 Hello and welcome to a new Project Camp video. So during the 2020 coronavirus lockdown we got stuck in the mountains in southern India and together with us there was of course the owners, a few other guests and a couple of Krishna monks that got stuck here for the virus. And the more time we spent here the closer we got to the Krishna consciousness movement, religion and lifestyle. So day after day we've been spending more and more time with the monks to really understand their very particular lifestyle and because these people have been living for millennials together combining the individuals and the group life in a peaceful and full manner. And by now they have hundreds of temples all around the world and I'm sure they know a thing or two about living together. But first a little bit of history here. So the Krishna movement officially became a society in 1966. It was founded by Swami Prabhupada and it's got over a million devotees around the world by now. And it has around about 850 temples spread across the planet and of course the majority of them are in India but you can find a Krishna temple all around the planet. The Krishna consciousness is built upon Hinduism knowledge which is up to 5000 years old but it got a huge revival when Swami Prabhupada traveled to the USA where he found a very fertile ground in the hippie movement because what they used to preach was singing, dancing and eating and of course they aligns very well with the hippie sort of philosophy and in a matter of just a few years he managed to acquire millions and millions of new devotees and become hugely popular in the West. So we're now going to have a chat with the monks to learn more about monastic life and get inspired for project camp. Alright, before we dive into it, a little disclaimer here. The interview is pretty lengthy and it's got a monastic pace. So grab yourself a drink, sit comfortably and enjoy. Describe what a normal day looks like in a temple. We worship the Lord along with the spiritual master. So we have deities of peace in the temple, those who have visited they know. And in the morning early, we have totally six aruthis in a day. Arathi is a wave offering in which different articles are offered with a specific Vedic ritual. It is offered to the Lord. Worship time, 4.30 am to 6.00 am including the chanting. Again it is free from 6.00 am to 7.30 am. Again worship time including Bhagavad Gita class, 7.30 am to 9.00 am. Breakfast is almost like free time, you chit chat and you eat 9 to 10. 10 to 12.30 am to 12.30 pm. If you are not engaged in any other, we call it as services. It's a free time. And 12.30 am to 1.30 am, again it is puja time. 1.30 am to 2.30 am, it is lunch time, again it's a free time. So from 2.30 am, you are left free till 4.30 pm. And 4.30 am to again 6.30 am, you have your Sandhya Arathi and Tulsi Puja. And 6.30 am to 7.30 am, you have your Bhagavad Gita class. From 7.30 pm to 8.00 am, you have your dinner. Again from 8.00 pm to 8.30 pm, you have closing, Sai Na Harathi. So after 8.30 pm, it's free time. You want to use sleep, otherwise you work up whole night. So days in a temple are fully busy, with monks that are engaged both spiritually and physically the whole day. Next, how many monks live in a temple? There is no limit. It depends upon the building, what they have, hired for the temple. It depends upon the space, depends upon the financial incomes, what the temple has. There is no limit. Basically, monk life is a life of dedication, right? They are dedicated to the mission, they are dedicated to the propagation. So this kind of dedicated which have in one temple is in Mayapur, we have around 400 monks in one temple. Around 200 in that spoon or so. Some big temples like that, they have around 400, 21, this is full time. Then there are many others who are serving, learning, new commerce, all different types. How much free time and worship time is there in a temple? 99.99%. None of them are free in the temple because one has to go for book distribution, one has to go for helping in the kitchen, one has to go for helping for the Maharaj, one has to go for the administrative work, one has to go for preaching. So very less negligible chances I can say. You will hardly get 30 minutes to close your lids. Yeah, actually there is no free time actually. The whole idea of Krishna consciousness is that 24-7 you are supposed to be engaged in the service of Krishna. So there are two aspects, one is our own personal sadhana, it's called our own spiritual practice, plus the preaching and the service. The temple service is right from the cleaning of the temple to the worship and the duties. So everything, it's all service. So if there are more devotees then it's a little less physical work because it can be shared. But in some smaller temples then you have to do everything. Alright, so that's very little free time in the temple. Lots of worship and service. Next, are there many visitors in the temple and how are they seen? In the temple from Monday to Friday, we see around 500 visitors. But in