(2) Empty Temple, Empty Heart

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Speaking online to devotees in Colombia
27 April 2019, part 2

Are there any questions from anybody?

Question: How can we make our temple in such a way that we can inspire devotees to come there?

How can you inspire them? Through the class, through kirtan. This is how devotees and new people will learn. They will come when they see proper practising, when what you say and what you do align. If you only say but not practise what you preach, it is not good. If you practise properly, then other people will see that and feel inspired. If you have good food in your pond, then fish will automatically come there to take this food.

At the same time, Maya Devi is very strong, so people will not come so easily. You must approach them again and again. Try, try and try. Do not be disheartened or discouraged. Always keep trying, and have patience and tolerance. People will not come easily to this line of Krishna consciousness. If somebody has no sukriti, they will not come themselves, but we must approach them. We must come to people and keep telling them about Krishna consciousness – we must distribute some brochures, sell some books, then people will buy and read them. Approach them again and again.

You can see the example of Lord India when he got a pig's body. How many times did Lord Brahma have to go to him? Indra even wanted to bite Brahma, but Brahma did not run away. He said, 'By hook or by crook, I will anyhow turn you back into Indra! Anyhow I will do it.'

So, it is necessary to have this kind of capacity and this kind of tolerance, patience. This is how you can inspire new devotees to come to the temple and to the programmes.

Question: Now the temple is very lonely, there is nobody to take care of the temple. I used to live at the temple before, and I wanted to ask if I can come back to live there now.

Even if you have left previously, what is the problem? You can always come back. You all can hold a meeting and appoint somebody to take charge of the temple. Who are the senior devotees there now? I cannot understad the situation properly – tell me clearly what is going on there.

Devotee: There was some argument among devotees, so now nobody is living at the temple. We wonder who will take care of the temple and devotees because nobody wants to go to the temple.

Actually, the temple manager must have patience and tolerance. Not everybody has this capacity to manage a temple. Some devotees have this capacity, and if somebody has this capacity and is eager to serve there, I will be very happy. Is the temple far out?

Devotee: It is not very far from the town, but it is in the country side.

You are talking about Paipa?

Devotee: Yes, Paipa.

In whose name is the Paipa temple (the property) registered?

Devotee: It is registered in the name of the Mission here.

OK, then who is the president of that Mission? Hold a meeting and reach a solution. If you cannot, then write me a letter and I will give some advice how to resolve the problem. Otherwise, I can send a sannyasi or a brahmachari, and they will stay there, no problem.

if you have any problem, write me an email directly, and I will solve the problem. Do not worry about it. Krishna will take care of this. If somebody leaves, if somebody goes away, if somebody does, it is not a problem – Krishna will protect His mission, Nityananda Prabhu will protect His mission and His devotees. Gurudev will protect his devotees. You must have this kind of strongest faith.

[Note: Since the time this was spoken, the problems have been resolved, and the temple is flourishing beautifully.]

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