BRAAHMAACHARRI CARE MANUA
AL 

Interna
ational Societty for Krishna
a Consciousne
ess
Foun
nder Acharya: H.D.G. A.C. Bhaktivedantta Swami Srilla Prabhupad
da
 Brahmchari Care manual

Acknowledgement

This manual has been compiled by the hard work of the following devotees. DC Committee
members would like to thank each one of them for being part of this Brahmchari Care
Manual.

Review: HG Dravida Das, HG Gauranga Das

Advisory: HG Revatiraman Das, HG Gauranga Das, HG Hare Krishna Das

Editing: HG Anand Caitanya Das

Compiling the book: HG Avtar Lila Das

Disclaimer:

The views expressed in the manual are those of the compilers and the various
authors/authorities they may have referred during their compilation/study on the subject
matter. These are not necessarily recommendations of the GBC, the SPN or the DCC but may
help one to understand some aspects or points of view on the subject matter presented in the
manual. If there appear any recommendations or suggestions, they should be applied with due
considerations of culture, time, place and persons.

If the readers are interested in knowing more about this subject or want to give any
suggestions or comments, they are invited to write to anandcaitanya@gmail.com

2 | P a g e  
 
 Brahmchari Care manual

Table of contents
Çréla Prabhupäda on the Brahmacäré Äçrama ................................................................... 5 
What is the need for care? ................................................................................................ 5 
Result of a caring atmosphere in the Brahmacäré Äçrama ............................................... 5 

Components of Care ......................................................................................................... 6 

Physical Care .................................................................................................................... 6 
A brahmacäré needs to maintain good health to effectively contribute to Çréla
Prabhupäda’s mission ............................................................................................................ 6 
The temple should make necessary arrangements to take care of the brahmacärés
who fall sick ........................................................................................................................... 9 

Emotional Care ............................................................................................................... 11 

Brahmacärés should be able to reveal their mind in confidence and inquire
confidentially ....................................................................................................................... 11 

Social Care ...................................................................................................................... 13 

Brahmacärés should develop great love, trust, and friendship with one another........... 13 
Managers should give more importance to devotees than to projects, yet at the same
time everyone should be fully engaged and contribute to the Society ................................ 13 
A devotee should be provided with care in all circumstances of life ............................. 14 

Spiritual Care.................................................................................................................. 15 

Brahmacärés should be trained deeply in strict sädhana and proper sad-äcära, and in
comprehending Çréla Prabhupäda’s books ........................................................................... 15 

Conclusion – Challenges faced by Brahmacärés ............................................................. 18 

Appendix 1: Survey Questionnaire................................................................................. 22 

3 | P a g e  
 
Brahm
mchari Care maanual

CON
NVENTIONS
S USED FO
OR MANUAL
LS
 
Principle: An underlyying, universal truth thaat serves as a basis for application.
a
x: The cultu
Ex ure of care sh
hould permeeate all activvities.

Guidelinee: A general directive fo E Train caaretakers to care for the

or practice. Ex:
dyying.

Practice: Building
B blo ngs, specific actions. Ex:
ocks of systeems, ways of doing thin
Home visits, kértana
k for dying
d devoteees.

System: Set of practtices meant tto achieve principles.

p E Counseliing or
Ex:
mentoring
m systems, Bhaakti Vriksha, Hospice Care
 

4 | P a g e  
 Brahmchari Care manual

SRILA PRABHUPADA ON THE BRAHMACHARI ASHRAM 
 
“Before entering household life, one should be trained as a brahmacäré, living under the
care of the guru, whose place is known as the guru-kula. Brahmacäré guru-kule vasan dänto
guror hitam (SB 7.12.1). From the very beginning, a brahmacäré is trained to sacrifice
everything for the benefit of the guru. A brahmacäré is advised to go begging alms door to
door, addressing all women as mother, and whatever he collects goes to the benefit of the
guru. In this way he learns how to control his senses and sacrifice everything for the guru.
When he is fully trained, if he likes he is allowed to marry. Thus he is not an ordinary
gåhastha who has learned only how to satisfy his senses.” (SB 7.6.9, purport)
 
WHAT IS THE NEED FOR CARE? 
In his purport to SB 1.1.10, Çréla Prabhupäda comments, “The student (brahmacäré)
communities are no longer being maintained, and householders do not observe the rules
and regulations of the gåhastha-äçrama. Consequently, the so-called vänaprasthas and
sannyäsés who come out of such gåhastha-äçramas are easily deviated from the rigid path.”

A stable and successful devotee community requires a strong foundation. This

foundation lies in systematically training new men who eventually become either honest
gåhasthas or pure brahmacärés.

This manual lists key areas of focus whereby ISKCON temples can ensure a healthy
brahmacäré-äçrama, with a selfless missionary spirit and healthy camaraderie among the
brahmacärés.
 
