Cultivating Friends and

Supporters in Krishna
Consciousness:
Srila Prabhupada’s Instructions
and Example

HH Giriraj Swami
Srila Rupa Gosvami’s
Upadesamrta

 Some thirty years ago in Bombay, when I
first began to meet people to support
ISKCON, the fourth verse of Srila Rupa
Gosvami’s Upadesamrta, so kindly
explained by Srila Prabhupada, guided
me. It instructed me to reciprocate with
the people whom I met in exchanges of
love. And the more care more and
affection we gave them, the more they
would reciprocate and want to sup-port
our cause. And I knew that if they
engaged in devotional service, they
would enhance their spiritual lives.
 Fourth verse of NOI

Dadati pratigrhnati guhyam akhyati pricchati |
Bhunkte bhojayate kaman sad vidhim prithi
laksanam ||

"Offering gifts in charity, accepting charitable gifts, re-

vealing one's mind in confidence, inquiring confidential-ly,
accepting prasadam, and offering prasadam are the six
symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another."
 Principles for
Cultivating Donors

The same six principles in that
verse apply today. I'll examine
them in relation to cultivating
donors in Krsna consciousness and
conclude with some thoughts on
fundraising in today’s ISKCON.
 Dadati: Giving Gifts

 Our greatest gift is the
Holy Name, but because
many people are at first
unable to accept it, we also
give them other gifts. I
used to carry mahaprasada
and tulasi leaves in a silver
box, and I would also
always bring a Krsna
conscious book, cassette or
picture. Back to Godhead
subscriptions also served to
encourage people.
Dadati: Giving Gifts

 Srila Prabhupada had stated
that the whole purpose of
BTG was to get people to
chant Hare Krishna. In
Bombay His Divine Grace
also suggested we send a
monthly newsletter to the
members, informing people of
the latest developments "so
they do not think we are
dead." So, we developed a
regular local publication with
news, announcements,
advertisements, and our
yearly audited accounts.
Dadati: Giving Gifts

 Our experience then was that
everyone should receive a
BTG and a newsletter.
Special gifts were given
person-ally and thoughtfully.
The entire basis of our
relationship with the donors
was how to encourage them
in Krsna consciousness. If we
had any other motive, donors
would perceive our
duplicity, and the sublime
quality of our relationship
would be spoiled
Pratigrhnati: Accepting
Gifts

 In other words, when we
engage in dadati, we should
not be unduly anxious to
engage in pratigrhnati. Instead,
we should be convinced that
by helping people advance
spiritually, Krishna will be
pleased, and when Krishna is
pleased, others are also
pleased--and our mission is
successful. Pratigrhnati will
follow automatically after the
relationship is sufficiently
developed along the other five
principles of loving exchanges.
Pratigrhnati: Accepting
Gifts

In practice, after giving someone a gift
I would never accept any payment or
donation on the spot, even if they
offered it. Only later, when we needed
substantial help for some major project,
would I ask. By then they were already
eager and glad to help.
Pratigrhnati: Accepting
Gifts

In one temple I saw this policy work
in a practical way. A new devotee
took over as the temple's guest house
manager. Instead of charging for the
rooms he focused on caring for the
guests and asking for donations at the
end of their stay. The guest house
revenues went up four fold.
 Bhojayate: Giving
Prasada

 Srila Prabhupada instructed us to hold Sunday feasts and
to make a special effort to invite our friends and members
to these and other feasts. When special guests would come
in Bombay, I would often sit and talk with them, direct the
serving, and see that they were satisfied in every respect.
Srila Prabhupada himself personally organized the first
Life Member feast in Bombay, and he strictly forbade the
members from carrying away their dirty plates. He insisted
that the devotees, who were acting as hosts, should
perform all of the services for the members, while the
members should simply enjoy as guests.
Bhojayate: Giving
Prasada

Bhojayate: Giving
Prasada

 Whenever Srila
Prabhupada had special
guests he would always
insist that they take full
prasada. Sometimes the
members protested that
they could not take
prasada in front of Srila
Prabhuada, but he always
insisted: "No, I will be
happy to see you take
prasada."
 Bhojayate: Giving
Prasada