Sunday, the 12.30 A.D., we have a system. After A.D., even 1000 people come, 10,000 visitors come, we provide lunch prasad. We respect the God to the peak. No doubt in that. Krishna is the ultimate. So whoever comes, he is also Krishna's devotee. And we take his care. Not less than the people or the Prabhujis or Mataji's who reside in the temple. So Krishna monks have tons of roles. Could you explain a few? First thing is you're not allowed to come with shoes inside. You're supposed to keep your shoes out of the temple before you enter or any room for that matter. Like you're sitting with your shoe. This is totally unacceptable. The closer you go to the Lord, the rules become more strict. If you're more a little father away, then you're given a little more space. When you come close to the DTs, that becomes very heavy. You cannot be lax with the rules. So in the beginning, we don't stress too much the rules, we just stress on the chanting. But then when gradually a person becomes more serious, then there are more rules, especially in eating also what can be offered to Krishna. There are many rules. It seems external in the beginning, but there are both the external aspect and the internal aspect. The internal purification is the chanting and external is your cleanliness. Even when you sit in Bhagavatam class, by mistake if your finger is falling into your mouth, just bow to the person who is sitting on Vyasasana. Go back to the Vashbheshi and just wash your hand and come back. 99.99% or 100% it is a mode of cleanliness. Shastra says, be clean. You can't keep your finger in the nostrils and you cannot touch everywhere. It's a point of cleanliness because Krishna taught how to be clean, from heart bodily which in turn makes your soul be clean and cleansed from everything. Alright, so tons of rules. But are these rules ever questioned? They did. The monks question a number of times. Why should I stick to the rules? And we explain them. It has been mentioned in the books what Krishna says, which we call it as Bhagavad Gita. The conversation between Krishna and Arjuna on the Gurukshetra battlefield. So when scriptures are giving you, why you have doubt? Since we Google everything right now, we say Google is the best guru. People say that. So when Google, which is created by a human, is the best guru, why can't your heart believe which has been given some 5000 years ago by Krishna and which we still have it as Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata. It is innocence. None disturbs you until you disturb others. This is a phrase for humanity. Tongue is a weapon. When it is used politely, the rest of the world is polite to you. When your tongue is used unpolitely, whom you blame? The basic qualification of someone who is in spiritual. Even you are humiliated, your tongue should be polite. This is the difference between a spiritual man and a normal human being. And if you say, the rules makes us uncomfortable that I want to sleep this time and I am forced to get up. I want to eat at that time which I am not supposed to eat or I didn't get my prasad. I clearly told you in the starting, when you want something, you should become that. There is no second thought or back step in that. You should know before jumping, I am jumping into the fire or I am jumping into the water. You fear a good swimmer, jump into the water. If you are so powerful that your body is unbent when you jump into the fire, jump into the fire. But don't jump into the fire and say it is burning. Choice is given. After jumping, if you cannot sustain, that is your problem. So with so many rules, is there freedom in a temple? Yeah, this is the ultimate freedom. You are free from the cycle of birth and death. So Anand Krishna shows that he frees them from the cycle of birth and death and we go back to the spiritual world. Those people who in the material world, they think they are free, but actually they are bound by the laws of nature. So nobody is free in the material world unless he is surrendered to the supreme law. So this liberation is the real freedom. So we have to have a definition of what is freedom. Everything, I am free because I can go have illicit relationships with any woman I like. You think that is freedom, but that is the dog's or monkey's freedom. Even monkeys are doing the same thing. That kind of freedom is not real freedom. For us, our definition of freedom is the Bhagavatam says, Muktyar Hithvanyata Rukam Sarupena Vyasthiti. Liberation means to be situated in your spiritual constitutional position and serve the supreme law. This concept of political freedom or other types of freedom in that scripture doesn't give much value to that because illusory, because you are not crossed the modes of nature. You are not crossed the laws of karma. You are bound by the laws of karma. So where is your freedom? There is no freedom. Alright, we are almost halfway through the interview and I just found this beautiful footage from a Prabhuji singing. So I wanted to share this with you and take a little break and then go back