It’s a hefty download, but it’s worth it - it’s the 50 page pdf book “Steps to a Simple Temple“, that accompanies the Simple Temple DVD. Buy this DVD now! This DVD shows a wonderful model of a Krishna conscious community based around the temple in Chowpatty, India.
I’m re-reading this book again at the moment, and it is very good. The beginning discussion of the brahmacari ashram demonstrates one of the principles discussed in Good to Great that distinguishes all great organizations from good or not-so-good ones - they have an emphasis on getting the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats before they leave the station.
The section on counsellors discusses starting a counsellors program. It makes the point that they had no model to follow, and had to feel out each step. It may be that others trying to emulate their system by following the exact footsteps that they did will not have the same success, due to having a different set of environmental conditions, which must be dealt with in a different way.
We shall see more clearly as more successful models of this type are created which are the essential principles, and which are the details of implementation. Especially the way in which they developed their program from scratch (they discuss the evolution) may be different in different places due to differing resources.
Definitely the rigid adherence to the fundamentals - what powers their resource engine (the Holy Name), what they can be best in the world at (caring for people) - and the elimination of everything extraneous to this (concentration means elimination), also a factor discussed in Good to Great, is a major contributor in their success.
The clarity of the vision is also a major contributing factor in their success. There may be a number of different ways to eat a mango, but you have to have one, and you have to be clear about what it is. I am sure that everyone there knows what the program is.
As Jack Welch puts it, “the leader defines the situation”. Without a clear vision things will just muddle along. This book gives a crystal clear vision.
The presence of a “Level 5 leader”, a personality completely sold out to the mission above their own ego gratification, has also been identified in Good to Great as a precondition for sustained organizational excellence. I believe that His Holiness Radhanatha Swami is such a personality, and the success there in Chowpatty demonstrates this.
What they are successful at: creating a Krishna Conscious community, is a result of their spiritual focus. The same principles they model here can be used for material or spiritual success. If you get up early and do the same thing every day you’ll advance in it, for example. Whether that thing is spiritual or material depends on you. The principle is universal.
Simply “being spiritual” is not enough. We have to be intentional, and if we want it to be successful on a large scale, we have to be strategic. That’s not material, and it’s not thinking oneself the doer. It’s simply “putting in our one inch of the rope”. Our effort plus God’s grace is the winning formula.
The difference between the two, of course, is that God’s grace alone can be sufficient, whereas our effort alone never can be. However, sitting at home waiting for an honorary degree (krpa-siddhi) is not the recommended strategy.
If you don’t have this DVD, get it now. Buy another copy to give to someone for Christmas.
Hare Krishna Sita-Pati and fellow readers!
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Came across your site last week. Have downloaded and thoroughly enjoyed your audio/mp3 files.
Thank you very much — they are very enlivening.
Todays article on the Simple Temple: We (my wife and family — three young children ages 10, 5, and 3 — my wife is intiated) have really enjoyed the video and the booklet. Yes, Srila Radhanatha Swami is an excellent leader. I especially liked their attitude that all share such simple chores as cleaning the temple etc. Also the rotation of Temple presidency was quite interesting.
Your program there in Brisbane sounds very good also I must say. My best wishes and prayers for its continued success and growth.
I like the way you really put a lot of preparation and effort into your presentations. With this website I can assure you it is being appreciated by others out here. Thanks.
I searched for your personal e-mail address but did not find it. If possible please e-mail me.
We are a small fledgeling group here in Nashville Tennessee. I pray all the devotees will pray for us to also have a strong determination to grow and succeed.
Your servant,
Bill Duke
Rotating temple presidency reminds me of this manifesto over at ChangeThis.com
Though I don’t agree with everything the author says, he does make an interesting presentation about how leaders should not be given too much power. Power corrupts.
Hmm, perhaps a level-5 leader is not corrupted by power and that is another quality which sets him (or her) apart.
I did read that manifesto, but didn’t recommend it at all. The author’s idea is polluted with conceptions of democracy.
Democracy, or “demon-crazy” as Srila Prabhupada referred to it, is all about spreading accountability. Bhakti Tirtha Swami has a nice discussion of the pros and cons of different governance schemes at the beginning of “Leadership for an Age of Higher Consciousness”.
Vedically, leaders are not elected by the masses, as most people are incapable of selecting worthy persons to lead. They are too easily cheated by persons who want to exploit them. Even Western democracy was never about this - originally there was a politically-aware class in society who voted. Different suffrage movements have now given the vote to just about everybody.
I’m not advocating oligarchy (election of the rulers by an elite) mind you. As Bhakti Tirtha Swami points out - people are cheated by leaders because they do not understand and recognize genuine leadership, therefore they consistently choose bad leaders, usually based on appeals to self-interest.
You end up following the leader you deserve. If you want a better leader, you have to do something about yourself.
On the subject of corruption by power - level 5 leaders are committed above all to the mission. Followers or leaders who are not committed to the mission will destroy the organization. These followers are the ones who come to work to make a buck, and when making a buck and the organizational mission are at odds, no prizes for guessing which wins out. They do the minimum work necessary. Leaders of this caliber are usually out for self-aggrandizement. When their ego needs clash with organizational objectives, the ego takes the day.
Level 5 leaders hold organizational priorities above ego priorities because they value the mission above themselves.