other person'sfeelings to be important. Empathy ismuch more helpful to others thansympathy.

How do you get to the point of beingempathic? Let's go back to theexample of the toothache. You havea toothache and it is really hurtingyou and someone says to you in acompassionate and reflectivefashion, "Are you in a lot of painbecause of that toothache? That isan expression of empathy.

Let's say someone is very sad and youreflect that person's emotion by

asking, "Are you feeling extremelyunhappy today?" It will comfort theperson to know that you areconcerned with how they are feeling.You can reflect back that person'sfeelings not only with words, butwith the tone of your voice and withyour body language too. Empathy isnot the words spoken, but theintention to connect with someone.

Some professional therapists say that

you have to sit in a certain position inorder to show empathy. I remembera course that I took a long time ago,in which I was taught that if youreally want to be empathic withpeople, you have to sit in a certainway, lean forward, showinterest and do not cross yourlegs. But, empathy does notwork that way, becauseem p a t h y i s a s t a t e o fconsciousness. If you really

focus on the externals,expres s ion o f empathybecomes artificial and static.Empathy means connectingand being fully aware ofanother person's feelings andneeds. If you have an empathicstate of mind, your bodylanguage, choice of words, andtone of voice will follownaturally. Even withoutverbalizing anything, you canexpress empathy through body

l an g u ag e a s l o n g a s y o u rconsciousness is empathic. Bodylanguage and tone of voice are moreimportant than words.

Some Other Aspects of

EmpathyAccording to the following statementfrom the Srimad Bhagavatam, onebecomes a self-realized soul by havingthe quality of compassion.

Showing compassion to all livingentities, you will attain self-realization. Giving assurance of safetyto all, you will perceive your own selfas well as all the universes in Me, andMyself in you.

As self-realization is the goal ofhuman life, devotees considerdeveloping a compassionate attitudeto be the core of our spiritualpractices.

One of the main needs of a humanbeing is for connection; for someoneto be empathic toward them. Oftenpeople go to astrologers because theywant someone to listen to them andtalk about them. People may spend

so much money to go to apsychologist because they needsomeone to listen to them.

Once upon a time there was apsychological study. Various


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psychologists who followeddifferent theories went to a mentalinstitution where there were peoplewith different issues and challenges.The psychologists tried their luckwith helping the people to see which

theory's representative would bemore successful. Some psychologistswere followers of Sigmund Freud,some followed Jung, and othersfollowed B.F. Skinner. The membersof the fourth group were notpsychologists at all. They were justpeople brought in from the street.Finally, it turned out that everyonehad equally successful results. Theirsuccess was actually dependant onhow much empathy the people were

giving success was not dependenton their theories, education oruniversity degrees.

The word compassion means "withfeeling." It is not some theoreticalknowledge or some calculation. It isa bhava, an emotion that forces you toact in a certain way. It is one of thebhavas of the pure devotees, whohave real compassion. Of course,that is a very exalted platform, but we

can start to practice compassion onour own level by first making aneffort to understand its meaning andthen acting upon this understanding.

First of all, empathy meanspresence. Presence means beingthere for someone else, being intouch with someone's feelings andneeds, and also being in touch withyourself in terms of your ownfeelings and needs. Empathy is

comprised of presence, focus,wonder, and intention, as well ascaring for people without judgment.

What is empathy not? Empathy is notsympathy, as I have mentioned. Otherwords that do not describe empathyare advising, fixing, educating,managing, counseling, interrogatingand analzzyzing. People do notreally want to be the recipients ofthese non-empathic actions. Theywant some one to really care aboutthem.

How Do We Develop

Compassion?

The development of compassion isessential for our own spiritual life.We can develop tolerance and

compassion by associating with andserving the Vaisnavas. We associatewith and serve devotees who arecompassionate, like His DivineGrace Srila Prabhupada, andgradually we acquire those qualitiesby their association. When we act onthe order of the spiritual master,compassion will manifest in ourhearts. If we engage in preaching,book distribution, harinama,prasadam distribution or any Krishna

conscious activity to help others, ourhearts will become softer.

When Prabhupada saw childrenfighting with dogs for the remnantsof the devotees' prasadam inMayapur, he started crying andimmediately gave an order that noone within a certain radius of thetemple should go hungry. That is asoft heart. Devotees should be soft-hearted like this. We have to

develop this sense of compassionand empathy for others. This iswhat makes a Vaisnava a Vaisnava.

To develop a compassionate nature,the first step is to understand that allliving beings are parts and parcels ofKrishna and that Krishna is notsatisfied if we direct our love onlytowards Him. Actually, it is a mis-understanding of our philosophywhen devotees think that being kind,loving and compassionate to others ismaya. The Bhagavad-gita says,

mamaivamso jiva-lokejiva-bhutah sanatanahmanah-sasthanindriyaniprakrti-sthani karsati

The living entities in this conditionedworld are My eternal fragmentalparts. Due to conditioned life, they arestruggling very hard with the sixsenses, which include the mind. Or as

it is similarly stated in the SriIsopanisad,

Empathy iscomprised of

presence, focus,

wonder, and

intention, as

well as caring

for people

withoutjudgment.

