Bhakti Vriksha Leader

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1
The Bhakti Vriksha
Leader
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CONTENTS

1 Dedication....................................... 1

2 Acknowledgements.................... 3
3 Introduction...................... 5
4 Qualifications for Bhakti Vriksha Leaders......... 7
5 Qualities to be cultivated by Bhakti Vriksha Leaders.. 11
6 Duties of a Bhakti Vriksha Leader............. 21
7 Qualifications for Intern Leaders............ 30
8 Finding members for the Bhakti Vriksha group..... 31
9 How Grihasthas can find the time for all this........ 38
10 Bhakti Vriksha Leader Monthly Report Format........ 39
11 Some Research Findings from Christian Cell Groups.. 40
12 Interviews with Bhakti Vriksha Leaders.......... 42

1
DEDICATION
To the Lotus Feet of my spiritual master His

Holiness Jayapataka Swami, who is tirelessly
trying to fulfill the desires of his spiritual Master,
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada, and the previous Acharyas.
Congregational preaching is very close to his heart
and this book is a humble effort to help him in his
selfless effort to spread Krishna consciousness
very effectively all over the world.
Prema Padmini devi dasi
The Bhakti Vriksha Leader 1

2 The Bhakti Vriksha Leader
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are greatly indebted to all the Mathuradesh devotees who

have dedicated their lives for implementing the Bhakti Vriksha
program wherever they go and wherever they stay.
Their loving devotion and co-operation helped us not only in

implementing the program but also in bringing out this book.
In particular, we would like to thank the following devotees for

the layout and design of the cover in record time: Vraja Prana
dasa, Bhaktin Shailaja and Bhakta Deepak.
We are grateful to Sriman Pramoda Nitai dasa and Lila Priya devi
dasi for helping in the printing and distribution of this book.
Vijay Venugopal dasa

Prema Padmini devi dasi

INTRODUCTION
This book is meant for devotees who have been given the
responsibility of acting as Sector Leader in a Bhakti Vriksha
organisation. It is also useful for those who have implemented
or are thinking of implementing the Bhakti Vriksha organisation
in their ‘yatra’.
It is a companion to the ‘Bhakti Vriksha Training Modules’

which is a six volume set of books containing the complete
matter and detailed plans required to conduct a Bhakti Vriksha
for a complete duration of sixty four weeks, after which it has to
undergo multiplication into fresh new Bhakti Vrikshas.
Over a decade of experience in implementing Bhakti Vriksha

successfully in Mathuradesh, Middle East, has gone into the
recommendations presented here.
NOTE: To avoid awkward construction, the pronoun he/his are

used in this book. However many of the leaders and preachers
in the Bhakti Vriksha program are female, so it should be
understood that he/his also includes she/her.
The mood of Bhakti Vriksha, the transcendental tree of

devotion
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself is the tree of transcendental

love of Krishna, its gardener and also the bestower and enjoyer
of its fruits. Desiring to fill the whole world with love of Godhead,
He accepted the duty of a planter and began to grow a garden in
Navadvipa. Thus the Lord brought the desire tree of devotional
service to this earth and became its gardener. By His
inconceivable powers, the Lord became the gardener, the trunk

and the branches simultaneously. (Caitanya Caritamrita Adi Lila
9.6 – 9, 9.12 )
Bhakti Vriksha embodies the desire of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

to distribute the love of Godhead to all the people without
discrimination and make them in turn distribute it to others and
thus help Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu distribute this love of
God to the entire world. Naturally, preaching, training, and
empowerment are the cornerstones of this transcendental tree.
The Bhakti Vriksha program is designed to train the members in

genuine bhakti in a systematic way. Emphasis is especially given
to discussing the application of the principles of Krishna
consciousness in their daily lives, thus developing their faith,
devotion and service to Lord Krishna, proper attitudes and
relationships with devotees, and compassion to people at large
by becoming good preachers and leaders themselves and thus
help in Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission.
The leaders, by very personally and lovingly caring for the

members, in a parental mood are able to inspire the members in
their spiritual development.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR BHAKTI VRIKSHA
LEADERS
1) He should have a firm faith in Srila Prabhupada the parampara,

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Krishna.
2) He should have a basic knowledge of Krishna
consciousness, its principles and Vaishnava etiquette. He
should be ready to prepare in advance of the weekly meeting
whatever is going to be discussed. In case he has doubts he
should clarify with his seniors. In case he is not able to
answer some doubts of his members, he should refer back to
Srila Prabhupada’s books and his seniors and clarify the
members’ doubts. In other words he should not speculate
what he does not know for sure, trying to appear
knowledgeable to his group members. The 6-volume set
Bhakti Vriksha Modules contains all the matter and
guidelines for every single meeting for the recommended
lifetime of a Bhakti Vriksha, namely sixty-four weeks.
3) Though it is not mandatory (as per the Bhakti Vriksha
Manual), nevertheless chanting 16 rounds of japa regularly
each day gives him the spiritual strength to conduct the
program and to lead the members to higher levels of spiritual
commitment.
4) Good regular daily sadhana is expected - worship of the
Lord as well as reading the scriptures keeps him in a fit
condition to inspire others. The Bhakti Vriksha weekly group
meeting’s main objective is to inspire people in Bhakti or
devotion. It is not just to discuss the philosophy without
inspiration. Hence the leader should make sure that he is
enthusiastic in his spiritual life. Only then will he able to
make the members enthusiastic about Krishna
consciousness.

