Krishna Sadhak

Contents
Week 20
Week 21
Week 22
16
Week 23
23
Week 24
29
Week 25
35
Week 26(Vyuha program)
42
Week 27
44
Week 28(Siksha seminar)
51
Check list for Module 3
56
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Week 20
After the siksha ceremony , there must be feeling of a sense of achievement in the members.,
and a feeling of greater commitment. Those who did not commit themselves yet, should be
also encouraged to continue, and not be made to feel like failures. Intangible ways of
encouragement can go a long way in making them want to progress. Giving them association
and being very friendly , caring and concerned about their general welfare normally draws out
their heart. Engage them in services that interest them. You can invite them to come and chant
with you whenever they find time, so they can develop the taste to chant with concentration.
Ice breaker : 15 minutes
Since the group have been with each other for 4 months, they should be familiar with one
another. By now the gentle encouragement and the Krsna sevak seminar must have
established in them some desire to read Srila Prabhupadas books.
You can now make the sharing of what they read during the week be the mainstay of your icebreaker session, as they will also be sharing realizations on what they have read. But for those
who are newer members or those still resisting to read, or for visitors, you can keep a icebreaker question handy, so that no one stays tongue-tied!
Question for the non readers: What is the best compliment you have ever received ?
Kirtan : 15 minutes
The regular members should have learnt the kirtan tune by now. You can add more simple
tunes for your kirtan, and teach the members to play the karatala, mridanga , etc.
Distribute the sheet containing the pranama mantras and the Hare Krsna mantra as well as the
glorifications at the end of the kirtana to the newer members.
Continue with the offering of incense by every member to the Alter Deities or Deity pictures.
Japa. 15 minutes
Read out first, the following passage from :
The Nectar of the Holy Name

The Holy Name Benefits All Human Society
It creates a spiritual atmosphere in the world
Chanting of the holy name evokes the Vaikuha atmosphere, freeing the
world from material hankering, envy and anxiety:
[Pracets to Lord Viu]: Whenever pure topics of the transcendental
world are discussed, the members of the audience forget all kinds of
material hankerings, at least for the time being. Not only that, but they are
no longer envious of one another, nor do they suffer from anxiety or fear.
Vaikuha means "without anxiety," and the material world means full of
anxiety. As stated by Prahlda Mahrja: sad samudvigna-dhiym asad2
graht. The living entities who have accepted this material world as a
residence are full of anxiety. A place immediately becomes Vaikuha
whenever the holy topics of the Personality of Godhead are discussed by
pure devotees. This is the process of ravaa krtana vio [SB
7.5.23], chanting and hearing about the Supreme Lord Viu. As the
Supreme Lord Himself confirms:
nha tihmi vaikuhe
yogin hdayeu v
tatra tihmi nrada
yatra gyanti mad-bhakt
"My dear Nrada, actually I do not reside in My abode, Vaikuha, nor do I
reside within the hearts of the yogs, but I reside in that place where My
pure devotees chant My holy name and discuss My form, pastimes and
qualities."
Because of the presence of the Lord in the form of the transcendental
vibration, the Vaikuha atmosphere is evoked. This atmosphere is without
fear and anxiety. One living entity does not fear another. By hearing the
holy names and glories of the Lord, a person executes pious activities.
vat sva-kath ka puya-ravaa-krtana (S.B. 1.2.17). Thus
his material hankerings immediately stop. This sakrtana movement
started by the Society for Krishna Consciousness is meant for creating
Vaikuha, the transcendental world that is without anxiety, even in this
material world. The method is the propagation of the ravaa krtanam
process throughout the world [SB 7.5.23]. In the material world everyone
is envious of his fellow man. Animalistic envy exists in human society as
long as there is no performance of sakrtana-yaja, the chanting of the
holy namesHare Ka, Hare Ka, Ka Ka, Hare Hare/ Hare
Rma, Hare Rma, Rma Rma, Hare Hare.
rmad-Bhgavatam 4.30.35
You can play Srila Prabhupadas chanting softly to accompany your japa. That way there will
be better concentration and spiritual energy while chanting. As many of them may be chanting
4 malas at home, they may be struggling to concentrate, and so they can get the habit of
chanting along with Srila Prabhupada. But explain to them that they should listen to their
own japa and must chant loudly.
Discussion- 45 minutes
Please read out the passage below and start asking the questions.(Do not explain it to them.)
Let the people assembled find out the answers from the passage themselves. Please engage
everyone in answering, You can ask two, three people to add to the same answer. Move from
one person to the next and give them sufficient time to think.You could ask leading questions
for them to go deeper and get a clearer understanding of the subject matter for giving
relevant replies.
The application question ideally has to be answered by everyone. This will give you a good
idea about how well each one has understood the philosophy, how serious they are about
spiritual life and any practical problems or obstacles that they may be facing.
This is the most important part of the discussion, and so you must provide sufficient time of at
least 15 to 20 minutes for it.
You should at last sum up all the points and give more points that you have prepared..
Passage for Discussion:
patram puspam phalam toyam

yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami prayatatmanah
If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will
accept it.
PURPORT
For the intelligent person, it is essential to be in Ka consciousness,
engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, in order to achieve
a permanent, blissful abode for eternal happiness. The process of achieving
such a marvelous result is very easy and can be attempted even by the
poorest of the poor, without any kind of qualification. The only qualification
required in this connection is to be a pure devotee of the Lord. It does not
matter what one is or where one is situated.
The process is so easy that even a leaf or a little water or fruit can be offered
to the Supreme Lord in genuine love and the Lord will be pleased to accept it.
No one, therefore, can be barred from Kiha consciousness, because it is so
easy and universal. Who is such a fool that he does not want to be Kiha
conscious by this simple method and thus attain the highest perfectional life
of eternity, bliss and knowledge? Kiha wants only loving service and
nothing more. Kiha accepts even a little flower from His pure devotee. He
does not want any kind of offering from a nondevotee.
He is not in need of anything from anyone, because He is self-sufficient, and

yet He accepts the offering of His devotee in an exchange of love and
affection. To develop Kiha consciousness is the highest perfection of life.
Bhakti is mentioned twice in this verse in order to declare more emphatically
that bhakti, or devotional service, is the only means to approach Kiha. No
other condition, such as becoming a brhmaa, a learned scholar, a very rich
man or a great philosopher, can induce Kiha to accept some offering.
Without the basic principle of bhakti, nothing can induce the Lord to agree to
accept anything from anyone. Bhakti is never causal. The process is eternal.
It is direct action in service to the absolute whole.
Here Lord Kiha, having established that He is the only enjoyer, the
primeval Lord and the real object of all sacrificial offerings, reveals what types
of sacrifices He desires to be offered. If one wishes to engage in devotional
service to the Supreme in order to be purified and to reach the goal of life
the transcendental loving service of Godthen one should find out what the
Lord desires of him. One who loves Kiha will give Him whatever He wants,
and he avoids offering anything which is undesirable or unasked. Thus meat,
fish and eggs should not be offered to Kiha. If He desired such things as
offerings, He would have said so. Instead He clearly requests that a leaf, fruit,
flowers and water be given to Him, and He says of this offering, "I will accept
it." Therefore, we should understand that He will not accept meat, fish and
eggs. Vegetables, grains, fruits, milk and water are the proper foods for
human beings and are prescribed by Lord Kiha Himself. Whatever else we
eat cannot be offered to Him, since He will not accept it. Thus we cannot be
acting on the level of loving devotion if we offer such foods.
In the Third Chapter, verse thirteen, r Kiha explains that only the
remains of sacrifice are purified and fit for consumption by those who are
seeking advancement in life and release from the clutches of the material
entanglement. Those who do not make an offering of their food, He says in
the same verse, are eating only sin. In other words, their every mouthful is
simply deepening their involvement in the complexities of material nature.
But preparing nice, simple vegetable dishes, offering them before the picture
or Deity of Lord Kiha and bowing down and praying for Him to accept such
a humble offering enables one to advance steadily in life, to purify the body,
and to create fine brain tissues which will lead to clear thinking. Above all, the
offering should be made with an attitude of love. Kiha has no need of
food, since He already possesses everything that be, yet He will accept the
offering of one who desires to please Him in that way. The important element,
in preparation, in serving and in offering, is to act with love for Kiha.
The impersonalist philosophers, who wish to maintain that the Absolute Truth
is without senses, cannot comprehend this verse of Bhagavad-gt. To them,
it is either a metaphor or proof of the mundane character of Kiha, the
speaker of the Bhagavad-gt. But, in actuality, Kiha, the Supreme
Godhead, has senses, and it is stated that His senses are interchangeable; in
other words, one sense can perform the function of any other. This is what it
means to say that Kiha is absolute. Lacking senses, He could hardly be

considered full in all opulences. In the Seventh Chapter, Kiha has
explained that He impregnates the living entities into material nature. This is
done by His looking upon material nature. And so in this instance, Kiha's
hearing the devotee's words of love in offering foodstuffs is wholly identical
with His eating and actually tasting. This point should be emphasized:
because of His absolute position, His hearing is wholly identical with His
eating and tasting. Only the devotee, who accepts Kiha as He describes
Himself, without interpretation, can understand that the Supreme Absolute
Truth can eat food and enjoy it.
B- -gita Ch 9 Text 26
Discovery:
1)Why do the truly intelligent people want to be Krishna conscious?
2)What is the qualification necessary to attain this?
Understanding:
1)Why does Krishna want us to offer Him food? How does He want us
to offer it to Him?
2)From whom will He accept these foodstuffs?
3)What kinds of food does He want us to offer Him?
4)What are the spiritual benefits of offering food to Krishna and then
partaking of it?
5)Why do impersonalists feel that God cannot eat?What is special
about Krishnas senses?
6) Explain how Krishnas hearing the devotees words of love in offering
foodstuffs is wholly identical with His eating and actually tasting it.
Application:
1) Compare and contrast prasadam and non- prasadam and their
impact on us.
Preaching Session : 15 minutes

