BUILDING A CARING COMMUNITY
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This problem is an opportunity to strengthen my faith in Krsna and practice patience. I can learn humility and to see things from different perspectives. It's a chance to improve my service attitude and depend more on Krsna. Guide: Very good! You've turned a problem into an opportunity for spiritual advancement. That's the right perspective.
![ACTION SUCCESS
Success = Personal effort + Krsna’s mercy
The place of action [the body], the performer, the
various senses, the many different kinds of endeavour,
and ultimately the Supersoul — these are the five
factors of action. Whatever right or wrong action a
man performs by body, mind or speech is caused by
these five factors. Therefore one who thinks himself
the only doer, not considering the five factors, is
certainly not very intelligent and cannot see things as
they are.
Bg 18.14-16
O son of Kunti, I am the taste of water, the light of the
sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic
mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.
Bg 7.8](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/buildingacaringcommunity-121209045504-phpapp01/85/BUILDING-A-CARING-COMMUNITY-57-320.jpg)
BUILDING A CARING COMMUNITY
- 1. Devotee Care And Guidance
- 2. Upadesamrta 4 Purport The International Society for Krishna Consciousness has been established to facilitate these six kinds of loving exchanges between devotees: 1. giving charity to the devotees 2. accepting from the devotees whatever they may offer in return 3. opening one's mind to the devotees 4. inquiring from them about the confidential service of the Lord 5. honoring prasada, or spiritual food, given by the devotees 6. feeding the devotees with prasada.
- 4. Team Lessons From The Geese As each bird flaps its wings it creates an uplift for the bird following. By fyling in a "V" formation the whole flock provides 71% better range than flying alone. There is a power in the collective work. People who share a common direction and sense of community can reach their destination quicker and easier, travelling on the thrust of each other. Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it immediately feels the drag and quickly gets back in to the draft of the nearest goose. If we had as much sense as a goose, we would stay in formation with those who are heading where we want to go. Sometimes the leading goose gets tired and rotates back into formation for another to take over. Take turns in leadership. Share leadership.
- 5. Team Lessons From The Geese Be interpendent on each other's skills, knowledge, and qualities. Geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up the speed. Make sure your honking from behind is encouraging, not discouraging. ENCOURAGE - coeur means “heart” in French. Whenever a goose gets sick, wounded or shot, two geese fall out of the formation to go with one to protect, help it and stay it until it can fly again, or until it dies. They then launch out to join another formation or rejoin their original flock
- 6. PLAN Community principles How does it work One to one assistance
- 7. SEVEN PURPOSES OF ISKCON 3. To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krsna, the prime entity, thus to develop the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krsna). 6. To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler and more natural way of life. 7
- 8. SAVE Save yourself, save others. This is our Krsna consciousness movement. First of all save yourself; then try to save others. Or both things can go on simultaneously. The same example. If you want to save somebody who's drowning you must know that I may not be washed away. I have to remain strong; then I can save him. Conversation on Roof -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura
- 9. SRILA PRABHUPADA Srila Prabhupada was first and foremost someone who truly cared, who completely sacrificed his own comfort to work for the good of others. - Mukunda Goswami 9
- 10. PRACETAS The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear sons of the King, I am very much pleased by the friendly relationships among you. All of you are engaged in one occupation - devotional service. I am so pleased with your mutual friendship that I wish you all good fortune. Now you may ask a benediction of Me. SB 4.30.8
- 11. While the men were meeting in that way, the women were also meeting one another in the same manner. They were embracing each other in great friendship, smiling very mildly, and looking at one another with much affection. When they were embracing each other in their arms, the saffron and kunkuma spread on their breasts was exchanged from one person to another, and they all felt heavenly ecstasy. Due to such heart-to-heart embracing, torrents of tears glided down their cheeks. The juniors were offering obeisances to the elders, and the elders were offering their blessings to the juniors. They were thus welcoming one another and asking after each other's welfare. Ultimately, however, all their talk was only of Krsna. All the neighbors and relatives were connected with Lord Krsna's pastimes in this world, and as such Krsna was the center of all their activities. Krsna Book - Lord Krsna and Balarama Meet the Inhabitants of Vrndavana
- 12. CARING COMMUNITY PRINCIPLES Sarve sukhino bhavantu 6 loving exchanges (dadati ... ) Enlightening each other Bg 10.9 “Your love for me will be shown ...” SP “Mutual consultation” SP Doing good to others Bg 17.16 P Laksmi comes when we don’t fight SB 5.14.24 P Pracetas SB 4.8.30 Building trust in a community
- 13. CARING COMMUNITY PRINCIPLES Prahlada Maharaja: May all living entities become calm by practicing bhakti-yoga, for by accepting devotional service they will think of each other's welfare. SB 5.18.9 Holistic care (body, mind and soul) Training is care (“Give a man a fish ...”) Regular and clear communication Sentimental or caring?