Also the Lord’s mercy is invoked for members’ attendance
and good participation through good sadhana. The Christian
cell church groups did a survey of what makes a successful
cell leader: whether material education, gender and talents
had anything to do with it. Almost all the successful leaders
attributed their success to prayer!
5) He should be ready to conduct the Bhakti Vriksha program
as it is and not change parts of it to suit himself. In the first
few weeks, it may be necessary sometimes to conduct it like
an outreach program (with minimal audience participation)
just to give them an orientation. But this should not go on
for more than 2 months. As soon as possible he should make
it into an interactive Bhakti Vriksha program. Every part of
the program addresses different requirements of the members
for their spiritual progress and services. Hence the necessity
to adhere to the program. If he faces any problems in
conducting any part of the program, he should consult his
seniors to discuss the cause of the problem, rather than make
any unilateral changes himself.
6) He should be aware of the qualities and duties of a Bhakti
Vriksha leader (as will be described later in this book), accept
them and be willing to cultivate them.
7) He should be agreeable to be guided by his seniors in the
Bhakti Vriksha hierarchy who would lovingly help him in his
service. The Bhakti Vriksha program is like an extended family
of devotees helping one another to fulfill the desire of
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Differences of opinion may exist
in families and can be mediated upon by the seniors. So he
should be favorable to this loving mood of co-operation.
8) He should be ready to submit regular weekly reports to his
sector leader. This is in the larger interest of planning and
assessment of the progress and development of all the Bhakti
Vriksha groups.

9) He should be agreeable to attending regular meetings that
are held for the leaders in the Bhakti Vriksha program. In
other words, that he feels himself as part of the family of the
Bhakti Vriksha program of preachers. He will be most
productive and will be able to benefit all the members in his
group in this way. Also his group members will then feel part
of the larger group too.
10) He should be ready to keep advancing in his spiritual life
with more spiritual commitments and services. Unless he
has this desire to make further spiritual progress, he will not
be able to inspire or motivate his members to keep advancing.
He may also discourage their spiritual advancement if they
want to progress more than him. Though ideally he should
in fact encourage their spiritual growth even if they want to
commit more than he has, he should still set an example of
wanting to keep advancing steadily in Krishna
consciousness.

QUALITIES TO BE CULTIVATED BY
BHAKTI VRIKSHA LEADERS
Bhakti Vriksha requires that the leaders adopt the mood of Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu in order to be able to be successful in
distributing the love of God that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is so
mercifully giving out. This means that they need to develop
spiritual qualities, which are possible for everyone who is
practicing Krishna consciousness. They have to be aware of
these qualities and try sincerely to develop them through prayer,
good sadhana and cultivate them as they go about their activities
in looking after a Bhakti Vriksha group.
Tolerant as a tree
Just as the Lord displayed so much compassion for all the
suffering souls and took up sannyasa, even though there was no
need for Him to, the leader has to be ready to at least develop a
fraction of His tolerance and take up some efforts and difficulties
in order to be successful in Bhakti Vrksa preaching. People may
be argumentative, may take up a lot of our time, may be irregular
in attending, maybe slow in their spiritual advancement etc, but
the leader has to relentlessly carry on with giving out the mercy.
His patience and perseverance are rewarded as it touches the
hearts of the members with whom he is dealing. When they begin
to appreciate the leader’s efforts, they assist him in various ways
in his services for the Bhakti Vriksha program and he also gains
close, intimate friends for a lifetime
Humble as a blade of grass

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu won over great impersonalists like
Prakasananda Saraswati by His humility. He did not try to debate
with them on the merits of personalism. Instead he took a very
humble and meek attitude and was sitting in the shadows where
every one left their footwear and washed their feet. When, on
noticing His bodily Effulgence they enquired why He stayed so
far away, He remarked that He came from an inferior order of
sannyasis and that they were all more elevated than Him. His
humility touched them so much that they realized He was truly a
great person. Thus they were charmed by Him to accept Krishna
consciousness.
Humility is the weapon to open people’s hearts and plant the

seed of bhakti in them. Of course, humility should not be superficial
– it should be heartfelt. If the leader learns to appreciate and
respect everyone who comes to the program as individuals and
deal with them very lovingly, he can gradually develop this quality
of humility spontaneously. If he happens to offend someone
unintentionally, or by losing control of his mind, he should be
quick to apologize and make amends even if he feels that he has
not done anything wrong.
Even if people, sometimes, are not responsive, or are rude to him,

he should not take offence. He should understand that it is lack
of Krishna consciousness that makes them behave in that way,
and therefore cultivate compassion for them.
New members need a lot of extra encouragement, appreciation

and attention in the beginning, and so the leader must learn to do
that, until they get a taste for and commitment to Krishna
consciousness. Once they are devotees, then he may not need
to express verbally each time his appreciation of them. His heart
felt appreciation can then be experienced by them as they become
more and more sensitive and perceptive due to developing
Krishna consciousness.
He can facilitate the discussions very effectively by encouraging

and appreciating everyone’s participation in it.