Discussing prasada distribution, Srila
Prabhupada once said, "If you give a
man full prasada, he will do any-thing
for you." I have seen one example of
this recently. In a certain temple I saw
guests going to the prasada hall at
6:00 one evening. I asked a devotee if
there was a special program. He said,
“No, guests come every night for
prasada.” I asked if they were
charged, and he said, “No.” In this
city the devotees are building a large
temple and they have raised half the
money so far without even asking
Guhyam akhyati prcchatti: Inquiring
About and Explaining Confidential
Topics.

 While giving gifts and giving prasada, we
also must explain the confidential topics of
Krsna consciousness and give donors a
solid philosophical background for further
devotional service. When the time comes
to engage a per-son in some particular
service we should present the rationale for
the service on the basis of reason and
philosophy and then disclose our request
in a perfectly straight-forward manner.
When speaking we should present our
philosophy very intelligently, without
compromise, but to the understanding of
the individuals whom we are ad-dressing.
This ability develops with our realization
of Krsna consciousness.
 Guhyam akhyati prcchatti: Inquiring
About and Explaining Confidential
Topics.

Through our conversations we should learn to perceive our
friends' doubts about Krsna consciousness even with-out
their expressing them. Then we can speak in such a way as
to remove their doubts. During my training in Bombay I
went with a senior devotee to a wealthy man who had
promised to donate but later reneged. I had ex-pected the
devotee to say, "You promised to give. Why did you
change your mind?" Instead, he just talked with the man
for twenty minutes. Then, almost mystically (to me), the
man opened his desk drawer and wrote out his check for
Life Membership.
Guhyam akhyati prcchatti: Inquiring
About and Explaining Confidential
Topics.

When I first went out on my own I asked a
certain man to become a member. He said,
"First I have to ask my brothers." When I
came and reported this to a senior devotee,
he told me, "That's just an excuse. You have
be intelligent enough to understand the
person’s doubts and address them without
him even bringing them up."
 Guhyam akhyati prcchatti: Inquiring
About and Explaining Confidential
Topics.

We may invite our friends many times for prasada,
or we may visit them many times with gifts, and
then we may feel that we should try to engage
them in some particular service. Srila Prabhupada
had such stature and potency that he would often
disclose his mind at the first meeting. According to
our own ability, and according to the receptivity of
the audience, we may choose to disclose our minds
at a later stage.
Guhyam akhyati prcchatti: Inquiring
About and Explaining Confidential
Topics.

 If the proper cultivation has been
done and the philosophical
background presented nicely, our
audience may volunteer to help
without our even asking. Once Srila
Prabhupada was preaching to Mr.
Ratansinh Rajda, a member of the
Indian parliament. During the
discussion Mr. Rajda kept asking Srila
Prabhupada how he could help. After
some time Srila Prabhupada
mentioned that his disciples were
having problems getting proper visas
for India. Mr Rajda assured him that
the situation would be corrected.
 Guhyam akhyati prcchatti: Inquiring
About and Explaining Confidential
Topics.

 When disclosing our minds about a particular
request, we want to remember Srila Prabhupada's
instructions on how ISKCON supporters can engage
in dadati. In one of our first Life Member meetings
Srila Prabhupada quoted this verse (SB 10.22.36):
etavaj janma-saphalyam dehinam iha dehisu
pranair arthar dhiya vaca sreya-acaranam sada.
"It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare
activities for the benefit of others with his life, wealth,
intelligence and words."
 Guhyam akhyati prcchatti: Inquiring
About and Explaining Confidential
Topics.