- 14. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN THE COMMUNITY We keep promises and honor commitments. We acknowledge and apologize for mistakes. We are loyal to the absent. We seek to understand each other’s needs and concerns. We say what we feel in a way that shows respect for others’ opinions. We are not defensive when someone offers feedback. We share information, both positive and negative, with people who need to have it. We encourage others to openly contribute ideas and opinions. We involve people in decisions that affect them.
- 15. BUILDING TRUST WITHIN THE COMMUNITY We give credit where credit is due. We share decision making with community or team members, and support collective decisions. We encourage and support community or team members taking risks. We check our information before jumping to conclusions. We behave and communicate consistently, regardless of the situation or the person’s authority and influence. We communicate clear expectations. We honour confidential and sensitive information.
- 16. HOW DOES THE SYSTEM WORK?
- 17. PURPOSE Educate devotees in how to live according to the principles of their asrama Train them in philosophy, sadhana, Vaisnava behaviour, etiquette, lifestyle and attitudes Give care and attention for all devotees to make them feel loved, wanted and part of a wonderful spiritual family Foster warm personal relationships and a spirit of love and trust based on Krsna conscious principles Facilitate allocation of service, organization of major events, communication of important decisions Train spiritual leaders and preachers
- 18. HOW DOES IT WORK Some experienced devotees take on the service Assistant Guide Geographical, linguistic, socio-economic considerations Preference for a particular Guide Pesonal touch Shelter: bring as many as possible Fothnightly group meetings One-to-one meetings
- 19. HOW DOES IT WORK? Collective recommendations for initiation Specialized teams Temple president participates Guide from the same asrama Husband-and-wife team Not too many to care for and guide (5 to 15)
- 20. CHOOSING SPIRITUAL GUIDES In active Krsna consciousness within ISKCON for a fair length of time Good understanding of the philosophy and practice of Krsna consciousness Able to give balanced counsel based on Krsna conscious principles according to person, time, place and circumstance Not inclined to extreme or controversial positions on issues
- 21. CHOOSING SPIRITUAL GIUDES Willing to extend to help and sacrifice for others Compassionate, genuine concern for the welfare of devotees A good listener Mature, sober, stable Good standard of sadhana, etiquette, behavior, service and commitment to the mission Properly situated in own asrama
- 22. DUTY OF A GUIDE Provides care, guidance and challenge in Krsna consciousness Spiritual elder brother/sister, takes personal care of all devotees in the group Inspires and encourages them in Krsna consciousness, monitors their progress Provides Krsna conscious and general life skills training Counsels in spiritual and other matters Overall welfare of the devotees Not a full time service
- 23. DUTY OF A GUIDE Fortnightly group meetings Recommends for first and second initiation Actively participates in meetings of the Spiritual Guides A good standard of sadhana, behavior and service Sarve sukhino bhavantu Caution: personal ambition, misuse ...