They pick up whatever mood he projects. If he is very
appreciative, service-minded and loving, over a period of time,
they develop the same qualities.
Giving all respect to others
The leader can win over the hearts of materialistic people as well,
if he gives them respect and treats them with love. So also with
fellow preachers and his senior devotees, -what holds so many
dissimilar people together is their mutual respect and love for
each other and for Srila Prabhupada. So the leader has to be
generous in his appreciation of everyone and their services.
What motivates a new comer, largely, to be regular in attending

the Bhakti Vriksha program in the attraction gradually weans him
from his material distractions and, as he becomes serious in
Krishna consciousness, he starts to get a higher taste in spiritual
life and becomes steady in his faith.
Lord Caitanya would first glorify a materialist for his material

achievements and the person, feeling very good and happy about
the praise, would become favorably disposed to listening to
whatever He said. Then Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu would ask
them to forget their material designations, as they were actually
false, and surrender to Lord Krishna instead!
Expecting nothing for yourself
Normally people want some material return for whatever service

or help they offer others in the form of gratitude, respect, loyalty,
adoration, praise, fame, power, position, money or other forms of
services.
This sort of attitude in a leader is detrimental to developing true

spiritual relationships or in inspiring the members to become

devotees. Just as a loving parent takes great pleasure in the
growth and development of his children, without any expectation
of return from them, the leader should take similar pleasure in the
growth and development of his members. It is this kind of selfless
love which helps the Bhakti Vriksha members experience the higher
taste of Krishna consciousness.
There is no place for of aspiring for position and power, or credit

and honour in Bhakti Vriksha preaching. As a leader’s group
multiplies, and he gets responsibility for more and more groups
of Bhakti Vriksha members who are progressing well in spiritual
life, he automatically is entrusted with the senior commitments in
the Bhakti Vriksha hierarchy. The pleasure is in observing the
progress of so many devotees, not in being revered by them. So
if he just keeps enthusiastically caring for people and preaching,
he will develop the higher taste for unmotivated devotional
service.
The Lord reciprocates with more empowerment and Bhakti and

these are the rewards he should seek. The joy of giving Krishna
to more and more people is reward enough.
Spirit of giving
Srila Prabhupada said “to make one devotee, I have to shed

volumes of blood”.
Similarly in Bhakti Vriksha preaching since the leader cares about

making good quality devotees, it demands a lot of effort and
giving from his side. He has to be ready to give his time, attention
and thoughts apart from all the physical efforts and the prayers
that he puts in to develop the devotees.
In the beginning committing oneself to conducting the program

week after week may itself seem like a lot, because it means making

some adjustments in one’s time-table and regular activities. The
Bhakti Vriksha leader may have to get the house ready, keep the
literature ready for discussion, prepare himself in advance on the
topics, call up and remind all the members. Then comes contacting
them during the week, listening to whatever they have to ask or
say, counselling them in Krishna consciousness whenever
necessary, getting the prasadam ready, clean up after they go,
and so on…
But the members catch this mood of service and begin to volunteer
to help in these activities. His work gets easier after the first few
months.
Spirit of forgiving
To err is human and to forgive is divine. So if we forgive people’s

mistakes, and continue showering our love and care, this changes
their heart and makes them want to improve themselves
voluntarily, due to love, rather than due to intimidation and fear,
which last in a volunteer group.
People, especially in the beginning of their Krishna

consciousness, may commit so many mistakes, may be rebellious,
discourteous or not too appreciative of the leaders’ endeavours
to help them progress. This is due to their lingering material
attachments. But just as parents generally do not hold grudges
about their small children’s mistakes and misbehaviour, the leader
must keep forgiving any lapses on their part and continue being
kind and merciful to them.
Spirit of Service
An authoritarian way of dealing with members does not inspire

respect in them, but on the contrary, it turns them off from
attending or participating.
So, by example and inspiration, the leader has to painstakingly
cultivate the mood of Krishna consciousness in people rather
than by giving them mere instructions.
If the leader exhibits a strong sense of service-mindedness, this

automatically rubs off on the other members as well and soon
they take joy in rendering services and offer to do more and more
voluntarily. But if the leader grudges his services, and tries to
impose the service on others as a burden to be shared, then there
is a negative reaction and people actually start to shirk work.
They become unenthusiastic to do the services and may start
complaining.
It is better to wait till they are a little appreciative of his services.

Then he can ask for volunteers to do small services, in the
beginning in the mood of giving them a valuable asset. They
enjoy doing them and this helps them to get a taste of Krishna
consciousness. Gradually, they can be engaged in many of the
services that go into conducting a program: This makes them
feel enthusiastic and responsible, and gives them the training
and experience to work co-operatively with other devotees. It
also helps in developing close personal relationships.
The leader should not take the members for granted, but enquire
if they like doing their service appreciate them for their service
well-done, and let them know how much spiritual benefit they get
by rendering services.
Spirit of Equality
A Bhakti Vriksha leader should be equal to all the members of his

group in spite of any differences in social class, behaviour, and
outlook. This is possible if the leader is focused on helping them
in their Krishna consciousness rather than developing material
relationships with them. The group may have his family members

or friends attending as well, but the leader must be sensitive
enough to make all the members in the group feel comfortable
and close to him.
It is not necessary that the Bhakti Vriksha should be homogeneous

in its composition. Different class groups, ages, and gender in
the group can make them understand how everyone is equal as
devotees before Krishna. Homogeneity based on languages or
geographical locations for the sake of convenience are all right,
but these again should have a mix of different types of people in
order to enable them to appreciate people on a spiritual level free
from material prejudices.
This necessitates that the Bhakti Vriksha group leader himself

tries to cultivate this spirit of equality himself.
Being a good listener
Devotees often believe that to be a good preacher one has to be

a good speaker. But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself
demonstrated how valuable the art of listening is. When
Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, as an impersonalist, tried to educate
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu for seven long days on his impersonal
understanding of the Vedanta-sutra, the Lord patiently heard
him out. By listening carefully, He was then able to dispel all of
Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya’s misconceptions.
Being a good listener is a quality that the leader should cultivate.

