Maintain the temples

Expressions researched:
"maintaining the temple" |"maintain the temple" |"maintain the temples"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

That village was given to the brāhmaṇas for maintaining the temple.

Lecture on SB 1.7.16 -- Vrndavana, September 14, 1976: There is still one temple, it was constructed by Jahangir, and the other side of the Yamunā there is a village called Jahangir-pura. That village was given to the brāhmaṇas for maintaining the temple. So charity, that is kṣatriya's business, and perform yajñas, give in charity, to rule, not to go away from fighting, challenge, very strong, stout—these are kṣatriya qualification. And the vaiśya qualification—agriculture. Kṛṣi. Kṛṣi-gorakṣya, and cow protection. Kṛṣi-gorakṣya-vāṇijyam. And if there is excess, then vāṇijya, trade. Otherwise there is no question of trade.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

I am very glad to see that you are maintaining the temple standard as good as I saw when I left.

Arrival Address -- Los Angeles, July 8, 1974: I am very glad to see that you are maintaining the temple standard as good as I saw when I left. That is my satisfaction. And keep this, I mean to say, situation, atmosphere, always, and follow the regulative principles, chant sixteen rounds. You'll remain always happy, because although we are in Los Angeles, we have nothing to do with the material atmosphere of Los Angeles. Therefore a devotee who lives with Kṛṣṇa or in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he does not live in the material world. He always live in the spiritual world.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Therefore there must be side by side propaganda who can maintain the temples.

Interview with Minister -- April 26, 1974, Tirupati:

Prabhupāda: Temple... Just like these Christian missionaries, they constructed so many churches. But those churches are now being closed. In London, I have got specific knowledge, hundreds of churches are no more being used as church. Some of them are being used as go-down. And some of the churches have been purchased by other religious sect. We have purchased one church in Los Angeles. So opening temple is good but who will maintain the spirit of temple worship?

Minister: That is by (Hindi).

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Therefore there must be side by side propaganda who can maintain the temples. (Hindi) Oh, this is anna-prasāda, so I will take later on. (Hindi) That temple is being constructed under whose supervision?

Minister: That Ganapati Sthapati, in our state.

Indian man: Sthapati is a temple engineer. He will lay out the plans as per the (indistinct) śāstra and as per the rules laid down for the construction all temples in India. No other (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: He has gone there? No.

Indian man: Once he had been to New York. They are now preparing all these idols, etc. They will be sent by sea.

Prabhupāda: So what Deity will be installed there?

Indian man: Lord Veṅkaṭeśvara, Subrahmaṇiya-sat(?) Swami, Gaṇapati, Vighneśvara.

Minister: And Pancai Tattva.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Nobody is constructing a temple. The modern economists, they say "nonproductive endeavor"—means there is no income. Simply you have to spend money for maintaining the temple.

Room Conversation with three Trappist Monks, Psychologists from the University of Georgia, and Atlanta Lawyer, Michael Green -- March 1, 1975, Atlanta: Prabhupāda: Some way or other, if you go to God, that is very good. With motive or without motive, you have come to God, that is piety. That is better than to become impious. Impious men, they do not go to God. Just like nowadays nobody goes to church. Church are selling. Simply... Temples also. So now there are in India so many township development. They are constructing very fashionable houses, but no temples. Nobody is constructing temple. At the present moment everybody has become disinterested with anything religion and God. All over the world. That is degradation. Especially I am seeing in Bombay, that Juhu scheme, very nice houses are being manufactured. You have all seen. But nobody is constructing a temple. The modern economists, they say "nonproductive endeavor"—means there is no income. Simply you have to spend money for maintaining the temple. So they are not interested in nonproductive things. So this is degradation of the human society. Either as Christian or Hindu or Mohammedan, nobody is interested. A few may be interested.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

You should maintain the temple.

Room Conversation -- October 4, 1976, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: People have got already very respect now for the... [break] You should maintain the temple. They already call it iṁrej [English] temple. But still people come. But if you make a mleccha temple... Actually, (laughs) they can say like that, but still, they come. But their awe and veneration may be disturbed, may not be disturbed. That is management.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Think of Kṛṣṇa, offering obeisances, offer from the persons maintaining the temple.

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) in water. Soak it. Maybe if I feel hungry I shall take it. This is the condition of material world, simply harassing, this all these big, big government (indistinct). How to harass. The more you learn this art, how to harass, you become a big politician. Not para-upakāra. Mandāḥ sumanda matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ [SB 1.1.10]. Upadrutāḥ, disturbing. Adhibautika, one living entity is harassing another living entity, killing. So I have decided to construct a temple in Bhuvaneśvara. What do you think, shall I attempt?

Girirāja: Of course that is our business to construct temples.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Temple (indistinct). Temple means preaching center. This Gurukula I have made for temple (indistinct) center. Now they have made it but that (indistinct). Purpose is, that whole world in the neophyte stage, they will (indistinct), man-manā bhava mad..., think of Kṛṣṇa, offering obeisances, offer (indistinct) from the persons maintaining the temple (indistinct). Therefore they do not like that a temple should be constructed, it is waste of... (indistinct) ...must be engaged to work hard, produce money and enjoy sense gratification. Hog civilization. We are restricting that "Don't work hard like hog and dog or animals, just satisfy your minimal necessities of life, save time and (indistinct) spiritual understanding. This is our mission.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

You are maintaining the temple as private. So make nice clothes, decorations.

Room Conversation Gaurasundara, Dr. Kapoor -- July 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I think there is no need of changing Deity.

Gaurasundara: Leave small?

Prabhupāda: Huh? You have got?

Gaurasundara: Small.

Prabhupāda: Small.

Gaurasundara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Because you are maintaining the temple as private. So make nice clothes, decorations.

