Hare Krishna, dear Gurudeva!
Please accept our humble obediences.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I hope you are in good health and thank you for the darshan you allow us to receive from Their Lordships Radha Nila Madhava, the devotees, and from you.
HpS - We, agtSP, feel ashamed that we can only offer such meager association. We would like very much to be with you in Peru.
I wanted to inform you that two weeks ago I finished teaching a course on home deity worship for the devotees of the Miraflores temple.
We divided the course into two parts: the first was for beginner devotees interested in starting worship using images and paintings of deities (Panca Tattva and Srila Prabhupada).
During the second session, we taught murti worship using mantras for waking, offering food, and preparing the deities for sleep, as well as basic puja and care, and some reflections from Srila Prabhupada's books and the Pancaratra-pradipa.
HpS/ASA - Super!!!
We had an average attendance of 12 devotees, and I hope they were satisfied with our performance.
On the other hand, I am writing with some concern about the noticeable decline in the quality of worship at a particular temple.
- What happens when a contingency measure becomes the rule?
- What did Srila Prabhupada say about exceptions?
- Is it better to worship the deity incorrectly than to stop worshipping at all?
- What happens when devotees take on duties that are not theirs to perform?
- Does this affect their fulfillment of their prescribed duties?
- What about negligence in cleanliness and punctuality?
Thank you in advance for your response.
Your servant
Gandharva das
HpS/ASA - Jaya!!! AgtSP. On an institutional level we should report problems to the local GBC Secretary. If no proper action is taken, then we can report to regional gbc (for latin america).
We can also report to national council if there is such, other temple presidents.
first principle is to love the deities. second, their cleanliness. third, the punctuality of their regular service. fourth, the details of the rituals, offerings, bathing etc.
that is the institutional level. if no response from local and other gbc secretaries then there is the executive committee, then taking direct action in terms of your responsibility to Srila Prabhupada!
of course, this is institutional response.
gopis are good citizens of nanda maharaja's village, but behind that they have their friendship relations. try to work on that level even more than the institutional level.
thirds they have direct connection to KRSNA even though so many transparent via media. we have to have that direct relationship to Srila Prabhupada.
set and example yourself as much as you can.
basically the same answer for deity worship and comportment of administrative and brahmnical leaders. eg. are they chanting their rounds?
how can i set a proper example of how to do these jobs? correctional responses by higher authorities. working as a friend.
running my own or participating an exemplary branch of the institution.
some ideas.
basic principle is to chant hare krsna and expect specific inspiration from him