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Think Outside the Box; Empower versus comfort

May 1, 2008 - 8:12am — Sara Brett and ...

Hare Krishna.

I have the good God given fortune to work at a place that challenges staff and clients to think outside the box, to challenge our daily habits and routines, to do things consciously and with purpose, and to reach our human potential.

Lately we have been speaking about two things that make me think about Krishna consciousness and the way we practice it.

First, we are focusing on breaking out of routines, out of our daily little comfort box we live in, going to new places, meeting new people, trying new tasks, etc. There is a big world out there with unlimited possibilities if we put on our creative hats, but human beings have a tendency to get stuck in the comfort of routine.

So, the result of breaking out of our boxes has been great and quite healing and empowering for clients.

I think about life in Krishna consciousness and the boxes we can get trapped in—boxes like: Krishna consciousness is limited to a temple; Krishna consciousness is based upon the clothes we wear, putting on tilaka, and being part of a certain group or community; Krishna consciousness means gettting up at four, going to the morning program, chanting our rounds, doing whatever service the temple tells us to do, eating prasadam, and doing it all again the next day; harinam means leaving the temple in a group in a van at 5:00 pm on Friday night and going to the same location with the same instruments and clothes and routine; sankirtana means grabbing books and going to a certain street corner at a certain time; etc. etc. etc.

Don't get me wrong, all of these things are totally Krishna conscious, but could there be even more? Are we limiting the unlimited?

We may get so caught in these routines, we might fail to take a moment and reflect which practices are actually helping me and others become actually conscious of Krishna and advance in spiritual consciousness as shown by inner sympoms, versus which practices are not really helping me advance on an inner level but are just done out of habit or routine? Time, place, and circumstance is a hugely important part of spiritual life. Some ways we go about Krishna consciousness were established in the 1960's here in America, but times are a changing! What is actually necessary and helpful in our spiritual lives?

Harinam for example—let's try new locations, let's break up into small groups of four 's and each go on a mission somewhere and come back and discuss how it went; let's wear different clothes to mainstream the chanting, let's bring trumpet, banjo, guitar, electric piano, or whatever instruments we know how to play; let's dance a little wild; let's do the needful to inspire others all over the cities to take part in or appreciate the chanting!

Sankirtana—books can be distributed in unlimited ways

Lifestyle—preaching by example—how can one be Krishna conscious in any position in life, at any place, at any time—it's a matter of consciousness. Let others see how they can work, have family, study, do their hobbies, live their lives, but with Krishna in the forefront of their consciousness the whole time, and with Krishna the goal of it all. Like Arjuna the warrior, fighting, doing his natural dharma, in the service of the Lord. He was not spending tons of time at the temple, but he was fully engaged in the service of the Lord—there are many ways to serve God. (just as there are more than one way to eat a Reeses)

Schedule—one's health, work schedule, preaching schedule, etc., may not allow for a full morning program from 4:30–8:30 am, but it can be adjusted so that high quality prayerful rounds are still chanted, and morning prayers sung, etc.

The point is: let's challenge ourselves to think outside the box and be totally free and creative in our brainstorming of how to spread Krishna consciousness to others, be like undercover agents going out on a mission—somehow or other share these truths with others.

The second point we are working on at my place of employment is to empower clients rather than having staff do all the work while the clients are in the position of the helpless ones and we are the helpers. We are now encouraging clients to lead groups, teach classes, organize morning meetings, etc. Everyone is learning new skills and challenging themselves and breaking out of their comfort zone—it's scary as anything, but they are doing it, and if they can, so can we.

What are our comfort zones? Is it staying near the temple? Is it wearing certain clothes? Break out each day little by little—take fifteen minutes out to distribute some books—or if that is alreay a habit, try distributing in a new way. Find our fears and do it! Is teaching a class scary? Do it! Find a place to teach a class on meditation, organize a home group interfaith spiritual meeting, organize a "feed the homeless" community day and have everyone come help distribute prasadam, sit down with a stranger at the temple restaurant, try something new!

Then as for empowerment, instead of having the same people teach the classes each week, lead the kirtana each night or day, give many a chance! It's great for everyone—those who get a turn learn something new and get a chance to serve, and those who resign their class or kirtana get to experience being on the side of listener, or participant, or student and see others flourish.

