{"id":1074,"date":"2019-05-09T04:34:36","date_gmt":"2019-05-08T23:04:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/discoverursupersoul.com\/?p=1074"},"modified":"2019-05-09T04:34:36","modified_gmt":"2019-05-08T23:04:36","slug":"devotee-care-seminar-at-iskcon-kolkata","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/minivetsystem.com\/iskcon\/devotee-care-seminar-at-iskcon-kolkata\/","title":{"rendered":"Devotee Care Seminar at Iskcon Kolkata"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Almost around 12\nyears back when I was studying I had visited Iskcon Chowpatty, Mumbai, temple where\nI saw HG Radha Gopinath Prabhu. I had heard a lot about him so had the\ncuriosity to see him so I just started looking at him. Since he is tall so I\nhad to look up, he might have thought who is this person gazing at me so he\nlooked at me and I immediately put my eyes down. As he being very senior and a\nrole model for thousands of devotees I did not have the courage to go and speak\nto him personally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Later whenever I\nattended Kartik Yatra organized by Iskcon Chowpatty, Mumbai, I used to see him\nand once during Kartik Yatra in Mayapur I saw him and my spiritual master HH\nRadhanath Swami Maharaj speaking to each other intimately.  I was sitting little far and was observing\nthem although I could not hear anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is said that Krishna\nis merciful and he reciprocates with the desires of all living entities. I\nalways had this desire to associate with HG Radha Gopinath Prabhu closely and get\nhis personal guidance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So when I came to\nknow that there will be a four day \u2018Devotee Care\u2019 seminar in Kolkata and it\nwill be conducted by HG Radha Gopinath Prabhu then without giving it a second\nthought I immediately enrolled for it.  Out of four days two days were on weekdays\n(Thursday & Friday)  which is working\nday for me but still I decided to manage somehow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I was not\ndisappointed. During the seminar I got the association of Prabhuji, I even got\nan opportunity to have one to interaction and personal guidance from him. The\nseminar and his personal association cleared many of my misconceptions which I\nhad about the spiritual life.  He\nanswered almost all of my questions patiently and to my full satisfaction. He\nshared many real life cases where the devotees who have been practicing\ndevotional life feel tremendous challenges in their devotional journey. The\nproblem is not with the practice but incorrect or incomplete application of\ndevotional principles in our life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would like to share some of the principles and\nexamples he shared during the seminar and also when I had one to one\ninteraction with him.  This particular\nDevotee Care Seminar was mostly for the leaders and the care givers. The\npurpose of the course was to help leaders to equip themselves with certain\ntraits which would help him to provide care to the devotee community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However here my purpose is to discuss only those\npoints and examples which underlines why devotee care is must. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why the\nneed for Devotee Care?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

In the last 50 years of Iskcon history it has been\nobserved that the devotees in due course of time start facing challenges while\npursuing their devotional life.  This is\nthe reason why after being in Iskcon movement for several years many devotees\nfeel dissatisfied and in some cases devotees even quit Iskcon. Acknowledging\nthe gravity of the situation Iskcon leaders decided to do an exhaustive study to\nunderstand the needs and concern of the devotees. They even took help of\nexperts outside Iskcon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subsequently a \u201cDevotee Care Committee\u201d  was formed which came up with the vision and\nmission statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vision of\nDCC<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery devotee is spiritually happy and materially well-\nsituated, positively identifying with ISKCON as a caring Society. Each devotee\n(a) responsibly looks after his or her diverse needs (b) can easily and\nsuccessfully seek qualified help within society, and (c) wholeheartedly extends\nthat care to others.\u201d (Devotee Care Education, Student Handbook, Chapter: The\nMandate for Devotee Care, pg 10)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twelve\nareas of Devotee Care<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Twelve main areas where devotees need care were identified\n\u2013  Spiritual Life, Healthcare (Physical)\n& Healthcare (Mental\/Emotional), Marriage, Sex & Relationships, Child \u2013\nrearing and child \u2013 care, Education, Career and Employment, Financial, Housing,\nTravel and Immigration, Consumer and Lifestyle, Legal and civic, Mediation\nAdvice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When devotees across the world where consulted to\nidentify the three most important areas of Devotee Care out of twelve then 82%\nchoose Healthcare (Mental\/Emotional), 66% choose Education and 54% choose\nSpiritual Life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to lead a healthy spiritual life it is\nimportant that our physical, psychological, emotional and bodily needs are well\ntaken care. Else we may look externally healthy but internally