For one thing, the member who is speaking feels very good that
he has the leader’s full attention. Apart from this, the leader may
learn things he did not know, and also be able to get a chance to
clarify their doubts and misconceptions. Otherwise they might
sit tongue-tied and not be enthusiastic to participate in a
discussion.

Good discussions enable the members to advance more quickly
in their spiritual life.
It may be easier for the leader to just lecture and go away, but the,
he would be totally unaware of what the people have understood
and what their realizations are. The results are far less than what
he could achieve by acting as a good facilitator.
A Bhakti Vriksha leader also has to counsel his members when

they approach him with their problems, and for this again, it helps
very much if he listens to them carefully first and then helps them
to understand the problem and look for possible solutions.
Being Patient
Children take their time to grow… so do plants. So the leader has

to be patient and considerate about the differences in the speed
of advancement of the members, and act like an encouraging
parent, and facilitate the creeper of bhakti to grow gradually.
In the initial stages, it may difficult to get regular members, so he

can easily feel discouraged. But if he persists, knowing that what
he is trying to give everyone is so valuable, then genuine
customers will definitely increase. But this requires that he should
be very patient.
To keep empowering
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu has empowered all of us in His mission

of preaching by instructing us: “Yare dekha, tare kaha ‘Krishna’
upadesa amara ajnaya guru hana tara ei desa”
“Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Krishna as they
are given in Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. In this way
become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this
land.”(C.C. 7.128)

The Bhakti Vriksha program enables us to fulfil Lord Caitanya
Mahaprabhu’s desire and instructions. He has empowered
everyone and not just a select few. Also it is significant that He
Himself could have easily delivered everyone, but still He wants
to engage everyone in this blissful service of preaching to enable
them to advance quickly in their Krishna consciousness and
thus become very dear to Lord Krishna. Therefore, by
empowering people to preach, the leader become even more dear
to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and become a greater recipient of
His mercy and blessings.
Just as a parent starts to give freedom to the grown up children,

the Bhakti Vriksha leader has to take pride in empowering and
letting all his spiritual children grow and not try to keep them
permanently under his wings. He should not feel possessive
about them as ‘my devotees’, but understand that they are all
members of Lord Caitanya’s army, sent to him by Srila
Prabhupada’s blessings, to train. After training they have to be
left free to fight the battle against Maya either in his Sector or
some other Sector or some other yatra.
The empowerment in a Bhakti Vriksha program starts from almost

the very beginning. During the preaching sessions, members are
given assignments to bring new people to the program. Later
they accompany the leader on house visits, or distribute books
and then the leader trains the interns to become Bhakti Vriksha
leaders themselves.
Thus, the Bhakti Vriksha leader has to believe in the spiritual

potency of everyone and in their ability to learn and grow through
experience. Srila Prabhupada said that in Krishna consciousness
we are entrusted with services even before we are fully qualified
and thus we become expert, as we keep performing them as our
devotional service. This is the unique feature of Krishna
consciousness - that we get intelligence from Krishna once we

have a basic faith and service mood towards Him. After just one
year of training and sometimes even less, Srila Prabhupada
empowered his disciples to set up new yatras all over the world!
After training the members in all the basics of Krishna

consciousness, the Bhakti Vriksha leader should be happy to see
them all grow up as leaders themselves. The close personal
relationships that he has developed can continue permanently,
even after the members have left his nest. The Bhakti Vriksha
leader’s responsibilities also keep multiplying as he empowers
his members: when there are three or more leaders that he has
trained, he becomes a Sector Leader responsible for the spiritual
advancement of thirty to seventy members.
Overcoming the Lording Tendency
The Bhakti Vriksha mood is totally opposed to lording over others.

If the leader maintains the lording tendency, he keeps having
problems with his members until he has rectified this tendency.
He should have regular seminars and ishtagoshtis to get rid of

this strong tendency in everyone, including himself.

DUTIES OF BHAKTI VRIKSHA LEADERS
Contact the new members and invite them to his program.
This can be done in person for the first week and for the
subsequent weeks, by telephone. Members need to be reminded
of the weekly meeting till they become regular and have developed
a strong taste to never miss the program. There may be so many
distractions that may make a member irregular if he is not contacted
and reminded. Also the member, on being contacted, feels that
he is considered to be important and is missed and so feels obliged
to be regular.
If there is a change of location for during any week, that has to

be communicated to all the members.
If all the members, or some of them, are on e-mail, the leader can
form a Yahoo group and communicate such announcements easily.
For those who are not on e-mail, he could use the Short Message
Service on mobile phones to communicate such information to
all of them without difficulty.
Maintain a list of addresses and telephone numbers of all the

members
Even casual visitors, or those who have visited only once or are
not interested in being regular, should be included in the list, as
they should be invited periodically for the larger gatherings or
festivals. It may take such people some time to agree to join a
Bhakti Vriksha group, and so the contact with them should be
maintained.
Ensure that the place for conducting the program is ready
Proper seating arrangements, a small altar, some flowers or incense

for the devotees to offer are needed. Also copies of the passages
for discussion during the program can be kept ready. These are
readily available for each week in the Bhakti Vriksha modules.
Some of Srila Prabhupada’s books and periodicals like the Back