THE RESULT OF A CARING ATMOSPHERE IN THE BRAHMACHARI 
ASHRAM 
“We must always remember that the leader in charge of a temple must learn to
successfully deal with the other persons there. No one is working as a paid servant, so if
the dealings are not friendly everyone will decide to leave.” (Letter to Upendra, 26
November 1968)

Thus a caring atmosphere in the brahmacäré-äçrama ensures a stable, healthy

environment filled with blissful devotees willing to voluntarily sacrifice their energy for
serving the mission of Çréla Prabhupäda.
 
 

5 | P a g e  
 
 Brahm
mchari Care maanual

COMPO  OF CARE 
ONENTS O
This secttion is based
d on the variious initiativves undertak
ken for brahhmacäré caree at ISKCON
N
Pune andd ISKCON Chowpatty,
C Mumbai.

w focus on the followin

In this manual we ng four aspects of care:
• Physical Caree
• Emotional
E Caare
• So ocial Care
• Sp piritual Care
 
PHYYSICAL CARE   
A  
 
 
A brrahmachaari needs  to maintaain good h
 health to  effective
ely 
contrib
bute to Srrila Prabh
hupada’s m
 mission 
 
1. Preveentive health h care
It is essential
e thaat a brahmaccäré maintainn good health so he cann render his services
properly in good con nsciousness over the lon ng run. Bad
d health will disrupt his daily
activitiess—both his sädhana and d his servicees—frustratiing both him
m and the teemple
managem ment.

Four th
hings should
d be considered to takee care of heaalth – sleep, exercise, diet
d and
cleanlin
A. Slness
eep:

“There is no possibility of on
ne's becomiing a yogé, O Arjuna, if one eats too
o much or
eats too little,sleeps
l too much or
o does not ssleep enoughh.” (BG 6.16 6)

A brahma achari shoulld be provid
ded with the   facility to s
 sleep nicely  for around 
ssix hours eveery day at prroper times  of the nightt. He should
d also be giveen regular 
b
breaks for exxtra rest andd recovery f
 from diseasee 

For example,
e at ISKCON’s
I C
Chowpatty ttemple theree is a brahmaacäré class frrom 4 to 5
pm everyy day exceptt Thursday. Thus on that day the brahmacärés can take exttra rest if
they need to. In general, all arraangements sshould be made
m so that brahmacäréss can get sixx
hours of sound sleepp a night.

B. Diiet

“Regu ulation of diet and sleep

p is recomm mended hereein for the yo
ogis. . . . [Th
he yogi] doees
not fast or
o eat more than is requ uired, and he is thus com
mpetent to pperform yogga practice.
One who o eats more than requireed will dream very mucch while sleeeping, and he h must
consequeently sleep more
m than iss required.”(BG 6.16, pu
urport)

6 | P a g e  
 Brahm
mchari Care maanual

“Onee should takke prasädam at scheduled times and d should nott eat in restaaurants or
sweetmeeat shops sim mply to satissfy the whim
ms of the tonngue or bellyy. If we stick
k to the
principlee of taking only
o prasädaam, the urgees of the bellly and tongu
ue can be co ontrolled.”
(NOI, Veerse 1, purport)

THE TEMPLE M
MANAGEMENT S SHOULD ARRA ANGE FOR HEAALTHY AND TASSTY PRASADAM M AT 
R MES  
REGULATED TIM
 
on, there sho
In additio ould be a prrovision for s
 special item
ms to maintain good 
h
health, such 
 as Chyawan nprash, puree desi cow gghee, and driied fruits. 

C. Ex
xercise

“Diseeases of the body take place

p due to derangemen nt of air
within thhe earthly boody of the liiving beingss. Mental disseases
result fro
om special derangemen
d t of the air within
w the body,
b and
as such, yogic exerciise is especially beneficiial to keep the
t air in
order so that diseasees of the boddy become almost
a nil byy such
exercisess.” (SB 2.5.2
26–29)

“He walked
w for an
a hour, unttil his two young servan nts were
both tireed. ‘Do I tire you walkinng?’ he laugh
hed. ‘This walking
w and
massagin ng are savingg my life fro
om day to daay.’ Then hee continued
walking.” (Çréla Prabbhupäda-léläämåta, Ch. 2 26)

ular exercise not only keeeps one heaalthy but alsso strengtheens the bodyy so one can
Regu
render seervices effecctively. Moreeover, in thee long run, as
a the body grows old oneo needs to o
exercise regularly too ward off diisease. As thhe brahmacääré spends more
m years in
n Kåñëa
consciouusness, his preaching
p an
nd manageriial services may
m increasee and may require
r him
to do moore sedentarry activities like
l studyinng, giving lecctures, and aattending meetings,
m andd
hence hee needs to reegularly exercise to keep p fit.
 
