NAMASTE                                                                

This is the forty-four in the series   (previous parts available on request)

Extract from the book ‘CRIMES AGAINST INDIA and THE NEED TO PROTECT ITS ANCIENT VEDIC TRADITION’  by : Stephen Knapp.  -  www.Stephen-Knapp.com

Very interesting….an eye opener guidance

EDUCATING THE YOUTH

 The growth and continuation of Vedic Dharma in America , and India as well, especially depends on how well our children are educated and remain fixed in the timeless traditions of our culture. The temples naturally have to provide the means to educate and also involve the children, youngsters, and teenagers in the temple in learning and upholding the tradition. Therefore, temples should support programs like gurukulas, or BalGokulams and BalVihars for training the youth in Vedic philosophy and values, Vedic scripture, yoga, rituals, and the Indian Vedic heritage.

The temple and its congregation—the parents—should be able to fund youth activities wherein the youngsters feel important and cared for. The temple support should listen to the youth to see what is valuable and meaningful to them and then work to fulfill those needs. For example, boys and girls have particular interests, which should be developed at the temple. They may enjoy hearing about history through the activities of the heroes and heroines who acted in adventurous ways for the preservation of Vedic Dharma.

Also, the temple can set up support groups or structures for the decisions the youth or young adults need to make, such as for those who want or recently have gotten married so right and proper decisions about things they are facing can be made. Or set up a group so they can learn the differences in other religions if they are considering marrying someone of a different faith. Especially for girls, conversions forced through marriage can be considered a human rights violation that often cause rifts in the marriage and family, and difficulties and confusion for any children that are conceived. Love is often blind and the perceptiveness to future difficulties may also be shallow in seeing the challenges of interfaith marriages without proper education and support, which could be supplied by the temple. It is typical that one, two, or at the most three generations after an interfaith marriage, the children are no longer followers of Vedic Dharma.

For more information on this topic, you may want to read the chapter: “Giving Vedic Culture to the Next Generation.”

MENTORING PROGRAMS

            Temples can also establish mentoring programs. This would be for the older youth to become friends with and help teach what they know of Vedic traditions to the younger ones. This gives a sense of responsibility to the older youth, and a level of admiration and acceptance to the younger one’s who often look up to those who are not so much different in age than they are, but are still viewed as older and wiser. In this way, everybody learns and helps each other progress.

Classes in Indian cooking are also often of interest to the youth, especially the girls, some of whom may be really enthusiastic to learn, and may find they have a real talent in this area.

TRAINING TEMPLE MEMBERS IN SERVICE

 All those who attend the temple should be trained in service, or seva. God or Ishwara is present everywhere but especially in the temple, which magnifies our concentration and focus on serving the Supreme, especially in the form of the deity on the altar. Thus, the temple belongs to the Lord and all service at the temple is directly linked to the deity of the Lord. Therefore, all aspects of temple activities provide a way for everyone’s spiritual progress and uplifting and spiritualizing ourselves in God consciousness. In this way, any service we do, whether sweeping floors, cleaning pots in the kitchen, fundraising, managing, welcoming guests, giving donations for temple or deity facilities, maintaining the building, etc., is all service for the Supreme. And such service is an example of bhakti-yoga, developing devotion for the Lord. It is also good for making the right samskaras and impressions in our consciousness, as well as being a good example for our children who may follow what we do.

For this reason, complete understanding of the significance, meaning, and the installation process of the deity in the temple should also be provided so no one approaches with too little respect, or has a misconception of the spiritual power of the deity. Flyers or brochures with such information can be excellent handouts to give to the members and guests of the temples to increase awareness of such things. They can also be used to help explain basic points of the philosophy, especially to new guests.

Furthermore, there are frequent attempts to pester the faith of Hindus and devotees with misguided views and interpretations of the philosophy to try and cause doubts and skepticism, both in America and India . Dogmatics from other religions often try to propagate distorted views of the great Vedic Dharma and its tradition. The way to counter such measures is twofold: By proper education of the real meaning and purpose of Vedic Dharma, and to train people in the attitude and act of servitude and devotion to God, which paves the way for them to attain the higher and most convincing taste of the reciprocal exchange with the Supreme. Once this is reached, or even a glimpse of it, no one can knock them from their established position of solid experience of higher realizations. This is attainable by all sincere souls and is the purpose of the temple and goal of all devotees.

TEMPLE ASHRAMAS

 Another consideration is to have ashramas for training as opposed to joining. Often we see that people think that they enter an ashrama once they join an organization or faith. But many times people easily pay money to enter a retreat for a time in order to gain peace of mind, or engage in a course of study, meditation, yoga practice, or means of learning about the Self by realization and practice, etc. This may be for a weekend, a month, three months, or longer. Sometimes people like to spend the weekend at the temple, and an ashrama or guestrooms can be quite essential for such a purpose. So ashramas can also be established in which people can enter for a certain length of time for a specific purpose, be trained and help with service around the temple, and then leave after a period of time with a deeper understanding of what the Vedic knowledge is and how to apply it in their lives. Afterwards, they may become a permanent participant in the temple activities.

