How the Counselor System can give proper

balance to a Yatra

Theme from last yearХ ISKCON is the sum of temples and

congregations that we can call the “community”.

Vision:Х By education and personal relationships,

built on care and trust, creating a community, based on common rights and obligations. The goal is to create a spiritual atmosphere. The activities of the community are centered around building a Krishna conscious society and preaching.

Content of presentation

1. Principles of devotee care2. How it happens in the Counselor

System?3. How it is helping the Hungarian yatra

along since last year?4. The challenges5. Plans for the future6. Summary

1. Principles Why do we need a devotee care system?Х Devotees are most valuable and very rare.

Х „The first point is that one must seek the association of persons who are Krisna conscious and who engage in devotional service. Without such association one cannot make advancement.” … Association with devotees means association with the Lord.” (Srímad Bhágavatam 3.25.25 purport)

Х Anyone who is trying to be aloof from this Krishna Consciousness Society and yet engage in Krisna consciousness is living in a great hallucination, for this is not possible. (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.9.11. purport)

Why to establish a devotee care system?Х To help create an environment of devotee

association

Х To serve the physical body, emotional mind and the spirit soul

Х To take shelter of Hearing and chantingХ To lead by personal exampleХ To love and serve each other with spiritual

purityХ To offer education, training and care to each

devoteeХ To ensure that every devotee remains in the

movement throughout his life

Other effects if devotees are taken care of nicelyХ Counselor System helps to create a support

system for practicing KC that will retain people in the community over a lifetime

Х Cooperation, spiritual consciousness, enthusiasm, involvement of community will rise

Х Devotees will feel their community their home

Х Size of community will growХ Devotees will be happy and satisfied,

which is the best form of preachingХ Gives real meaning to preaching

2. How it happens in the Counselor System?Χ In the Counselor System focus is on the individual, on

his or her internal development, spiritual needs, relationships, quality of sadhana, etc.

Χ The relationship of counselor and counselees not managerial but personal

Χ Management and the counselors work cooperatively to help each devotee

Χ There is no interest in the relationships, the counselor has nothing to gain then to increase the faith of the counselee

Χ With service authority external results are in focus, relationships are different

Χ To emphasize service is also necessary to move things forward

Counselor does not have to be so much concerned about how productive a devotee in serving the temple or the community…

… but he does focus on the devotee’s internal progress in developing the qualities of faith, humility, generosity, etc.

Proper balance

Proper amount and quality of service to expand preaching and move the mission forward

Devotee careSadhanaPersonal, quality relationships Progress in spiritual life

3. How it is helping the Hungarian Yatra since last year?

Χ Started to strengthen and deepen relationshipsΧ Emotional needs of devotees are better taken care

of in a Krishna-conscious wayΧ Trust increased towards the temple, less criticism,

more involvementΧ More devotees are connected to the yatra through

regular associationΧ Community information reaches devotees more

effectivelyΧ Team spirit started to form, by devotees serving

togetherΧ Distanced devotees start to come back or are

getting favorableΧ By understanding the needs of the community we

are becoming more and more family friendly

Short term achievements in community buildingΧ Sunday feast is organized by the counselor groupsΧ Gundica marjana 3-4 times a year with 100 devotees Χ Regular spiritual retreatsΧ Overall mood of help, group members helping each

other in various waysΧ The community is getting educated through regular

seminars Χ Growing MSF dayΧ Online broadcasting started in Budapest, at the Farm

radio broadcast is available of lectures to connect others

Χ More cohesion amongst the leaders of the communityΧ More cohesion amongst the temple devotees and the

congregation members

Sunday Feast cooking

Growing MSF day

Programs

4. The challengesΧ The greatest challenge is patience; a

community is not built up overnight

Χ These are ideals I am speaking about, these are not realized in Hungary yet, but we see from small signs, that it is getting its shape

Χ These are experiences, from Chowpatty and Ukraine, where the systems are running for a lot longer time (20-15 years)

Χ These are ideals, but if we stick to the principles and process, they will come

Χ We have some signs and feedbacks, that we are moving in the right direction

Differences between Krisna-valley and Budapest

Χ Different composition of communityΧ In Krishna-valley there was a lack of organized

community life, the Counselor System filled in the gap perfectly

Χ In Budapest devotees already have so many “community-outside” relationships that first need to be swapped for devotee association

Χ In big cities people live a more busy lifeΧ Distance factorΧ In KV there was already a group of devotees living

together, forming some kind of communityΧ In Budapest putting down the foundation,

strengthening the system, and involving the devotees will need more patience

5. Plans for the future: Χ Our goal is to have a Counselor System

working on a national level, centered around Sri Sri Radha Syamasundara

Χ Implementing the Counselor System throughout the country, as the basis of integration of devotees and defining commitment

Χ We are merging the Budapest and Krisna-valley system together, bringing them to the same platform

Χ Reaching out to satellite centers in the near future all around Hungary

SummaryΧ There has to be proper balance in a Yatra

between service and personal care for devotees

Χ Counselor System fulfills this need by providing help and support, putting emphasis on sadhana, personal relationships, and spiritual advancement

Χ Devotees are our most valuable assets - we have to show how much we appreciate them

Χ It is our duty to protect the devotees and to provide them with the facility to stay in KC for the rest of their lives

Χ Counselor System works hand in hand with the management in serving the temple

Χ Counselor system is for the devotees,

Χ it is not a management tool, but helps the management by: Χ giving inspiration and care to the

devotees Χ making them more effective in their

services also

Thank you for your attention!