Brahmaccharis can reegularly com me togetherr and exercisse at schedu uled times off 
the day. 
t

THE TEMPLEE MANAGEMENT MAY HIRE AA YOGA TEACH
HER TO REGULA
ARLY TEACH T
THE 
BR
RAHMACHARIS EXERCISES. 
S BASIC YOGA E

D. Clleanliness

“Wheen one follo

ows a regulated hygienicc process, hee does not fa
fall sick.” (N
NOI, Verse 1,
purport)

“Therefore the brahminical

b culture meaans cleanlineess is next to
o godliness. You have to
keep youur body cleaan, you havee to keep you
ur apartmen nt clean, eveerything cleaan, and therre
will be no
n more disturbance. Baahyäbhyantaaraù çuciù. The
T Vedic litterature sayss that you

7 | P a g e  
 Brahm
mchari Care maanual

should keep
k yoursellf externally and internaally cleansedd. Externallyy, you can keep
k yoursellf
clean by soap, waterr, and changge of dress, washed
w dresss, externallyy. And interrnally, by
thinkingg of Kåñëa. Then
T there will
w be no more disturbaance.” (Lectture, LA, 4 Dec D 1968)

Brahmaccharis shouldd be taught  to develop tthe habit of 
f always keeeping 
tthemselves a
 and their beelongings cleean. They sh
hould also bee taught to a
always keep
p 
thhe asrama cllean. 

Mostt diseases can be avoided if one sim mply keeps himself

h cleann by bathingg properly
and reguularly, by weearing clean clothes, by keeping hiss room or lo
ocker clean, and by
practicin
ng basic hygiienic princip
ples concernning eating, sleeping, an
nd passing. The leaderss
should reegularly em
mphasize thesse practices during brah hmacäré classses.

“Alw
ways cleanlinness. Becausee you have surpassed
s th
he stage of brahminical
b life.
Thereforre, must be very
v clean. By
B taking
bath, by washing clo oth, keepingg the
kitchen very
v clean, everything
e c
clean.
Temple . . . Tan-man ndira-märjannädau.
Çré-vigraahärädhana-nnitya-nänä-ççåìgära-
tan-manddira-märjanäädau. The teemple
should beb bright alw
ways, clean” (Lecture
on SB 2.3 3.13–14, LA
A, May 1972 2)

Apart from preveenting diseaase, overall ttemple clean

nliness exertts a strong in
nfluence on
n
the brahm
macärés to remain in the äçrama forr a long time and develo op deep bonnds with onee
another. A clean place feels likee home, whille a dirty plaace is one yo
ou want to leave
l as soon
as possib
ble. Cleanlin
ness also proomotes the m mode of gooodness, whicch in turn helps devoteees
develop deep, lastingg relationsh
hips.

Mostt temples en
ngage brahmaacärés in reggular cleanin ng duties. In
n addition, the
t
brahmacäärés should be trained to
t take the in nitiative in keeping
k the temple cleaan. As soon
as they see some trassh lying herre or there, tthey should clean it up or report it to the
appropriiate authoritties.

IN CONCLU
USION, THE TEMPLE MANAG
GEMENT SHOULLD MAKE SURE
E THAT APPRO
OPRIATE 
S
SYSTEMS ARE I
IN PLACE TO M
MAINTAIN THE  OVERALL CLEA  THE TEMPLE.  
ANLINESS OF T

For further
f detaiils about thee above fourr aspects of preventive
p ccare, please refer to the
health caare manual.

E. Reegular health check up

A reggular health checkup co onsists of varrious tests conducted

c b
by a standard
d hospital.
These ch
heckups are very useful,, since they may indicatte if a devoteee is going wrong
w in
some asppect of his health
h regimen. He can then
t take thhe required m
measures to protect
himself from
f some severe
s problem that migght occur in the future.
 
RECOMMEND AND FA ULAR HEALTH  CHECKUPS 
ACILITATE REGU

8 | P a g e  
 Brahm
mchari Care maanual

F. Taaking care of
o elderly brrahmachariss

THE TEMPPLE SHOULD HAAVE A SPECIFICC DEPARTMENT DEDICATED T
 TO TAKING CA
ARE OF SENIOR
R 
B
BRAHMACHARRIS, THOSE ABO
OVE THE AGE O OF FORTY. 

The devotees
d serrving in thiss department should maake sure that all the senior
brahmacäärés’ dietary and medicaal needs are being met. ISKCON Ch howpatty haas such a
departmeent, called Senior
S Brahm machari Carre Taker (SB
BCT).
 
2. Curaative Health Care
 
The tem
mple shou uld make
e sure thatt brahmacharis wh
ho fall sick
k 
are tak
ken care o
 of. 

A braahmacäré has given up alla connectio ons to his faamily and hoome so
he can dedicate all his
h energy to o the servicee of the Lordd. He has accepted
the tempple as his home and its residents
r as his family. ItI is the duty
ty of the
temple management
m t to help thee devotee wh hen he is sicck.

Templee can dedicate some part

p of its reesources exclusively to
o the health care of
sick devvotees

 
THE TEMPPLE SHOULD HA
AVE A SPECIALL DEPARTMENT DEDICATED T
TO TAKING CA
ARE OF SICK 
D
DEVOTEES .  

The followin
T ng features sh
hould be inccorporated intoi such a department:
 
Prasadam m 
• A sepaarate kitchenn facility forr cooking, ass per the dieetary requireements of th
he
devotees.
• Every devvotee can bee given a sm mall bottle off ghee and AAvla jam (go ood for
digestion)
   
Accommo odation 
• Separate room/s
r can be allotted for
f sick devo otees to restt and recoveer.
• High cleaanliness stanndards need to be mainttained.
• Entry neeeds to be resstricted so th hat sick devvotees are noot inconveniienced.
 