- 24. TRAINING DEVOTEES Ideal brahmacaris and grhasthas Proper devotional standards at the temple or at home (kitchen, altar, behavior, sadhana) Proper wife/husband/parent/child, according to scriptures Balance economic and social responsibilities with spiritual vows
- 25. TRAINING DEVOTEES Women dealing with men, particularly brahmacharis and sannyasis; men dealing with women Proper dealings between asramas Dealing with other devotees, family, public Manual of Vaisnava Etiquette and Lifestyle
- 26. GROUP MEETING Vaisnava bhajans One of devotees presents a text from Srila Prabhupada’s books, discussion Sharing realizations Discussion on service, sadhana, Vaisnava etiquette/behavior Issues not too personal (personal discussed in private with the Guide) Practical committments Kirtana, prasadam
- 27. WHAT KEEPS THE GROUP MEMBERS TOGETHER? Guide’s genuine care and love Guide takes initiative, reaches out An environment of love, appreciation and challenge Commitment to quality relationships Six symptoms of love (Upadesamrta) Benefits for those who take care of others Interesting or exciting meetings
- 28. INTERESTING MEETINGS Induce creativity and innovation Create fresh challenges Consider personal interests Birthdays, marriages, anniversaries Regular, specific personal appreciation Catch them doing things right Fun: games, quizzes, role plays Do personal things for them Dynamic action after the session
- 29. GUIDES MEETINGS Different Guide presents each time Discussion on the holy name and: Sadhana (japa, waking early, morning program, etc.) Reading (importance of philosophy and reading Prabhupada’s books) Vaisnava Etiquette (respect to everyone, how to serve/honour prasadam, personal habits, etc.) Exemplary Behavior (26 qualities of a Vaisnava, etc.) Reports from specilized teams Management (if needed) Prasadam
- 30. SUPPORT FOR GUIDES Mentoring Training Sanga Countinuous learning (skills, ideas ...)
- 32. BENEFITS OF DEVOTEE CARE Devotees ISKCON Support Prabhupada’s mercy Better know each other Examplary community Accountability Manpower Strong devotees Resources
- 33. DEVOTEES’ NEEDS Krsna Guidance Body Challenge Mind Change Heart Faith in Krsna Soul Appreciation Care Contribution Support
- 34. ONE-TO-ONE SKILLS Listening Questions Problems into opportunities Expanding options Challenge Promoting action
- 35. BHAKTISIDDHANTA One who gives personal instruction to each and everyone does more for others than the platform speakers do. Generally, whatever platform speakers say cannot solve the problem of everyone in the audience, nor can it always benefit every individual. A person's defects are better rectified in a private tutorial class or private coaching than in hearing lectures in a school or college. Therefore those who instruct particular persons separately can award them something more permanent. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Amrta Vani, page 315
- 36. ONE-TO-ONE MEETINGS Communication skills Discovering devotee’s needs, interests and concerns Confidential Supportive (believes in) Focused on a devotee being guided Personal issues Sharing realizations and successes Not a lecture Working together to find solutions Enlightening
- 37. LISTEN Fully understand the situation of the devotee Give them the space to understand themselves Listen first and seek first to understand Remain as impartial, open and objective as you possibly can Interested and concerned THEY are responsible for their lives Clear your mind of all personal issues
- 38. EXERCISE Listen to a devotee next to you for 3 minutes. You must not make any sound, say anything, nod, shake your head or show any other signs. Repeat back your understanding of the key points they made. Ask a devotee whether you understood him or her well.
- 39. ASKING EFFECTIVE QUESTIONS The purpose of asking questions is to: 1. Understand the devotee well 2. Help them understand themselves 3. Clarify what they want 4. Discover new options, opportunities, possibilities and advantages 5. Identify obstacles 6. Make an action plan
- 40. EFFECTIVE QUESTIONS What are your strengths, talents, skills, good qualities? What do you want? What one great thing would you dare to dream if you knew you could not fail? (question about an exciting goal)
- 41. EFFECTIVE QUESTIONS What one thing, if you would do superbly well everyday, would make the greatest positive difference in your life? (question about personal habits / best practices) What can you learn from this? How can you turn this problem into an opportunity? What and who inspires you the most? Are you ready to pay the price?