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yas tu sarvani bhutanyatmany evanupasyati

sarva-bhutesu catmanamtato na vijugupsate

He who sees systematically everythingin relation to the Supreme Lord, who

sees all living entities as His parts andparcels, and who sees the SupremeLord within everything, never hatesanything nor any being.

There are so many verses like this inthe Vedic literatures. When one seeseveryone in relationship withKrishna, one understands therelationship one has with everyone,which is like a family relationship.So the reason that we do not love

people or sometimes even hatepeople is because we do notexperience the sambandha orrelationship with them.

How do we develop this relation-ship? By developing our relationshipwith Krishna, by executing theprocesses of bhakti-yoga, and bymeditating on and remembering the factthat everyone is part and parcel ofKrishna. This helps us develop the

vision to see others and ourselves inconnection with Krishna. Then we willnot fall victim to the mentalitycondemned in the Srimad Bhagavatamby Lord Kapila:

aham sarvesu bhutesubhutatmavasthitau sada

tam avajnaya mam martyahkurute 'rca-vidambanam

One who worships the Deity ofGodhead in the temples but does not

know that the Supreme Lord, asParamatma, is situated in every livingentity's heart, must be in ignoranceand is compared to one who offersoblations into ashes.

Tolerance as a Preliminary

Step to Compassion

After understanding our relationshipwith all living entities, we make aconscious effort to be humble and

tolerant toward all living beings who,as parts and parcels of Krishna, are

like our brothers and sisters. LordKapiladeva describes the saintlyqualities of a devotee in a famousverse in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Thefirst trait he mentions is tolerance:

titiksavah karunikahsuhrdah sarva-bhutanam

ajata-satravah santahsadhavah sadhu-bhusanah

The symptoms of a sadhu are that he istolerant, merciful and friendly to allliving entities. He has no enemies, he ispeaceful, he abides by the scriptures,and all his characteristics are sublime.

If you are not tolerant you are going

to hate some people and love otherpeople. But this is politics, just likethe politics that Prahlada Maharaja'steachers were attempting to teachhim; the concept of friends andenemies. Prahlada Maharaja rejectedthis distinction as demoniac.Unfortunately, we have not rejectedthis particular dichotomy yet. Wethink that certain people who satisfyour senses are our friends and peoplewho do not satisfy our senses are our

enemies. We have not learned totolerate. ...contd on page 38

The

psychologists

tried their luck

with helping the

people to see

which theory's

representative

would be more

successful. Some

psychologists

were followers of

Sigmund Freud,

some followed

Jung, and others

followed B.F.

Skinner.

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Principles give the essential foundationGuidelines help develop locally appropriate practices

Practices are examples of guidelines in action

Systems are examples of comprehensive practices

1. Whatever we do, we do with carethe culture of care should permeate allactivities

The success of a project is judged by the care it provides to devotees All forms of devotee care are acknowledged, appreciated, and awarded.

2. Principles are global and application of those principles is local Practices and systems of care are applied differently according to different circumstances

3. Practical applications of devotee care should uphold rla Prabhupda'steachings and mood

All care should be favorable to the development of the spiritual life of the individual. rla Prabhupda did not compromise with the teachings of the guru parampara, and he applied

them in such a way that everyone felt welcome and benefited.

4. To each according to his or her needsdevotee care is personal Care of devotees should be given in a mature way according to the needs, interests, and concerns

of the individual being helped. Communities may choose to give care in proportion to individuals' level of spiritual

commitment

5. Servant moodwe serve to care and care to serve Care is given in the mood of a servant All categories of ISKCON members are worthy of being respected and valued.

An individual's choice of care should be honored.

Five Principles

Definition Example

Whats the difference between principles, guidelines, practices and systems?

SystemCounseling or Mentoring Systems,Bhakti Vka, Hospice Care

Guideline

Underlying, universal truth thatserves as a basis for application

Building blocks of systems, waysof doing things, specific actions

Set of practices meant to achieveprinciples

General directive for practice Train caretakers; care for the dying

The culture of care should permeateall activities

Home visits, krtana for dying devoteesPractice

Principle


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1. Information on each devotee should be recorded and accessible

Maintain a database of all devotees with information such as: Level of

commitment, Training Undergone, Services rendered Talents and capabilities

etc.

2. Each devotee should receive care and individual guidance

Create groups of devotees at similar levels of advancement/commitment, and

assign them for care and guidance to a more advanced and committed devotee.

Assign each devotee for care and guidance to a more advanced and committed

devotee ('buddy system').

3. Ensure spiritual growth through education and inspiration based on rla

Prabhupda's books

Provide systematic education of rla Prabhupda's books, including practical

application, through groups, classes, mentor/counselor sessions etc.

Acknowledge and recognize the advancement and increased commitment of

devotees through programs such as siksa levels etc

Facilitate courses such as Bhakti str for the devotees.

Organize regular Japa retreats and japa seminars

Engage more advanced devotees in mentoring less advanced ones, in preaching,

and in conducting classes etc.

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4. Nurture behaviors and attitudes to create a healthy Vaiava community with'unity in diversity'.