Have a woman lead mangal arati—why not? What's the worst that could happen? Hmmm.... maybe we'll see each other as souls rather than bodies—is that so bad? Maybe some ladies will get a turn to use their talents in the service of the Lord—is that so bad?

Have a new bhakta give a class sharing how he came to Krishna consciousness and his realizations so far, have a congregational member give a Sunday Feast class—get everyone involved so the community flourishes and everyone takes an active role!

Anyway, at my job it's working so far, and very exciting —it's forward thinking, it's not getting stuck in habit, routine, and comfort, but being willing to experiment, open our hearts, and try something new and let Krishna's inspiration flow through our hearts into the world!

Who's in? Temple authorities? Please please please? Anyone else?

Hare Krishna!

 

Comments

May 1, 2008 - 9:35am — phani

boxes can be useful at times...

that's a nice article and i took the liberty to publish it on the front page of namahatta.org. as long as we sit inside of a tightly closed box we'll miss many opportunities to preach to people who happen to live in different boxes, and perhaps even miss the purpose of the whole exercise, if we mistake our box to be the final goal.

also the examples you quote make sense: sometimes it can be detrimental to follow some standared routine, in spite of living in a situation that would benefit from a different schedule.

still, there are good reasons for standard routines like getting up before brahma-muhurta, performing japa and puja first thing in the morning, and wearing vaisnava dress and tilaka. your article sounds a bit too enthusiastic, in my opinion, to do away with all types of 'boxes.'

devotees new to krsna consciousness, or still immature with their intelligence prone to be misled by mind and senses, might easily take this as an excuse to do away with all types of routines they don't understand or appreciate at the time. the whole process of sadhana bhakti, after all, could be called a 'box' into which the rebellious mind is forced in order to learn to appreciate krsna again.

it's certainly necessary to keep adjusting our preaching approach if we want to bring krsna consciousness to as many people as possible, preferably all, regardless of their various situations, the respective boxes they happen to live in. but we have to be careful to keep the essential ingredients of our philosophy intact while doing so--a process that requires maturity, knowledge, and realization.

as far as adjusting one's own sadhana is concerned i'd like to repeat that there are good reasons for the rules srila prabhupada established. they are not limited to the 1960's, nor any particular culture or country. following these rules is not the goal in itself, of course, and they can be adjusted according to one's particular situation. but especially new devotees should do this under the guidance of someone with more experience--a formal guru or siksa-guru, counselor, or a devotee they trust to advise them according to their real needs.

your servant, phanisvara das

May 1, 2008 - 10:26am — phani

Reply from Bhn. Sara:

Hare Krishna.
Thank you.
First, it's funny because I was wanting to write this for the namahatta web page, but had not been successful in posting there last time I tried, so figured to just do it here, but Krishna works in mysterious ways. :) Amazing!!

Second, I agree what you say to a large extent, and I go sometimes far in the liberal direction. Even for good health regulation is important, rising early, etc. what to speak of for spiritual health. It is a science. I agree especially in the beginning of our KC life. And if our mind, health, etc. is good, we can also be of better service to others.

A foundation and basic routine is very good, but main point was just not to get stuck in it, or too overly attached to it to the point of not being open to try something new, or not being willing to reach out and help others because we are so stuck on our own routine.

The mission is to preach, and for preaching sake, adjustments can be made, and a center created of spiritual education that practices KC in a way people of the west in the year 2008 can totally relate to - meditation, reincarnation, karma, vegetarianism, kirtana, etc these are all popular things, but people get scared by "religiousness" "cultishness" and "sectarianism" so in order to teach the essence we may have to adjust the externals so they feel comfortable enough to come and learn is all.

Thanks for the comment, I do need to work on regualation myself, so thanks for the positive encouragement!!!

I really appreciate your comment, thanks again.

Hare Krishna,
Your servant,
bhn Sara

May 3, 2008 - 12:17pm — bhn sara (not verified)

Thank you Prabhu for your

Thank you Prabhu for your comment. I appreciate your concern and things you say.

Let me just clarify - I write in some extremes and overenthusiastic to prove a point, but I probably don't mean it as extreme as it may sound. I'll clarify here the overall point.