- 42. NON-EFFECTIVE QUESTIONS Why are you so bad? Why you don’t understand what’s good for you? When are you going to change / shape up / grow up? How could you do such a thing?
- 43. TIP After asking questions and listening, summarize what you have heard to be sure you have understand your devotee well.
- 44. POWER OF A RIGHT QUESTION The question that saved concentration camp prisoner’s life.
- 45. EXERCISE Pair up as and take turn to speak about an issue. 1. Ask relevant and empowering questions until he is certain to have understood the devotee 2. Paraphrase back to the devotee to determine whether he has successfully understood him. The devotee should confirm it.
- 46. TURNING PROBLEMS INTO OPPORTUNITIES “O Partha, happy are the ksatriyas to whom such fighting opportunities come unsought, opening for them the doors of the heavenly planets.” Bg 2.32
- 47. TURNING PROBLEMS INTO OPPORTUNITIES The way you see a problem or a task powerfully influences you action and the results you will achieve. Help the devotee to see their problems differently: as a blessing in disguise.
- 48. A TURNAROUND EXPERT What is great about this problem? What can I learn from this problem? What this problem is an opportunity for? If you would be a world expert on these issues, what would you advise? If you would be super-intelligent, how would you deal with this problem? What additional skills do you need to deal with this problem?
- 49. A TURNAROUND EXPERT Use questions as you see fit, in any order Induce a devotee to see themselves as expert in solving a particular problem and learn everything they can about it from various sources (spiritual, professional, etc.).
- 50. EXERCISE Choose one problem and turn it into an opportunity together.
- 51. EXPANDING OPTIONS Gita Cards Mindstorming Brainstorming Asking others What else could I do?
- 52. PROMOTING ACTION “Factually, we should be engaged 24 hours in Krsna's service and everything should be done very nicely and perfectly.” Srila Prabhupada, Letter to Adi-kesava, Bombay 2 January 1975
- 53. ACTION Chosen area Clarifying what they want (clear written goals) Exploring options, opportunities, possibilities and advantages Overcoming obstacles Making a written action plan Holding them accountable by requesting weekly reports
- 54. HOLISTIC OR COMPLETE CARE Health Sadhana Service Relationships Self-renewal/Balance Etc.
- 55. SPIRITUAL GUIDE SESSION 1. Inquire 2. Listen attentively 3. Reflect back 4. Discover possibilities and solutions together 5. Plan action together
- 56. RESULTS To change their results, devotee sneed to change their perception, their thinking and their action. To achieve things you have never achieved before, you have to start doing things you have never done before.
- 57. ACTION SUCCESS Success = Personal effort + Krsna’s mercy The place of action [the body], the performer, the various senses, the many different kinds of endeavour, and ultimately the Supersoul — these are the five factors of action. Whatever right or wrong action a man performs by body, mind or speech is caused by these five factors. Therefore one who thinks himself the only doer, not considering the five factors, is certainly not very intelligent and cannot see things as they are. Bg 18.14-16 O son of Kunti, I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man. Bg 7.8
- 58. PRACTICE Mutual assistance Share first with your partner and then with a whole group what you have learned and experienced both as a guide and guided
- 59. SUMMARY Attentive to devotee’s needs, interests and concerns Confidential Supportive Focused on a devotee being guided Personal issues Sharing realizations and successes Not a lecture Working together to find solutions Enlightening
- 60. MUTUAL COACHING Weekly questions Feedforward GITA Model Goals Instructions Tests Action
- 61. EXERCISE Choose an important goal and tell partner Parner asks you: What are the three ways I can help you succeed in this? Partner chooses one he can help you with and committs to do it next week
- 62. DEMONSTRATION One-to-one meeting/session with a GITA Model Goals Instructions Tests Action
- 63. ISKCON DEVOTEE CARE Devotee Care Journal http://devoteecareiskcon.com/en /