Read out the following passage:
Preaching is the essence

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupada
Page 24
Understanding the purpose of the Lord, the devotee preaches:
Bewildered by the modes of material nature, the ignorant fully engage themselves in
material activities and become attached,. But the wise should not unsettle them,
although these duties are inferior due to the performers lack of knowledge.
Men who are ignorant cannot appreciate activities in Krsna consciousness, and therefore Lord
Krsna advises us not to disturb them and simply waste valuable time. But the devotees of the
Lord are more kind than the Lord because they understand the purpose of the Lord.
Consequently they undertake all kinds of risks, even to the point of approaching ignorant men
to try to engage them in the acts of Krsna consciousness, which are absolutely necessary for
the human being.
Bg.3.29(pp.194-195}
Share your preaching activities for the week. Ask the group to also come up one by one with
their preaching home- work. Any home visits, new members , book distribution, etc.
You can engage the senior ones among them to help the junior devotees by assigning them to
teach them kirtan or get them to start chanting, reminding them to attend the programs
regularly etc.
Please maintain a separate book for noting down the names of each of the members and what
assignments they have committed to do during the week in preaching. You can then check it
out if they have been able to do it . Note down against another column if they have achieved
the target for the week. The next column can have comments if any about their performance.
The table could be as follows:
Date
Member
Preaching
Assignment
Target
Achieved:
Yes/ No
Additional notes
A sustained effort from the very beginning will get them to have the preaching mood and
spirit, which is very essential if you want the Bhakti Vrksa to progress along the conceived
lines.
Prasadam : 20 minutes
As the Discussion passage was all about offering food to Krsna, there will be a greater
appreciation of prasadam now. So you can discuss informally about
the value and glories of honoring prasadam.
Since some of them must have just started to be vegetarian, they may not have enough recipes
to cook vegetarian food. You can share some vegetarian recipes with them. This will enthuse
them to cook vegetarian food and gradually also offer it to Krsna.
Please enter the details about your members attending this week:
Names
Week 1
A
S
Week 2
A
S
Week 3
A
S
Week 4
A
S
Week 5
A
S
Remarks
EFFORTS
Week 1
No. of Mails
No. of Telephone Calls
No. of Home Visits
No. of Service Donors
No. of Money Donors
1
2
3
4
5
Abbreviations: A= Attendance, S= Siksha level
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week5
Total
Week 21
As the devotees become more settled and committed they must be waiting to attend the
weekly Bhakti Vriksha. The evidence of this is when all of them arrive well on time and are
eager not to miss any part of the program and are also volunteering to do more and more
services. This is the life of the Bhakti Vriksha and this enthusiasm is generated by the Bhakti
Vriksha leader, if his sadhana is in a good state and he or she is also eager for the spiritual
advancement of his group members who are under his care.
Young parents find the role of parenting a great challenge as they are themselves in the
process of growing up, but the sheer joy of being responsible for another living entity keeps
them going and knocks out so many of their self- centeredness, as they keep improving in
their task . So also with being the spiritual parent of the Bhakti Vriksha group.
Young parents also take guidance from their own parents and seniors, and so a Bhakti Vriksha
leader being a genuine well wisher of his members should be constantly consulting and
reporting to his seniors, so that he is always sure that he is giving his best for his group. The
group will greatly value this sincerity of the leader. This is the most important quality of the
Bhakti Vriksha leader.
You can share with them an interesting point which will also be of benefit to them from what
you have read during the week from Srila Prabhupadas books.
Then from one person to the next, you can request them to share what they have read.
Normally people enjoy this process of sharing their realizations so much, that they will start to
look forward to these moments when the whole group is all ears to them.
For those still not able to taste the nectar of reading Srila Prabhupadas books or still not
given it a try, you can give the icebreaker question: What quality do you appreciate most in
a person?
Kirtan : 15 minutes
Continue as in the previous weeks by distributing the sheet containing the pranama mantras
and the Hare Krsna mantra as well as the glorifications at the end of the kirtana.
Also the offering of incense by every member to the Alter Deities or Deity pictures can be
done.
You can have one , two, or more more tunes now in singing the Kirtana and you can
encourage the members to play the karatalas, and the mridanga, distribute the sheets
containing the words to the visitors and those that need it. You can teach the members to play
them.If any of the members want to play some other musical instruments too, you can include
that.
9
Japa. 15 minutes
Sri Namamrta
r Caitanya Mahprabhu distributed the nectar of the holy
name to everyone:
The most munificent Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as

Gauraka, distributed to everyoneeven the lowest of menHis own
confidential treasury in the form of the nectar of love of Himself and the
holy name. This was never given to the people at any time before. I
therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.
r Caitanya-caritmta Madhya-ll 23.1
Regardless of social position, one should chant the holy name to overcome
the spell of my and attain the transcendental platform:
Following the orders of r Caitanya Mahprabhu, Govinda, His personal
servant, called for all the poor beggars, who were unhappy due to their
poverty, and fed them sumptuously. Observing the beggars eating
prasda, r Caitanya Mahprabhu chanted, "Hari bol!" and instructed
them to chant the holy name. As soon as the beggars chanted the holy
name, "Hari bol," they were immediately absorbed in ecstatic love of
Godhead. In this way r Caitanya Mahprabhu performed wonderful
pastimes.
Ka conducts the material world under the three modes of material
nature, and consequently there are three platforms of lifehigher, middle
and lower. On whatever platform one may be situated, one is tossed by
the waves of material nature. Someone may be rich, someone may be
middle class, and someone may be a poor beggarit doesn't matter. As
long as one is under the spell of the three modes of material nature, he
must continue to experience these divisions.
r Caitanya Mahprabhu therefore advised the beggars to chant "Hari
bol!" while taking prasda. Chanting means accepting one's self as the
eternal servant of Ka. This is the only solution, regardless of social
position. Everyone is suffering under the spell of my; therefore the best
course is to learn how to get out of the clutches of my....
One can overcome the spell of my and attain the transcendental
platform by agreeing to engage in the devotional service of the Lord.
Devotional service begins with ravaa krtanam; [SB 7.5.23] therefore
r Caitanya Mahprabhu advised the beggars to chant the Hare Ka
mah-mantra for elevation to the transcendental position. On the
10
transcendental platform, there is no distinction between the rich, the

middle class and the poor.
r Caitanya-caritmta Madhya-ll 14.44-46
Start chanting the Panca Tattva mantra 3 times and then followed by one round of mala. Play
Srila Prabhupadas chanting softly in the back ground so it creates a very spiritual and
inspiring mood to chant with attention.
Please read out the passage and start asking the questions.(Do not explain it to them.) Let the
people assembled find out the answers from the passage themselves. Please engage everyone
in answering, You can ask two, three people to add to the same answer. Move from one
person to the next and give them sufficient time to think.You could ask leading questions for
them to go deeper and clearer in understanding the subject matter and in giving relevant
replies.
The application question has to be answered by everyone.
You should at last sum up all the points and give more points that you have.
.
Passage for Discussion

ye tu sarvi karmi
mayi sannyasya mat-par
ananyenaiva yogena
m dhyyanta upsate
tem aha samuddhart
mtyu-sasra-sgart
bhavmi na cirt prtha
mayy veita-cetasm
TRANSLATION
For one who worships Me, giving up all his activities unto Me and being
11
devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and

always meditating upon Me, who has fixed his mind upon Me, O son of
Pth, for him I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and
death.
PURPORT
It is explicitly stated here that the devotees are very fortunate to be
delivered very soon from material existence by the Lord. In pure
devotional service one comes to the realization that God is great and
that the individual soul is subordinate to Him. His duty is to render
service to the Lord-if not, then he will render service to my.
As stated before, the Supreme Lord can only be appreciated by
devotional service. Therefore, one should be fully devoted. One should
fix his mind fully on Ka in order to achieve Him. One should work
only for Ka. It does not matter in what kind of work one engages,
but that work should be done only for Ka. That is the standard of
devotional service. The devotee does not desire any achievement
other than pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His life's
mission is to please Ka, and he can sacrifice everything for Ka's
satisfaction, just as Arjuna did in the Battle of Kuruketra. The process
is very simple: one can devote himself in his occupation and engage at
the same time in chanting Hare Ka, Hare Ka, Ka Ka, Hare
Hare/ Hare Rma, Hare Rma, Rma Rma, Hare Hare. Such
transcendental chanting attracts the devotee to the Personality of
Godhead.
The Supreme Lord herein promises that He will without delay deliver a
pure devotee thus engaged from the ocean of material existence.
Those who are advanced in yoga practice can willfully transfer the soul
to whatever planet they like by the yoga process, and others take the
opportunity in various ways, but as far as the devotee is concerned, it
is clearly stated here that the Lord Himself takes him. He does not
need to wait to become very experienced in order to transfer himself to
the spiritual sky.
In the Varha Pura this verse appears:
naymi parama sthnam arcirdi-gati vin
garua-skandham ropya yatheccham anivrita
12
The purport of this verse is that a devotee does not need to practice
aga-yoga in order to transfer his soul to the spiritual planets. The
responsibility is taken by the Supreme Lord Himself. He clearly states
here that He Himself becomes the deliverer. A child is completely cared
for by his parents, and thus his position is secure. Similarly, a devotee
does not need to endeavor to transfer himself by yoga practice to
other planets. Rather, the Supreme Lord, by His great mercy, comes at
once, riding on His bird carrier Garua, and at once delivers the
devotee from this material existence. Although a man who has fallen in
the ocean may struggle very hard and may be very expert in
swimming, he cannot save himself. But if someone comes and picks
him up from the water, then he is easily rescued. Similarly, the Lord
picks up the devotee from this material existence. One simply has to
practice the easy process of Ka consciousness and fully engage
himself in devotional service. Any intelligent man should always prefer
the process of devotional service to all other paths. In the Nryaya
this is confirmed as follows:
y vai sdhana-sampatti-pururtha-catuaye
tay vin tad-pnoti naro nryaraya
The purport of this verse is that one should not engage in the different
processes of fruitive activity or cultivate knowledge by the mental
speculative process. One who is devoted to the Supreme Personality
can attain all the benefits derived from other yogic processes,
speculation, rituals, sacrifices, charities, etc. That is the specific
benediction of devotional service.
Simply by chanting the holy name of Ka-Hare Ka, Hare Ka,
Ka Ka, Hare Hare/ Hare Rma, Hare Rma, Rma Rma, Hare
Hare-a devotee of the Lord can approach the supreme destination
easily and happily, but this destination cannot be approached by any
other process of religion.
The conclusion of Bhagavad-gt is stated in the Eighteenth Chapter:
sarva-dharmn parityajya mm eka araa vraja
aha tv sarva-ppebhyo mokayiymi m uca.
One should give up all other processes of self-realization and simply
execute devotional service in Ka consciousness. That will enable
13
one to reach the highest perfection of life. There is no need for one to
consider the sinful actions of his past life because the Supreme Lord
fully takes charge of him. Therefore one should not futilely try to
deliver himself in spiritual realization. Let everyone take shelter of the
supreme omnipotent Godhead Ka. That is the highest perfection of
life.
B-gita ch 12, verses 6 - 7

Discovery:
1)What does Krsna ask us to do in order to qualify ourselves to be
taken back to Godhead by Him?
Understanding:
1) What is the pure devotees understanding of his relationship and
duty towards Krsna?
2)How can we hope to reach this state of awareness of our
relationship and our duty to wards Krishna?
3)Why should we not take part in other processes of religion such
as performing yagnas for material benefit, cultivating knowledge by
speculation and performing astanga yoga to achieve siddhis?
4)What are the advantages of rendering pure devotional service in
comparison to the other processes?
5)What is the highest perfection in self realization? Can a sinful
person hope to achieve this perfection? Why?
Application:
1) Share your realization on this verse.


