Hare Krishna,
Dandavat Pranams.
When I once went to temple and serve, however few devotees act very rudly, like they don't even feel like putting a "Ji" behind "Mata". I mean they simply call other ladies "Oh Mata! do this", and new devotees think this as an ettiquate and they start to do so, but this mataji who talks rudly in our local temple is actually a senior Mataji, I guess she even has brahaman diksha, so how do we maintain respects towards them, and not offend them even mentally?
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thank You for answering
Hare Krsna Mataji,
PAMHO.
When we first go into the temple to do service, we can see lots of things happening whihc are not right. People's behaviour, other people cribbing about some third person, generally so many things.... Please keep your focus - you are there to please the Lord, to cooperate with everyone and do your service as a way to please the lord. It doesnt matter whether any devotee is not liking your face. If they dont like yuor service, then definitely you need to introspect what is going wrong and correct it.
I have learnt one thing in all my years, whatever we face, esp in the temple, is to teach us something. The biggest lesson is tolerance, humility, patience, perseverance.
Regarding how to handle the mataji who is so senior and so rude - you dont have to do service with her. Avoid her area to the extent possible. Maintain safe distance and take up some other service. After all, we go to temple to render service. If our consciousness is not rigth, then the service attitude is long lost and we are then simply labouring.
Again I am saying. - keep your focus. After every day of service, examine yourself and ask - why did I go to temple? What service I did? For whom? Introspect at each stage. Slowly, things will work out and you will be able to serve and grow.
What anyone else is doing, you have no control. You can only control your own actions and reactions. Concentrate on that.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
thank you for reply
Hare krsna mataji,
All devotees who have come in iskcon are not purified souls, they are there to get purified and it takes time, sometimes it may take many births if devotees keep hurting vaishnavas. The rule for mixing with devotees is , always associate with like minded people and avoid any confrontation with neophytes or under trained, less qualified devotees. And yes even if they try to be harsh, pls tolerate because if you become like them your bhakti will diminish and slowly you will loose taste in chanting.
thank you for reply
Haha you get this in normal working life in a job. Why should it be any different in a temple?
actually it should be different in temple.Afterall don't we behave differently at work place and home?
thats true, but the do this do that mentality hardly ever goes away. I would take it with a pinch of salt.