Medical c care 
• Facilities for Ayurved dic, allopathhic, or homeeopathic treaatment shou uld be
provided.. Details of doctors
d can be made avvailable, and all necessarry
arrangem ments shouldd be made fo or consultatiion and follo ow-up treatm ment.
• A first-aidd kit should
d always be aavailable.
• A stock of o importantt medicines should be kept.
k

9 | P a g e  
 Brahm
mchari Care maanual

• In additio
on, some speecialized meedical devicees like wheeelchairs or crutches
c
should allso be available.
 
 attention 
 Personal a
• Most imp portant is the personal care
c given to
o the devoteees in need. A few
devotees should servve in this deppartment fulltime and provide
p the
recommeended diet an nd medicinees, along with laundry aand cleanin ng services.
They should talk witth the ill devvotees and see that theirr basic needds are met.

THE TEMPLE’S MEDICCAL DEPARTM
MENT SHOULD WORK CLLOSELY WITH
H A GOOD 
N SPITAL . 
NEARBY HOS

Serious medical
m casess should be referred to this nearby hospital.

THE TEMPLEE SHOULD HAAVE MEDICALL INSURANCE FOR ALL ITTS BRAHMACCARIS. 
 
The brahmacäré-
b äçrama is lik
ke an army on the move, with its m members con nstantly
engaged in various services.
s So any devoteee who becom mes sick mayy be affected
d not just
physicallly but also mentally.
m Hee will see thee men all around him reendering vaarious
services and contributing to thee mission, w while he himself is doingg nothing. He
H may start
seeing hiimself as a burden
b on others and beecome depreessed. The aabove measu ures can take
care of alll those issu
ues.
 
 

10 | P a g e  
 Brahm
mchari Care maanual

EMO
OTIONAL  CARE 
 
Brahmacharis sh
hould be  able to re
eveal theiir mind in
n 
confide
ence and  inquire confidentiially. 

As reecommendedd by Çréla Rü
üpa Gosväm mé in the NO
OI, revealingg one’s mind
d in
confiden
nce and inqu
uiring confid
dentially (guuhyam äkhyääti påcchati) are importaant for
developing mutual relationships
r s based on llove and trust.

nsure properr emotional fulfillment, the temple managemen

To in nt should arrrange a
regular forum
f wheree brahmacärrés can interaact and perssonally seek guidance frrom a seniorr
brahmacääré. For thiss purpose a bhakti-vriks
b sha/mentor-- or counselo or-system caan be
introducced in the temmple for thee brahmacärrés.
 
MENTO OR SYSTEM/ COUNSELOR 
O SYYSTEM 

The following purrposes shou uld be served by the above system::

• T insure thaat each brahhmacäré feelss completelyy cared for aand feels thee loving
To
suupport of deevotees in tiimes of happpiness & disstress.
• T insure thaat each brahhmacäré deveelops deep, loving
To l Kåñëa conscious
reelationshipss with the otther brahmaacärés in the äçrama.
• T insure thaat no brahmacäré ever feeels lonely or
To o desolate.
• T insure thaat every brah
To hmacäré is satisfied in his
h service. (Part of sociaal care.)

Whatt is the respponsibility ofo a bhakti-vvriksha lead der/ mentor/r/ counselor?

• He
H is a friend d and guide in Kåñëa co onsciousnesss. He servicees the devottees on behaalf
of the spiritu ual master. He
H is like a sspiritual eldeer brother an
nd must tak
ke personal
caare of all thee devotees inn the group
• He
H has to insspire and encourage thee devotees
in
n his group in their Kåñëa consciou usness and
m
monitor theirr progress. He
H should h hold
reegular meetiings, and a brahmacäré
b w
who has a
sppecific perso onal problem m should feeel
coomfortable in i personallly approachiing the
bhakti-vriksh ha leader/meentor/counsselor.
• While
W friendsship amongg devotees w within each
grroup is welccome, they should
s also seek
sppiritual relattionships ou utside their own
grroup.

Whatt is the resp

ponsibility of
o the menteee/counseleee?

• The mentee/ccounselee sh
T hould grateffully accept the mentor//counselor asa a çikñä
guuru and takee his advice seriously.
• W
While clarificcations for making
m the iinstructionss clear and p
precise are welcome,
w thee
m
mentee/coun nselee should d not be negglectful abouut either thee meeting orr the

11 | P a g e  
Brahmchari Care manual

instructions given.

Benefits of mentor/counselor system

• It creates a unified spiritual atmosphere, with very personal and caring
relationships among the brahmacärés.
• The devotees are very satisfied and are much more likely to remain brahmacärés,
following strict regulative principles.
• The devotees are enthused to serve one another, distribute books, and preach.
• The atmosphere thus created wonderfully attracts the congregation to the temple.
It also makes management very simple.
• Near disaster cases were prevented because the concerned devotees had kept the
channels of communication with their mentor/counselor open and revealed their
hearts in time. Thus the mentor/counselor could take emergency action, rectify the
problem, and help the brahmacäré regain his lost confidence and faith and continue
with his Kåñëa consciousness.
 