We are protected when we execute our duty to
preach:
14
Our actual duty is to carry out the supreme order of the Personality of
Godhead. If we are fixed in our determination to carry out the supreme
order of the Lord, we are always secure, regardless of where we are
situated, whether in hell or in heaven.... The devotees in the Ka
consciousness movement are preaching all over the world in accordance
with the order of r Caitanya Mahprabhu. They have to meet many
karms, but by the mercy of r Caitanya Mahprabhu, they are
unaffected by material influences.... A sincere devotee who engages in the
service of Lord r Caitanya Mahprabhu by preaching His cult all over the
world will never be affected by viaya-taraga, material influences. On the
contrary, in due course of time he will return to the shelter of the lotus feet
of Lord r Caitanya Mahprabhu and will thus have perpetual association
with Him.
Share your preaching reports for the week. Also discuss any doubts or difficulties they may be
facing while approaching people and while replying to their queries.
This will give them good exposure on how to deal with different types of people and
situations. By sharing them in front of everyone, all the members can be trained in preaching.
Give assignments for the subsequent week.
There must the eagerness to get new members, to cultivate the new members and to progress
oneself in spiritual life. All this will be automatically achieved, if you take this preaching
session seriously and give them assignments every week. You can assign each new member
to be looked after by a more senior member with regard to clarifying their simple doubts in
Krsna consciousness, in helping them to start chanting, keeping them informed about different
things that you wish to be conveyed to the whole group during the week like announcements
or invitations.
The juniors can be encouraged to invite their friends and acquaintances for the program. To
the juniors no pressure may be applied, but they can be inspired to try inviting people. Also
they could be counseled to understand that it does not matter if people turn down their
invitation or do not keep up their word to attend the program. After all it is a spiritual service
and one must leave it to Krsnas mercy and accept whatever happens cheerfully.
Nevertheless , they need to also be taght the right methods to approach people, not preaching
the whole philosophy at the first meeting, for example, not being very heavy or critical, etc..
You yourself can visit the senior members in their homes to come closer and give them
informal Krsna conscious association to help them progress faster.
Maintain this table in the preaching session book and fill it in every week at this preaching
session:
15
Date
Member
Preaching
Assignment
Target
Achieved:
Yes/ No
Additional notes
Prasadam: 20 minutes
The younger members of your group, the children, can lead the prasadam honoring prayers.
This will be enlivening for everyone and make everyone listen to the prayers more carefully.
You can also read out the translation of this prayer for some weeks, till the meaning of the
verse is well understood by all the members.
Names
Week 1
A
S
Week 2
A
S
Week 3
A
S
Week 4
A
S
Week 5
A
S
Remarks
EFFORTS
Week 1
No. of Mails
No. of Home Visits
No. of Money Donors
1
2
3
4
5
16
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week5
Total
Week 22
You can continue to invite new members to the group for just a few more weeks. But make
sure to give them a brief introduction to what Krsna consciousness is all about . the process
of reviving our eternal relationship with God through chanting and engaging in His
devotional service. etc. so that they are able to follow the spiritual edification discussions.
Also meet with them separately a few times or give them association through the telephone ,
so that they feel comfortable with the topics being discussed at the program. If they are ready,
you can also give them the previous edification sheets, so that they can familiarize themselves
with the concepts.
17
Then from one person to the next, you request them to share what they have read. Normally
people enjoy this process of sharing their realizations so much, that they will start to look
forward to these moments when the whole group is all ears to them.
given it a try, you can give the icebreaker question: If you could wake up tomorrow
morning having a quality or ability, which one would you like that to be?
Kirtan : 15 minutes
Japa. 15 minutes
Sri Namamrta
Simply by keeping a picture of Lord Caitanya and
chanting Hare Ka, one can worship God and realize
Him:
In the rmad-Bhgavatam it is said that [Lord Caitanya] is the incarnation

of God in this age. And who worships Him? The process is very simple. Just
keep a picture of Lord Caitanya with His associates. Lord Caitanya is in the
middle, accompanied by His principal associatesNitynanda, Advaita,
Gaddhara, and rvsa. One simply has to keep this picture. One can
keep it anywhere. It is not that one has to come to us to see this picture.
Anyone can have this picture in his home, chant this Hare Ka mantra,
and thus worship Lord Caitanya. That is the simple method. But who will
capture this simple method? Those who have good brains. Without much
bother, if one simply keeps a picture of r Caitanya Mahprabhu at home
and chants Hare Ka, then one will realize God. Anyone can adopt this
simple method. There is no expenditure, there is no tax, nor is there any
need to build a very big church or temple. Anyone, anywhere, can sit down
on the road or beneath a tree and chant the Hare Ka mantra and
worship God. Therefore it is a great opportunity.
The Science of Self-Realization
18
Ask the members about their progress in chanting at home. This will help you to clarify
their doubts on how to cope with problems regarding time, concentration, taste, etc. This will
help all the members to improve their chanting. Suggest methods to improve chanting like
rising a little earlier to fit it into the schedule, do the chanting along with Srila Prabhupadas
japa cassette(playing softly in the back ground), or with a soft background music of Kirtan to
set the mood, and to hear the words of the Maha mantra while chanting very carefully, etc..
replies.
You should at last sum up all the points and give more points that you have

paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge
To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the
principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.
According to Bhagavad-gita, a sadhu (holy man) is a man in Krsna consciousness. A
person may appear to be irreligious, but if he has the qualifications of Krsna
consciousness wholly and fully, he is to be understood to be a sadhu. And duskrtam
applies to those who do not care for Krsna consciousness. Such miscreants, or duskrtam,
are described as foolish and the lowest of mankind, even though they may be decorated
with mundane education, whereas a person who is one hundred percent engaged in Krsna
consciousness is accepted as a sadhu, even though such a person may be neither learned
nor well cultured. As far as the atheistic are concerned, it is not necessary for the Supreme
Lord to appear as He is to destroy them, as He did with the demons Ravana and Kamsa.
The Lord has many agents who are quite competent to vanquish demons. But the Lord
19
especially descends to appease His unalloyed devotees, who are always harassed by the
demoniac. The demon harasses the devotee, even though the latter may happen to be his
kin. Although Prahlada Maharaja was the son of Hiranyakasipu, he was nonetheless
persecuted by his father; although Devaki, the mother of Krsna, was the sister of Kamsa,
she and her husband Vasudeva were persecuted only because Krsna was to be born of
them. So Lord Krsna appeared primarily to deliver Devaki, rather than kill Kamsa, but
both were performed simultaneously. Therefore it is said here that to deliver the devotee
and vanquish the demon miscreants, the Lord appears in different incarnations.
In the Caitanya-caritamrta of Krsnadasa Kaviraja, the following verses (Madhya
20.263264) summarize these principles of incarnation:
srsti-hetu yei murti prapance avatare
sei isvara-murti avatara nama dhare
mayatita paravyome sabara avasthana
visve avatari dhare avatara nama
The avatara, or incarnation of Godhead, descends from the kingdom of God for material
manifestation. And the particular form of the Personality of Godhead who so descends is
called an incarnation, or avatara. Such incarnations are situated in the spiritual world, the
kingdom of God. When they descend to the material creation, they assume the name
avatara.
There are various kinds of avataras, such as purusavataras, gunavataras, lilavataras,
sakty-avesa avataras, manvantara-avataras and yugavatarasall appearing on schedule
all over the universe. But Lord Krsna is the primeval Lord, the fountainhead of all
avataras.
Lord Sri Krsna descends for the specific purpose of mitigating the anxieties of the pure
devotees, who are very anxious to see Him in His original Vrndavana pastimes.
Therefore, the prime purpose of the Krsna avatara is to satisfy His unalloyed devotees.
The Lord says that He incarnates Himself in every millennium. This indicates that He
incarnates also in the Age of Kali. As stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the incarnation in
the Age of Kali is Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who spread the worship of Krsna by the
sankirtana movement (congregational chanting of the holy names) and spread Krsna
consciousness throughout India. He predicted that this culture of sankirtana would be
broadcast all over the world, from town to town and village to village. Lord Caitanya as
the incarnation of Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, is described secretly but not
directly in the confidential parts of the revealed scriptures, such as the Upanisads,
Mahabharata and Bhagavatam. The devotees of Lord Krsna are very much attracted by
the sankirtana movement of Lord Caitanya. This avatara of the Lord does not kill the
miscreants, but delivers them by His causeless mercy.
B-gita As It Is ch 4 verse 8
Discovery:
1) Why does Lord Krsna appear in His different avatars or incarnations in this
material world?
20
2) Mention some of the types of avataras/ incarnations?

Understanding:
1) Why is it said the Lord appears primarily to protect His devotee? Whom does He
have to protect them from? Give some examples from history.
2) Why is the avatara of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu very special? How can we
accept that He is an avatara ?
Application:
1) Do you accept Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as the supreme Lord?Discuss your
feelings towards Him.


Kiha Empowers the Preacher: The Ka
Consciousness Movement Spreads by the Mercy of Lord
Ka and Lord Caitanya
Kiha can empower a preacher who is true to r Caitanya
Mahprabhu and to the disciplic succession to excel Himself:
. Kiha can empower a preacher who is true to r Caitanya
Mahprabhu and to the disciplic succession to excel Himself:
r Caitanya Mahprabhu continued, "You [Nitynanda Prabhu] can
perform a task that even I cannot do. But for You, I cannot find anyone in
Gaua-dea who can fulfill My mission there."
Lord Caitanya's mission is to deliver the fallen souls of this age. In this age
of Kali, practically cent percent of the population is fallen. r Caitanya
Mahprabhu certainly delivered many fallen souls, but His disciples mainly
came from the upper classes.... It was rla Nitynanda Prabhu, however,
who delivered persons like Jagi and Mdhi.... In the incarnation of GauraNiti, the Lord is not supposed to kill demons but deliver them by
preaching Ka consciousness. In the case of Jagi and Mdhi, r
Caitanya Mahprabhu was so angry that He would have immediately killed
them, but Nitynanda Prabhu was so kind that He not only saved them
from death but elevated them to the transcendental position. Thus what
21
was not possible for r Caitanya Mahprabhu was carried out by