Train devotees in Vaiava etiquette, good conduct, and practical Vaiava life-skills such as: ghastha life, relationship with spouses, caring for children

Arrange regular iagohs and meetings among senior devotees, between

senior devotees and newer devotees, between temple-dependent and otherdevotees etc.

5. Engage both men and women in devotional service according to their interests andabilities.

Women who are housewives and mothers of small children canhave preachingprograms or other service that they do from their homes

6. One who is Krsna conscious is a perfect yogi; he is aware of everyone's happiness

and distress by dint of his own personal experience. The cause of the distress of aliving entity is forgetfulness of his relationship with God. And the cause ofhappiness is knowing Krsna....(BG 6.32)

7. The process is simple. Follow the regulative principles of devotional lifeundeviatingly, regularly chant 16 rounds of beads daily and without fail, read allour literatures, attend classes and aratis, go for street Sankirtana. If there are anyquestions, always refer them to your elder God brothers and sisters. So our methodis not so difficult. Rather it is joyful. So engage yourself enthusiastically in this wayand you will be happy and in the end go back to home, back to Godhead.

-- Letter to Sukhada - London, 4 August, 1971

8. The preacher of Krsna consciousness needs to be educated to be internally peacefulby proper spiritual engagement. One can then turn one's attention to the welfare ofothers.

9. Temples should have a trained Devotee care committee or trained care givers.

10. It is important to reach out and develop partnerships with a wide array of peoplewho can help mature devotees, family members, friends, psychologists, healthpractitioners, counselors, social workers, therapists, etc.

11. Locate professionals who can offer their expertise and experience in improving thecare of the ISKCON members.

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In the ancient ayurvedic textbook,Charak Samhita, it mentions thatthere are two important fundamentalprinciples to obtain good health. Oneis to chant the names of God and theother is to eat food with devotion thatis offered to the Supreme Lord.Therefore, even those aspiring forphysical and mental health mustunderstand that the basis of all healthis spiritual consciousness. Thisspiritual consciousness can bedeveloped when one performsregulated sadhana that helps thepractitioner to become absorbed inspiritual values and awareness.

We find in the Srimad Bhagavatamthat Kardama Muni, although he was

engaged in fasting for an extendedperiod of time, was able to keepexcellent health because of hisadvanced Krishna consciousness:

Entering that most sacred spot withhis daughter and going near the sage,the first monarch, SvayambhuvaManu, saw the sage sitting in hishermitage, having just propitiatedthe sacred fire by pouring oblationsinto it. His body shone most

brilliantly; though he had engaged inaustere penance for a long time, hewas not emaciated, for the Lord hadcast His affectionate sidelong glanceupon him and he had also heard thenectar flowing from the moonlikewords of the Lord.

The sage was tall, his eyes were large,like the petals of a lotus, and he hadmatted locks on his head. He was clad inrags. Svayambhuva Manu approached

and saw him to be somewhat soiled,like an unpolished gem.

PURPORT: Here aresome descriptions of abrahmacari-yogi. In themorning, the first duty ofa brahmacari seekingspiritual elevation ishuta-hutasana, to offersacrificial oblations to theSupreme Lord.

T h o s e e n g a g e d i nbrahmacarya cannot sleepuntil seven or nine o'clockin the morning. They mustrise early in the morning, at least oneand a half hours before the sun rises,and offer oblations, or in this age, theymust chant the holy name of the Lord,Hare Krsna. As referred to by Lord

Caitanya, kalau nasty eva nasty evanasty eva gatir anyatha: there is noother alternative, no other alternative,no other alternative, in this age, tochanting the holy name of the Lord.The brahmacari must rise early in themorning and, after placing himself,should chant the holy name of the Lord.From the very features of the sage, itappeared that he had undergone greatausterities; that is the sign of oneobserving brahmacarya, the vow ofcelibacy. If one lives otherwise, it will bemanifest in the lust visible in his face andbody. The word vidyotamanamindicates that the brahmacari featureshowed in his body.

That is the certificate that one hasundergone great austerity in yoga. Adrunkard or smoker or sex-mongercan never be eligible to practice yoga.Generally yogis look very skinnybecause of their not being comfortably

...contd. on page 28

There are

two important

fundamental

principles to

obtain good

health. One is

to chant the

names of God

and the other is

to eat food with

devotion that is

offered to the

Supreme Lord.

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By Prahladanandan Swami


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Sometimes wesee the night skytemporarily litby a meteor, called as h o o t i n g s t a r ,catching the eye ofeveryone and thendisappearing within a

short time. But thenthe same night sky isalso lit by the polestar, which is not only steady andfixed in its place but also a guide tothose who want proper direction inthe course of their journey. How nice itwould be if the sincere seekers, whodecide to take shelter of the SupremePersonality of Godhead after comingin contact with devotees, are cared forin such a nice way in our institutionthat each of them eventually becomesa pole star rather than a shooting star.