 Srila Prabhupada explained to the members that first of all,
as individual living parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord,
it is our duty to give pranair, our life. But if we cannot give
our life, at least we should give our wealth, because next to
our life we value our wealth most. The combined effort of
our intelligence, words and time produces wealth, so by
giving our wealth we automatically give our intelligence,
words and time in a concentrated form. Or, we can say that
the entire effort that produced the wealth is purified and
spiritualized if we give the wealth to Krishna. Now, when
we ask people to give their wealth, as Srila Prabhupada
said, “Some may challenge, ‘How can you sell God?’”
 Guhyam akhyati prcchatti: Inquiring
About and Explaining Confidential
Topics.

 In reply, Srila Prab-hupada said, we should quote the
Bhagavad-gita (9.27):
yat karosi yad asnasi yaj juhosi dadasi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kurusva mad arpanam.
"Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you of-fer or
give away, and whatever austerities you perform--do that, O
son of Kunti, as an offering to Me.“
 “And if you have no wealth?” Srila Prabhupada continued.
“Then you can give your intelligence. You can ad-vise the
devotees, ‘Approach such-and-such person and he can
help.’ In this way you can serve by dhiya, or intelligence.
 Guhyam akhyati prcchatti: Inquiring
About and Explaining Confidential
Topics.

 “And if you have no
intelligence? Then help by
vaca, or words. You can
request whomever you meet,
‘Please chant Hare Krishna.
Please visit the temple.’”
 In this way Srila Prabhupada
explained to the members that
they could assist the Krsna
consciousness movement by
their life, wealth, intelligence
and words.
 Exchanges of Love

 There should be genuine love from the
preacher for the member. “Love” is a
big word, I know, but that's really what
it comes down to. There must be
genuine care, sympathy and respect. In
Bombay, people knew I cared; when
there was a death or wedding or other
major event, I was always there. A
senior devotee taught me that wealthy
people are accustomed to people
coming to them for their money, so
naturally they're on the defensive. But
they should not feel defensive toward
us. We must really care for them.
Exchanges of Love

 Once I approached one or our friends
in Bombay for a large donation for
Juhu, but he was hesitating. Finally I
said, "So many people are coming to
visit you, but who is thinking of you?
They are simply thinking of their
own benefit, how they can exploit
you, what they can get from you.
Perhaps we are the only persons in
the world who actually care for your
spiritual well-being." As soon as he
heard these words he immediately
responded: "Yes. I will give."
 Exchanges of Love

 Much of Krsna
consciousness is based on
personal relationships. Thus
it's generally best if one
specific devotee deals with
each member. And we must
be ready to give ourselves to
the members in the way that
Srila Prabhupada said: "To
make one devotee we have
to give seven pints of blood.
 Exchanges of Love

 By reciprocating in these
exchanges of love with our
members, we and the
members both will make
spiritual advancement. We
must simply be concerned for
their spiritual well-being,
how somehow or other they
can be engaged in service to
the lotus feet of Krishna. In
reply to our sincerity and
love they will certainly
respond.
 Applying the Proper
Attitude

 Prahlada Maharaja says in Srimad-Bhagavatam
(7.9.43, 44):
 "My dear Lord Nrsimhadeva, I am not at all afraid of
material existence, for wherever I stay I am fully
absorbed in thoughts of Your glories and activities.
My concern is only for the fools and rascals who are
making elaborate plans for material happiness and
maintaining their families, societies and countries. I
am simply concerned with love for them.
 Applying the Proper
Attitude

 Prahlada Maharaja says in Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.9.43,
44):
 “I see that there are many saintly persons indeed, but they
are interested only in their own deliverance. Not caring for
the big cities and towns, they go to the Himalayas or the
forest to meditate with vows of silence. They are not
interested in delivering others. As for me, however, I do not
wish to be liberated alone, leaving aside all these poor fools
and rascals. I know that with-out Krsna consciousness,
without taking shelter of Your lotus feet, one cannot be
happy. Therefore I wish to bring them back to the shelter of
Your lotus feet.".
 Applying the Proper
Attitude

Once Srila Prabhupada said, “When you speak to
people, and by your speaking they are convinced that
by giving to Krishna they will gain, and they volunteer
some service--that is preaching.” Later I considered
that in some cases they may be seeking spiritual
benefit, and other cases they might be hoping for
material blessings through pious deeds--or both.
People come to Krsna for different reasons. Although
we don't encourage the concept of material results for
devotional service, people do come with that
mentality, and so we engage them too.
 Applying the Proper
Attitude

