Temple means

Expressions researched:
"Temple means"

SB Canto 4

To live in the temple means to live in Vaikuṇṭhaloka.

SB 4.12.29, Purport:

The three modes, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, have no entrance into the temple. It is said, therefore, that to live in the forest is in the mode of goodness, to live in the city is in the mode of passion, and to live in a brothel, liquor shop or slaughterhouse is in the mode of ignorance. But to live in the temple means to live in Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Everything in the temple is as worshipable as Lord Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa.

CC Madhya-lila

To live in a temple means to associate with the śravaṇa-kīrtana process.

CC Madhya 19.152, Purport:

To live with devotees or to live in a temple means to associate with the śravaṇa-kīrtana process. Sometimes neophyte devotees think that they can continue the śravaṇa-kīrtana process without worshiping the Deity, but the execution of such śravaṇa-kīrtana is meant for highly developed devotees like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who engaged in the śravaṇa-kīrtana process without worshiping the Deity. However, one should not falsely imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura and abandon Deity worship just to try to engage in śravaṇa-kīrtana. This is not possible for neophyte devotees.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Temple means people should come, people should learn the science of God.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

Temple means people should come, people should learn the science of God. That is temple. Not that to make a business of temple. Therefore everything is, not only in India, all over the world, the churches also, they're dwindled. Now, Europe and America, so many churches are for sale. We have purchased so many churches because people have no more interest. There is no education.

Temple means spiritual educational shelter.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

Temple means spiritual educational shelter. People should come, they should learn what is spiritual life, what is God, what is my relationship with. That is temple. Otherwise, if you simply came... Therefore two processes should be followed: pāñcarātriki viddhi and bhāgavata-viddhi. We follow both. Bhāgavata-viddhi is the philosophical side of religion, and pāñcarātriki viddhi is the worshiping side of temple—how to worship Deity, how to dress, how to decorate, how to offer respect. Mad-yājī. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī (BG 18.65). Temple worship is mad-yājī, worshiping the Deity. So this is the test, this is the test.

Temple means Kṛṣṇa is there.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hawaii, February 4, 1975:

We are taking care of this house. Why? Because it is temple. What is temple? Temple means Kṛṣṇa is there. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, but because we have got now our limited knowledge—we are not advanced—therefore we take a spot, the temple, and always think of Kṛṣṇa that "This is Kṛṣṇa's place. This is Kṛṣṇa's temple. We must take care of it."

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Big, gorgeous temple means people will be attracted to come here, and we'll distribute Kṛṣṇa's prasādam.

Lecture on SB 1.8.26 -- Mayapura, October 6, 1974:

Big, gorgeous temple means people will be attracted to come here, and we'll distribute Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. The aim is some way or other to turn them to convert them into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you remain akiñcana. And if we think that "We have got now very big house. We shall live comfortably and sleep comfortably," then na gocaram, then Kṛṣṇa will not be realized. Then that comfort will be realized only, not Kṛṣṇa. Akiñcana-gocaram. We should always remember this.

Temple means must be very clean.

Lecture on SB 1.8.36 -- Los Angeles, April 28, 1973:

Temple means must be very clean. The more you cleanse the temple, the more your heart becomes cleansed. This is the process. The more you dress Kṛṣṇa, you become satisfied. At the present moment, we are accustomed to see my dress. "How costly dress I have got, I become satisfied..." No. When by dressing Kṛṣṇa you'll feel satisfied, that is spiritual satisfaction. That is spiritual satisfaction.

This temple means an opportunity, a process, a simple process.

