How to revive the devotional atmosphere in a temple
When the devotional mood and environment are lost, everything becomes difficult. Instead of feeling inspired and joyful, the mood shifts into something more like a dry sense of duty. How to recover?
When a temple is established, devotees are usually united in the desire to create a place where they can serve the Lord. That’s what makes the temple possible in the first place. They look for a suitable house, or maybe build something from scratch, and when everything is ready, the Lord is invited to reside there in His deity form. A great installation ceremony is organized, and regular service to the deity starts, with worship, spiritual programs in the morning and evening, several offerings during the day, and so on. The Lord mercifully resides in the temple, and apart from the devotees who are directly involved in services, anyone can go to take darśana of the Lord. As Prabhupada explains, by this simple process of visiting the temple, paying obeisances, observing the worship, and accepting prasāda, even a common man can become purified.
A temple offers thus great opportunities for all devotees, who can visit, participate in the spiritual programs, and do some service to the Lord, and also create opportunities to engage new people. When a temple is properly managed, it can offer a peaceful space, with an atmosphere of bliss and friendship, which is precisely what most people hanker for nowadays. When this spiritual atmosphere is present, it is not difficult to engage new people.
When the mood of loving service is present in the temple, when devotees are enthusiastic, serving with affection, maintaining warm relationships with one another, sharing a common goal of spreading Krsna consciousness, and welcoming new people, the temple naturally becomes captivating. People are drawn in. In such an environment, it’s not so difficult to engage new people. Even those who have been distant for a while can feel encouraged to come back and participate in the services. In fact, with this mood, it’s possible not only to maintain the current services but to expand the temple and establish new programs.
However, when this devotional mood and environment are lost, everything becomes difficult. Instead of feeling inspired and joyful, the mood shifts into something more like a dry sense of duty. Although some love for Krsna remains, this heavy feeling of obligation becomes prominent. Service becomes less of a joy and more of a burden. With so much service needing to be done and not enough hands, the environment can feel suffocating. A temple is not constituted by the walls and ceiling, but by the devotees who are present there. Krsna Himself becomes present where His devotees are present. However, if devotees start to leave, the spiritual atmosphere is lost, and Krsna Himself may not manifest so directly as before.
This kind of atmosphere creates a downward spiral, where new people are no longer attracted, existing devotees slowly start to drift away, feeling disconnected or overburdened, the core group shrinks, and the remaining devotees become increasingly overloaded.
In situations like this, devotees often become tired, and tensions rise. Often, devotees end up arguing and getting into conflict, simply because of the emotional exhaustion that comes from being overworked and undernourished spiritually.
What to do in this situation? How can things be improved?
The main point is to understand that all the problems that may appear in this situation are connected to a single underlying cause, which is the loss of the devotional atmosphere. Devotees leaving, new people not coming, lack of cleanliness, etc., are all connected with this single cause, and it is very difficult to address any of these problems without tackling the underlying cause.
The good news is that even with the devotees who are currently present, it’s possible to improve many things. In his memories, Tamal Krsna Maharaja remembers that once, he and Viṣṇujana Maharaja were on bad terms. He was the temple commander, and Viṣṇujana was the treasurer, and they were frequently at odds. When he brought the problem to Prabhupada, he said that they should start doing more spiritual activities together. They then had the idea of forming a harināma party and going outside every day. With this, all problems were solved, and they became great friends.
We are part of the saṅkīrtana movement, the movement where power comes from unity, and not from separate practice. If the devotees can begin to chant japa together, read and discuss philosophy togueter, and practice side by side rather than in isolation, the spiritual atmosphere can start to return. Practicing Krsna consciousness together has a powerful effect.
Programs should be organized not just as chores, but as joyful and meaningful gatherings, including well-organized harināmas, preaching programs, and activities that make devotees feel spiritually nourished. When devotees experience this shared mood of loving service, it naturally creates a positive spiritual environment, especially when programs are directed toward bringing Krsna consciousness to new people. This helps avoid the stagnation that comes from only performing routine tasks. It feels like a mission, not just maintenance.
However, to begin this process, free time is needed so that these nourishing programs can be organized. When we are already stuck in the spiral of “too few people, too many services”, there’s often no time at all. This is where organization and teamwork become essential. Devotees need to come together to reassess and redistribute services in a way that creates some breathing room, so that at least a little time can be reserved for reviving the shared devotional practice. From there, things can start to improve.
Another possible solution is to invite a devotee who has a loving, uplifting spirit, someone with experience and a natural ability to inspire and unify others. If somehow or other such a devotee can be convinced to stay for some time, even a few months, he or she can help rebuild the mood. Of course, such devotees are rare, and usually already engaged in other services. It may require a serious effort and a lot of begging to bring them in. However, if we can somehow convince a devotee like this to spend time in our temple – begging, borrowing, or stealing – it can be a real turning point.
It’s important to understand that the real change begins with mood, not just managerial reshuffling. It’s not simply about changing the temple president or reassigning services. The core issue is the loss of an atmosphere of loving service. That’s what needs to be restored, either by local devotees coming together in spiritual unity or by bringing in someone who can help. Either way, the solution lies in somehow reviving love and cooperation amongst devotees. That’s what will attract Krsna’s mercy and reawaken spiritual energy in the temple.
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