 Once through some strategy I met a big man who
had been avoiding us. He said, in a rather smug way,
"So, what can I do for you?" So I reacted and replied,
"Nothing! Rather, I have come to do something for
you." The man became even more arrogant and
challenged, "What can you do for me?" Eventually,
though, he did make a contribution.
 When Srila Prabhupada heard this account he said
that the gentleman knew that by giving to us he
would benefit. “Otherwise, why should he give?
 Applying the Proper
Attitude

 Artificially he denied that
he would gain from us.
But unless he thinks he
will profit, why should he
spend? Businessmen
always calculate their
profit and loss, and they
never spend unless they
think they will gain.”
 Then Srila Prabhupada
said, “To preach, you have
to be humble.”
 Applying the Proper
Attitude

 Srila Prabhupada always emphasized that one who
goes to preach or collect must be humble, and he often
quoted Sri Prabhodananda Sarasvati:
dante nidhaya trnakam padayor nipatya
krtva ca kaku-satam etad aham bravimi
he sadhavah sakalam eva vihaya durad
caitanya-candra-carane kurutanuragam

Taking a straw between my teeth and falling at your feet a hundred

times, I humbly submit, "O great personality, please give up all
mundane knowledge that you have learned and just submit yourself
at the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu."
 Applying the Proper
Attitude

 Srila Prabhupada said, “If you approach people and
say, ‘Everything belongs to Krsna, and I am Krsna’s
representative, so give everything to me. Otherwise,
you are a thief, and you will be punished,’ they may
become angry: ‘What do you mean. I have worked
hard for my money. It belongs to me.’ But if you
approach them humbly and say, ‘Dear sir, I have come
begging at your doorstep. Kindly give some donation
for our temple,’ he will respond: ‘Oh, a beggar has
come. Let me give him something.’”
 Applying the Proper
Attitude

 Although preaching means, as Srila Prabhupada said, that a
gentleman becomes so convinced about the value of Krsna
consciousness that he willingly volunteers to contribute, and
although “there is no question of force,” still, Srila
Prabhupada did allow that we may trick” (or, “induce”)
them. He told the story of a young student who stubbornly
refused to learn arithmetic. So, instead of asking the boy
what is 4 + 4, his teacher drew a picture of two cows and
asked how many legs the two cows had. Thus, through
pictures and stories she gradually taught the boy all the
arithmetical processes. Then a friend pointed out, "Hey, the
teacher is teaching you arithmetic!" to which the boy replied,
“Arithmetic? I hate arithmetic. No. I shall not learn!”
 Applying the Proper
Attitude

 Some persons are so averse to serving Krsna that we
have to be very tactful and allow them to engage in
devotional service without them thinking they are
serving Krsna. Still, they will benefit. In other words,
our real task is, somehow or other, to engage people in
Krsna’s service and help them to advance in their
spiritual lives (yena tena prakarena manah krsne
nivesayet).

 Through ISKCON members and donors become part

of a spiritual family and get the association of devotees,
which is so important for spiritual development
 Life Membership

Since ISKCON's inception many donors have
be-come part of ISKCON’s family through
Life Mem-bership. In recent years some
professional fundraisers have advised us that
Life Membership is a good way to start an
organization but a bad way to maintain it. I
hesitate to think that Life Membership per se
is a bad approach, although I agree it has been
misused.
Life Membership

 When Srila Prabhupada first
introduced Life Mem-bership, Tamal
Krsna Goswami pointed out to him
that the value of the books we gave the
members would eventually exceed the
1111 rupees members were committing
to pay. Srila Prabhupada replied, “The
devotees will keep going back to them,
and in their lifetimes they will give five
or ten times more than the
membership subscription.” He also
said that we will continue to make new
members, so we will always stay
ahead. And he emphasized that he had
devised the Life Membership program
as a means to distribute his books.
 Life Membership