we may be weak\nand any moment we may drop down like a dead tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A tree can withstand mighty storms only if it has deep\nand strong roots and its branches and stems are robust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Radha Gopinath Prabhu explained an important lesson\nwhich we can learn from the life of a tree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a tree roots are the most important because it\nholds the tree but so are branches and stems which provides stability to the\ntrees. And a tree without leaves, flowers or fruits is good for nothing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We should grow\nour spiritual roots<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spiritual practices like chanting the holy names,\nfollowing regulative principles, reading holy books are like growing the roots\nwhich strengthen our inner foundation and holds us strong.  A tree without roots won\u2019t survive similarly\na life which does not have deep spiritual roots will crumble down at the whiff\nof a wind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strive for Stability<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trunks, stems and branches give stability to the tree,\nit holds the tree firmly to the ground even during storms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly taking care of our physical, mental,\nemotional and financial needs provide stability to our material life. If our\nmaterial life is stable then without much anxiety we can utilize our energy in\npracticing devotional life.  Suppose that\nwe are suffering from stomachache, severe headache or fever then to chant the\nholy names of Krishna becomes difficult. If we are having relationship problems\nwith our spouse then we will constantly feel \nmiserable and it will affect our spiritual practices.  If we are not sincere in our jobs then we will\nbe a poor performer and will always fear losing job which again will affect our\nspiritual life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So we should proactively take care of our physical,\nemotional and financial needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Serve\nSelflessly <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The crown of the tree consisting of leaves, twigs,\nflowers and fruits serve the society selflessly. Similarly devotees should\nserve the society without any selfish motives as per the guidelines of holy\nbooks and holy sages. Flowers and fruits grow only on those trees which have\nstrong roots and branches. Similarly we can serve others properly only when we\nhave a strong spiritual foundation and a healthy body and mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But sometimes we see that some devotees say that you\ndon\u2019t have to put in much efforts Krishna will take care of everything.  Yes it is true Krishna always takes care of\neverything but he has also laid down the process by which things functions.  Krishna took care of Arjuna during the battle\nat Kurushetra but it was Arjuna who was shooting the arrows.   In\nthis world we cannot be passive we need to be proactive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes we find many examples in the scriptures where devotees\u2019\nneeds were automatically taken care by Krishna even when the devotees did not\ntry for it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example is of Srivas Thakura in Caitanaya lila. He\nused to clap three times and Krishna would arrange food for him. Kolavecha\nSridhar was oblivious to his bodily needs so was Jada Bharata. So how do we\nunderstand this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can a six month old child lift a one kg weight? No.\nBecause his muscles have not developed sufficiently. He may even break his\nbones while trying to lift the weight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So while taking any steps we first need to analyze our\nspiritual strengths and act accordingly and not just foolishly try to imitate\nthe footsteps of self-realized souls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Srivas Thakura, Kolavecha Sridhar, Jada Bharata and\nother great souls were absorbed in chanting and glorifying the Lord 24 hours a\nday. They did not bother about their worldly needs because they had transcended\nthe modes of material nature.  Can we\nartificially think that we are at that stage of bhakti and start imitating\nthem?  Rupa Goswami used to drink one\nteaspoonful of milk a day? Can we do so? Haridas Thakura lived with a snake in\na cave and chanted 192 rounds of Hare Krishna Mahamantra daily without even\nthinking of food, water and sleep. Can we do so? Obviously no. Then why to\nimitate them. Instead we should do things as per the instructions given by them\nto us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are nine stages of bhakti and most of us are\ncurrently stuck in anartha \u2013 nivritti stage i.e. we are trying to cleanse our\nhearts of the impurities like lust, greed, pride, anger, envy, illusion, false\nego. We need to understand that we are souls currently residing within a contaminated\nmaterial body and in the material world. In Bhagavad Krishna teaches how this\nmaterial world functions and how to take care of our gross and subtle body\nwhile living in this world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we try to portray ourselves as great souls then\ninternally we will always be miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miserable monk<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a celibate