Specifically I am considering thecare of the brahmacharis in theashrams (the topic I am supposed tocover in this article). It is better, inthe first place, to be selective duringadmission of the newcomers intothe ashram and take time tounderstand their motives forjoining and their sincerity of

purpose. But once having done that,the leadership can ask,

What will it take for each and everyparticular devotee to be enlivened(emotionally and socially), inspired(spiritually), and protected(physically) so that they couldpractice krishna consciousness,actively serving srila prabhupada'smovement till the day they die?

On the physical level, a brahmacharineeds protection. This can be done

by education and trainingin maintaining good healthalong with a healthy andw h o l e s o m e d i e t . I naddition, a facility for careduring acute/chronicsickness can give a sense ofsecurity for the future.

Regular help and guidancemay be required fromsenior and mature devotees

in the ashram to balance health,sadhana and service. Lord Krishna inthe Bhagavad-gita gives the mostprofound yet simple advice inmaintaining good health in the longrun, to achieve the ultimate goal oflife. He asks us to lead a regulated lifeby giving up ati or extremism andaccept yukta or the path of thegolden mean. He says, There is nopossibility of one's becoming a yogi,O Arjuna, if one eats too much or eatstoo little, sleeps too much or does notsleep enough. He who is regulated inhis habits of eating, sleeping,recreation and work can mitigate allmaterial pains by practicing the yogasystem. (BG 6.16-17)

On the emotional and social level,every devotee needs to feel

encouraged and appreciated for theirunique contribution to themovement, which they are serving tothe best of their ability and capacity.This attitude, on the part of theleaders, develops a healthy sense ofself-worth in the inmates of theashram. But if a material competitivespirit is present, then the devoteesmay develop a sense of insecurityand worthlessness which leads to

feelings of dissatisfaction andloneliness, even after many years of

What will it

take for each

and every

particulardevotee to be

enlivened

(emotionally

and socially),

inspired

(spiritually),

and protected(physically) so

that they could

practice krishna

consciousness,

actively serving

srila

prabhupada's

movement till

the day they

die?

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By Radha Gopinath Dasa

Such a

thoughtful and

meticulous

system of care

has the

potential totransform each

and every

devotee who

has sincerely

come to

dedicate his life

to Srila

Prabhupada'smission, from a

shooting star

into a pole star.

Such pole

stars can serve

as sturdy and

steady

lighthouses to

guide

innumerable

ships of human

beings.

practicing devotional service. Asystem whereby the devotees canget balanced and mature guidancefrom senior brahmacharis on aregular basis would be very helpfulfor providing proper emotionalcare. The worst that a leader can doto the people under him is to make

them feel that their presence orabsence makes no differencewhatsoever to the ashram or themovement; in other words, to letthem feel that they are useless andworthless, and are in fact a burdento the society. On the other hand, tocare for them and thus give themthe feeling that they are trulyvaluable assets to the society,accepted for what they are andrespected for their unique

contribution, can give themtremendous inspiration to offertheir best for the service of Guruand Krishna.

Sri Chaitanya Maha-prabhu wouldtake pleasure in using everyopportunity to glori fy thewonderful qualities of his devotees,though the devotees themselves feltabsolutely useless because of theirhumility. For example, when Srila

Haridas Thakur was passing awayfrom this world, Lord ChaitanyaMahaprabhu glorified him as if Hehad five mouths, and genuinelyexpressed that whatever happinessHe had was due to the association ofHaridas. But Srila Haridas Thakurbrushed it aside saying that he wasinsignificant like an ant and his losswould make no difference to thematerial world. At the same time,hearing the heartfelt glorification of

Haridas Thakur from the lips ofLord Chaitanya increased the

appreciation and respect of devoteestowards Srila Haridas Thakur. What anemotionally enlivening vaishnavainteraction!

On the spiritual level, the brahmacharisneed to be trained and educated on theimportance of sadhana, i.e., hearing andchanting, systematic study of the

scriptures, simplicity in their lifestyleand in their dealings, developing deepand loving relationships with otherinmates, and carefully avoidingfrivolous association with bothmaterialistically-minded people andthe opposite sex. And of course, as aninstrument of compassion of theprevious acharyas, to fearlessly preachthe siddhanta as enunciated in SrilaPrabhupada's books.

Such a thoughtful and meticuloussystem of care has the potential totransform each and every devotee whohas sincerely come to dedicate his lifeto Srila Prabhupada's mission, from ashooting star into a pole star. Suchpole stars can serve as sturdy ands teady l i gh thouses to gu ideinnumerable ships of human beings who are tossed around incessantly bythe stormy and rocky sea of materialexistence to land safely on the soft,sandy shore at the lotus feet of HisDivine Grace Srila Prabhupada.

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Radhagopinath Das serves astemple president of ISKCONChowpatty and is an activemember of the Devotee CareCommittee.


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We all know the analogy of wateringthe root of a tree how the water isautomatically distributed to thebranches, leaves, twigs, fruits, andflowers everywhere. Or, if we putfood into the stomach, the energy isdistributed all over the body.

Similarly, giving spiritual care andnourishment to devotees can becompared to watering the root of thetree of care: all the various twigs,branches and leaves of care will beflourishing.

When spiritual care and nourish-ment is given, then devotees areenlivened to serve to their best

capacity, according to their natureand capabilities.

And as a result they want to care forothers.