Lecture on SB 2.3.23 -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1972:

This temple means an opportunity, a process, a simple process. Not simple for ordinary man, but actually it is simple. Anyone can smell the flowers offered to Kṛṣṇa. Anyone can eat the foodstuffs offered to Kṛṣṇa. Anyone can see the Deity so nicely decorated. Anyone can hear Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

So the temple means to give chance to everyone, even to the child, to advance one step to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 3.25.14 -- Bombay, November 14, 1974:

So the temple means to give chance to everyone, even to the child, to advance one step to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One step. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Even little is accepted and is done, it becomes into account. Just like if you deposit even two annas in the bank, it is kept on your account. It will increase with interest. Similarly, devotional service even done very little, it is not lost. In the śāstra it is said that even it is lost... Not lost. Suppose some reason a man comes and joins this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and in the middle he falls down, he does not make further progress because he falls down. But whatever he has done, that is permanent credit. That will never be lost. Even he stops, then from that point, again he will begin as soon as there will be chance. But whatever he has done, that is a permanent credit. That is the instruction of śāstra.

This temple means to practice how to think of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, Balarāma's lotus feet, always.

Lecture on SB 5.6.3 -- Vrndavana, November 25, 1976:

This temple means to practice how to think of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, Balarāma's lotus feet, always. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Immediately you become bhakta. And as soon as you become a bhakta, kecit kevalayā bhaktyā vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ, dhunvanti aghaṁ kṛtsnam: (SB 6.1.15) all kinds of disturbances will be subsided, dhunvanti. Nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ. This is the śāstra injunction.

So this temple means to give chance to people for associating with Īśa, with Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975:

So this temple means to give chance to people for associating with Īśa, with Kṛṣṇa. So therefore, according to Vedic civilization, everyone is advised to go to the temple. Still people are going to the church, to the temple, to the mosque, to the synagogue. Why? Īśa-saṅgāt, īśa-saṅgāt, just to associate with God. That is the purpose. So if you actually search after Īśa, Kṛṣṇa, or God, you can get it. There is arrangement. Just like this temple. This temple, if you come, if you make association with this temple, immediately you will be benefited by hearing the glories of the Lord this, every subject matter pertaining to God. We are reading Bhāgavatam or Bhagavad-gītā. That is also Īśa. Because these are the words of Īśa, therefore, Īśa being absolute, there is no difference between His words and Him. Kṛṣṇa, five thousand years ago He spoke Bhagavad-gītā. That Bhagavad-gītā is the same Bhagavad-gītā which He spoke five thousand years ago, and it is not different from Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Whatever, His words, His form, His name, His quality, everything, His temple, His activities, His books—everything Īśa.

This temple means not only we shall decorate the Deity very nicely, cleanse the temple.

Lecture on SB 7.6.6 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1976:

This temple means not only we shall decorate the Deity very nicely, cleanse the temple:

sri-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-

śṛṅgāra-tan mandira-mārjanādau

yuktasya bhaktāṁś ca niyuñjato 'pi...

So the temple worship should go on, at the same time, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam of Viṣṇu must go on. Two things, parallel. Then it will be done very nicely.

This temple means to give chance to the people in general, ajñāta-sukṛti.

Lecture on SB 7.9.16 -- Mayapur, February 23, 1976:

This temple means to give chance to the people in general, ajñāta-sukṛti. Anyone who will come to this temple where the Deity is there, and even by imitating others, if one offers obeisances to the Lord, that is taken into account. That is not useless, because Kṛṣṇa says, mad-yājinaḥ. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is Kṛṣṇa's desire. He gives the four principles, that "Always think of Me," man-manā, "and become My devotee," mad-bhakta, mad-yājī, "worship Me," and mad-yājino Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: (BG 18.65) "Just offer little obeisances. These four principles will deliver you from this bondage of material existence and," mām evaiśyasi asaṁśaya, "without any doubt, you'll come back to Me." So, so simple thing. It is not at all difficult. This child, he can do this. Old man can do this. Learned man can do this, without any knowledge. Even an animal can do it. Very simple. Bhakti-yoga is very simple.

Initiation Lectures

Temple means there must be sufficient foodstuff.