Nitynanda Prabhu.
Similarly, if one is true to Gaura-Niti's service in the disciplic succession,
he can even excel Nitynanda Prabhu's service. This is the process of
disciplic succession. Nitynanda Prabhu delivered Jagi and Mdhi, but a
servant of Nitynanda Prabhu, by His grace, can deliver many thousands
of Jagis and Mdhis. That is the special benediction of the disciplic
succession. One who is situated in the disciplic succession can be
understood by the result of his activities. This is always true as far as the
activities of the Lord and His devotees are concerned....
By the grace of Viu, a Vaiava can render better service than Viu;
that is the special prerogative of a Vaiava. The Lord actually wants to
see His servants work more gloriously than Himself. For instance, on the
Battlefield of Kuruketra, r Kiha provoked Arjuna to fight because all
the warriors on the battlefield were to die by Kiha's plan. Kiha
Himself did not want to take credit.... Therefore He asked him to fight and
win fame....
Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead gives credit to a devotee who
performs any heavy task perfectly. Hanumnj, or Vajrgaj the servant of
Lord Rmacandra, also serves as another example. It was Hanumnj who
jumped over the sea in one leap and reached the shore of Lak from the
shore of Bhrata-vara. When Lord Rmacandra chose to go there, He
paved the way with stones, although by His will the stones were able to
float on the sea. If we simply follow r Caitanya Mahprabhu's
instructions and follow in the footsteps of r Nitynanda Prabhu, this
Kiha consciousness movement can advance, and even more difficult
tasks can be performed by the preachers remaining faithful to the service
of the Lord.
Cc. Madhya 16.65
Share your preaching reports for the week. Also encourage everyone to share the preaching
they have done for the week according to the assignments given to them in the previous week.
Discuss any doubts or difficulties they may be facing while approaching people and while
replying to their queries.
There must be the eagerness to get new members, to cultivate the new members and to
progress oneself in spiritual life. All this will be automatically achieved, if you take this
preaching session seriously and give them assignments every week.
22
Please fill in these columns for the preaching session maintained in a separate book
Date
Member
Preaching
Target
Additional notes
Assignment Achieved:
Yes/ No
The younger members of your group, the children can lead the prasadam honoring prayers.
Share some easy to prepare , but popular recipes with them. This will encourage them to try
out cooking for Krsna at home.
Names
Week 1
A
S
Week 2
A
S
Week 3
A
S
EFFORTS
23
Week 4
A
S
Week 5
A
S
Remarks
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week5
Total
No. of Mails
No. of Home Visits
No. of Money Donors
1
2
3
4
5
Week 23
Visiting the members in their homes during the week will enthuse them greatly and make
them appreciate your gesture of concern and good will for them. In most cases , it encourages
them to become more committed to Krsna consciousness. You will also know what actual
progress they are making in their spiritual lives and can gently help them overcome their
24
obstacles. Friendship and love are the magical weapons to draw them closer to Krsna
consciousness.
Then from one person to the next, you request them to share what they have read. Normally
people enjoy this process of sharing their realizations so much, that they will start to look
forward to these moments when the whole group is all ears to them.
given it a try, you can give the icebreaker question: Share one of your goals in life.
Kirtan : 15 minutes
Japa. 15 minutes
Sri Namamrta - The Nectar of the Holy

Name
Chanting of the Holy Name Is the Easiest Means for
Spiritual Advancement
Chanting Hare Kiha is the easiest means of selfrealization:
Kiha says that out of many thousands of people, one may try to make
perfection of this life; and out of many millions of such persons on the path
of perfection, only one may understand Kiha. So understanding
Kiha is not very easy. But it is also the easiest. It is not easy, but at the
same time it is the easiest. It is the easiest if you follow the prescribed
forms.
Lord Caitanya Mahprabhu has introduced this chanting of Hare Kiha.
He has not exactly introduced it; it is in the scriptures. But He has
especially propagated this formula. In this age this is the easiest method
of self-realization. Simply chant Hare Kiha. It can be done by everyone.
In my classroom, I am perhaps the only Indian. My students are all
Americans, and they are taking part in the chanting very nicely, chanting
and dancing. That means that, in any country, in any place, this can be
performed. Therefore it is the easiest. You may not understand the
25
philosophy of the Bhagavad-gt. That is also not very difficult; but still, if
you think that you cannot understand, you can still chant very easily: Hare
Kiha, Hare Kiha.
If we want to understand God, Kiha, this is the beginning. The easiest
beginningsimply chanting. Now, there are many students of my ISKCON
institution. This institution is open a little over a year; but some of the
students, by simply chanting, by the grace of Kiha, have advanced in
such a way that they can talk about the science of God, and they will very
easily answer those human questions. So, this is the easiest method of
transcendental meditation.
Kiha says that out of many millions of people, one may understand
Him. But, by chanting of this Hare Kiha, as introduced by Lord Caitanya
chanting and dancingyou can understand Kiha within a very short
time.
The Path of Perfection
You can suggest to them that the easiest way to increase the number of rounds of chanting
without even feeling the difference much is to increase by one round every few days, at least
one a week. So by the next week they would all have increased their commitment by one
more round! But of course this has to be gently encouraged and not pushed too hard, so that
they do not feel that they are being forced.
Then continue with chanting together one mala on beads the Hare Krsna mantra loudly with
them. If there are any new visitors, then explain to them how to hold the beads and chant.
Even children enjoy chanting, so if there are any children around, make sure that they too take
part in Japa as well as Kirtan together.
.
in answering. You can ask two, three people to add to the same answer. Move from one
person to the next and give them sufficient time to think. You could ask leading questions for
replies.
26
Passage for Discussion:

kkanta karma siddhi
yajanta iha devat
kipra hi mnue loke
siddhir bhavati karma-j
TRANSLATION
Men in this world desire success in fruitive activities, and therefore
they worship the demigods. Quickly, of course, men get results from
fruitive work in this world.
PURPORT
There is a great misconception about the gods or demigods of this
material world, and men of less intelligence, although passing as
great scholars, take these demigods to be various forms of the
Supreme Lord. Actually, the demigods are not different forms of God,
but they are God's different parts and parcels. God is one, and the
parts and parcels are many. The Vedas say, nityo nitynm: God is
one. vara parama ka. The Supreme God is one-Kiha-and
the demigods are delegated with powers to manage this material
world. These demigods are all living entities (nitynm) with different
grades of material power. They cannot be equal to the Supreme GodNryaa, Viu, or Kiha. Anyone who thinks that God and the
demigods are on the same level is called an atheist, or pa.
Even the great demigods like Brahm and iva cannot be compared
to the Supreme Lord. In fact, the Lord is worshiped by demigods such
as Brahm and iva (iva-virici-nutam). Yet curiously enough there
are many human leaders who are worshiped by foolish men under
the misunderstanding of anthropomorphism or zoomorphism. Iha
devat denotes a powerful man or demigod of this material world.
But Nryaa, Viu or Kiha, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, does not belong to this world. He is above, or
transcendental to, material creation. Even rpda akarcrya, the
leader of the impersonalists, maintains that Nryaa, or Kiha, is
beyond this material creation. However, foolish people (ht-ajana)
worship the demigods because they want immediate results. They
get the results, but do not know that results so obtained are
temporary and are meant for less intelligent persons.
The intelligent person is in Kiha consciousness, and he has no
need to worship the paltry demigods for some immediate, temporary
benefit. The demigods of this material world, as well as their
worshipers, will vanish with the annihilation of this material world.
The boons of the demigods are material and temporary. Both the
27
material worlds and their inhabitants, including the demigods, and

their worshipers, are bubbles in the cosmic ocean. In this world,
however, human society is mad after temporary things such as the
material opulence of possessing land, family and enjoyable
paraphernalia. To achieve such temporary things, they worship the
demigods or powerful men in human society. If a man gets some
ministership in the government by worshiping a political leader, he
considers that he has achieved a great boon. All of them are
therefore kowtowing to the so-called leaders or "big guns" in order to
achieve temporary boons, and they indeed achieve such things. Such
foolish men are not interested in Kiha consciousness for the
permanent solution to the hardships of material existence. They are
all after sense enjoyment, and to get a little facility for sense
enjoyment they are attracted to worship empowered living entities
known as demigods. This verse indicates that people are rarely
interested in Kiha consciousness. They are mostly interested in
material enjoyment, and therefore they worship some powerful living
entity.
Bg 4.13
Discovery
1) Why do people worship the demigods or devatas normally?
2) What is the general misconception about the position of the
demigods?
3) Who is God? What is the relationship of the demigods with
Him?
Understanding:
1) Mention some of the scriptural evidences to show the
supremacy of Krishna.
2) Why is it foolish to worship anyone other than Krishna?
3) What are the benefits of being Krishna conscious?
Application:
1) Have you been attached to worship of different demigods?
Discuss how we can respect them while accepting the principles of
Krishna consciousness now.
28

To become an empowered preacher, one must be favored
by Lord Caitanya or the spiritual master:
Whoever heard Lord Caitanya Mahprabhu chant, "Hari, Hari," also
chanted the holy name of Lord Hari and Kiha. In this way, they all
followed the Lord, very eager to see Him. After some time, the Lord would
embrace these people and bid them to return home, after investing them
with spiritual potency. Being thus empowered, they would return to their
own villages, always chanting the holy name of Kiha and sometimes
laughing, crying and dancing. These empowered people used to request
everyone and anyonewhomever they sawto chant the holy name of
Kiha. In this way all the villagers would also become devotees of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Simply by seeing such empowered
individuals, people from different villages would become like them by the
mercy of their glance. When these individuals returned to their villages,
they also converted others into devotees. When others came to see them,
they were also converted. In this way, as those men went from one village
to another, all the people of South India became devotees.
This spiritual potency is the essence of the pleasure potency and the
eternity potency. By these two potencies, one is empowered with
devotional service. Lord Kiha Himself, or His representative, the
unalloyed devotee, can mercifully bestow these combined potencies upon
any man. Being thus endowed with such potencies, one can become an
unalloyed devotee of the Lord. Anyone favored by Lord r Caitanya
Mahprabhu was empowered with this bhakti-akti. Thus the Lord's
followers were able to preach Kiha consciousness by divine grace.
In order to become an empowered preacher, one must be favored by Lord
r Caitanya Mahprabhu or His devotee, the spiritual master. One must
also request everyone to chant the mah-mantra. In this way, such a
person can convert others to Vaiavism, showing them how to become
pure devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Cc. Madhya 7.98-104

Share your preaching for the week. Ask the members to also account one by one their
preaching efforts and accomplishments for the week. Set targets for them for the next week. If
29
they have any doubts, or require guidance as to how to answer some questions from different
people, you may discuss them for the benefit of everyone.
Ask them their realizations on what they are experiencing while preaching to others.
Fill in this table in your preaching sessions note book:
Date
Member
Preaching
Target
Additional notes
Yes/ No
The younger members of your group, the children can lead the prasadam honoring prayers.
Share some easy to prepare , but popular recipes with them. This will encourage them to try
out cooking for Krsna at home.
Immediately after all the devotees have left the program, kindly fill in the following form:
Names
30
Week 1
A
S
Week 2
A
S
Week 3
A
S
Week 4
A
S
Week 5
A
S
Remarks
EFFORTS
Week 1
1
2
3
4
5
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week5
Total
No. of Mails
No. of Home Visits
No. of Money Donors
Week 24
As the day draws nearer for the members to commit themselves to the Krsna sadhak level, it
is important that you equip them with all the qualifications necessary to commit themselves to
this level. Those will include increasing their chanting to 8 rounds, following Ekadasi,
worshipping Tulasi devi, following the 4 regulative principles. Now this may seem too
difficult for certain people not exposed to the Vedic culture or background . However, you can
try to introduce these things and see if it is well received. Knowledge of the philosophy,
association and loving friendship are powerful instruments for motivating most people .
If there is some resistance however, you can let them take their own time to follow it, but the
principles can be accepted in theory as being necessary for their spiritual advancement.
The members should have also become serious enough to come another day separately for a
group study program of Srimad Bhagawad - gita. Maybe all the members may not agree to
come, but most should agree to come if they have become steady and enthusiastic. Please see
the chapter on how to conduct a study class. During the study class, 30 minutes have
been set aside for training them in devotional practices. So you can avail yourself of this
time to train them in learning the Tulasi prayers and method of worship, the glories of
following ekadasi, how to fast for ekadasi, etc
Discuss with them which day of the week would be convenient to have the study class on
the Bhagavad gita. Announce the date, venue ant timing of the study class. Encourage
everyone to attend it.
.
Then from one person to the next, you request them to share what they have read. Please
remind them that it is only for a minute.
31
Normally people enjoy this process of sharing their realizations so much, that they will start
to look forward to these moments when the whole group is all ears to them.
For those still not able to taste the nectar of reading Srila Prabhupadas books or still
not given it a try, you can give the icebreaker question: Tell us something that you
have learnt about Krishna, the person Krishna.Since the group members must have
developed some attachment to one another, they should be quite ready to discuss some
thing personal about themselves with the group. This also leads to more bonding and
trust between one another, as they come to know each other more.
Kirtan : 15 minutes
Distribute the sheet containing the pranama mantras and the Hare Krishna mantra as well as
the glorifications at the end of the kirtana to the newer members.
Japa. 15 minutes
Sri Namamrta - The Nectar of the Holy Name