monk (brahmachari) living in a\ntemple. Before becoming a monk he had relationship with a girl and he had\ncommitted that he will marry her. But after he joined the temple as a monk the\ngirl asked him to fulfill his promise but the brahmachari was unwilling to do\nso. It was not that the brahmachari had lost attraction for the girl but he did\nnot want to accept that he still had attraction for the opposite sex. He tried\nhis best to not reveal his inner desire to others for several weeks but\ninternally he was torn apart, he was miserable. And one day in front of senior\nbrahmacharis he broke down and with tears in his eyes he accepted that he is\npretending that he has no liking for her. \nHe was advised to get married to her. It\u2019s not that he left devotional\nlife after getting married, in fact now as a householder he is practicing his\ndevotional life along with his wife with sincerity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It does not matter whether one is a householder or in\na renounced order of life if one is performing all his duties by keeping\nKrishna in the centre and is always absorbed in Krishna then his life is\nsuccessful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A brahmana\n& a prostitute <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a brahmana <\/a>and in\nfront of his ashram lived a prostitute. The brahmana hated the prostitute like\nanything. He would constantly look out of the window and count how many people\nare going in and coming out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand the prostitute would constantly\nthink that what abominable life she has to live because of her past sins. And\nshe had great respect for the brahmana. She would think how fortunate he is\nbecause he can always remain absorbed in chanting the holy names of the Lord.\nShe had a great desire to live a pure life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One day somehow both the brahmana and the prostitute\ndied.  So there came the Visnuduttas and\nYamaduttas. The brahmana thought that the Visnuduttas have come for him to take\nhim to the kingdom of God but he was surprised to see that the Visnuduttas went\ntowards the house of the prostitute and the Yamaduttas came to him.  Surprised, he asked the Yamaduttas – I was a\ncelibate monk engaged always in worshipping the Lord so the Visnuduttas should\nhave come for me and not you? For what sins I have to be punished?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Yamaddutas replied, \u201cAlthough externally you\nworshipped the Lord but your consciousness did not get purified because you\nwere not absorbed in serving the Lord but you foolishly meditated on the\nactivities of the prostitute and so you incurred sins for which you need to be\npunished. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prostitute although was leading a sinful life but\nshe always prayed to Lord to free her from all the sins. She had a deep desire\nto lead a pure life like you because she respected you. Although externally she\nwas forced to lead an abominable life but internally, she always remained\nabsorbed in meditating on the holy names of God which eventually purified her\nfrom all past sins. And since she had a great desire to be with the lord, to serve\nthe Lord, to be with the devotees of the Lord so the Visnuduttas, the servants\nof Lord Vishnu, have come to take her to the abode of Lord Vishnu. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Arjuna and\nDuryodhana were fighting and killing their opponents during the Kurushetra war.\n Externally both were engaged in similar\nactivities. But Arjuna was fighting to protect the dharma as per the guidance\nof Krishna while Duryodhana was doing it to fulfill his wanton desires. Arjuna\ngot the mercy of Krishna whereas Duryodhana had to suffer for his sins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So based on our psyhco physical nature we need to\nidentify our roles and responsibilities and then do our duty sincerely as per\nthe directive of the scriptures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We should ensure that while taking care of our\nphysical, emotional and financial needs we should not get obsessed with it so\nthat it starts affecting our spiritual life. The purpose of addressing our\nmaterial necessities is to make sure that we practice devotional life\nthroughout our life with sincerity else our life will be a waste. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seminar was interactive, it helped us to dive deep\ninto the subject matter to understand the needs of the devotees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have been associated with Iskcon for more than 14\nyears and I strongly feel that this seminar is a must for all the devotees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the devotees in due course of time develop\ngood philosophical understanding but how to implement the teachings of the\nscriptures in their lives based on time, place and circumstances is lacking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seminars like this equip us with sastric understanding\nwhich help us to practice devotion to Krishna and serve the mission of\nChaitanya Mahaprabhu. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Almost around 12 years back when I was studying I had visited Iskcon Chowpatty, Mumbai, temple where I saw HG Radha Gopinath Prabhu. I had heard a lot about him so had the curiosity to see him so I just started looking at him. Since he is tall so I had to look up, he… <\/p>\n

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