The main point is that from my personal experience, as well as what I have read in sastra, a big part of Krishna Consciousness is about sharing Krishna with others according to our capacity. Of course Krishna is pleased by our loving mood and many other things too whether we are big preachers or not, but we are a preaching movement and there are many creative ways to spread Krishna's holy name that don't fit in the box and may require experimenting and trying new things - within healthy limits!!! That's all I meant - that we get in habits and routines and comfortable with them, but let's just challenge ourselves to be creative and experiment - within healty boundaries of course!! Also we may focus on externals and feeling part of a group, and wearing certain clothes, etc but really Krishna is non sectarian and with everyone at every moment of their lives and it's just about awakening this awareness of Him through chanting and hearing about Him wherever we may be.

I have lived in temples where everything is strict and regulated, at a preaching center where things were a bit more liberal, I have lived near a temple, and far away from a temple, have gotten up early trying to be regulated, and have had periods of distribution of prasadam late at night which led to sleeping in later. From my personal experience, and I cannot speak for all, my happiest times and times I feel closest to Krishna as far as my limited understanding of what it means to feel close to Krishna is, were times when sharing Krishna with others was the focus more than keeping everything in my own life perfect just for me - then my heart gets very closed - but both need to be there - our own practice and then preaching! but without the preaching I just feel like I have the greatest gift, and I am keeping it all to myself, and it does not feel right!! But as you suggest, saddhana is so important too and without that, the preaching often becomes weaker and mind gets confused!

In sum, i was not suggesting to change everything and throw out the old completely, but to use some intelligence and creativitiy to rack our brains how to best reach others and teach them spiritual knowledge rather than just keeping on the same out of habit without checking in how it is working.

For example, today we went to a new city where Krishna Consciousness is not so well known. I felt there wearing regular clothes and presenting books as a non sectarian book of knowledge would be effective. When I am near the temple where many people know and love the temple restaurant and gift shop, I feel ok saying I am from the temple and if you like the food, etc. well, why not try to read a book about it. At work when I teach meditation I present the maha mantra in a mix with other mantras meant to be healing and to help one feel at peace, versus when at a kirtana workshop we can teach it more directly that it is names of God chanted for devotion.

The main point is that the holy name is so powerful and important that we can do what it takes to teach it to others - and consider the times we live in, people's mindsets, people's lifestyle, etc and without making totally drastic changes, just use a little thoughtfulness to decide how to best teach to whoever is in our current audience. That might mean wearing western clothes, it might mean opening a yoga studio and teaching chanting at the end, it might mean teaching an art class and bringing in paintings of Krishna, it might mean being a nanny and cooking prasadam for the children, it might mean teaching an aerobics class and playing kirtana music in the background, it might mean creating a schedule of saddhana that a full time working mother can practically follow. - there are unlimited ways to teach others to chant and the writing was intended to just say that we need not limit it to a certain box but explore other options within healthy and safe boundaries with intelligence not just whimsically!!

Ok, I hope the clarifies a little.
Thanks again for the comment
Hare Krishna.

May 3, 2008 - 9:55pm — Sri Kisore Das (not verified)

Yes, Sadhana cannot be sacrificed...

Haribol,

Happy to read you comment on my reply.

I agree that to the new people, it is very important for us to be casual, dressed as karmis, neo-style preaching methods, etc.

But at the same time we should have super attachment to our sadhana. A couple programs a week might make us stay up late, and we might need to sleep in the next day. That's totally fine for preaching. But the question is, do we take rest early for the remaining days when there are no programs? Do we strive to get up early and chant our rounds for the remaining days? That is the question we have to ask ourselves. By nature, we like staying up late and in times when there is no spiritual/devotional obligation, we have a nature to find out some service which we can do in the night, which could be very well done the other day, and justify staying up late.

If we have late night programs every night of the week, then we are committing devotional suicide.

"Krsna se tomara, krsna dite para, Tomara sakati ache" - "Because Krishna is yours, you can give Him to others, that is your power."

So we can give Krishna only if we have Him. Like a battery, no matter how enthusiastic it is to serve the mobile phone to keep it running, It has to stop and charge. Only then it can serve next day again.

So our sadhana is our recharging process, we recharge ourselves with Krishna to give Him to others. Failure in recharging might lead to total discharge. Like the sponge and water analogy.

So the only thing I am saying is sadhana is first priority and then distributing Krishna, We cannot give what we don't have.

Any service that kills your basic sadhana for a long enough time is 'prayas' (atyahara prayasas ca prajalpo niyamagraha). So we should be weary to discriminate between service and prayas (over-endeavor).