to the interview. What is the structure in a temple? I mean, what our spiritual teacher has given is that there are three basic posts in a temple. There is one as the temple president and there is a temple secretary and there is a treasurer. So these are three posts in all the temples. Apart from that, there are other devotees who are given specific tasks or specific services and they take the responsibility and they do those services. But as far as official hierarchy, I mean these are the three top positions. And the guru? And the spiritual master, he instructs, he's about them and he instructs, generally they are disciples of spiritual master. And is hierarchy seen as a problem or a necessity? No, of course it's a necessity. It's not a problem. It's a problem when the hierarchy is misused and that has happened and that's why people tend to take it as a problem. Okay, so a temple is a very structure and hierarchical society. Next, how are the decisions made? By the temple president, with the consultation of the Maharaj, whoever recites in the temple, they have a committee, advisory committee. They will have the meeting and they execute. And is that a smooth process or it comes with like... Decisions are smooth process, implementing and getting implemented is tough process. Decisions, that depends on surrender. Because if one is surrendered, then he will accept the decision made by his superior. Yeah, depends on what the matter is. In spiritual affairs, there is Guru Sadovan Shastra. Like I said, rich make the basic, guide the basic rules and you can't just whimsically make decisions. There is a guideline for how to make decisions, what is the right decision to make. But then when in the practical field, there are on the job kind of decisions where you are doing something, you have to take a decision on it. So there you have to depend on whoever is your authority in charge. But if there is something really major decision, then it goes up to the spiritual master. Are there conflicts between the monks? When you are living together, there will always be some agreement, disagreement. So it depends on the maturity and if you have respect. If you respect the other person, then even though you may see some faults there, then you are a little tolerated. Tolerance is one of the main principles of spiritual life, the first principle. So basically you are seeing some shortcomings in the other person who you are living with. You have to share the same space, you know, the small and ashram you have to share with so many people. Everything is common, you know. So all these there are some types of clash in this and that. If you are mature and if you have a goal in mind and tolerance, you are ready to tolerate some inconvenience. If you neglect all the difficulties that may come, you are tolerated. Okay, so tolerance is key to live together. But when there are problems, is there a special recipe for conflict resolution? Whatever issue they get, when you smile and solve, mountains can be broken to mountains can be joined. And are monks ever kicked out? Yeah, it's basically two things, money and womanhood. Keep it simple. Sometimes the monks, they get attracted by some beautiful woman or something. So they want to get married, so they have to leave. Or money. Sometimes even in spite of woman and money they want to stay and they are not allowed, they are forcefully kicked out. Or if they do some really bad thing which is some abominable activity. It's like Delhi Ashram won Russian Monk, he went crazy. And he started dancing naked in the guest house. So he was kicked out. How does a temple make money? Our official two source of income is our book sales and our donations. Because monk life is simple. Two times food or one time food or three times food based upon his body level. And accommodation is already available. The clothes, what they wear, they will have two sets or three sets maximum. Maximum three sets. So, life story is very simple. How do you spend the money? Two things, again printing the books and for construction and maintenance of the temples and ashrams. And what about the monks? Do they get pocket money or say you need to go and visit your family? Or you have a problem, you need to go to the hospital, how does that work? Yeah, there's nothing like a specific fund as such. But generally some, the temple will take care of these things. If it's reasonable, unless it's unreasonable, something reasonable the temple will take care of. That's not an issue money. Because Krishna is the husband of the goddess of fortune. So when you worship Krishna then money is generally not a problem. What are the biggest challenges of living in a monastery? Every day it is a challenge. Yeah, basically no privacy. Generally everybody likes some privacy. But then you have to give up privacy when you are living together. And you have to take other people's problems. You don't have that problem but he has a problem. And you don't have to deal with that. I don't want to deal with it but I have to deal with it. Because I am living