12 | P a g e  
 
 Brahm
mchari Care maanual

SOCCIAL CAREE 
 
Brah
hmacharis should d  develop g
 great love
e for, trusst in, and  
person
nal friendsship with
h one anotther. 

“The Supreme Personality of o Godhead ssaid: My deaar sons of thhe King, I am

m very much h
pleased by
b the friend
dly relationsships amongg you. All off you are enggaged in one
occupation—devotio onal servicee. I am so pleeased with your
y mutuall friendship that I wish
you all good
g fortunee. Now you may
m ask a benediction
b o Me.” (SB 4.30.8)
of

BRAHM
MACHARI RETREATS 

Apart from the mentor/coun

m nselor system
m, regular brahmacäré retreats can be
b organized
d,
where brrahmacärés can
c come together, openn their heartts to one another, and hear
h and
chant toggether.

Such retreeats can be cconducted rregularly, att least for tw
wo days, at a
a place nearr 
thhe temple. T
 There shouldd be lecturess by senior bbrahmacharris and sannyyasis, 
kiirtanas, drammas, Q&A seessions, etc. 
 
Givee more im
mportance e to devottees than
n projects, yet at th
he 
same t
  ime ensure that evveryone is fully engaged annd 
contrib
buting to  the Socie
ety. 
 

Brahmccharis’ inclin
nation to serrve in a partticular way should be aaccommodaated.

This section adddresses the need

n for brahhmacärés to be duly enggaged in servvice. As Çrélaa
Prabhupäda said, “T Those who are
a leaders in n ISKCON have
h to know w how to beend men
without breaking them or makin ng them anggry. After alll, he said, itt is all volun
ntary
service.” (Çréla Prabhupäda Necttar, by His H
Holiness Sattsvarüpa Dässa Goswamii)

Çréla Prabhupäda said, “Thee secret will be to engagge them as th

hey like to be
b engaged.””
o Çukadeva,, 13 Decemb
(Letter to ber 1972)

MENTO
OR SYSTEM/ COUNSELOR 
O SYYSTEM 
 

Depending  on the speccific inclinatiions of the d
 devotees, the counselor/r/mentor can
n 
gage the bra
eng ahmacharis i in appropria ate services  in their resp
pective depa
artments.

ous departm
Vario ments in which brahmacäärés serve arre:

13 | P a g e  
 Brahm
mchari Care maanual

• Preaching (YYouth & Con

ngregation)
• K
Kitchen serviices
• D
Deity departmment
• T
Temple Manaagement
• M
Maintenance e
• C
Constructionn
• L
Literary (BTGG) 
• Book Distribu ution
• G
Guest Recepttion

Every devo otee is given
n a service acccording to  his competeence and cap pability. 
Hoowever, if an
ny devotee f faces some p problem in e
 executing his service, it  can be 
changed afterr a discussionn between h him and his mentor/cou unselor.  

“Onee thing shou uld be followwed, howeveer, as your countrymen are more orr less
independ dent spirited
d and loverss of democraacy. So everyything shouuld be done very
v
carefullyy so that theiir sentimentts may not be
b hurt. According to Saanskrit moraal principless,
everythin ng has to bee acted, takin
ng consideraation of the place, audieence and tim
me.” (Letter
to Tamall Krsna, 13 October 1969)

A devo otee should be provided witth care in  all circum
mstances  
of life.  

The brahmacärés
b s should nott to be pressu
ured to rem
main in the brahmacäré-ääçrama if
they have a strong in
nclination fo
or marriage..

TEMPLE  MARRIAGE BOARD 
A brahm
macäré’s nam me can be suubmitted to the temple marriage bo oard, which
p him find a suitable maatch.
will help
 
If a brahmaachari wishees to get marrried, he shou
uld be reminded of the in nvaluable 
tra
aining he hass received in t
 the ashram a
 and how it wwill help him  in the grihasstha ashram..

The congrregation devvotees can aalso help succh a devoteee by helping  him get job
b 
nd a place off residence.   
an

14 | P a g e  
 Brahm
mchari Care maanual

SPIRITUAL CAREE 
 
Brahmacharis shhould be  trained d
deeply in s
 strict sadh
hana and 
properr sadachar, and in ccompreheending Srrila Prabh
hupada’s 
books. 

1. Strict Morn
ning Program
m

The most
m importtant aspect ofo spiritual care
c is a stro
ong
morningg program. Itt’s mandatorry for all thee brahmacärrés to
attend th
he morning program un nless they are sick or ou ut of
station fo
or some preaching workk.