Of the nine processes of devotional service, chanting the
holy name is the most important:
[Lord Caitanya to Santana Gosvm]: "Among the ways of executing

devotional service, the nine prescribed methods are the best, for these
processes have great potency to deliver Ka and ecstatic love for Him.
Of the nine processes of devotional service, the most important is to
always chant the holy name of the Lord. If one does so, avoiding the ten
kinds of offenses, one very easily obtains the most valuable love of
Godhead."
rla Jva Gosvm Prabhu gives the following directions in his Bhaktisandarbha (270)
iya ca krtankhy bhaktir bhagavato dravya-jti-gua-kriybhir dnajanaika-viaypra-karu-mayti ruti-puradi-viruti. ata eva kalau
svabhvata evtidneu lokev virbhya tn anysenaiva tat-tad-yugagata-mah-sdhann sarvam eva phala dadn s ktrthayati. yata
eva tayaiva kalau bhagavato vieata ca santoo bhavati.
"Chanting the holy name is the chief means of attaining love of Godhead.
This chanting or devotional service does not depend on any paraphernalia,
nor on one's having taken birth in a good family. By humility and
meekness one attracts the attention of Kiha. That is the verdict of all
the Vedas. Therefore if one becomes very humble and meek, he can easily
attain the lotus feet of Ka in this age of Kali. That is the fulfillment of all
great sacrifices, penances and austerities because when one achieves
32
ecstatic love of Godhead, he attains the complete perfection of life.

Therefore whatever one does in executing devotional service must be
accompanied with the chanting of the holy name of the Lord."
r Caitanya-caritmta Antya-ll 4.70-71
Enquire from the members how their chanting at home is progressing. If every week you
enquire about their chanting and encourage them to add one more round to their chanting,
then very easily they can progress to chanting 8 rounds everyday easily. Be sure to clear all
their doubts and sort out any difficulties that they maybe facing in their chanting.
Even children enjoy chanting, so if there are any children around, make sure that they too take
part in Japa as well as Kirtan together.
replies.
.
If you are having more than 10 members, you can divide the group into two. You can choose
some serious member in each group to facilitate the discussion among the smaller groups, and
note down the points. You can supervise the discussion in both the groups, making sure that
everyone is made to participate and that the discussion is going along proper lines. When they
have completed the Discussion and Understanding questions, you can ask both the groups
to come together again for discussing together the application question. When they have all
assembled together, you can first ask the leaders of both the groups to read out the answers
that they have gathered from the members.
Then you can proceed to asking each of the members the application question as usual.
There are clearly two, three major advantages of dividing the group for the discussion. The
shy ones will participate more freely, more leaders will get trained to facilitate, and last but
not least, it saves time!
33
yat karoi yad ansi

yaj juhoi dadsi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kuruva mad-arpaam
TRANSLATION
O son of Kunt, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and
give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be
done as an offering unto Me.
PURPORT
Thus, it is the duty of everyone to mold his life in such a way that he
will not forget Kiha in any circumstance. Everyone has to work for
maintenance of his body and soul together, and Kiha recommends
herein that one should work for Him. Everyone has to eat something to
live; therefore he should accept the remnants of foodstuffs offered to
Kiha. Any civilized man has to perform some religious ritualistic
ceremonies; therefore Kiha recommends, "Do it for Me," and this is
called arcan. Everyone has a tendency to give something in charity;
Kiha says, "Give it to Me," and this means that all surplus money
accummulated should be utilized in furthering the Kiha
consciousness movement. Nowadays people are very much inclined to
the meditational process, which is not practical in this age, but if
anyone practices meditating on Kiha twenty-four hours by chanting
the Hare Kiha mantra round his beads, he is surely the greatest
yog, as substantiated by the Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad-gt.
Discovery:
1) List some of the daily activities which Krsna is asking us to do as
an offering to Him?
Understanding:
1) Is it possible to think of Krishna throughout the day? How can we
do that?
2) How can we start to become the greatest yogi?
Application:
1) Discuss some of the obstacles you face in thinking of Krsna
throughout the day.
How do you think you can overcome them.

34

If preachers of Kiha consciousness are sincere
devotees of Kiha, the Kiha consciousness movement will
spread by Kiha's grace:
The Kiha consciousness movement has spread all over the world within
a very short time (within five years), and mundane people are very
astonished at this. However, by the grace of Lord r Caitanya
Mahprabhu, we understand that everything is possible by the grace of
Kiha. Why does Kiha have to take five years? In five days He can
spread His name and fame all over the world like wildfire. Those who have
faith and devotion to Kiha can understand that these things happen so
wonderfully by the grace of r Caitanya Mahprabhu. We are simply the
instruments. In the fierce Battle of Kuruketra, Arjuna was victorious within
eighteen days simply because Kiha's grace was on his side....
If the preachers in our Kiha consciousness movement are sincere
devotees of Kiha, Kiha will always be with them because He is very
kind and favorable to all His devotees. Just as Arjuna and Kiha were
victorious in the Battle of Kuruketra, this Kiha consciousness
movement will surely emerge victorious if we but remain sincere devotees
of the Lord and serve the Lord according to the advice of predecessors
(the six Gosvms and other devotees of the Lord).... Within the Society
we must try to serve the predecessors by preaching Caitanya
Mahprabhu's cult and spreading His name and fame all over the world. If
we attempt this seriously within the Society, it will be successfully done.
There is no question of estimating how this will happen in the mundane
sense. But without a doubt, it happens by the grace of Kiha.
Cc. Madhya 4.79
Share your preaching for the week. Ask the members to also account one by one their
preaching efforts and accomplishments for the week. Set targets for them for the next week. If
they have any doubts, or require guidance as to how to answer some questions from different
people, you may discuss them now for the benefit of everyone.
Ask them their realizations on what they are experiencing while preaching to others.
35
Date
Member
Preaching
Assignment
Target
Achieved:
Yes/ No
Additional notes
While the devotees are honoring prasadam, you can tell them that as every grain has been
supplied by God, we must not waste even a grain of it. Also as it is sanctified prasadam
It is even more precious and so must never be wasted. This is also essential in developing the
mood of sacrifice while cooking, offering and honoring prasadam.
Immediately after the devotees have left the program, kindly fill in the following form:
Names
Week 1
A
S
Week 2
A
S
Week 3
A
S
Week 4
A
S
Week 5
A
S
Remarks
EFFORTS
Week 1
1
2
3
4
5
No. of Mails
No. of Home Visits
No. of Money Donors
36
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week5
Total
Week 25
Encouraging people gently in their spiritual advancement is very crucial now , as they are
heading towards the next level of Siksha, namely Krsna Sadhaka. Since this involves the
following of all the regulative principles, it will be very helpful if you paid a visit to their
homes, especially to the ones who need special attention. Of course, it should be done very
discreetly, not pushing them too directly, but just helping them with suggestions, in case they
discuss their obstacles with you. They should value your visit as your general concern for
them and not as a painful interference.
These gestures will definitely reap great results in gaining their commitment and enthusiasm
in Krsna consciousness, and so experiencing a higher happiness, they will venture to give up
the inferior sense pleasures more easily.
.Announce the Vyuha program for the following week. Allot services to them for
arranging the program. Make arrangements with the other Bhakti Vriksha leaders and
the upa chakrapati in organizing the event.
37
For those still not able to taste the nectar of reading Srila Prabhupadas books or still
not given it a try, you can give the icebreaker question:What is the most difficult thing
you ever did in Krsna consciousness? Why was it so difficult?
Kirtan : 15 minutes
Japa. 15 minutes

Three kinds of menthose who are liberated, those trying to be liberated,
and those entangled in sense gratificationtake pleasure in chanting the
holy name:
In this world there are three kinds of men: those who are liberated, those
trying to be liberated, and those entangled in sense enjoyment. Of these
three, those who are already liberated chant and hear the holy name of
the Lord, knowing perfectly that to glorify the Lord is the only way to keep
oneself in a transcendental position. Those who are trying to be liberated,
the second class, may regard the chanting and hearing of the Lord's holy
name as a process of liberation, and they too will feel the transcendental
pleasure of this chanting. As for karms and persons engaged in sense
38
gratification, they also may take pleasure in hearing the pastimes of the
Lord, like His fighting on the Battlefield of Kuruketra and His dancing in
Vndvana with the gops.... Everyone, therefore, including the
mumukus, the vimuktas and the karms, should chant and hear the
glories of the Lord, and in this way everyone will benefit.
Although the sound vibration of the transcendental qualities of the Lord is
equally beneficial to all, for those who are muktas, liberated, it is
especially pleasing. As described in rmad-Bhgavatam, Eighth Canto,
Third Chapter, verse twenty, because pure devotees, who no longer have
any material desires, surrender fully to the lotus feet of the Lord, they
always merge in the ocean of bliss by chanting and hearing the Lord's holy
name. According to this verse, devotees like Nrada and other residents of
vetadvpa are seen always engaged in chanting the holy name of the
Lord because by such chanting they are always externally and internally
blissful. The mumukus, persons desiring to be liberated, do not depend
on the pleasures of the senses; instead, they concentrate fully on
becoming liberated by chanting the holy name of the Lord. Karms like to
create something pleasing to their ears and hearts, and although they
sometimes like to chant or hear the glories of the Lord, they do not do it
openly. Devotees, however, always spontaneously hear, chant about and
remember the activities of the Lord...
rmad-Bhgavatam 10.1 "Additional Notes"
Ask the most enthusiastic members first about how their japa was during the week, and how
many malas have they progressed to chanting, etcand to share their realizations on what
chanting is doing to them. You can then ask the rest to volunteer their realizations by asking
them Anyone else would like to share something about your chanting? If they do not
volunteer to say something, at least they would have been inspired to hear the other members
realizations. Then privately, you can just ask them casually about their chanting, so that they
do not feel any pressure to chant, and that they do so voluntarily.
As you had recommended the previous week, you can tell them how they could increase one
mala of their rounds every week, so that it is easy to make the additions.
These enquiries and encouragements should be done very carefully, understanding the mood
of the members, how far they are ready to go, etc because though chanting is a very
pleasant activity and a natural one too, in the initial stages, when they are struggling to chant,
they may consider it a burden and may also react negatively if they think that they are being
pushed, even if it is being done for their own benefit, with the best of motivations.
Yet we should also not give up if some people are a little slow in their progress, just as we
would never give up on bringing up our own children even if they were not so quick or expert
in the beginning.
39
replies.
If you are having more than 10 members, you can divide the group into two. You can choose
some serious member in each group to facilitate the discussion among the smaller groups, and
note down the points. You can supervise the discussion in both the groups, making sure that
everyone is made to participate and that the discussion is going along proper lines. When they
have completed the Discussion and Understanding questions, you can ask both the groups
to come together again for discussing together the application question. When they have all
assembled together, you can first ask the leaders of both the groups to read out the answers
that they have gathered from the members.
Then you can proceed to asking each of the members the application question as usual.
There are clearly two, three major advantages of dividing the group for the discussion. The
shy ones will participate more freely, more leaders will get trained to facilitate, and last but
not least, it saves time!