Giving spiritual care means tonourish and protect a devotee'sfaith. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakuragives the following example: hecompares the awakening of faith inthe heart of a living entity to anewborn baby girl. Once faith is

awakened it needs to be protected from karma, jnana and mystic yogicperfections.

Srila Rupa Gosvami says: "bhukti-mukti-sprha yavat pisaci hrdivartate". Bhukti and mukti are liketwo witches that haunt one like aghost. As long as these two witchesare within our heart, we will neverbe able to taste the sweetness of puredevotional service.

Thus Bhaktivinoda Thakura

describes faith to be the mostvaluable currency to purchase puredevotional service.

When we protect this faith fromdangerous elements and nourish it

so it can nicely grow and develop,then we give true care to a devotee.

When devotees receive such carethey can undergo any difficulties they can accept austerities, and theycan accept inconveniences thatmaterial energy will always throwalong our path.

All other care is automatically fulfilledby caring for a devotee's faith.

Of course, this does not mean wedon't care for their bodies and theiremotions as well. A Vaisnava alwayscares for another person's sufferings;he is never indifferent.

But protecting and nourishing adevotee's faith is like watering theroot of the tree of care, and it is ofeternal benefit.

Giving care has to begin from thetop if the leaders receive care, then

they will be able to care for thosewho are serving under theirguidance.

We can only give to others what weare receiving ourselves.

And since spiritual development isnever ending and ever increasing,the need for spiritual care andnourishment is an ongoing process no matter on which level ofadvancement a devotee is.

There are always higher levels to

Givingspiritual care

and

nourishment to

devotees can be

compared to

watering the

root of the treeof care: all the

various twigs,

branches and

leaves of care

will be

flourishing

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move forward to.

If the leaders of our movement don'treceive such ongoing nourishment,then their spiritual advancement willbe choked and become stagnant. As aresult there will be attachment to

power, position, money and control.There will be conflicts anddisturbances on various levels ofleadership, and there will be lack ofspiritual care for those serving undertheir guidance.

As Srila Prabhupada always stated,"The main danger for ISKCONcomes from within, and not fromoutside."

Leaders are carrying a vastresponsibility and burden on theirshoulders: according to the ManuSamhita, a leader is 50% responsible forthe activities his dependents perform.So leaders deserve all the care andnourishment they can get in order toserve their dependents nicely.

What are the practical

elements of spiritual care

especially for leaders?

Leaders are in a precarious position.Their large responsibilities oftenbring along immense pressure, whichcan further lead to compromisedsadhana and reduced sravanamkirtanam. As a result, the leadershipand organization often tends to bemore on a material level and thespiritual dimension and vision can beneglected.

Thus for leaders it is of extreme

importance to regularly take timeout in order to recharge theirspiritual batteries. Leaders need timefor solitude and personal life timeaway from the internet and mobilephone, which are always distractionsfrom our absorption in chanting theholy name. Leaders need time forincreased sravanam kirtanam opportunities to turn to sources ofdeep inspiration and spiritualnourishment. This can be in the formof attending parikramas to various

holy places, or attending festivals,seminars, retreats, kirtan melas and

holy name retreats.Some years ago I had introduced theBhakti Sangam festival in mypreaching zones of Nepal andBangladesh, and recently also inScandinavia. My inspiration for this isthe wonderful annual Bhakti Sangam inUkraine, which HH Niranjana Swamihas been hosting for more than tenyears.

For three to five days hundreds and

thousands of devotees come together,and sannyasis and preachers aregiving their association in the form ofseminars during the day and kirtansin the evenings.

In this regard Srila Prabhupada gives avery clear instruction to us in thepurport to Caitanya CaritamritaMadhya 3.203: "If one has the propermeans and wealth, he shouldoccasionally invite the devotees of

Lord Caitanya who are engaged inpreaching all over the world and holda festival at home simply bydistributing prasadam and talkingabout Krsna during the day andholding congregational chanting forat least three hours in the evening.This procedure MUST be adopted inall centers of the Krsna consciousnessmovement."

Such annual events can become a

regular source of inspiration andnourishment for devotees' bhakti lata

If the leaders

of our

movement

don't receive

such ongoing

nourishment,

then their

spiritual

advancement

will be choked

and become

stagnant.

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to healthily develop and flourish,and they help us to come to deeperlevels of spiritual understandingand practice.

For leaders it might be nice to alsoattend such festivals in other yatras,

where they will not be burdenedwith managerial and organizationalmatters, but simply can sit back andpeacefully attend all programs andassociate with devotees and otherleaders.

With this vision Srila Prabhupadaalso started the annual Mayapurfestival, and he always encouragedthe leaders and devotees alike toattend it regularly, comparing it to

the importance of eating. Withouttaking regular food we cannot benourished, healthy and strong.

I have also introduced regular HolyName Retreats in Ukraine, theBaltics, Bangladesh and Nepal. HolyName Retreats can have a very deepand life-changing effect on our heart,and participating devotees are givenan opportunity to reform theirchanting habits and are thus brought

to deeper levels of chanting the holyname.

Ultimately here lies the source of all

spiritual strength: the holy name! Ifwe develop our relationship with theholy name, then everything else willfollow.