Sannyasa Initiation Lecture -- Calcutta, January 26, 1973:

Temple means there must be sufficient foodstuff. Anyone who comes for foodstuff, he should be given. So by worshiping Kṛṣṇa, these things automatically done. There is no need of extra endeavor. Parātma-niṣṭhā. This is called parātma-niṣṭhā. Etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhā. Not only now. From time immemorial, all the temples in India, they have got sufficient foodstuff. Even at Nātha-dvāra, if you pay them only one anna or four annas, they'll give you so much nice prasādam. The two annas, four annas, the priestly order, they take. Otherwise, prasāda is distributed. So by worshiping Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is not hungry. He's fully satisfied. He doesn't require to eat. Temple worship means to distribute the prasādam to the poor. That is temple worship. Temple worship does not mean that you, you bring some rice from the neighborers and cook it and eat yourself and sit, sleep down, nice. No. Temple worship means you must distribute prasādam... You should... To the poor. Everyone is poor. Not that the rich man is not poor.

General Lectures

Temple means where there is God.

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

Temple means wherever there is God, that is temple. What is the difference between temple, church, and ordinary house? Temple means where there is God. Or church, where there is God. God means where there is God's name. Because in this condition we cannot see God, but God is not different from His name. So wherever the chanting is there, that is temple. And if other rules and regulations are followed, then it is temple. Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ. It is said, Lord says, that "I stay there. Wherever My pure devotees are glorifying Me, I stay there." God is everywhere, but particularly He is there. So temple, there is no necessity. But if somebody has got money and if he wants to spend it for Kṛṣṇa, then we can give plan, a very nice temple, you see, spending millions of dollars. We have got such ideas and such plans. But that does not mean that we are depending on a temple. We can create temple anywhere and everywhere simply by sitting, chanting.

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Temple means the Supreme Lord.

Room Conversation -- July 16, 1968, Montreal:

Kṛṣṇa says that svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya. You just try to worship the Supreme Lord by the result of your occupation. Because Kṛṣṇa requires everything. So if you are a potter, you supply pots. If you are florist, you supply flower. If you are carpenter, you work for temple. If you are washerman, then wash clothing of the temple. Temple is the center, Kṛṣṇa. And everyone gets chance to offer his service. Therefore temple worship is very nice. So this temple should be organized in such a way that we don't require any money. You give your service. That's all. You be engaged in your service. Don't change your service. But you try to serve the-temple means the Supreme Lord—by your occupational duty.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Moving temple means through bus, going from one place to another.

Meeting with GBC -- March 31, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Moving temple means through bus, going from one place to another. That is better. From one temple, they go from village to village, town to town. That will be nice. Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally did not establish any temple. He was moving. Is it not? So that's all right. We should be very much cautious to establish a new center. And if one establishes, he cannot close it. This should be the principle. Yes. Don't whimsically open a temple and close next day. No. Don't do that. If once established, it must be maintained, at any cost.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Temple means Deity, there must be Deity.

Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Nandarāṇī: Yes, we actually want two places because when Iranian businessmen come, we cannot just show them the altar and say, "Here is our program." It must be very careful. And yet when the Indians come we want to have Deities, we want to have kīrtana. So we are trying to do two things in one house and it is very difficult. So he wants a separate place for a restaurant, for Deities, for my Gurukula school, a big room for my classroom, and then a separate home when we have some sophisticated guest we can bring them for dinner. But then we have many Indians, we can bring them for Deities. The Indians, they think this is a temple, but because there are no Deities, then they are not inclined to come. They want to see the Deity.

Prabhupāda: Indians, they want Deity.

Nandarāṇī: They want to see the Deity.

Prabhupāda: Temple means Deity, there must be Deity.

Nandarāṇī: So these Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities, we should simply keep until some future time when we might be able to worship Them?

Prabhupāda: No, if you can, in a separate house, if you can follow the principles, you can install.

Temple means education in spiritual life.