What happens to an enthusiastic preacher with a low sadhana? He/she brings in souls into Krishna Consciousness up to a point and then when they come, He/she doesn't know where to lead them to because he has not explored KC any further. The new devotees are hungry for more, but he/she doesn't have anything. Then comes the whole saga of hypocrisy. I have seen practical examples of this in my life.

And we want new people to perform and lead because we are out of our KC stuff. Its like after 3 days of hearing the Bhagawatam, Pariksit Maharaj says to Sukadeva Goswami, "Enough. Now let me speak and you see how it feels to be the listener." That's weird. Personalities like Lord Siva heard from Sukadeva Goswami for all 7 days. jei Krsna tattva vetta sei guru hoy. A good student in a course of time will be come a good teacher. It is not wise to push a learner to be come a teacher prematurely.

This analysis of the source and motivation of our ideas has to be made. To a sincere asker, Krishna in the heart will answer these questions. Thorough study of Srimad Bhagawatam and Sri Caitanya Caritamrita will reveal the right mindset. Is my mind trying to cheat me in avoiding my sadhana in the name of service and distribution of Krishna's message? Do I have to be a spiritual martyr (one who loses his/her devotional service) in trying to spread the Holy name? Did the Lord design the mission in that way? These questions have to be asked.

So my point is, that neo-style preaching is not the issue here. The issue is putting service ahead of sadhana. Putting discharge ahead of recharge. Like the Goose who gave golden eggs. A healthy goose will give big eggs. Ignore the goose and there will be no eggs. (Only an analogy, not to be confused with promoting consumption of eggs)

Hope this helps. Sorry again if I caused offenses.

Keep up the good effort. Take Krishna and Give Krishna.

Yours, in the service of Srila Prabhupada,
dasosmi
sri kisore das

May 1, 2008 - 7:28pm — Sri Kisore Das (not verified)

Not very logical..

Hare Krishna,

I highly appreciate the mood in which the article has been written. In my understanding the mood is of a budding devotee who wants to see Krishna Consciousness popular in every town and village. All glories to that mood, be cause it is in line with the mood of all the Acaryas.

As a new devotee, we all have been through this mood and tried to make our Krishna consciousness more liberal. There are, but, some things we have to remember. Like every complicated science, Krishna Consciousness has some axioms. e.g. Microbiology can only be studied with a microscope. No one can reject the microscope and claim to have learned micro-organisms.

Similarly, an Acarya, seeing the fallen state of the people in general, adjusts the strictures of the process of Krishna Consciousness so that people can follow if the give the required time, effort and consciousness for it.

Srila Prabhupada, reduced the number of rounds from 64 to 16 for us, he did not have very strict rules for prasadam cooking and distribution that the Honorary Gaudiya Matha of our dear Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada follows. This he did for us.

But every good achievable has a price to it. We have to discipline ourselves and work hard for 4 years under strict schedules to get a college degree. That degree becomes useless after we die, we have to start again from kindergarten.

But Krishna Consciousness is a permanent degree. Pulls us out of the cycle of birth and death. To think that we will get it in an effortless way is naive. Another way to look at it is that; If I am getting something that is so special, the it is worth every drop of sweat I drip for it.

Srila Prabhupada said that Krishna consciousness was simple. He never meant it was easy. Simple means anyone can decide to follow and commit to practice it without any special qualification. But it never meant that it would be effortless.

Prabhupada said to one disciple who came running to him saying, "Srila Prabhupada, Devotional life is so difficult". Prabhupada replied, "Yes, but material life is impossible."

So we should not, in our misunderstanding, try to make the process effortless. The process is blissful in its effortful way, but we are trying to make is happy in a mundane sense. In that we try to keep its real bliss from touching the people who are trying to practice it.

When Kaliyuga needs another modification in the process, Krishna will send another of His dear Acarya. Until them we should learn to submit to the path drawn by Srila Prabhupada.

The concept of empowerment by submission is greatly lost when independent process formation comes in play. All that remains is a strife to produce results with our personal effort because the empowerment from the parampara is lost.