to Godhead should be placed prominently, for the devotees to
browse through while they are waiting for the program to begin.
The leader can play some soft kirtanas in the background as the
members arrive, so that it sets a devotional mood.
Ensure that some simple, but tasty prasadam (even just fruit)
has been organized for the program.
Prasadam is a very powerful way to raise the spiritual

consciousness of the members, and so it is good if a practicing
devotee makes the prasadam. Gradually the members want to
help and they can be encouraged initially to bring the raw materials,
sponsor the prasadam or help in cutting vegetables or in cleaning
up. By teaching them how prasadam is offered with utmost love
and care and the minimum standards required to make it, they
agree to wait before helping in the cooking as well. If they are not
first familiarised with this, they may be eager to bring prasadam
after a few weeks membership, and feel hurt if refused. By
acquainting them with the spiritual benefits of eating prasadam,
they appreciate it even more, and become respectful. They are
then not inclined to waste it, even if more has been served to
them than their appetite can manage.
Prepare in advance, at least a day or two earlier, the subject

matter for discussion
The Bhakti Vriksha Modules relieve the leader of this duty. But it
is good to do some extra reading to ensure that he knows the
topic fairly well.

Conduct the weekly Bhakti Vriksha program of icebreaker,
kirtan, japa, discussion and preaching reports and plans.
No section should be left out, otherwise the effectiveness of the

session is reduced. The Bhakti Vriksha Modules simplify this
task, because the matter for each session for each week is included.
During the discussion, the leader should act as a good facilitator

and ensure that all the members participate in answering the
Discovery, Understanding and Application questions. He can
finally sum up the points discussed and add some extra points
that he has read, which would highlight or clarify the subject
matter discussed even further. This could be a pastime of the
Lord or a realization from a senior devotee’s lecture.
A good home-work for all the members would be to go through

the passage once again and answer the Discovery, Understanding
and Application questions on a sheet of paper and bring it with
them the following week. Their answers give an insight into how
well they have understood the topic and help them get a proper
understanding, in case there is some discrepancy detected by
the leader.
The preaching session is very important and should be included

in every meeting. The leader should make sure that the members
don’t exceed the discussion time and run out of time for the
preaching session. According to their level of advancement and
enthusiasm, they can be given different assignments of bringing
in new people, accompanying the leader on home visits to new
contacts’ homes, and distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books.
At the end of fifty-two weeks, the members who have advanced

well should be engaged in conducting different parts of the group
meeting. The leader can be an observer and correct them when
they make any mistakes. With three months of such training these
prospective leaders can be made ready to start their own groups.
The existing group can be divided into the number of such leaders
available and all the members can be distributed between them to
act as the senior leaders of the group until they become qualified
and confident to start new groups themselves.
Thus the preaching session plays a vital part in training leaders.
Build up close relationships within the group
The leader can either visit the members at home, or at least call
them up to enquire about their well-being and stay in touch with
them. Members open up their minds, and feel free to ask their
doubts, and express the difficulties that they are facing, both
material and spiritual. They feel more enthused and encouraged
by the personal care that they are getting. Being a good listener
and empathising during times of difficulty helps the leader in
counselling the members, and in helping them understand
gradually the Krishna conscious way of dealing with problems.
His relationships with them become more personal and close as
he shares in their joys and sorrows.
The leader should to visit members if they have fallen ill, offer
them any help they required, help on other occasions like
weddings, birth of a child or death of a relative. He should
participate in their celebrations like birthdays and anniversaries.
Gradually he has to involve the other members also in helping
one another and celebrating one another’s joys and sharing the
sorrows. This creates a family feeling among all the members.
Taking them all out occasionally on Krishna conscious picnics is
another fun way to come closer and develop good Vaishnava
relationships among all the members.
The leader should make announcements at the end of the program

on any special days of the members like their birthdays and
wedding anniversaries, and request all the members to chant the
Mahamantra a few times to ask for Lord Krishna’s blessings.
Fill up the reporting form (included at the end of this book)
The information includes the attendance, siksha levels and

remarks on the members. It is best to fill it up as soon as the
program is over. This takes very little time, and helps the Sector
Leader and his seniors to analyse the progress of the group and
give recommendations, guidance or help as per requirement.
Regularly report the progress of members to Sector Leader
The Bhakti Vriksha leader should discuss with his Sector Leader
the progress of his members, and also seek his guidance for
further improvements. As the Sector Leader has more experience,
his opinion and guidance could be valuable in caring for the new
members. The Sector Leader helps in many ways like arranging
to continue the weekly program when the Bhakti Vriksha leader is
away, conducts seminars, study classes and so on for the Bhakti
Vriksha groups under his care.
Engage senior members in helping to take care of junior

members
Normally, it is easy to let a person who has brought in a new

member to be responsible for him. The Bhakti Vriksha leader has
to give an introduction to Krishna consciousness every time a
new member is brought to the group. But for further familiarisation
with the topics discussed so far, he can assign a suitable senior
member of the group to do so.
Inspire the members to attend a Bhagavad-gita study class
Normally, after about four months of attending the Bhakti Vriksha

group meeting, members are eager to attend a study class of the
Bhagavad-gita. The Sector Leader, or any other senior leader,
can conduct this for the Bhakti Vriksha members so that they get
a good foundation of the philosophy of Krishna consciousness,

and a taste for reading shastra systematically. This enables them
to become able preachers.
Invite members to attend the temple programs, in due course
The leader should then introduce them to the larger community

