Why a Nama Hatta?
Why we have formed an Atlanta ISKCON Nama Hatta Sangha.
I take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
who Himself is the tree of transcendental love of Krsna,
its gardener and also the bestower and enjoyer of its
fruits..... Thus the Lord brought the desire tree of
devotional service to this earth and became its gardener.
He sowed the seed and sprinkled upon it the water of His
will.... By His inconceivable powers, the Lord became the
gardener, the trunk and the branches
simultaneously...From the trunk grew many branches and
above them innumerable others. Thus the branches of the
Caitanya tree formed a cluster or society, with great
branches covering all the universe. From each branch grew
many hundreds of sub-branches. No one can count how many
branches thus grew... These branches and sub-branches and
their sub-branches became so numerous that no one can
actually write about them...As a big fig tree bears
fruits all over its body, each part of the tree of
devotional service bore fruit....The fruits ripened and
became sweet and nectarean. The gardener, Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, distributed them without asking price. Not
considering who asked for it and who did not, nor who was
fit and who unfit to receive it, Caitanya Mahaprabhu
distributed the fruit of devotional service... Lord
Caitanya thus addressed the multifarious varieties of
branches and sub-branches of the tree of devotional
service:... "I am the only gardener. How many places
can I go? How many fruits can I pick and distribute? It
would certainly be a very laborious task to pick the
fruits and distribute them alone, and still I suspect
that some would receive them and others would not.
Therefore I order every man within this universe to
accept this Krishna consciousness movement and distribute
it everywhere."
Chaitanya
Caritamrta Madhya Lila
Srila Prabhupada on Congregational Preaching
"I am glad to note that our temple activities are
effecting good results. The boys and girls from the
neighborhood coming to help the temple activities is the
good result of our attempts. The temple center is started
just to present example to the neighboring residents how
they can make a small temple in each and every home.
It is not necessary that hundreds and thousands of
people will live in out temple, but if we can make
effective propaganda, then the neighboring residents,
householders, will be inclined to be initiated and follow
the modes of temple life. So you encourage the visitors,
boys and girls, as well as married couples, to understand
the value of life and how they can peacefully and happily
live if they follow the routine worship of the temple and
establish this in their home to be happy in all respects.
Krsna consciousness movement is actually an attempt to
make all people happy generally and, becoming liberated
in this life from material contamination, they will be
thus eligible to enter into the Kingdom of god after
quitting this body"
(Letter to TKG 1st June, 1969)
"Everyone can execute the cult of Krishna
consciousness at home, as ordered by the Lord. Everyone
can congregationally chant the holy name of Krishna, the
Hare Krishna maha-mantra.
One can also discuss the subject matter of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad
Bhagavatam and install Deities of Radha-Krishna or
Gaura.Nitai or both and worship them very carefully in
one's own home. It is not that we have to open different
centers all over the world. Whoever cares for the Krishna
consciousness movement can install Deities at home and
under superior guidance, worship the Deity regularly,
chanting the maha-mantra and discussing Bhagavad-gita and
Srimad-Bhagavatam. We are actually teaching in our
classes how to go about this. "
Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, Madhya-lila 3. 1 90,
purport
Lord Caitanya advocated a process whereby everyone may
remain in his present position without change but simply
hear from the proper authoritative sources about Krishna.
Lord Caitanya advised everyone to spread the word of
Krishna. He advised, "All of you become spiritual
masters. Your duty is simply to talk to whomever you meet
of Krishna or of the instructions given by Krishna."
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is
operating for this purpose. We do not ask anyone to first
change his position and then come to us. Instead, we
invite everyone to come with us and simply chant Hare
Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare
Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, because we know
that if one simply chants and hears the topics of
Krishna, one's life will change; he will see a new light,
and his life will be successful.
Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.7.44, purport
1993 GBC Resolutions on Congregational
Preaching
RECOGNITION OF MEMBERS
Whereas members of the congregation who are not
initiated need means of being recognized and feeling
accepted by ISKCON; ...and whereas since congregational
members often take considerable time to advance in
sadhana bhakti a graduated system of encouragement and
recognition is needed to serve as guidelines and
inspiration; therefore it is resolved that:
A. ISKCON Managers and GBC Members
shall, within their area of authority, permitted to
publicly bestow acceptance and recognition to members of
its congregation for devotional achievements and progress
in devotional service.
B. Local temples and congregational
preaching units should implement programs for aiding the
congregational members to enhance their standing, and for
training them to qualify for the higher levels.
This should include following a recommended study
course for the different levels. (Adult education and
congregational Preaching Monitors shall recommend.)
C. Standard certificates shall be
issued worldwide. (The proforma certificates shall be
created and circulated by the Corresponding Secretary in
consultation with the congregational Preaching Monitor.)
D. The recognition shall be granted
in any of the following categories (giving these is
optional, as also the bestowal ceremony according to
local time, place and circumstance):
i. Accepting Sacred Order of Lord Caitanya
(Short name : Sat-sanga, or Sraddhavan)
Qualifications: Accepting the
instructions or sacred order of Lord Caitanya to chant
Hare Krsna (minimum one round), to worship Lord Krsna (to
visit the temple or otherwise cultivate devotional
service as far as possible), and to read the teachings of
Lord Krsna (Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, and other
books of Srila Prabhupada).
[Note: Since this broadly correlates with sraddha or
sat-sanga stages of devotion, they can generally be
called as "Satsangi" or "Sraddhavan .]
ii. Krsna (or Gauranga) Sevak .
Qualifications: Chanting a minimum of
four rounds of Hare Krsna japa, refraining from meat
eating, believing in Lord Krsna as the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, possessing a devotional attitude
,and avoiding of grossly immoral acts (drugs,
prostitution, etc. )
iii. Krsna (or Gauranga) Sadhak.
Qualifications: Chanting a minimum of
eight rounds of Hare Krishna japa, refraining from
intoxication, meat-eating and extra-marital sex, offering
of bhoga to pictures establishing an altar at home, and
generally accepting the process of sadhana bhakti. L:
iv. Srila Prabhupada Asraya .
Qualifications: Practicing the
minimum standard of Krsna Consciousness for ISKCON
members as given by Srila Prabhupada, namely chanting of
minimum sixteen rounds of Hare Krsna japa , refraining
from intoxication, meat eating, gambling, and illicit
sex, and generally showing a strong conviction in Krsna
Consciousness.
v. Sri Guru Carana asraya .
Qualifications: Same as Srila
Prabhupada asraya, with additional faith and surrender in
an authorized spiritual master coming in the disciplic
succession. Must have been practicing Srila Prabhupada
asraya standard for a minimum of six months. They should
pass the exam provided for in ISKCON Law.
INITIATION OF MEMBERS
64. That devotees who do not live in a temple and who
do not come to the temples for programs every day
(including those that regularly attend only a Nama Hatta
center may be initiated, provided they have regular
morning programs at home or attend regular morning
programs at the Nama Hatta center and are recommended (in
prescribed form) by one of the following (other than the
initiating Guru) who knows them well: a local GBC, the
nearest Temple President, the local Regional Secretary,
the concerned Congregational Preaching Director, or an
ISKCON sannyasi who is regularly preaching in that area.
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Copyright © 1997 Atlanta
ISKCON Nama Hatta Sangha
Last modified: April 3, 1997
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