with them, I am so like that. And of course the desires, material desires come and we should not get washed away or blown away by these material desires. And another thing is social criticism and so many things. Generally when you give up family life and you don't follow family life, you get a lot of criticism from society. You wake up in the morning and you say, I am so calm, so peaceful. But what about the people in around? Are they in the same platform? You ought to be conscious between the four walls. When we step out the foot for the arati, we have to encounter. The things happen around us among the devotees who live in the temple. The visitors who come, they rush to us to ask questions because they need answers. Who is there to answer in their family? These answers only a man who is connected to the spirituality can answer. And we have to withstand with their questions. Either it is silly, we have to answer in the smiley way. Either it is hurting in the same smiley way. Either it is burning in the same smiley way externally. But what happens to internal? We get little anger and we have to say, it is a challenge every second. What would you say is the relationship of Krishna consciousness with sustainability? Yeah, the fact that Krishna consciousness is sustained for millions and millions itself, it is a proof that it is sustainable. If you are not able to sustain means you are not applying the principles properly. The basic principle is you produce what you need and you use only what you produce. This is the basic principle of sustainability. What would be your number one tip for a bunch of people that are about to start the community? Community-wise, if you have to get together, you have to have common principles, which is standard for all, which everyone must accept. In any community to stay together, they have to have a common holding principle. If that holding principle is there, it is like for us Krishna, worship of Krishna. In a temple, everyone gathers to worship Krishna. So the common principle of Krishna, worship is there. So that is what is joining the whole community. Maybe they are of different backgrounds or so many different things. The common principle has to be there. And one thing, another thing is eating together. Like in our temples, when there is eating time, you may not know where the monks are. By the time of eating, you will find all are there. First they have to monitor, are they happy internally, individually, before joining a group? Are they eligible to respect them first and the next heart? Are they comfortable with the other's freedom or they are comfortable to their freedom? Once for all, they themselves have self-assessment and analysis. They can join a group. When you go to the crowd, two thangs, three thangs, five thangs, six thangs, they won't keep quiet. They will blabber. Are you eligible to withstand with that blabber? Are you capable to revert what that thang is blabbering without hurting even if you are getting hurt? Then you are a vinnah. When other tongue is cutting your thoughts and you feel it is high time, how long you will live together? But when you go to a group, when you start living, what is your motto? Only that group will form some rules and you will live and you will die, is it? How this group motivations, how this group plans, how this group activities is helping the nation? That comes into the picture. If you are not helping the nation, what is the value of your existence? No, I am happy. My group, I am happy. My group is happy. We live. We eat. We exist. We disappear. Like that, how many groups have disappeared? Who knows? What is the use when you don't mark your name in the history where you have stepped on? What is the use? So mark your name in the history before your soul leaves your body. But the rest of the humanity, human existence speaks about you and the work you have done. That is the ultimate motto and motive. Thank you. Alright, I hope you guys got inspired by this monastic lifestyle. It is definitely something very foreign to us, very far away from what we are used to. And it's a very hardcore, quite intensive way of living. I hope that there are a few elements here and there that you can adopt and implement in your own lives and projects. A few takeaways from these interviews. One, living together is challenging. Even monks that live together all their lives and really spend their lives to understand the human conditions, they are faced on a daily basis with very similar challenges to the one that us normal people have. Second, having a purpose is absolutely crucial. Having shared values and goals really helps to glue a community together. And it's kind of a tool to help overcome issues and problems as well as making decisions. And third, this is a very structured society. Monks living in temples, they have tons of rules, very set rules and hierarchies that have helped them to grow and expand over the centuries. Alright, that's it for this video. Thank you for watching and I'll see you in the next Project Camp video. Bye bye.