of Vaishnavas, and encourage the members to render services to
them. The Bhakti Vriksha Leader should take great pride and
satisfaction in bringing his members into the association of other
Vaishnavas.
Ensure the growth of good leaders, which will help the group
to multiply
After the first few weeks are over, and the members have started
to feel comfortable and enthusiastic, they should be made aware
of the fact that they are all being trained to become Bhakti Vriksha
leaders themselves. This can happen in sixty-four weeks, by
following the detailed plans given in the Bhakti Vriksha Modules.
Once made aware of this, the members take the training and
guidance more seriously. The preaching mood becomes prevalent
in them and they give up any sentimental attachment to remaining
always together as a group even after the sixty four week lifetime
of the group is over. They get great joy in multiplying and
becoming Bhakti Vriksha leaders in order to expand the movement.
At least three to four intern leaders can emerge within this time of
sixty-four weeks. In the minimum case, at least one leader becomes
available, if the Bhakti Vriksha leader has been systematically
caring for his members.
In the last twelve weeks of the sixty-four weeks, the Bhakti Vriksha
leader lets the intern leaders conduct different parts of the program
each week and observes their performance. He corrects them
where necessary. He himself takes the part of a regular member,
and allows the intern leaders to organise everything and conduct
all the different parts of the Bhakti Vriksha. He ensures that the
prospective leaders take turns in hosting the program in their
own homes.
In this way, at the end of sixty four weeks, the intern leaders are
well versed in conducting a full fledged Bhakti Vriksha group
meeting and taking caring of the members. The preaching session
would have given them exposure and experience in preaching
and bringing new contacts. Helping the junior members of the
group, would have taught them about giving love and care to the
members.
After the Bhakti Vriksha multiplies, and the intern leaders have
been made full-fledged Bhakti Vriksha leaders of the newly formed
groups, the Bhakti Vriksha leader is elevated to the position of
Sector Leader, and continues to guide and supervise them in his
new capacity. Sometimes the Bhakti Vriksha has only multiplied
into two, or less than three new leaders have been found, which
means a new Sector cannot be formed. In that case the Bhakti
Vriksha Leader continues in that position for one of the new
groups, but, he continues to guide and help his erstwhile intern
leaders who now lead one or two new groups.
All the members of the group including the new leaders can
continue attending the study classes of Bhagavad-gita and, later
on, other courses on books like Nectar of Devotion, Nectar of
Instruction or Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Encourage the members to take up commitments in the

Siksha program.
There are, normally, no small steps or milestones of achievement

for a devotee to look forward to from the time he comes to Krishna
consciousness till he takes initiation. The prospect of taking
initiation may seem too far off from one’s immediate vision. The
devotee then becomes ‘goalless’, so to speak, for quite a long
time.
The Siksha levels namely Shraddhavan, Krishna Sevaka, Krishna

Sadhaka, Srila Prabhupada Ashraya and Guru Ashraya,
designated by the Congregational Development Ministry,
according to various levels of commitment, are an excellent means
to fill the new devotee’s path with well-defined milestones to
reach and cross in a progressive manner. This encourages an
almost uniform rate of spiritual growth among most of the devotees
in a group.
The Bhakti Vriksha leader has to introduce this concept to the

members and gently encourage them to take on more and more
commitments in their spiritual life and to receive those Siksha
certificates that will help them to take their commitments seriously.
The certificates will be issued by the Yatra in co-ordination with

the Program director. The Bhakti Vriksha leader should periodically
give his recommendations for the certificates for his members to
his sector leader.
Submit reports and attend meetings
The Bhakti Vriksha leader, though a very important part of the

Bhakti Vriksha system, cannot be effective if he tries to function
on his own. He is an integral part of the entire Bhakti Vriksha
system, which keeps expanding like an extended family that
nourishes, sustains and helps in the growth of all its members.
One of his primary duties, as a responsible member of the Bhakti

Vriksha program, is to submit monthly reports to his upachakrapati
or Sector Leader. The monthly report (see the format at the end of
this book), which he has to submit, should include all the figures
that he had been entering on a weekly basis.

Without going through this important report, it will be very difficult
for his seniors to analyse his strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats, and give suitable guidance and
directions. There is a need to assess the total performance of the
whole program of a yatra and plan certain objectives and goals
annually. Without setting up of goals and assessing them
periodically, one cannot systematically and effectively expand
one’s preaching.
The Bhakti Vriksha leader thus has to also regularly attend the
meetings that have been convened by his seniors. He is a
connecting link between his group members and the hierarchy
and thus has to give a clear picture of his group’s progress to his
seniors. At the same time, he has to share with his members all
that need to be conveyed to them.
In this way, by acting as an instrument in the Bhakti Vriksha

structure, he becomes an important and integral part of it, gaining
strength and potency to expand and multiply the Bhakti Vriksha.
On the other hand, any slackness on his part slows down the
progress and expansion of the preaching.
Hence, if all the Bhakti Vriksha leaders filled up their weekly forms
as well as the monthly reports systematically, and attended the
meetings, it would help greatly in the effective functioning of the
Bhakti Vriksha program.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR INTERN LEADERS
Serious about advancing in Krishna consciousness.
Enthusiastic to render different services.
Chants daily at least 12 rounds of Japa and is willing to go up

to 16 rounds shortly.
Accepts Srila Prabhupada as Parama-guru, and is convinced

to follow all his basic instructions.
Regular in attending the weekly Bhakti Vriksha group meetings,

study classes, Yatra programs.
Actively involved in fulfilling the preaching assignments given

to him.
Friendly and helpful to all the members of his group.
Respectful to the Bhakti Vriksha leader and the other senior

leaders.
Accepts correction and guidance from his seniors.
Ready to give time to taking care of a Bhakti Vriksha group.