Nevertheless, this will not comeautomatically we have to sincerely

endeavor for it: "yatantas ca drdha-vratah"(Gita 9.14).

Leaders sometimes tend to believethey don't have time to attend suchnourishing events, thinking thattheir duties and responsibilities areso pressing and thus more important.This is a very short-term vision. Longterm they gain immensely by puttingsuch regular breaks into their lives,and the devotees serving under their

guidance will be better cared for andthus happily serving with heart andsoul.

Another immensely importantelement of care for leaders is the needfor confidential relationships withequals and seniors.

Leaders often find themselves in thesituation where they are onlysurrounded by juniors who look up tothem. As a result they are somewhat

alone at the top of the pyramid, whichis always a dangerous and unprotectedsituation.

The bigger a weight a leader iscarrying, the easier he can be thrownoff balance, especially if he does nothave the spiritual support throughconfidential and trusting friendshipswith equals and seniors.

Jiva Goswami explains in Madhava

Mahotsava the importance of deeprelationships: "Though one usuallyignores others in attaining one'sgoals, those aspiring for premaaccept dependence on others withsimilar goals and tastes. Thus,cooperating with each other, theyworked together keeping in mind thegoal of prema."

Within spiritual culture, deep andmeaningful relationships lead tointernal dependence on one another,which is of great support andinspiration and adds a special

Long termthey gain

immensely by

putting such

regular breaks

into their lives,

and the

devoteesserving under

their guidance

will be better

cared for and

thus happily

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sweetness to one's internal life. It is aloving exchange.

In this regard we have the example inSri Caitanya Caritamrta, whereMahaprabhu requests Raghunath DasGoswami to serve under the care ofSvarupa Damodara. This clearlyillustrates how even eternal associatesof the Lord seek and relish suchrelationships.

Furthermore, as long as we havematerial attachments and desires inour heart, our vision of ourselves andothers is easily clouded, and wecannot really assess ourselvesobjectively. Having to meet certainmanagerial goals can further cloud

our vision of a situation.

Therefore it is a very importantprinciple of brahminical culture tohave an aloof brahminical advisor, amentor and guide who is our bestfriend and well-wisher and helps us tosee things clearly and thus to act forthe true benefit of everyone.

Srila Prabhupada expresses this verywonderfully in the purport to SrimadBhagavatam 2.7.9: "The brahmanas,by their learned labor of love, wouldinstruct the administrator kings how torule the country in complete righteous-ness, and thus the process would go onas a perfect welfare state."

Prabhupada chooses an unusualcombination of words describing theservice of the brahmanas: "learnedlabor of love". It shows how such analoof advisor has to be experienced,learned and wise, willing to work

hard by sacrificing himself, and howthe foundation of his service is purelove.

No matter on which level of spiritualadvancement a devotee may be, suchaloof brahminical advisors are of thegreatest importance in providingongoing nourishment and care.

To receive the mercy of a Vaisnavameans to attract his interest in our

spiritual development that he iswilling to sacrifice himself in order to

assist us in our spiritual progress.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatiexpressed his desire as follows: "Iwish that every selfless, tender-hearted person of the Gaudiya Mathawill be prepared to shed two hundredgallons of blood for the nourishmentof the spiritual corpus of everyindividual of this world."

Furthermore, in the Garuda Purana itis stated: "One cannot be liberatedwithout association of a pure devotee

of the Lord. And unless one showsmercy to those in an inferior position,one's life will be superficial."

Thus we can understand that givingand accepting shelter and guidance isthe foundation of Vaisnava relation-ships and the basis of spiritual care.

And if our leaders are able to applythis most important aspect ofbrahminical culture by accepting theguidance of an aloof brahminicaladvisor, then we will have a chancefor ISKCON to be organized incomplete righteousness, and thus theprocess will go on as a perfectspiritual organization based on thetopmost welfare.

The bigger a

weight a leader

is carrying, the

easier he can be

thrown off

balance,especially if he

does not have

the spiritual

support

through

confidential

and trustingfriendships

with equals and

seniors.

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Devaki Devi Dasi is serving asCo-Manager in ISKCON Dhaka/Bangladesh. She is an active

member of the Devotee CareCommittee.


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equal association?

1) Challenge of getting exposed:

We all have a dark side to ourpersonality. It is very difficult to haveour weak areas exposed in front of

our equals. We start thinking, whatwill they think of me? Will I lose allrespect? Bhagavad-gita says, Forone who is respected, gettingdisrespected is worse than death!

2) Challenge of humility:

Our humility is challenged when itcomes to seeking guidance from ourequals. The false ego creates achallenge. How can I submit and take

guidance from my equals?!3) Challenge of familiarity:

Familiarity breeds contempt. It isdifficult to respect someone whenyou know too much about him/her. Itis challenging to still respect equalsin spite of hearing their revelations ofdeep material conditioning.

There are many more

challenges, but the benedictionsare far more fascinating thanthese challenges.

1) Benediction of support: Byassociating with the equals, wedevelop a sheltering support system.We can always depend and fall backon this support system in times ofphysical, mental, social, and spiritualchallenges.

