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By His Holiness Bhakti Bhusana Swami

In Central America and parts of South America hardly anybody lives in the temples anymore. It is not like the old days when we were crammed in the temples. In the early days of the movement, Srila Prabhupada us live in the temples to keep nice association, but most devotees get married and are forced to accept a new reality.

This congregational preaching is very important, and I wish it could be developed much more, because without a doubt it is the program of the future. Very few devotees will be able to live in the temples. It seems to me that young people these days don’t have the same strength anymore, or the same idealism, to just move into the temples, like we used to do. We moved into the temples without caring for the future. We were happy to depend on Krishna but nowadays, it seems like a different mood is prominent. People are more eager for their security and for their jobs and whatever facilities they need.

Congregational devotees teach by their example that people don’t have to give up anything when as a Hare Krishna devotee. One can also continue to live a normal life. Just that the center of life has changed, and you do everything for Krishna. Personally, I feel very inspired when I travel and meet people in their homes. I always encourage congregation devotees to not only maintain their own spiritual lives, but to preach. Without preaching, family life becomes dry and problematic. Preaching is actually our life. We are supposed to learn and teach. That’s our main business. So as long as grihasthas can also take part in then they will be inspired and enlivened in their spiritual lives. 

So please come, keep it up. Don’t think that because you’ve become married and you are forced to work and maintain your household, that you cannot preach anymore.