ribhir gua-mayair bhvair
ebhi sarvam ida jagat
mohita nbhijnti
mm ebhya param avyayam
TRANSLATION
Deluded by the three modes [goodness, passion and ignorance], the
whole world does not know Me who am above the modes and
inexhaustible.
PURPORT
The whole world is enchanted by three modes of material nature.
Those who are bewildered by these three modes cannot understand
that transcendental to this material nature is the Supreme Lord, Ka.
In this material world everyone is under the influence of these three
guas and is thus bewildered.
40
Bv nature living entities have particular types of body and particular

types of psychic and biological activities accordingly. There are four
classes of men functioning in the three material modes of nature.
Those who are purely in the mode of goodness are called brhmaas.
Those who are purely in the mode of passion are called katriyas.
Those who are in the modes of both passion and ignorance are called
vaiyas. Those who are completely in ignorance are called dras. And
those who are less than that are animals or animal life. However, these
designations are not permanent. I may either be a brhmaa, katriya,
vaiya or whatever-in any case, this life is temporary. But although life
is temporary and we do not know what we are going to be in the next
life, still, by the spell of this illusory energy, we consider ourselves in
the light of this bodily conception of life, and we thus think that we are
American, Indian, Russian or brhmaa, Hindu, Muslim, etc. And if we
become entangled with the modes of material nature, then we forget
the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is behind all these modes. So
Lord Ka says that men, deluded by these three modes of nature, do
not understand that behind the material background is the Supreme
Godhead.
There are many different kinds of living entities-human beings,
demigods, animals, etc.-and each and every one of them is under the
influence of material nature, and all of them have forgotten the
transcendent Personality of Godhead. Those who are in the modes of
passion and ignorance, and even those who are in the mode of
goodness, cannot go beyond the impersonal Brahman conception of
the Absolute Truth. They are bewildered before the Supreme Lord in His
personal feature, which possesses all beauty, opulence, knowledge,
strength, fame and renunciation. When even those who are in
goodness cannot understand, what hope is there for those in passion
and ignorance? Kiha consciousness is transcendental to all these
three modes of material nature, and those who are truly established in
Kiha consciousness are actually liberated.
Bg 7.14
Discovery:
1)Name the three modes of material nature. Mention which type of persons have which
type of mode predominantly in their personalities.
Understanding:
1)Why are these bodily designations unimportant? What do they make us forget?
2)What is the understanding of the absolute truth of a person situated in the mode of
goodness?
3)Why is it important to be Krsna conscious?
Application:
41
Discuss the different modes which affect you during the course of each day. How
do you feel when you are under their influence? When do you feel joyful in Krsna
consciousness?


Contrary to the order of Lord Caitanya, some of His
modern so-called followers do not preach:
It is the desire of Lord Caitanya Mahprabhu that the benevolent activities
of the sakrtana movement which was inaugurated five hundred years
ago in Navadvpa be spread all over the world for the benefit of all human
beings. Unfortunately, there are many so-called followers of Caitanya
Mahprabhu who are satisfied simply to construct a temple, make a show
of the Deities, collect some funds and utilize them for eating and sleeping.
There is no question of their preaching the cult of r Caitanya
Mahprabhu all over the world, but even though they are unable to do so,
if anyone else does it they become envious. This is the condition of the
modern followers of Caitanya Mahprabhu. The age of Kali is so strong
that it affects even the so-called followers of Lord Caitanya. At least the
followers of Caitanya Mahprabhu must come out of India to preach His
cult all over the world, for this is the mission of Lord Caitanya. The
followers of Lord Caitanya must execute His will with heart and soul, being
more tolerant than the trees and humbler than the straw in the street.
Cc. di 9.47
The preaching mood is very important to be inculcated in the members. This is what will give
them the life and inspiration to progress in Krsna consciousness. So it is very important that
you conduct this preaching session very diligently week after week by sharing your own
preaching efforts, enquiring about the performance of their preaching assignments, clearing
their doubts on the right approach to conduct themselves while preaching, as well as how to
face the questions from the people that they preach to. Make sure you give them assignments
for the subsequent week as well. You have to keep progressing in the assignments you give
them depending on their performance and enthusiasm. Encourage and show a lot of
42
appreciation for their efforts, however small. This will keep building up their confidence to
perform more and more preaching services.
Date
Member
Preaching
Target
Yes/ No
Additional notes
The more that people appreciate the value of prasadam, the more they will progress in their
Krsna consciousness, and their attitudes towards prasadam will be in the right consciousness:
one of honoring rather than one of indulgence. They will also be inspired to sponsor the
prasadam during many of their special occasions like different anniversaries. This will give
them great spiritual credit.
They will also quickly progress to eating prasadam at home too.
Names
Week 1
A
S
Week 2
A
S
Week 3
A
S
Week 4
A
S
Week 5
A
S
Remarks
EFFORTS
Week 1
No. of Mails
No. of Home Visits
1
2
3
43
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week5
Total

No. of Money Donors
4
5
Vyuha program
A Vyuha program involves the participation of two or three Bhakti Vriksha groups together in
a combined program. It is a break from the regular Bhakti Vriksha program and has a different
format. A senior leader is invited to give a discourse/ lecture.
44
Before we start describing to you how the Vyuha program is conducted, let us see
reasons for conducting it.
the
1) It is a break in format from the regular Bhakti Vriksha meetings. The members need to
have something different and relaxing periodically, so that a kind of complacency or
monotony does not set in, and their spirits are uplifted. This will also enthuse them to
be more participative and involved in the Bhakti Vriksha meetings.
2) It is a chance for them to come in touch with more senior devotees. If they have a
sector leader/ circle leader /greater circle leader, then it is an opportunity to listen to
their lecture and to associate closely with them.
3) It is an opportunity for the senior leaders to come and observe the progress of the
Bhakti Vrikshas and to get to know the new devotees personally.
4) The members get to associate with other Bhakti Vriksha members and their leaders,
and this is very encouraging, inspiring, educative and enjoyable for them.
As they feel that they are part of a larger family and have common experiences, this
reinforces their strenth and commitment to Krsna consciousness.
5) The members get to help in organizing the program, and so this is a great opportunity
for them to utilize their talents in serving Krsna. This also trains them in organizing
programs .
6) The cultural part of the program is entertaining as well. The audience is enlivened and
so are the participants . Members talents can be recognized and appreciated.The
Parents are very enthusiastic if their children participate in a skit/song/ dance/ sloka
recitation/ etc..This can reinforce their interest in the Bhakti Vriksha program further.
7) It is a good opportunity for the members to invite their friends and acquaintances for
the program, as it is not a regular one . It would be an enjoyable evening for them, as
long kirtans, games, quiz, cultural programs, lecture, feast etc.would be included in the
program.
8) The Bhakti Vriksha members will get a wonderful opportunity to render different
services while organizing the program. This increases their service attitude, cooperation with other devotees and an opportunity to learn different skills in the service
of Krsna.
Vyuha program (2 hours and 15 minutes)You can adjust the time to suit your
convenience.
1)Have a regular Arathi and kirtan 30 minutes.
2)When everyone is seated,introduce the guest of honour to the members , welcome
him/her as well as the audience.Any of the Bhakti Vriksha leaders/ sector leader(if he is
not the special guest himself) can do this.
Introduce the different Bhakti Vriksha leaders to the audience. Let the leaders introduce
their members to the audience. They can invite a few of the volunteers within the group to
come and speak about their experiences of attending their Bhakti Vrikshas. Just 2 or 3
45
from each group would suffice. The rest can be allowed to speak in future Vyuha
programs.
This sets the mood for the crowd to be familiar with each other and thus
relax..15 minutes
3) Invite the senior devotee to speak to the guests 30 minutes
4) Have a quiz on the general information they have learnt in Krsna consciousness.
You can quiz them from the modules you have covered for them so far. You can divide
them into different Bhakti Vriksha teams.20 minutes
5) Have a cultural presentation of a skit , vaishnava song,dance, sloka recitation etc(you
can include one or more of them) 20 minutes
6) If you have any siksha certificates to be handed out, you could request the senior
leader do so at this juncture.(If you have planned to distribute it else where, then skip
this.)
7) Serve prasadam to the guests. ..20 minutes
8) Do not forget to take the new visitors contact numbers and e-mail ids. If you have any
programs for children, this could also be announced. Also invite all the guests to join
any of the Bhakti Vriksha groups.If any of them are keen to do so, guide them to the
suitable Bhakti Vriksha leaders.
Week 27
The devotees should be all coming well on time, some of them ahead of time to render
different services for the program. The services allotted to them are a means of providing
them the nectar of Krsna consciousness. It also helps them associate closely with the
46
devotees, which is good for their spiritual and emotional lives. If they become attached to the
program and the people, then making spiritual commitments becomes relatively easy.
The philosophy only satisfies their reasoning on the need to make the commitments, but in
order for their hearts to be convinced, which are the prime movers of all activities, one has to
taste the joy and happiness available in personal relationships in Krsna consciousness.
At the same time we have to make sure that it is selfless love and friendship that we are
offering., which is geared towards their spiritual advancement and our own., not a friendship
that comes in the way of our spiritual advancement. If the friendship based on true spiritual
advancement, then it will be lasting even when the group multiplies and other leaders are
being trained to start their own groups. But if it is tinged with selfish motives, then one will
lose the will to care for people if they do not live up to our material expectations of them.
Just as parenting is selfless and is geared towards the well being of the children, the Bhakti
Vriksha leader has to develop during the course of his preaching, a detached and selfless
attitude to his service. This will evoke the same attitude among the members as well and they
will begin to have a healthy attitudes in forming Vaishnava relationships, and develop true
qualities of humility.
Make an announcement that there would be a seminar the following week on the Krsna
Sadhak level. If there are very new members, then you can request them to skip the
seminar as they might find the requirements of the Krsna sadhak level too much to
practice at this stage.
given it a try, you can give the icebreaker question: Tell us of a time when you felt
blessed by the Lord.
Kirtan : 15 minutes
Japa. 15 minutes
47

Of all the holy names of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, the name "Kihna" is the most powerful:
rla ukadeva Gosvm has concluded the Nineteenth Chapter of the