2) Benediction of advice:As equalsreveal their hearts to each other andseek solutions, they get a lot ofpractical advice and understandingon how others dealt with a similarsituation.

3) Benediction of bonding: If wehave strong bonds with devotees, wewill not leave devotional life in spiteof being put in challenging

situations. They will act as the life-saving rope to save us from

drowning in the turbulent waters ofmaterial existence.

How to associate with

equals?

There are two activities amongst

equals:

1) Activities of bonding: Based onSrila Rupa Goswami's principle of

dadati pratigrihnati

guhyam akhyati pricchati

bhunkte bhojayate caiva

shad-vidham priti-lakshanam.

Sharing of the heart, sharing of maha-

prasada, giving and receiving gifts andadvicethese activities make thebond of friendship stronger.

2) Activities for advancement:As perthe Bhagavad-gita 10.9, devoteesderive great satisfaction and bliss fromalways enlightening one another andconversing about Krishna. Thisincludes sharing the nectar of krsna-katha and Srimad Bhagavat with each

other. These are and should be theactivities amongst equals. There is noroom for prajalpa and loose talks.

Importance of equal associationshown by HH Sridhar SwamiMaharaja:

While Maharaja was very sick and inhis last days staying at SridhamaMayapur, there was a notice at hisentrance door that said, Devotees are

requested to come to meet between 4p.m. and 6 p.m. only. Godbrothers andGodsisters allowed anytime. This wasthe importance he gave to equalassociation.

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Sridama Das is a senior grhasthacounselors at ISKCON Chowpattyand a member of the Devotee Care

Committee.

Familiarity

breeds

contempt. It is

difficult to

respect

someone when

you know too

much about

him/her. It is

challenging to

still respect

equals in spite

of hearing their

revelations of

deep material

conditioning.


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...contd. from page 19 situated, but KardamaMuni was not emaciated, for he had seen theSupreme Personality of Godhead face to face.

Here the word snigdhapangavalokanat meansthat he was fortunate enough to see the SupremeLord face to face. He looked healthy because hehad directly received the nectarean soundvibrations from the lotus lips of the Personality ofGodhead. Similarly, one who hears thetranscendental sound vibration of the holy nameof the Lord, Hare Krsna, also improves in health.We have actually seen that many brahmacaris andgrhasthas connected with the InternationalSociety for Krishna Consciousness haveimproved in health, and a luster has come to their

faces. (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.21.45-47)From the ayurvedic point of view, the essence ofthe body's immune system is called ojas. Ojas isperceivable in a healthy body as the body's glow.It is depicted in as a halo in some religioustraditions. Our immune system supports thebody's ability to maintain its necessaryphysiological functions and adapt to the stressesof an ever-changing world and environment. Ojasis created from the essence of the reproductivesystem, which is formed by proper digestion of

food by the other dhatus or physiologicalsystems. Ojas maintains the subtle energieswithin the body such as tejas and prana.

These energies support the vital functions of thebody. Ojas is dissipated from the body by mentalanxiety and discharge of the body's reproductivefluids. The dissipation of ojas from the bodyresults in, amongst other things, a lack of

concentration, poor digestion, andpoor immune response. The foodthat we eat generally takes about

45 days to transform fromplasma to blood to other

bodily forms to finally ojas. However, there isone food, milk, which if properly digestedwithin a day is transformed into ojas.

There is another way that ojas can bereplenished, that is by meditation. The bestmeditation is on the names, forms, qualities,

associates, and pastimes of the Supreme Lord.By proper sadhana one can fix the mind withdevotion on Lord Sri Krishna and come underthe internal potency of the Lord. A sidebenefit of such concentration on the Supremeis the formation of the energy of ojas, which ifmaintained by a regulated life, assures properhealth.

On the other hand, if one is not inclined to performregulated sadhana in Krishna consciousness, it willbe extremely difficult to avoid the influence of

worldly association. Such worldly association tendsto draw out and bring to the surface of ourconsciousness our dominant memories and desiresfrom our previous activities, both in this life and inprevious lives. Without the higher taste of Krishnaconsciousness it is likely that we will becomeattached to ideas of material enjoyment or theanxieties of material suffering. Such attachment tomaterial ideas and desires leads us to materialactivities and the loss of spiritual discrimination.These in turn lead to irregular habits that decreaseour health.

Srila Prabhupada writes in the SrimadBhagavatam: In Kali-yuga, the duration of life isshortened not so much because of insufficient foodbut because of irregular habits. By keeping regularhabits and eating simple food, any man canmaintain his health. Overeating, over-sensegratification, overdependence on another's mercy,and artificial standards of living, sap the veryvitality of human energy. Therefore the duration oflife is shortened. (SB 1.1.10)

The conclusion is that the more we engage inregulated spiritual activities in Krishnaconsciousness, the more we become purified of thetendency to want to control and enjoy materialnature.

Such purification helps us come to the spiritual levelof consciousness where everything necessary for ourdevotional service is provided for us by the SupremeLord, including material health.

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Prahladanandan Swami, a Guru and GBC, heads

the ISKCON Health ministry.

