namahatta.org - Congregational Development Ministry

Thank you very much, Kaunteya prabhu, for this article. While reading it I felt a strong urge to comment.

It seems that you want to encourage us to give more donations to ISKCON temples and projects. I honostly feel that the topic you are adressing here includes many other aspects that have not been mentioned in your aricle. In this coherence I want to thank Prema Padmini prabhu for posting the following principles of an effective temple in the Congregational Preaching journal, April 2002.

She writes: "An effective Temple is:

• "One which does not have congregational preaching among other things but considers congregational preaching the main reason for its existence. It focuses on cultivating and preaching to the congregation and trying to adapt itself to the needs of the community, in order to effectively market Krishna consciousness. Rather than being introverted and distant, it welcomes visitors and treats them as part of the big family of Srila Prabhupada.
• "One which does not function beaurocratically but with the aim to draw the souls to Krishna Consciousness. That is the pimary goal of an effective temple.
• "One which takes the initiative to build up good public relations for ISKCON and does not just wait for things to happen from the top leadership. People judge everything by ones actions. So, if a temple is doing a lot of selfless service to the community, they are automatically loved and respected.
• "One which recognizes that everyone can be empowered in the service of Lord Gauranga. It does not have to only depend on official posts and titles.
• "One which takes the time to train its members both residents as well as congregational devotees in services and preaching and encourages new ideas and initiatives taken by them. Within the parameters of proper behavior outlined by them, the members are allowed to work independently. The temple does not have a controlling attitude but the attitude of engaging people in service to Lord Krishna.
• "One which wants to expand its services more and more and seeks avenues to do so for the spiritual upliftment of society.
• "One which deals amicably with everyone and does not feel threatened if somebody has different ideas. It has different seminars, discussions and meetings and training programs to promote an atmosphere of working together harmoniously and contributing for a common cause of dynamic and effective preaching.
• "One which does not promote elitism and does not think it unnecessary to mingle with the congregational members thinking them to be inferior. It does not tolerate a feeling of us and them, but considers everyone to be devotees in the path of Krishna Consciousness, capable of all the spiritual advancements of a temple devotee and so helps them come up in their Krishna Consciousness.
• "One which promotes values of service mindedness, humility, sincerity, etc. in all the people and keeps away all kinds of politics from entering it.
• "One which has a broad vision of what is good for the temple in the long run and does not just see to its immediate needs. An example is to putting in effort to develop and cultivate the congregation which yields all positive results for the temple, rather than just exploit them for funds for some immediate benefit and burn them out and thus losing them forever."

So far, the principles that are mentioned in CPJ, April 2002 by Prema Padmini prabhu.

I personally think that before pointing out to the congregation that they should be financially more generous and give more donations, any temple should make sure that the above mentioned principles are successfully implemented because a congregation that feels lovingly cared for will naturally reciprocate with that kind of loving care. But a congregation that does not feel cared for or has lost trust and faith in the local leadership will most likely withdraw their financial support from the temple.

I appreciate very much Kalakantha prabhus eight noble truths of fundraising that he teaches in his fundraising seminar, because they show how much fundraising and congregational preaching are connected with each other.

Kaunteya prabhu writes:

"Givers feel rich, free and generous. They know they are making a difference and touch peoples lives."

Maybe this applies to countries or yatras where a caring culture or support systems for devotees are already successfully established. But in countries or yatras like ours where this is not yet done, money alone does not make a difference and touch peoples lives.

Otherwise why are so many devotees still suffering and leaving ISKCON?

I agree with you that everybody should give a proper donation for prasadam. But everything else that goes beyond of this depends so much on how healthy the relation between temple and congregation is. To ask people for donations whom we never cared for or we never showed the slightes interest in their spiritual challenges lasting for many years is like trying to harvest where we did not cultivate the seeds.

Every farmer knows that if the seeds that he has sowed do not get proper ongoing cultivation in form of water, sun, etc., if he does not plough the seeds or cultivate them on a regular basis, he will not get a good or rich harvest. It requires ongoing cultivation to get a rich harvest.

I remember a time when I was financially more generous towords local ISKCON temples. But where have all the local leaders been that I had served and given donations to in the past, when I was in biggest needs and troubles ? None ever phoned me up to ask me how I was doing. And I am by far not the only one who became disappointed in this regard.

Another point that we also have to take into consideration, at least here in Europe, is that even simple life has become very expensive. Many devotees have a low income and their monthly fixed costs just to maintain themselves are often far more than only 50 per cent of their net income.

In many cases if you have 25 percent left after paying all fixed costs, you can be glad. Just to go to the supermarket and buy healthy foodstuffs, rent a simple flat, paying the train tickets and everything has become expensive. Germany is not India! Even if we want to have sadhu sanga, we need to save money for traveling costs.

So far my answer to your question: "Can I afford not to give 50 percent?" We could also ask: "Can we afford not to care for the congregation and not to apply the above mentioned principles of an effective temple?"

We need to see both sides of the coin, not only one side.

Your servant,
Vaisnavi Rani d.d.