“Heree are some descriptions

d s of a brahmaacäré-yogé. InI the
morningg, the first duuty of a brahhmacäré seek king spirituaal
elevationn is huta-huttäçana, to offfer sacrificiaal oblations to
the Supreme Lord. Those
T engagged in brahm macarya cann not
sleep unttil seven or nine o'clock k in the morrning. They must
rise earlyy in the morrning, at leasst one and a half hours
before thhe sun rises, and offer oblations, or in this age, they
must chaant the holyy name of th he Lord, Harre Kåñëa.” (SSB
3.21.45––47, purportt)

“By regular
r atten
ndance in cllasses on thee Bhägavataam and by reendering of service to
the pure devotee, alll that is trou
ublesome to the heart iss almost com
mpletely destroyed, and
loving seervice unto the
t Personallity of Godh head, who iss praised witth transcend
dental songss,
is establiished as an irrevocable
i f
fact.” (SB 1.2.18)

MORNIING ATTENDAN
NCE SYSTEM  

There should be a system of regularly

r tak
king attendaance at maìggalärati. Thiis
practice is applicablee to various brahmacäréé trainees alsso. Knowingg that attend dance is
ken will help
being tak p the brahm macärés cultivvate the goood habit of aattending thee morning
program regularly an nd arriving in the temple room pun nctually.

If a brahm
machari is latte for the mo
orning prog
gram too often, he can b
be given 
me mild pun
som nishment, su uch as writin
ng the Hare  Krishna Mahamantra 1008 times.  

2. Syystems of Trraining
An immportant asp pect of spiriitual care is training thee devotee forr a progressiive Kåñëa
consciou us life. This training conntinues for a brahmacärré and helps him focus and a become
more reffined in his Kåñëa
K conscciousness. T There should d be systemss in place that ensure
that a braahmacäré receives propeer training aat every stagge of his pro ogress. (The following
systems are
a used in the ISKCON N Chowpattty temple to train the brrahmacärés.)

15 | P a g e  
 Brahm
mchari Care maanual

VAISHNAAVA TRAININGG ACADEMY (V
VTA) 
 
The Vaishnava
V T
Training Acaademy is a trraining proggram that lasts about a year.
y It train
ns
young men
m who worrk outside th he temple annd are serio
ously considering a life ofo full Kåñëaa
consciouusness as a brahmacäré.
b They are givven an oppoortunity to sstay in the teemple and
participaate in the tem
mple mornin ng program and attend evening claasses. They are a trained in
Vaiñëava etiquette, çästra, and sevä. The trrainers help them underrstand their own
natures, i.e., whetheer they can be
b good brahhmacärés or would be happier serviing as
gåhasthass. The classees are given by senior brahmacäré preachers
p annd congregattion
memberss.

BRAHMAACHARI TRAIN
NEE (BT) PROG
GRAM 

This one-year prrogram is forr those whoo have decided to be braahmacärés annd join the
äçrama, and
a who have completeed the VTA.
• The
T participaants receive good çästricc knowledgee of Çréla Prrabhupäda’s books.
T
There are claasses every day
d except SSunday and festival
f dayss.
• They
T also com mplete the Bhakti-çästré
B é curriculum
m, and the fo
ollowing yeaar they writee
exxams.
• They
T are enggaged in variious temple services, th
hus imbibingg the mood ofo a humblee
seervant.
• The
T program m helps them m get acquainnted with th
he äçrama liffestyle and settle
s down
sm
moothly.

BHAKTIVEDANTA VIDYAPEETH (BVV
VP) 

This twoo-year progrram providees the

brahmacäärés with a thorough
t nderstandingg of Çréla
un
Prabhupäda’s masterr works, nam mely Çrémadd-Bhägavatam
and Caitanya-caritämmåta. The inntense çästric curriculumm is
well balaanced with menial
m serviices, thus inculcating th
he
mood of a humble seervant. Thiss program helps the
brahmacäärés becomee good preacchers and deevelop
brahminical qualitiees. The mottto is “boil th
he milk.”

“Noww I want thaat we shall concentrate oon making ouro

devoteess Krishna conscious andd ourselves bbecoming
Krishna conscious, and
a not be so s much con ncerned with h
expandinng ourselvess widely butt without an
ny spiritual content.
c Justt like boiling the milk, it
i
becomess thicker and
d sweeter. Now
N do like that, boil th
he milk.” (L
Letter to Rüp pänuga, 9
May 19772)

BRAHM SSES 
MACHARI CLAS

There should be regular

r classses for full-tiime residents of the äçrrama who
have finiished their training
t and
d formally jo
oined the äçrrama.

16 | P a g e  
 Brahm
mchari Care maanual

Various seenior devoteees can sharre their realiizations on S
Srimad‐Bhag
gavatam. 
Th
he class can  be held 5 da
ays a week.  
 
The aim
a of this class
c is to traain the brahhmacärés to scrutinizingl
s ly study Çrélla
Prabhupäda’s books and preach h the Kåñëa cconscious ph hilosophy with
w convictiion. They arre
educatedd in the sacred principlees of Vaiñëaava etiquettee and in how w to live by these
principlees. The classs creates a seetting in whhich brahmaccärés can deevelop intimmate
relationshiips with onee another on n the basis of
o kåñëa-kathhä.