Tenth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam by pointing out five particular
excellences of Lord Kiha.... The fourth excellence of Lord Kiha's
appearance concerns the glories of His name. It is stated in the Vedic
literature that by chanting the different names of Lord Vihu a thousand
times, one may be bestowed with the same benefits as by thrice chanting
the holy name of Lord Rma. And by chanting the holy name of Lord
Kiha only once, one receives the same benefit. In other words, of all
the holy names of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, including Viu
and Rma, the holy name of Kiha is the most powerful. The Vedic
literature therefore specifically stresses the chanting of the holy name of
Kiha: Hare Kiha, Hare Kiha, Kiha Kiha, Hare Hare/ Hare
Rma, Hare Rma, Rma Rma, Hare Hare. Lord Caitanya introduced this
chanting of the holy name of Kiha in this age, thus making liberation
more easily obtainable than in other ages. In other words, Lord Kiha is
more excellent than His other incarnations, although all of them are
equally the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Kiha, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Enquire from the devotees if any of them have come up to chanting 8 malas of japa everyday.
Ask them if anyone would like to try committing to chanting 8 malas. Give them tips on how
they can make it easier by chanting in the early hours, chanting maybe in intervals, if they
say they lack the time, chanting along with a senior devotee, if possible, etc While chanting
is purely voluntary, the mind comes up initially with various excuses about the obstacles to
chant, so it will be very helpful to them if you can encourage them to chant more while
dispelling all their doubts.
replies.
48
ya stra-vidhim utsjya
vartate kma-krata
na sa siddhim avpnoti
na sukha na par gatim
.
TRANSLATION
But he who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his
own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme
destination.
PURPORT
As described before, the stra-vidhim, or the direction of the stra, is
given to the different castes and orders of human society. Everyone is
expected to follow these rules and regulations. If one does not follow
them and acts whimsically according to his lust, greed and desire, then
he never will be perfect in his life. In other words, a man may
theoretically know all these things, but if he does not apply them in his
own life, then he is to be known as the lowest of mankind. In the
human form of life, a living entity is expected to be sane and to follow
the regulations given for elevating his life to the highest platform, but if
he does not follow them, then he degrades himself. But even if he
follows the rules and regulations and moral principles and ultimately
does not come to the stage of understanding the Supreme Lord, then
all his knowledge becomes spoiled. Therefore one should gradually
raise himself to the platform of Kiha consciousness and devotional
service; it is then and there that he can attain the highest perfectional
stage, not otherwise.
The word kma-crata is very significant. A person who knowingly
violates the rules acts in lust. He knows that this is forbidden, still he
acts. This is called acting whimsically. He knows that this should be
done, but still he does not do it; therefore he is called whimsical. Such
persons are destined to be condemned by the Supreme Lord. Such
persons cannot have the perfection which is meant for the human life.
The human life is especially meant for purifying one's existence, and
49
one who does not follow the rules and regulations cannot purify
himself, nor can he attain the real stage of happiness.
Bg 16.24
tasmc chstra prama te
krykrya-vyavasthitau
jtv stra-vidhnokta
karma kartum ihrhasi
TRANSLATION
One should understand what is duty and what is not duty by the
regulations of the scriptures. Knowing such rules and regulations, one
should act so that he may gradually be elevated.
PURPORT
As stated in the Fifteenth Chapter, all the rules and regulations of the
Vedas are meant for knowing Kiha. If one understands Krisha from
the Bhagavad-gt and becomes situated in Krishna consciousness,
engaging himself in devotional service, he has reached the highest
perfection of knowledge offered by the Vedic literature. Lord Caitanya
Mahaprabhu made this process very easy: He asked people simply to
chant Hare Kiha, Hare Krishna, Kiha Kiha, Hare Hare/ Hare
Rma, Hare Rma, Rma Rma, Hare Hare and to engage in the
devotional service of the Lord and eat the remnants of foodstuff offered
to the Deity. One who is directly engaged in all these devotional
activities is to be understood as having studied all Vedic literature. He
has come to the conclusion perfectly. Of course, for the ordinary
persons who are not in Krisha consciousness or who are not engaged
in devotional service, what is to be done and what is not to be done
must be decided by the injunctions of the Vedas. One should act
accordingly, without argument. That is called following the principles of
stra, or scripture. stra is without the four principal defects that are
visible in the conditioned soul: imperfect senses, the propensity for
cheating, certainty of committing mistakes, and certainty of being
illusioned. These four principal defects in conditioned life disqualify one
from putting forth rules and regulations. Therefore, the rules and
regulations as described in the stra-being above these defects-are
accepted without alteration by all great saints, cryas, and great
souls.
In India there are many parties of spiritual understanding, generally
50
classified as two: the impersonalist and the personalist. Both of them,

however, lead their lives according to the principles of the Vedas.
Without following the principles of the scriptures, one cannot elevate
himself to the perfectional stage. One who actually, therefore,
understands the purport of the stras is considered fortunate.
In human society, aversion to the principles of understanding the
Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all falldowns. That is
the greatest offense of human life. Therefore, my, the material
energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always giving us
trouble in the shape of the threefold miseries. This material energy is
constituted of the three modes of material nature. One has to raise
himself at least to the mode of goodness before the path to
understanding the Supreme Lord can be opened. Without raising
oneself to the standard of the mode of goodness, one remains in
ignorance and passion, which are the cause of demoniac life. Those in
the modes of passion and ignorance deride the scriptures, deride the
holy man, and deride the proper understanding of the spiritual master,
and they do not care for the regulations of the scriptures. In spite of
hearing the glories of devotional service, they are not attracted. Thus
they manufacture their own way of elevation. These are some of the
defects of human society, which lead to the demoniac status of life. If,
however, one is able to be guided by a proper and bona fide spiritual
master, who can lead one to the path of elevation, to the higher stage,
then one's life becomes successful.
Discovery:
1) What is the purpose of following the rules and regulations given
in the Vedas?
2) What is the danger we face if we do not follow them?
3) Why should we accept the rules and regulations only from
Shastra?
4) When is a person acting whimsically?
5) What are the two classifications of spiritualists?
Understanding:
1) What is the highest perfectional stage one can achieve in
spiritual life?
2) How did Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu say we could reach this state
very easily?
3) Why do people fall down in their proper understanding of the
Absolute truth?
4) How do people behave in the modes of passion and ignorance?
5) Why do we undergo miseries in material life?
51
Application:
1) Discuss any one rule that you are following in Krishna
consciousness and how it has helped you to elevate your
consciousness.


His Divine Grace A.C. Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupada
Out of compassion for living entities, the sdhu preaches:

The symptoms of a sdhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to
all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the
scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime.
A sdhu, as described above, is a devotee of the Lord. His concern,
therefore, is to enlighten people in devotional service to the Lord. That is
his mercy. He knows that without devotional service to the Lord, human
life is spoiled. A devotee travels all over the country, from door to door,
preaching, "Be Kiha conscious. Be a devotee of Lord Ka. Don't spoil
your life in simply fulfilling your animal propensities. Human life is meant
for self-realization, or Kiha consciousness." These are the preachings of
a sdhu. He is not satisfied with his own liberation. He always thinks about
others. He is the most compassionate personality towards all the fallen
souls. One of his qualifications, therefore, is kruika, great mercy to the
fallen souls.... He is merciful because he is the well-wisher of all living
entities. He is not only a well-wisher of human society, but a well-wisher of
animal society as well. It is said here, sarva-dehinm, which indicates all
living entities who have accepted a material body. Not only does the
human being have a material body, but other living entities, such as cats
52
and dogs, also have material bodies. The devotee of the Lord is merciful to
everyonethe cats, dogs, trees, etc. He treats all living entities in such a
way that they can ultimately get salvation from this material
entanglement.
Share your preaching reports for the week. Also encourage everyone to share the preaching
they have done for the week according to the assignments given to them in the previous week.
Discuss any doubts or difficulties they may be facing while approaching people and while
replying to their queries.
There must be the eagerness to get new members, to cultivate the new members and to
progress oneself in spiritual life. All this will be automatically achieved, if you take this
preaching session seriously and give them assignments every week.
Prasadam : 20 minutes
Collect simple recipes for day to day cooking and distribute to the members. So that those
who are not well versed in cooking vegetarian dishes will feel inspired to cook and offer food
to Lord Krsna and eat prasadam at home gradually.
Names
Week 1 the details
Week 2 about
Week
3
Please enter
your
A
S
A
S
A
S
53
Week 4 attending
Week 5 thisRemarks
members
week:
A
EFFORTS
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week5
Total
No. of Mails
No. of Home Visits
No. of Money Donors
1
2
3
4
5
Week 28
Seminar
This is a great milestone in the progress of your group members. All their learning in the past
months, their conviction and seriousness in Krsna consciousness will be put to test as they
have to commit themselves to more and more details of surrender in Krishna consciousness.
The initial months would have gone through a kind of sifting of the members as some of them
leave and more members join, etc.. This is very natural, and one should not be disturbed as it
happens. One should of course be mindful that we are not at fault for people dropping out.
Even if you ensured that you did your best, the sifting process goes on till about in 6 months
time you have some serious permanent members who are very much convinced abut the
program and are ready to take up this level of siksha. This is because the topics covered
during the last 2 months were geared to giving them the basic understanding of why they
need to come to a higher level of this siksha.
Please do not let very junior members attend the seminar as they most probably will feel
uncomfortable listening to the regulative principles being discussed and may drop out of the
program altogether.
Welcome all the members and guests. Make a change in the seating arrangement, as today
they would all have to sit in a crowd facing the speaker, rather than in a circle.
54
Have the black board/ white board ready with chalk or marker as the case may be, for the
seminar. Have a chair and table arranged for the speaker. A senior leader, can be the sector
leader(overseeing more than 3 Bhakti Vriksha groups groups) could present it. Prepare the
handouts to be given at the end of the class.
Kirtana: 20 minutes
:Request the senior to lead a kirtana for twenty minutes.
Seminar:
90 minutes
Lesson Module: For Krishna Sadhak

Aim:
To motivate members to give up intoxication, illicit sex and gambling.