FINDING MEMBERS FOR THE BHAKTI
VRIKSHA GROUP
If there is a centrally conducted temple, inviting some of the

visitors there to the Bhakti Vriksha program would be very easy
and effective for a Bhakti Vriksha Leader. Some regular visitors to
the temple might be interested, if told about a supplementary
program that is for a smaller group where there is more interaction
and individuals receive personal from a more senior devotee, the
Bhakti Vriksha Leader.
Festivals are a good time to encounter new visitors. Even if just

one or two out of ten people approached actually make it to the
Bhakti Vriksha meeting, the Bhakti Vriksha Leader can consider
his effort successful.
Book distributors are another good source of contacts that need

to be further cultivated.
If one is keenly looking for potential members, one will find them!
It may be in a super- market, a bus stop, a clinic… It is not difficult
to find people to attend the Bhakti Vriksha meetings, if one knows
how to approach them. The first strategy is to understand how
much they need what the meetings are going to give them. Then
one will have the confidence and determination to approach them.
Without mentioning anything about the philosophy, one could
just invite them to the program.
Once the leader starts a Bhakti Vriksha Group, all members are
gradually trained to invite their friends and acquaintances to the
program. Even when the group multiplies into more groups, it
starts with some of the members from the parent Bhakti Vriksha
Group, whose members share the responsibility of bringing in
new people.

Alternatively, the leader could start other forms of Outreach
Programs to attract prospective Bhakti Vriksha members. The
content of the Outreach can be highly variable, based on time
and place, which determines what attracts the kind of people
who will be prone to consider Krishna Consciousness with an
open mind.
If it is an Indian gathering, one could straight away start with a

kirtana, some short lecture, or readings from the ‘Krishna’ book
and teaching them Bhagavad-gita slokas, and gradually
introducing them to chanting and prasadam with some video
shows of different ITV productions like ‘Hare Krishna World’,
and ‘Spiritual Oasis’.
The leader can make the program more interactive as time goes
on and slowly introduce the ‘Ice Breakers’. Once the visitors
show that they enjoy the interactivity, hecan progress to
conducting the ‘Discussion’ sessions as well as the rest of the
parts of the program.
Some people may already be attending programs of other faiths

and so if the leader invites them to attend an ISKCON program,
they may hesitate to accept it. Indians can be invited for a talk
and discussion on the Bhagavad-gita accompanied by a few
hymns or chants. Among Indians who are Hindus, Bhagavad-
gita is equally respected among all the communities. After
attending the program and appreciating it, they are normally
willing to come for an ISKCON program.
For other nationalities from different cultural backgrounds, there

can be other ways to attract them. Every one is looking for peace
and happiness and so one can invite them to a program of Vedic
chants to bring peace and happiness to them and to discuss the
philosophy behind it. If the invitation also mention the feast at
the end of the program, that would help.

There can be programs like vegetarian cookery classes, or Bhakti
yoga classes. This can then gradually lead visitors to the regular
Bhakti Vriksha program in a matter of seven to eight weeks time.
When making the transition, rather than announcing the changes
it may be better to introduce the changes very naturally, so that
they accept it as they get to experience it.
The ideal situation would be to invite people from the local

neighbourhood to attend the program. There are several reasons
for this, chief of them being proximity. If they live close by to the
leader or another member, staying in touch becomes easier. For
the members too, attending the program will be easy and
comfortable. They can, thus, be regular at the meetings. The
prasadam can also be greatly simplified and informal as the
members are not spending a lot of time travelling to attend the
program. The members will be able to interact amongst themselves
periodically as they live close by. The leader or senior members
are able to visit them more frequently, and better able to care for
them. It is also be easier to organize an extra day for study classes,
picnics, and other programs. The feeling of neighbourliness may
be an impetus for them to attend the program.
Whatever be the culture and special circumstances of your place,

there are certain common features that people have all over the
world, which makes this approach universal. Globalisation has
occurred in the material sphere of life in such a pronounced way;
Spiritual globalisation has also become easier!
The leader can make a flyer inviting the members to attending the
program, observing the following guidelines:
Do not mention that you are planning a regular weekly

program. Before knowing what it is all about, nobody likes
to commit themselves. So make the invitation only for the

first day. In an Indian setting, you could call it a ‘Bhajana
Satsanga’ along with discussions on the Bhagavad-gita.
In cultures unfamiliar with the Vedic culture, you could
phrase it differently. If you are going to have a mixed
gathering then you can invite the Indians, too, with the
same flyer that you are giving the others.
The following is a flyer that was distributed in the
USA in two places and it had a fairly good response
among the neighbours.