LIBRARYY FACILITY 

“All the devoteees connected d with the Kåñëa

K consciousness mo ovement must read all
the book ks that have been translaated (the Caaitanya-carittämåta, Çrém
mad-Bhägavaatam,
Bhagavadd-gétä and others); otheerwise, after some time, they will sim mply eat, sleep and fall
down fro om their possition. Thuss they will m
miss the oppoortunity to aattain an eteernal, blissfu
ul
life of traanscendentaal pleasure.” (CC Madhyya-lélä 25.2778, purport))

A library f
 facility is pro
ovided wherre devotees  can borroww books for p
 personal 
reading. In ad
ddition, a rea ading room  is provided  with quiet a
 ambience. 
 

17 | P a g e  
 Brahm
mchari Care maanual

CON N – CHALLLENGES FA
NCLUSION ACED BY  BRAHMACHARIS  
This section listss the variouss
challenges that can beb successfu ully
dealt witth if proper care is given
n to
the brahmmacärés. In other
o wordss,
these aree the possiblle challenges that
may comme up in life of a brahmaacäré
who is not duly careed for and
trained.

We have
h tried to
o cover a wid
de
variety of
o problems based
b on the
experiennce and analyysis of
brahmacäärés who have spent
substantiial time in thhe äçrama. We
W have tak ken extra caare to avoid eexaggerationn and to
simply sttate the facts. Althoughh the list is exhaustive, if you encou unter other problems,
p
please let us know so we can include them here for thee informatio on of our reaaders.

Physical Problem ms
1. Occasional
O h
health Probleems
2. Chronic
C heallth problemss
3. Bodily weakn ness
4. Crowding:
C laack of space in the äçramma
5. Lack
L of sleepp
6. Scchedule missmanagemen nt
7. Pollution of environmen
e nt of city/äçrrama
8. Lack
L of perso onal cleanlin
ness

Emottional Probllems
9. Loneliness
L
10. Feelings
F of coompetitivenness, hatred, conflict, en nvy toward peers
p
11. Feeling
F of injjustice, explloitation, paartiality by seniors
12. Feeling
F of beeing disrespeected or negglected by ju uniors
13. Lack
L of self-cconfidence: inferiority complex
c
14. Lack
L of faith in managerrial competeence
15. Feeling
F a lackk of opportuunity for tan ngible servicce in the futu
ure
16. Childhood
C trrauma due to family bacckground

Spiriitual Problem ms
17. In
nattentive ch hanting
18. Spporadic chanting at odd d times
19. Im
mproper chaanting
20. In
nattentive/ unenthusias
u tic participaation in kértaana
21. Frequent
F abssence from kértanas
k duee to misundeerstanding itts significannce
22. Çrémad-Bhägaavatam classs: absence, sleep,
s distraction
23. Personal çästtric study: minimized
m duue to no timme, procrastiination, disttaste,
m
misunderstan nding of imp
portance
24. Sppiritual lazinness

18 | P a g e  
Brahmchari Care manual

Parental Problems
25. Thoughts of parents’ security
26. Loss of parent(s) during stay in äçrama
27. Frequent calls and letters from family
28. Constant comparison of level of emotional warmth in brahmacäré-äçrama
with that received from parents
29. Harsh speech/ behavior with parents
30. Total neglect of parents
31. Lack of empathy in critical situations, e.g., not visiting parents in some emergency
32. No attempt to connect parents with Kåñëa

Intellectual Problems
33. Problems due to keen intelligence
• Lack of intellectual challenges in çästra
• Desire for higher philosophical topics and deeper understanding of çästra
• Desire to read nonspiritual books
• Frustration due to lack of opportunity to improve scholastic skills (Sanskrit)

34. Problems due to dull intelligence

• Inability to study systematically
• Inability to remember çästra
• Inability to apply çästric knowledge in daily life
• Inability to resolve contradictions perceived in people, systems, çästra, etc.

Service Problems
35. Laziness/ Procrastination in service
36. Tendency to avoid service
37. Fear of doing certain services due to incompetence
38. Overworking and ruining one’s health
39. Overworking and neglecting one’s sädhana
40. Overworking and not spending enough time cultivating relationships with
devotees
41. Super-specializing and refusing to recognize others’ services (especially seniors’)
42. Impatience to end an encounter with seniors / (inattentiveness)

Financial Problems
43. Inability to handle cash (misplacing money, cheques, etc.)
44. Irresponsible/ unaccounted-for spending
45. Not accounting for/ turning in donations to treasury
46. Soliciting donations without authorization
47. Giving unauthorized charity from donations received
48. Keeping large sums of cash for future use
49. Keeping bank accounts
50. Embezzling money

Managerial Problems
51. Lack of managerial acumen

19 | P a g e  
 
Brahmchari Care manual

52. Fear of taking on managerial responsibility due to past failures

53. Inability to plan
54. Inability to get cooperation of others for collective services
55. Conflicts with other managers during execution of services
56. Inability to appreciate, accept, and adjust to the various management styles of
different devotees
57. Obsession with perfection
58. Lack of flexibility regarding plans, scheduling, standards, people, etc.