To inspire them to start performing the Tulasi Pooja regularly.
To help them take up the vow of keeping Ekadasi Vrata.
To start chanting 8 rounds.
To attend the Friday Bhagavatam class/ attend the Bhagavad Gita study groups.
Objectives: At the end of the lesson the participants will be able to:
List 4 (four) reasons to give up intoxication.
Will agree to perform the Tulasi Pooja daily and will learn to perform the same from a
senior devotee in case they dont know it.
Willingly commit to observe the Ekadasi Vrata.
Will agree to attend the Friday Bhagavatam class regularly or attend the Friday
evening study class in Bhagavad Gita.
Conditions: They will volunteer to commit these things.
Criteria: At least 75% of the members attending the program will agree to take up the
Krishna Sadhak certificate immediately.
Assessment: Asking them orally at the end of the class.
Preparation:
For the lecture session on Intoxication, you can have a flip chart having
photographs of different happy looking devotees doing different Krishna Conscious activities.
LESSON OUTLINE:
What
Brain storm
55
Who
The whole class
Resources
W/B board
Time
10 minutes
Debriefing
Lecture
Narration
Reading
& Facilitator
Facilitator
Facilitator
Sharing
Two devotees
Experiences
Summing Up and Facilitator
Question
&
Answer session
LESSON PLAN :
3 Flip charts
30 minutes
Audio
cassette, 10 minutes
player
The summarized 10 minutes
passage from the
book on Ekadasi
10 minutes
..
20 minutes
Brain storm: A volunteer can be asked to note down points on the blackboard given by
members on the Topic/topics for the brain storm session: 1) Why do people take to
intoxication &2) ill effects of intoxication. Add also any points missed out.
Debriefing: Expand on the points given in the brain storm.
You can make use of 2 (two) illustrated charts with the following basic points:
Chart 1: Reasons for why people take up intoxication
1) To overcome boredom. 2) To forget their troubles and problems. 3) To make them forget
reality. 4) To gain confidence and a sense of worth. 5) A way to spend with friends. 6) Social
obligation at parties and official dinners. 7) Habit & Addiction. 8) To help them fantasize. 9)
A status symbol.
Chart 2: Effects of intoxication:

1) Makes one addicted to and dependent on alcohol. 2) Very bad for liver and general health.
3) Makes one unfit to do normal work when under its influence. 4) Makes one insensitive and
uncaring towards others. 5) A real waste of money. 6) Hang-over effect. 7) Very difficult to drink in
moderation. 8) Innumerable road accidents occur due to drunken driving. 9) Breaks families as the
person becomes irresponsible and uncaring towards the needs of the family. 10) Induces a lot of
violence including wife beating. 11) Sets a very bad example for children. 12) Takes away ones
dignity and self-respect in society.
Lecture: An alternative to intoxication: Staying happy through Krishna consciousness.

Have an illustrated chart depicting the different happy activities in Krsna consciousness as a
family: 1) Arathi, 2) Chanting, 3) Offering bhoga, 4) Listening to lectures while driving,
5) Thinking of Krsna while at work, 6) Having a cell program at home etc.
56
Explain how Krishna is the source of all happiness and forgetting Him brings misery. One can
use the analogy of the child separated from its father who will be happy only when it is reunited with its father. So there is the need to progress more and more in Krishna
consciousness by increasing our commitments step by step and that will automatically give us
the real happiness and keep us away from all harmful things which will put us into greater
misery.
Talk about how illicit sex is the worst of the 4 sins one could commit. It has very grave
repercussion on ones health, mind and emotional well-being on the material level. Spiritually
too one cannot develop the mood of surrender, service and renunciation by engaging in illicit
sex because it is an act steeped in a mood of sense gratification.
Gambling makes one too anxious and disturbed in the mind about the outcome of the risks
that are undertaken. So gambling too acts as a great hindrance towards devotional service.
Narration: Play the introduction narrated in the cassette The story of Tulasi Devi by HG
Amala Bhakta Dasa. At the end of the introduction explain to the members how Tulasi Devi
is worshipped every day, i.e., the procedure of performing the worship of Tulasi Devi.
Reading about Ekadasi:
From the Book Ekadasi, the day of Lord Hari by Krsna Balaram Swami
See below for the Text:
Arjuna asked Krishna, O Lord, according to you, a thousand Vedic sacrifices do not equal
even one Ekadasi fast. How can this be? How has Ekadasi become the most meritorious of all
days?
Lord Sri Krishna replied, I will tell you why Ekadasi is the most purifying of all days. In
the Satya Yuga there once lived an amazingly fearsome demon called Mura. Always very
angry, he terrified all the demigods, defeating even Indra, the king of heaven; he brought all
the other devatas like Vivasvan, the Sun God, the eight Vasus, Lord Brahma, Vayu, the wind
God and Agni, the fire God. With his terrible power he brought all of them under his control.
Indra and the other demigods approached Lord Siva who guided them to Lord Vishnu.
Lord Vishnu accompanied the Devas and advanced to Muras capital city of Candravati.
But Mura and his demons struck the demigods severely and they all had to abandon and flee
in ten different directions.
At last the chief demon Mura began fighting with the Lord. When the Lord could not defeat
him with various kinds of weapons, He wrestled with Mura for one thousand celestial years
and apparently fatigued, left for Badrikashrama. When the Lord was resting in a cave Mura
followed the Lord to the cave and made plans to kill the Lord. At that time a young girl
manifested herself from the Lords body. She was bright complexioned and she challenged the
demon. She shattered all the demons weapons and deprived him of his chariot and as he came
running towards her with his bare hands she chopped off his head.
The Lord woke up and seeing the demon dead was very pleased with the maiden and asked
her what boon she would like to have. The maiden replied, O Lord, if you are pleased with
57
me and wish to give me a boon then give me the power to deliver the person who fasts on this
day from the greatest of sins.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead replied, All my devotees in this world will surely fast
on your day and will thus become famous through out the three worlds and finally will come
and stay with me in my abode. Because you, My transcendental potency have appeared on the
eleventh day of the waning moon, let your name be Ekadasi. If a person fasts on Ekadasi I
will burn up all his sins and bestow upon him my transcendental abode.
Krishna concluded to Arjuna, From that time onwards, the Ekadasi became most meritorious
and famous all over the universe. O Arjuna, if a person strictly observes Ekadasi, I will kill all
his enemies and grant him the highest destination. For all eternity there will be no better way
of worshipping Lord Vishnu than observing a fast on Ekadasi.
Sharing Experiences & Realizations

Bring 1 (one) senior devotee to come and explain how he benefited from attending the Friday
Bhagavatam class / study group. Bring a junior devotee to share how he is benefiting in
spiritual life after having started attending the Friday Bhagvatam class / study groups.
Summing up: Mention how chanting is the basis of our spiritual

lives. The more we chant the more we please Krishna and become
closer and dearer to Him. So it is necessary to make a bigger
commitment if we want to progress in our spiritual lives. Read
some quotes from the Namamrta.
Ask for questions regarding the following:
Whether they have any problem accepting the vow to chant 8
rounds.
Help with their doubts or obstacles to performing this every
day.
Give practical solutions and guidance.
They can even start a simple worship to the photographs of
the Parampara at home by offering dhoop, diya and flowers.
They can also start offering fruits to the Lord everyday.
Assessment:
58
Enquire how many would like to volunteer to take up Krishna

Sadhak certificates.
Distribute the application forms for the Krsna sadhak level(Please
see the booklet Bhakti Vriksa training Program). Once they have
filled up the forms, they may be awarded certificates by your local
issuing authority in any one of the public programs.
CHECK LIST for MODULE 3 (Krishna Sadhak)

The third module consists of 8 lessons or 8 sessions which will be covered in 8 weeks. At the
end of this module, there are some questions / check list given below that you can answer to
see if the members have progressed along the expected lines up at least up to the Krishna
sadhak level .(Krishna Sadhak:committed to chanting at least 8 malas of japa every day,
following the regulative principles, doing some basic worship, following the Ekadasi vrata
and doing the Tulasi puja.)
You should have been entering the details about your members in the BV report form given at
the end of each lesson, every week. This will help you fill up the check-list easily and will
make your assessment of your progress authentic. If there is any short fall, you will know you
have to give some special attention, or see if you have not given sufficient attention to some
particular aspect of the program. Please go through the introduction of this book once again to
help you in this.
In spite of our best efforts, it is still possible that our results may sometimes be less than ideal
as we are dealing with human beings who all have their independence to advance in Krsna
consciousness at the pace they want but we can do our part to the best of our ability, and
that in most cases does inspire them to surrender faster. But there is no need to feel depressed
or dispirited if we are not always successful, because we are constantly improving ourselves
59
both in our level of Krsna conscious surrender as well as in our skills to inspire people, so we
can always keep improving.
Check list for Krishna sadhak
Write Yes/ No or the appropriate answer in the right hand side column
1
Do you have at least 12 to 14 members attending your program?
2
Are they all attending regularly? If not how many are irregular?
3
Are they all participating in all the sessions? If not, how many are not
participating?
4
In which sessions are they not participating?
5
Are they all chanting at least eight rounds of japa? If not how many are
not chanting?
6
Do they do the home work that you assign them(including the
preaching home-work)? If not, how many are not doing it?
Do they attend the study classes regularly? How many dont attend?
7
Do they all feel comfortable with you and are communicative with you?
If not, how many are not communicative?
8
Have they all started to follow the four regulative principles? If not,
how many are not following?
9
Are they all enthusiastic to take up the Krishna sadhak certificate? If
not, how many are not willing to take ?
If you have just one or two that are not up to the mark, you can feel that you have done a good
job, but that you must still work at bringing everyone to the desired level. If there are around
half the group not advancing, then you must do a review of your program. You can discuss
this with your senior preachers, take their guidance and help as well. Remember you are the
parent, and parents will do everything to care for each one of their children!
60
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Contents

Week 26(Vyuha program)

Week 28(Siksha seminar)

Check list for Module 3

The Nectar of the Holy Name

Passage for Discussion:

patram puspam phalam toyam

He is not in need of anything from anyone, because He is self-sufficient, and

means to say that Kiha is absolute. Lacking senses, He could hardly be

Preaching Session : 15 minutes

Preaching is the essence

Abbreviations: A= Attendance, S= Siksha level

The most munificent Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as

transcendental platform, there is no distinction between the rich, the

Passage for Discussion

devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and

B-gita ch 12, verses 6 - 7

Preaching Session : 15 minutes

Preaching is the essence

Abbreviations: A= Attendance, S= Siksha level

In the rmad-Bhgavatam it is said that [Lord Caitanya] is the incarnation

Passage for Discussion

2) Mention some of the types of avataras/ incarnations?

Preaching Session : 15 minutes

Preaching is the essence

was not possible for r Caitanya Mahprabhu was carried out by

Abbreviations: A= Attendance, S= Siksha level

Sri Namamrta - The Nectar of the Holy

Passage for Discussion:

material worlds and their inhabitants, including the demigods, and

Preaching Session : 15 minutes

Read out the following passage:

Preaching is the essence

Cc. Madhya 7.98-104

Abbreviations: A= Attendance, S= Siksha level

Sri Namamrta - The Nectar of the Holy Name

[Lord Caitanya to Santana Gosvm]: "Among the ways of executing

ecstatic love of Godhead, he attains the complete perfection of life.

Passage for Discussion

yat karoi yad ansi

Preaching Session : 15 minutes

Preaching is the essence

Abbreviations: A= Attendance, S= Siksha level

Sri Namamrta - The Nectar of the Holy Name

Passage for Discussion

Bv nature living entities have particular types of body and particular

Preaching Session : 15 minutes

Preaching is the essence

No. of Service Donors

Abbreviations: A= Attendance, S= Siksha level

Sri Namamrta - The Nectar of the Holy Name

rla ukadeva Gosvm has concluded the Nineteenth Chapter of the

Passage for Discussion

classified as two: the impersonalist and the personalist. Both of them,

Preaching Session : 15 minutes

Preaching is the essence

Out of compassion for living entities, the sdhu preaches:

Abbreviations: A= Attendance, S= Siksha level

Lesson Module: For Krishna Sadhak