 Once in Indore Srila Prabhupada went to meet a very
aristocratic man, and he showed him all his books. As
these were the early days in India, and no one else was
there to ask the man to become a member, Srila
Prabhupada asked himself. The man said, "Swamiji,
we already have these books in our own language."
Srila Prabhupada sat up very straight and replied, "I
have not come here to sell you some books. I have
come begging at your doorstep." The man immediately
understood and agreed to become a member.
Life Membership

 From this I learned, not
only how we have to be
humble, but that book
distribution is an integral
part of Life Membership,
and that people will give
more based on
relationship than on
external benefits.
 Life Membership

 Understanding the importance of cultivating relation-ships
with donors, when we enrolled Life Member number 1000
in Bombay I thought we should stop making new members
and just concentrate on maintaining the ones we had.
Historically it did not work out that way. In many temples,
less qualified devotees were enlisted to go out and sell Life
Member-ships based on benefits such as staying in
ISKCON guest houses. Because there was insufficient
training, these devotees would look only to sell
memberships and not to maintain the members they made.
Thus Life Membership has often turned out to be
something different than what Srila Prabhupada
envisioned.
Life Membership

 It is significant that the temples
that have recruited qualified
devotees and trained them to
cultivate donors have
prospered, while temples that
simply “sold” memberships
have often struggled. My
conviction is that we do have
qualified people in our
temples, and we can train them
to be good preachers who can
develop good relationships.
Such preachers, as ISKCON
Chowpatty has shown, can also
come from our congregation.
Life Membership

 In short, the principle of
care and cultivation is
what is truly important.
 A Golden Opportunity

 Since our success in
fundraising is so
connected to having
meaningful relationships
with our donors, an
opportunity has
developed for preachers
in the West that I feel
deserves mention here.
 A Golden Opportunity

 Parents, naturally, are greatly concerned about their
children. This is an important way we can reciprocate
with our congregation. Even in India we used to point
out to people, “Although are Krsna conscious from
your childhood, you cannot explain Krsna
consciousness in a scientific way to your children, to
answer their questions or remove their doubts. We
could do that for you.” We would also say, “Because
your children are interested in the West, and we are
from the West, we can help them to understand the
defects and dangers of Western civilization.”
 A Golden Opportunity

 Regarding Indian families that have migrated to the
West, some devotees have noted a growing generation
gap between immigrant parents and their Western-
born children. Not only are the parents concerned
about how westernized their children are becoming,
but it can work the other way as well: the children are
having trouble getting their parents to understand
them and what they are going through.
 A Golden Opportunity

 We can help the parents by helping their children
become Krishna conscious: when the children become
inspired in Krsna conscious-ness, the parents feel
better. And we can also help the children by helping
their parents understand the pressures Western society
puts on them and what adjustments may be
reasonably made without compromising their spiritual
advancement. In any case, somehow or other, by
helping them with their children, the parents will feel
obliged to us.
In Conclusion

 Every conditioned soul has a
particular idea of himself that he
cherishes within his heart. As one
speaks, one discloses various
aspects of this personality. If we
hear and appreciate a person's
special qualities, the person will
think, “This devotee is very
intelligent. He has appreciated my
true nature.”
 A devotee once exclaimed, "Srila
Prabhupada, every-body likes you."
And Srila Prabhupada replied,
"Yes, because I like everyone."
 In Conclusion

 Let us remember the way
Srila Prabhupada
welcomed and
encouraged us, in spite of
the fact that we came
from wretched conditions
and were full of bad
habits. He patiently heard
our trials and tribulations,
sympathized with and
appreciated us, and
tactfully engaged us in
the six exchanges of love.
In Conclusion

 Now we have the
opportunity to help many
other people with their
spiritual lives. They can
contribute so much. Let us
remember our own fallen
condition and try to please
Srila Prabhupada by caring
for our special guests in the
same way that he would
have cared for them--the
same way he cared for us.
 

Thank you