Creative techniques in preaching, book distribution, harinam, etc. are not discouraged. Time place circumstances do play a part, but we should know after serving a sincere authority for a long enough time, and after receiving his/her blessings to do something new should we attempt to use our mind, because then it has become humble. All the acaryas have shown this by example. Waiting for the instruction to come. Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami practiced devotional service in the same way without much variety for 90+ years until he got the instruction to write Caitanya Caritamrita.

Thus he exemplifies the process of waiting for instruction. Because in instruction, comes empowerment. We have many examples where devotees have tried new things and just to show results have put personal endeavors to an extent that they lost their sadhana, their 4 principles, just to prove their point.

Please forgive me for any offenses I caused in writing this feedback, but I love the mood of "prithivite nagaradi asamudra nada-nadi sakale lohe krishna nama". Please keep this mood burning and serve the process. If you respect the process and understand its importance, everyone looking at you will also appreciate it. We just have to see the mercy with which the process has been made simple for Us. And what promise does the process have. I heard in a Karmi seminar once "If people see the promise, they are ready to pay the price". "There are no free lunches."

As Morpheus told Neo in the Matrix "I didn't say it would be easy Neo, I just said it would be t he truth."

Krishna Consciouness can be something like that sometimes. Put bliss ahead of happiness. Think of a long Govardhana Parikrama on a sunny day to think of bliss. And a smile will come on our sweaty face.

Thank you very much.

Your servant,
Sri Kisore Das

May 5, 2008 - 4:19am — bhn sara (not verified)

hare krishna.Ok my last

hare krishna.
Ok my last point on this one is I agree to the importance of saddhana totally.

But the point of saddhana is to come to a stage of more spontaneous service. Now I know that cannot be faked or that we should not become a sahajiya, but the process Srila Prabhupada gave us is there for reason - he knows by sincere service to Krishna we can all come to know of our eternal relationhip with Him - a loving relatiionship that we can experience while here on earth.

An example I can give is of a mother with a bunch of sons - some are home and some have left home. Some who stay at home try very hard to keep everything at home very regulated and peaceful -a nice envirnoment for the mother with everything done right one time scheduled, regulated, routine. A few other sons are so sad that some of their brothers have left home, and their "devotinal service" to mom is to expend all their energy, as much as possible, on a mission to find the lost sons and return them back home. What is real love - what pleases the mother more?

Working for Krishna is the same as chanting Hare Krishna - I read quotes from Prabhupada when we type for Krishna or do preaching work, or any work if the motivation is for Krishna it is like chanting. Versus someone could chant mechanically for years without full heart and consciousness and not achieve the desired result. Mechanical regulated saddhana is great to a point, but what about living our lives dedicated to the mission of the spiritual master - the mission - to bring others to the fortunate point of knowledge we have come to - this is living in service and is as good as being in the spiritual world when every action is performed in the service of the Lord with consciousness, and intelligece, versus just routine of ok time to wake up, ok time to chant, ok time to read, without being aware of the world around us and doing the needful to push on the mission. the gopis were not worried about themselves when they gave Krishna the dust from their feet - let us go to hell for Krishna - others were so caught up in the rules they could not do it - but the point is if krishna wants it, we do it - that is love. And Krishna wants that every soul come back to Him.

Extreme, maybe - my mind tends to think in extremes, but anyway, life is short - why not give as much energy as we can to this sankirtana movement.

hare krishna.

May 6, 2008 - 11:36pm — Sri Kisore Das (not verified)

Please consult an advanced devotee....

Haribol,

I am very happy to hear your desire to serve in Gopi bhava.

I heard once that Sriman Prahlad Maharaj was tortured in deadly ways, in horrific conditions, even when he was 5 years old and still all the demons could not get him off of his single pointed attention on Lord Narayan. Still he is in shanta-rasa (the neutral mellow). On the other hand we could be in temple full of devotees, the speaker speaking Krishna katha, beautiful deities in front of us, and one mosquito bites, and all our attention is off of Krishna and onto the mosquito. And we want to become gopis. I didn't mean to be strong, but this the truth.

If possible, please try to consult a stable, non-controversial and advanced vaisnava devotee about your ideas. Knowing that he/she has achieved the tinge of Love for Krishna that you so eagerly want to achieve in your life, I think they will be more than happy to guide and energize you towards the destination you want to reach.

May Sri Sri Radha Krishna protect you in all your devotional endeavors. You will surely reach your goal with this enthusiasm, confidence and patience.

your servant,
Sri Kisore Das

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