Hnutí Hare Krišna Česká republika

Sunday feast

Back in 1966 Srila Prabhupada introduced the Sunday feast where he would personally cook for sometimes more than 50 devotees and guests and would serve them a variety of tasty Indian-vegetarian preparations. But there was more to the Sunday-feast than just the feast. Srila Prabhupada would also sing the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra with the guests and give a lecture on Bhagavad-gita. Soon this weekly event was celebrated in all ISKCON temples around the world.

Every week we also have a Sunday-feast, starting at 14.00 PM, here in Prague. Come around and enjoy the atmosphere in the association of people interested in spiritual values in life. Chant and dance with us, hear about deep philosophical points from the Bhagavad-gita and taste the delicious indian-vegetarian feast!

The educational department of the Prague temple

In recent years, devotees have done some intense work in the area of education of devotees and congregation members. The main parts of this program are the bhakta-program, the brahmacari training, the ladies´ training and devotees´ cultivation for accepting a spiritual master and initiation. All devotees live in the temple during the courses. Everything starts with the bhakta program, i.e. with an intense three-month training in bhakti-yoga. This includes basic sadhana elements plus the study of philosophy, practical devotional service, everyday harinamas, magazine distribution and living among devotees. The course-graduates get a chance to be accepted for the brahmacari or ladies training which is basically a several year-study depending on the individual capacity of a student. Students are taught the rules of brahmacarya and vaisnava etiquette. They study philosophy and memorize verses. The education includes the art of book distribution as well as the training of preachers. The program has been elaborated in accordance with the principles of Vedic education. The ambition of the department is to train strong, self-dependent and responsible vaisnavas who know how to live according to the principles given by Srila Prabhupada, and to train brahmanas and preachers. Another goal is to ensure that devotees are situated properly in devotional service on the basis of their qualities and natural propensities. Thus, they can be happy and satisfied, living in Krishna consciousness. In the last four years, more than 50 devotees went through this program; the vast majority continues the practice of bhakti-yoga succesfully in the temple, as well as outside.

The preaching section

A group of about three devotees is in charge of public relations, with a focus on preaching to politicians, media, academics and students. They regurarly take part in organizing interreligious dialogues in which the representatives of Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Moslims and Vaisnavas are involved. Prasadam has been traditionally served in such meetings – the most convincing argument.

Sankirtan – book distribution

Every week, at least three residential vans stuffed by about ten to fifteen ecstatic brahmacaris are setting out to towns and villages all around the country. They distribute books on the street, in apartments, houses, car-parks, offices and shops. Devotees live in vans during the warm season; inside, they have a complete temple in a reduced size. In winter times they reside in the houses of grihastas and congregation members – from here they go out every morning. During the year, there are five book distribution marathons in which also other devotees take part, whether it be temple members or devotees living outside the temple. Thus about 100 000 books per year go out. In the whole existence of the Czech yatra, so far 1,3 million books have been distributed by Srila Prabhupada´s mercy, this meaning one book about Krishna falling on every tenth citizen.

Harinamas – the street chanting of Hare Krishna Mahamantra

Once Srila Prabhupada said the harinama is the life and soul of devotees. In the spring and fall months, the harinamas set out three days a week, heading for the center of Prague. During the summer season, it is even every day that one can see the chanting transcendental boat with devotees aboard, putting out to the famous historical quarters of the overcrowded city. Rescue jackets are thrown down from this transcendental boat unto the conditioned souls in the form of the holy name, prasadam, magazines and books – the only help from drowning in the materialistic whirlpool. Several times during the year, there are maha-harinamas with nearly one hundred devotees from the whole country. The harinamas are loved not only by devotees but by public also; they are considered a significant part of the Prague cultural scene. People love harinamas; they got used to the exact timing, and when devotees happen to be late for some reason, they will stand at doors of their shops and houses, tapping on their watch with a reproaching face.

Public cultural programs

The so-called cultural and society life is very prominent in modern times of today, being watched by everybody. Devotees, therefore, try to create as much a pleasant atmosphere as possible in which people can relax from the everyday strain and relish a good cultural program. For these preaching festivals, attended by all sorts of people, various theatres, halls and cultural centers are hired by devotees. At the entrance, one is handed a piece of delicious prasadam and then as a first thing, devotees startle the visitors by playing beautiful traditional vaisnava bhajans and mantras on mridangas, karatalas, harmonium, flute, tampura etc., settling their minds in a peaceful mood. After this, they listen to a short lecture on the philosophy, they visit India´s pilgrimage places by means of the multimedia projection, and they watch the beautiful professional presentation Bharata Natyam dance. To their surprise, they are invited to stand up in the end and learn another kind of dance – The swami step. Usually, after some minutes of feeling embarrassed, shyly exercising peculiar dancing figures, people really get into it, chanting the holy name in ecstasy and the entire hall transforms into an ocean of smiling happy souls. Finally, they can take home with them Srila Prabhupada´s books, as well as the gifts from the Indian shop.

At leaving, the guests fill in the inquiry flyers, with an opportunity to put on their address and get information about other meetings with devotees. Later, small house programs may be organized in such people´s homes.