Room Conversation with Endowments Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: You have counted? Not yet. Counting? No.

Hari-śauri: I've got it listed. 182. 1-8-2. All their temples should be reorganized on the... People should come there for being educated. Temple means it is an educational center.

Commissioner: Educational center.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Brāhmaṇas means they are teachers. Paṭhana-pāṭhana-yajana-yājana-dāna-pratigrahaḥ. So every temple should be educational center, and the brāhmaṇas should be engaged. They should be properly educated and they should teach others also. In this way, temple means education in spiritual life. And actually spiritual life is life. This material life, the bodily conception of life, is dead life. Aprāṇasyeva dehasya maṇḍanaṁ loka-rañjanam. This nice shirt you have changed because there is life. When there is no life, who is going to change dress? The body is there, but why you are not interested in changing the dress? Better interest... The sooner the body is thrown away or burned, better.

Temple means a center, educational center, education.

Room Conversation with Endowments Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Commissioner: The end is common. And we have found yesterday some of your śiṣyas had come. They're so happy. They said, "This is what the requirement is," and we accept him as a śiṣya.

Prabhupāda: Temple means a center, educational center, education. Give them prasāda. Bring. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Temple means feeding them with prasādam.

Room Conversation -- November 13, 1976, Vrndavana:

Devotee: Tonight I made sabji and puri.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is easiest, puri and sabji. Similarly, khicuḍi and sabji, puṣpānna and chutney, like that. Temple means feeding them with prasādam.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Temple means preaching center.

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: 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.

Big temple means at least fifty men.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: Pūjārīs, cooks, collectors, life members. You need at least fifty devotees. So it's going to take a little while to get...

Prabhupāda: Big temple means at least fifty men.

1972 Correspondence

A gorgeous temple means many flowers, beautiful decorations, and prasadam distribution. Some sort of kirtana must go on continuously. Further, chanting 16 rounds must be completed, that is our spiritual strength.

Letter to Tribhuvanatha -- Los Angeles 16 June, 1972:

Now organize the temple very nicely and request tourists to come in, and with many flowers you can decorate the whole hall with flowers and it will be very much attractive. You can make a sign-board that says "Guests are requested to offer a flower to the Deity". The flower market is near-by and any gentleman will bring flowers, and give them prasadam. A gorgeous temple means many flowers, beautiful decorations, and prasadam distribution. Some sort of kirtana must go on continuously. Further, chanting 16 rounds must be completed, that is our spiritual strength. And I am very much stressing nowadays that my students shall increase their reading of my books and try to understand them from different angles of vision. Each sloka can be seen from many, many angles of vision, so become practiced in seeing things like this. If we are selling the books but we do not know what is inside the book, that will be a farce, especially if you are preaching and selling books to the students of Edinburgh.

1973 Correspondence

Temple means festivals and Festivals means chanting and distribution of Prasadam.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 8 August, 1973:

Observe many festivals, that will keep both public and devotees alive. Temple means festivals and Festivals means chanting and distribution of Prasadam.

1974 Correspondence

Before opening we must consider very carefully, Worship in the temple means to personally call Krsna, and He personally comes, therefore the arrangement must be there for the temple worship to go on nicely before opening any temple.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Mayapur 1 October, 1974:

Regarding Edinburgh temple, yes it should be re-opened. I have already explained that once a temple is opened it cannot be closed. Before opening we must consider very carefully, Worship in the temple means to personally call Krsna, and He personally comes, therefore the arrangement must be there for the temple worship to go on nicely before opening any temple. In Vrindaban there are many dilapidated, important temples started by the Gosvamis, but still they are not closed. They are becoming debtor and debtor and the temple building is practically falling down, but still the Deity worship is going on somehow or other. This is the principle. Closing a temple we cannot do. It becomes a farce and is against the bhakti cult. Our principle must be to carefully consider before opening any temple, and once opened it cannot be closed.