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Spiritual(Soul)

Emotional(Mind

Intelligence & Ego)

Physical

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Social(Community)


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1. Care givers should be available to every devotee At a certain level of community size, create a team of care-givers. Train them in

psychological care, emotional intelligence, empathic listening, conflict resolution,identifying nature required for engaging in each vara/rama etc

Arrange for the care-givers to receive training from devotee specialists. Arrange for all devotees to attend seminars on aspects of emotional care Arrange for specialists to give counseling for difficult cases.

2. Acknowledge good service During the Sunday programs make announcements appreciating the special

services of devotees, in particular those that do behind the scenes work, those whogive devotee care, and those who exhibit specific Vaiava qualities

Announce any preaching news or events of the week

3. All members are worthy of being respected and honored

Welcome newcomers in public, wish and pray for those celebrating birthdays or otheranniversaries, ask for prayers or assistance for the sick devotees

4. Emotional care is being provided in the existing systems of spiritual development: Counseling system Bhakti Vriksa Nama-hatta Different sat-sanga groups

5. Emotional care (care about mind) can be given through, relationship, sadacar and

counseling.

6. Emotional care expands when it comes to congregation.Example: taking care of oppressed / beaten wives

7. Organize regular spiritual tours.

Guidelines & Best Practices

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Recently I witnessed a dramatic storythat illustrates the importance ofcaring for devotees and cultivatingtrusting relationships.

It so happened that in one ISKCON

temple some money (which had beendonated to the Deities) and gold wasstolen from the head pujari's locker. Itwas not a small amount, and devoteeswere somewhat shocked and puzzledas to who could have taken it.

On the following day, some of the gold and cashreappeared in the same room where it haddisappeared, and announcements were maderequesting the offender to return the rest of theLakshmi.

We were reminded that even Lord Brahmasometimes gets bewildered and steals Krishna'scalves and cowherd friends, and the way to rectifythe offence is by returning the stolen property andhumbly begging for forgiveness at the feet of theVaisnavas.

Some days went by, but the missing Lakshmi didnot appear.

Thus one senior devotee from another yatra wasrequested to come and help detect the thief. He

knows the mysterious art of chanting mantras tosome fine raw rice grains. Then everybody has tochew this raw rice into a liquid paste, and theperson who is the thief will not be able to do it.Everybody participating in the test will have to spitthe chewed rice on a plate, and the judges willexamine the result. The thief's rice will be hard andvery dry it will not be possible for him to turn itinto a liquid paste.

One morning at 6 a.m., we assembled in a roomdesignated for the detective experiment, and we

started doing the test with the pujaris first.And indeed, one of the pujaris could not chew it!

He tried a second time, andwhen spitting out thechewed rice on a plate it wascompletely hard and dry,whereas all the other

devotees made a liquidpaste.

The devotees present wereasked to leave the room,and one senior devotee

requested the suspected offender to hand over therest of the money.

And upon leaving the room, the suspect went to thebathroom and drank a little bottle of poison, determined toend his life.

He returned to his room, and within minutes somedevotees could detect a strong smell of poisoncoming from his mouth . . . We immediately rushedhim to the hospital . . .

Some boys stayed with him 24 hours a day.

During the first night at around 2 a.m., theoffender turned to his devotee companion and said:"I think I will leave within the next one or twohours. Please chant the Nrsimhadev prayers forme."

And they both chanted the prayers, followed byharinam kirtan, in the middle of the night . .

After a couple of days the devotee was releasedfrom the hospital and returned to the temple. Hewas still in a weak condition the doctors statedthat the poison he took was extremely dangerous,and if he had been admitted thirty minutes later hewould not have survived.

For the following days we simply tooknice care of him, not even addressingthe incident. We prepared special

prasadam for him, and spent timein his room chanting japa. 31

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Iarranged for one of those little boxes that playsPrabhupada chanting japa nonstop to be placed inhis room.

When I visited him for the first time, he broke outin tears upon seeing me, begging for forgivenessand mercy it was indeed a heart-moving

exchange.

I gave him a beautiful laminated picture of SrilaPrabhupada as a gift, which he gratefully accepted,picking up his beadbag and starting to chant japa.

Gradually he recovered. For some days he wasstill on heavy medications and slept a lot, allowinghis body and mind to detoxify.

I spent time chanting japa in his room, and hewould gratefully reciprocate by sitting up in hisbed and chanting as well.

We gave him a copy of Prabhupada Lilamrta, and hehappily started to read.

We made tasty oat porridges for him, which hegratefully accepted.

We placed the beautiful book "Krishna Darshan" athis bedside, and he would absorb his mind whilelooking at all the beautiful pictures of variousDeities from all around the world.

After some days, when I felt we had created atrusting atmosphere and environment, we talkedin confidence and he admitted his mistake andconfessed his reasoning and motives for hisactions. We met over several days, revealing ourminds and sharing thoughts and realizations.

And he shared what had happened during the firstnight in the hospital: two black creatures withhorns on their heads had come, trying to pick himup. One was standing at his foot end, and one nearhis head. They were very angry and ferociouslooking, and three times they were trying to touchhim in order to take

devotee care special issue

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