For this purpose, if a temple does not have facility to have its own designated ashrama area, it is good if it can connect with another temple or country retreat that does have such facility so if anyone is interested, it can be recommended so temple members can go for retreats.

TEMPLES MUST BE WELL KEPT

 There are many large and beautiful temples being built, but temples of all sizes must be clean, well kept, organized, and nicely maintained. We should be proud of our temples, and nothing makes for a poorer impression than one that is dirty or ill-maintained. Guests especially notice the beauty of a temple, and also of anything that is out of order. Large and ornate temples are always impressive and can be used in great public relations work as well, especially when a temple provides facility for the local non-Vedic community to tour and see the place. I have seen this so many times. So, a temple that does not offer its facility for others to see and appreciate is a temple that is only 50% effective in the work it should be doing. And this primarily depends on the temple management. So if the management cannot see how to do this, or is not interested, then they are not fulfilling their own true potential or the higher purpose for which a temple should be established.

FESTIVALS & PROGRAMS FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

 There are so many holidays that are celebrated in the Vedic tradition, and these should be done as part of the joy and celebration of the heritage for all Hindus and Dharmists. However, there can easily be some that can be open to the general public. Special holy days like Krishna Janmasthami, RamaNauvami, Holi, and others, can be arranged in a way wherein the local non-Vedic community, especially in the Western countries, can come to watch, participate, and enjoy. First they need to be invited, or know they are welcome. Once they arrive, there needs to be a welcome committee that can help show them around and explain things. Flyers or handouts can also be arranged that will help explain the meaning of various parts of the temple and the holiday being observed, and what activities they may like to do. If it is Holi, guests may also like to participate in the throwing of colors. If not, they can just watch.

I have seen, such as at the Krishna temple in Spanish Fork, Utah , wherein as many as 10,000 people, mostly Westerners, attend their Holi celebration. They sell packs of colored powders, which adds to the revenue of the festival, and along with plays or skits based on the Puranic histories, they later gather around a circle, all singing and dancing to the tune of Hare Krishna, and then the first colors are thrown and then everyone joins in. And they like it as it signifies throwing their cares away to unite in the spiritual atmosphere of the festival. Now who would not be attracted to that? In this way, many people are intrigued and fascinated to come to the temple and participate in various festivals. Other temples can take lessons from this.

WELCOMING NON-HINDUS INTO THE VEDIC FOLD

            There are some organizations, such as Iskcon, which welcome non-Indians and non-devotees to become members of the Vedic family through an initiation process. There is no spiritual or shastric injunction that says this is not to be done. There may be a few brahminical traditions that discourage the idea of anyone participating in Vedic practices. However, everyone is a spiritual being, and everyone has the right to learn about their spiritual identity through the Vedic process. Therefore, everyone can follow this path and become part of the Vedic family. There is no problem, and this also helps encourage everyone to participate in and support Vedic culture.

            Furthermore, as Indian Hindus increasingly get married to non-Hindus, especially in the West, if there is no way for the non-Hindu to come to the Vedic temples and participate, feel welcome, or even join the path of Sanatana-dharma, then it also increases the likelihood that the Hindu partner will participate and even convert to the religion of his or her spouse. There is no reason for this. But we should be ready and willing to welcome everyone to participate in temple activities and feel a part of the Vedic family.

BOOK DISTRIBUTION

  Temples must have books to offer or sell. This is extremely important for the philosophical and cultural education of the members, and also for other guests who are looking for books that they may not be able to find anywhere else. We only have to let people know what we have to offer, and what books are available so they can come to check them out. So many times I have heard where people have been looking for spiritual knowledge but did not know where to find the knowledge that we have to offer. One quote was, “I’ve been living on this planet for 35 years and had no idea that this kind of spiritual philosophy was available.” So if we are going to be as effective as we should be, then at least we need to let people know what they can find within the Vedic heritage and how they can have access to it through our temples. And one of the best ways to do that is to have books available that they can take with them and study.

The temple can also offer whole sets of books, like an instant library at a special discount price for any family. Or offer to install a set of books, like the Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavata Purana and others, as a deity in the home. There can be an installation ceremony to sanctify the place and the occasion, and then the books can be installed into a nice cabinet. Books such as the Bhagavata Purana is considered the literary and sound avatara of the Lord. So, naturally, the temple benefits by making these available.

There are many other ways to distribute books besides offering them at temples, but that is a separate topic, and numerous ideas are available. Nonetheless, this can be a great service to the people and also be another way of financial support for the temple.