Gaurasundara: Yes, we are doing. We have...

Prabhupāda: High place. There is no need of big see.(?) Deity is small Kṛṣṇa or big Kṛṣṇa, the same thing. When Kṛṣṇa was child on the lap of His mother, the same Kṛṣṇa killed Pūtanā. And when He was killing other demons in His young age, the same. Avyaya. He does not change. Acyuta. These are the names of Kṛṣṇa, you'll... So it does not make any difference. So you have got small Deity. Very nicely... So you can bathe them nicely, decorate them nicely, give Them... And big Deity will be difficult to handle. Better keep this Deity and increase the devotional.

1968 Correspondence

I am so much pleased to hear that you are not afraid to stand alone, and to maintain the temple there nicely; Krishna is always there with you, and He will see to your success.

Letter to Unknown -- New York 19 April, 1968: I am so much pleased to hear that you are not afraid to stand alone, and to maintain the temple there nicely; krishna is always there with you, and He will see to your success. Do not feel that you have offended me. You have served Krishna very nicely and are continuing to do so very nicely. There is no question of your falling from my grace: you have always my blessings upon you, and I am always thinking of you, and praying Krishna to help you and give you more and more advancement in Krishna Consciousness. So please do not be disturbed in that way. Just continue with what you are doing there, and Krishna will give you all facilities and all protection.

Try to utilize your profits to maintain the temple with your husband and the others.

Letter to Himavati -- Los Angeles 12 December, 1968: Your sewing proposal is very nice and such idea is given by the Grace of Krishna. Try to utilize your profits to maintain the temple with your husband and the others.

1970 Correspondence

While the brahmacaris and vanaprasthas or the sannyasis take to this preaching work, the grhasthas or householders can maintain the temple and institution.

Letter to Balmukundji Parikh -- Los Angeles 11 February, 1970: Only the grhasthas are supposed to earn money, especially the ksatriyas and the vaisyas, and the money is distributed community-wide. The community is divided into four parts, the brahmacari, the grhastha, the vanaprastha, and the sannyasi. Out of these four divisions, only the grhasthas are supposed to maintain the brahmacaris, the vanaprasthas, and the sannyasis. That is the whole program, which means if there are 100 members in the community, three-fourths of the whole number, namely 75%, are maintained by the one-fourth members, namely 25%. Our movement is for preaching the sankirtana vibration, so while the brahmacaris and vanaprasthas or the sannyasis take to this preaching work, the grhasthas or householders can maintain the temple and institution. In India, you have said, the temples are richest because the grhasthas support them. In this country also the householders support the churches. So for the inmates of the temple, namely brahmacaris or the priests (even though they are grhasthas, householders), they do not work outside. They are maintained by the outside grhasthas.

Our men will take charge of maintaining the temple, so what is the objection about his sparing this nice place for turning into Krishna temple.

Letter to Syamasundara -- Los Angeles 12 April, 1970: Is it not possible to have a small temple in George's house so you can engage in temple worship? That is necessary. If there is a small temple there, then you and your wife and others can be nicely engaged. I think George does not require to become my formal disciple because he is already more than my disciple. He has sympathy for my movement and I have all blessings for him. He can easily spare that chapel for developing it into a nice Krishna Consciousness temple. We do not want any proprietorship right, but we want simply to utilize the nice place into a nice temple. Our men will take charge of maintaining the temple, so what is the objection about his sparing this nice place for turning into Krishna temple. My idea is that you six boys and girls who have gone there remain there and help George as far as possible, but you maintain a regular temple there so that people may come see an ideal place of worship and surely that will be a great advantage for George and the visitors who come there.

1971 Correspondence

You also can open a center, live separately as president and maintain the temple nicely.

Letter to Umapati -- Los Angeles 9 July, 1971: There are many grhasthas who are earning and spending for a particular center. Similarly you also can open a center, live separately as president and maintain the temple nicely. But if you don't do anything and simply remain grhastha, then what is the use of criticizing others? The whole movement is meant for rendering service.

Unless we can maintain the temples we presently have superexcellently clean, we should not open new centers.

Letter to Visnujana -- Calcutta 4 November, 1971: It is very encouraging for me to hear that my Sannyasis are traveling and preaching. Regarding keeping our temples clean, this is essential. Unless we can maintain the temples we presently have superexcellently clean, we should not open new centers.

1976 Correspondence

This will prevent our Society from degrading to the level of so many other institutions where, in order to maintain the Temple, they accept all third class men as brahmanas.

Letter to All Governing Body Commissioners -- Nellore, South India 6 January, 1976: Anyone wishing to be initiated as a brahmana will have to pass the Bhaktisastri exam and anyone wishing to take sannyasa will have to pass the Bhaktivaibhava examination as well. This will prevent our Society from degrading to the level of so many other institutions where, in order to maintain the Temple, they accept all third class men as brahmanas. Any sannyasis or brahmanas already initiated who fail to pass the exams will be considered low class or less qualified. Anyone wishing to be 2nd initiated will sit for examination once a year at Mayapur. Answers will be in essay form and authoritative quotations will be given a bigger score. During the exams books may not be consulted.

Of course, we have to maintain the temples as it is necessary to keep our spirits high.

Letter to All Governing Board Commissioners -- Honolulu 19 May, 1976: Over the past ten years I have given the framework and now we have become more than the British Empire. Even the British Empire was not as expansive as we. They had only a portion of the world, and we have not completed expanding. We must expand more and more unlimitedly. But I must now remind you that I have to complete the translation of the Srimad-Bhagavatam. This is the greatest contribution; our books have given us a respectable position. People have no faith in this church or temple worship. Those days are gone. Of course, we have to maintain the temples as it is necessary to keep our spirits high. Simply intellectualism will not do, there must be practical purification.