Counseling Problems
59. Expecting the counselor to be a magician
60. Treating the counselor like a trashcan for offloading emotional and other garbage
61. Seeking too much attention
62. Being independent and not taking guidance
63. Taking guidance from multiple counselors and creating misunderstanding
64. Imitating the counselor
65. Thinking one’s counselor(s) to be the best
66. Criticizing other counselors

Technological Problems
67. Desiring fancy gadgets (iPods, laptops, etc.) & soliciting funds for same
68. Cell phones: long conversations with others for sevä. Spending inordinate time and
money
69. Cell Phones: SMS from ladies
70. Internet: idle, frivolous browsing
71. Internet: pornography
72. Internet: downloading more materials than necessary for study and preaching
73. Watching karmé films
74. Hearing çästriyasaìgeet

Preaching Problems
75. Lack of confidence in one’s preaching ability
76. Fear of public speaking
77. Fear of failure. i.e., fear of lack of response
78. Comparison with other preachers’ achievements (pride/ moroseness)
79. Dependence on one’s material abilities rather than on Krsna
80. Lack of preparation
81. Misrepresentation of paramparä knowledge
82. Preaching in others’ zones without invitation: intrusion
83. Conflicts with organizers, congregations, etc.

Egoistical Problems
84. Feeling spiritually very advanced
85. Superiority complex
86. Guru syndrome: instructing, chastising, receiving glorification and service
87. Thinking one’s own service, department, and area of Kåñëa consciousness to be the
highest
88. Glorifying one’s achievements

20 | P a g e  
 
 Brahmchari Care manual

89. Unwillingness to take advice

90. Rebellion or withdrawal when corrected
91. Unwillingness to give up a service because of identifying with it

Sexual Problems
92. General state of sexual agitation
93. Desire for a specific woman
94. Being attacked by the opposite sex
95. Tendency to glance at women
96. Enjoying women’s association in the name of preaching
97. Attraction to other brahmacärés
98. Attraction to outside boys
99. Night pollution/ Masturbation

Travel Problems
100. Contemplating billboards
101. Watching man-woman interactions
102. Fear of travel and thus refusing preaching opportunities
103. Overtraveling and fatigue
104. Insensitivity to traveling partner
105. Not planning the prasädam, drinking water, etc., while traveling
106. Not planning travel in advance
107. Traveling without reservations
108. Traveling in A/C railroad cars or on airplanes without being funded by hosts, or
pressing them to donate for that

21 | P a g e  
 
 Brahm
mchari Care maanual

APPPENDIX 1: SURVEY QUESTIO
ONNAIRE 
 

Qu
uestion
nnaire for Brrahmacchari A
Ashram
m 
Surv
vey  
Purpose: To get statistical an nd other
relevant information n about the
brahmacäärés in ISKC CON. To gett the
leaders too share theiir vision, theeir
understaanding, and the challengges they
face in sttarting and maintaining
m ga
brahmacääré-äçrama. Eventually this
informattion will be helpful
h in cooming up
with suittable measurres to impro ove the care
of brahmmacärés and develop
d brahhmacäré-
äçramas in ISKCON temples.

Do yo ou have a brrahmacäré-ääçrama in
your tem
mple?
If yess, then ….

Statisstical inform
mation:
• How
H many brrahmacärés area currentlly in the ash hram?_________
• What
W are thee policies thaat govern whho can join the brahmacäré-äçramaa?
• What
W is the educational
e level of the temple residdents?
• How
H many brrahmacärés have
h been staying for:
o less thhan 5 years_____
o betweeen 5 and 10 0 years________
o more than 10 yeaars_______
• How
H many brrahmacärés area from:
o the loocal commun nity __________
o other centers____ ____
o other areas________
• Are
A the full-ttime residen nts paid/ salaaried?_________
• What
W are thee various serrvices the residents perfform? (check
k the approp
priate boxess)
□ preach hing
□ admin nistration
□ kitcheen
□ fund-raising
□ Deity services

22 | P a g e  
 Brahmchari Care manual

Vision (These questions need descriptive answers, up to 100 words)

• As a temple leader, how do you see the contribution of the brahmacäré-äçrama in
overall temple activities?

• What are the challenges faced in maintaining a brahmacäré-äçrama in a temple?

• As a leader, what is your expectation/vision of a resident brahmacäré?

• How is the relationship between the temple management and the brahmacärés?

• How is the relationship between the congregation and the brahmacärés?

• What steps have been taken or are planned to ensure that the brahmacärés in your
temple are properly cared for?

If you do NOT have a brahmacäré-äçrama, then…

• What are the reasons (if any) for not having a brahmacäré-äçrama in your temple?

• Are you looking forward to starting a brahmacäré-äçrama?

• How do you see the contribution of brahmacärés in temple activities?

• What are the challenges faced in starting and maintaining a brahmacäré-äçrama?

• As a leader, what is your expectation/vision of a resident brahmacäré? 

 
 

23 | P a g e