You’re cordially invited
To a small gathering of our
neighborhood for a program on
“Universal culture and brotherhood”

Hymns and chants that bring happiness and good fortune
to everyone as well as short readings from ancient scriptures.
Time:
Date :
Venue:
It is more effective if you have two people to go and invite them

personally. This has a much better response than just dropping
the fliers in their homes.
If even two out of fifteen people that you have invited attend
your program, you should consider it a good response from your
neighbourhood.
The program:
1) Seat them all in a circle facing one another. Introduce yourself

first and request them to introduce themselves.
2) Give a short address on how music and religious chants are

highly essential in today’s competitive world to soothe the
people’s minds and to give meaning to their otherwise
mechanical lives. Discuss how television as an alternative
has destroyed people’s creativity and finer feelings and made
them more impersonal.
3) Mention how all religions advocate the chanting the holy

names of the Lord in order to bring peace and happiness to the
people. Talk about the Hare Krishna mantra as an ancient Vedic
chant which is very soothing and inspiring. Ask them if they
would like to try it. If they are not against it, then you can start a
soft kirtana and request them to also repeat the mantra after you.
Keep copies of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra written and
distribute it to all the members during the kirtana.
4) If they request you to include some chant that they are familiar
with, include it also for a few minutes.
5) Read out from Bhakti Vriksha Training Module/ Shraddhavan

- Week 4, the spiritual edification passage which has the
explanation of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra as given by
Srila Prabhupada. If you find them receptive, you can conduct
a discussion among them by asking the questions at the end
of the passage in the modules.
6) Alternatively, if you find any of the ‘Namamrta’ passages in

the modules to be appropriate for reading, you could do so.
If not, if you have the book ‘Namamrta’ you can read
appropriate verse/verses from it. This book, subtitled ‘The
Nectar of chanting the holy names of Krishna’ is an ISKCON
compilation of different quotations of Srila Prabhupada, as
well as a few quotes from scriptures.
7) Set aside a few minutes for questions or comments from the

participants.
8) Serve prasadam to the guests and make sure that you are
engaged with them in an informal talk. The discussion during
the program will most likely continue during prasadam time.
9) If they show a lot of interest, you can tell them about Srila
Prabhupada’s books and show them a few small books.

10) Decide when you want to conduct the next program and ask
them if they would like to come for it.
11) For the subsequent six or eight weeks, you can have the
Ice–breaker (Satsanga) session, kirtana and reading and
discussion of the spiritual edification/ and ‘Namamrta’
passage from the Bhakti Vriksha Modules. You can gradually
include Japa if you find the people showing interest. You
can enquire from them if they would like to chant on the
beads before actually including the Japa session..
12) You can make the transition to conducting a full-fledged

Bhakti Vriksha after about six to eight weeks or even earlier if
you consider them sufficiently enthusiastic about the
program.
13) Do not worry too much if a few of the members leave your
group. This sort of sifting continues till you are left with
steady and committed members. For those who fall away,
you can still keep in touch and continue inviting them for big
festival programs or other outreach programs, so that they
can gradually progress in their Krishna consciousness.
Actually, once the program is well established there can be
regular weekly Outreach programs catering to people with
less commitment. But till then, you can focus your attention
on training people who are most ready to attend the Bhakti
Vriksha Group.

HOW GRIHASTAS CAN FIND
TIME FOR ALL THIS
Delegation
Only in the initial stages does one have to put in a tremendous

effort in starting a Bhakti Vriksha. But soon it grows into two and
three and then the leader’s role becomes supervisory, and there
is more time for planning
Training others
After several Bhakti Vriksha meetings, the members get trained

to help in the various aspects of cultivation, so there is help in
cultivation and expansion quite soon. The preaching sessions
are thus very important.
Allocating time everyday to care
The leader can allocates just half an hour every day to make
phone calls, pay visits or prepare reports, or read more to obtain
more knowledge to share with the members during the meeting.
He can be systematic and ensure that he accomplishes everything

without putting in too much strain on any particular day.
Engaging others to do services
Rendering devotional service is the cornerstone of making rapid

spiritual advancement. So if all the members of the Bhakti Vriksha
group are engaged in small services, it will inspire and train them,
as well as be less burdensome to the leader.

BHAKTI VRIKSHA LEADER MONTHLY REPORT FORMAT
Names Week 1 Week 1 Week 1 Week 1 Week 1 Remarks
A S A S A S A S A S
The Bhakti Vriksha Leader

EFFORTS
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Total
1 No. of Mails
2 No. of Telephone Calls
3 No. of Home Visits
4 No. of Service Donors
5 No. of Money Donors
39
Abbreviations: A= Attendance, S= Siksha level
SOME RESEARCH FINDINGS FROM
CHRISTIAN CELL GROUPS
FACTORS THAT DON’T AFFECT CELL MULTIPLICATION:

1. The leaders gender, social class, age, marital (civil) status, or
education.
2. The leader’s personality type. (both introverted and
extroverted leaders multiply their cells).
3. The leader’s spiritual gifting. (Those with the gift of teaching,
pastoring, mercy, leadership, and evangelism equally multiply
their cell groups)
FACTORS THAT DO AFFECT CELL MULTIPLICATION:

1. The cell leaders devotional time. (Those who spend 90
minutes or more per day in devotions multiply their groups
twice as much as those who spend less than 30 minutes).
2. The cell leader’s intercession for the cell members. (Those
who pray daily for cell members are most likely to multiply
groups.)
3. The leader spending time with God to prepare for a cell meeting.
(Spending time with God preparing the heart for a cell meeting
is more important than preparing the lesson.)
4. Setting goals. (The leader who fails to set goals that the
members remember has about a 50% chance of multiplying
his or her cell. Setting goals increases that chance to 75%.)
5. Knowing the cell multiplication date. (Cell leaders who set
specific goals for giving birth consistently multiply their
groups more often than goal-less leaders.)
6. Training. (Cell leaders who feel better trained multiply their
cell more rapidly. However, training is not as important as the
leaders prayer life and goal orientation.)
7. How often the cell leader contacts new people. (Leaders who
contact five to seven new people per month have an 80% of
multiplying the cell group. When the leader visits only 1 to 3

people per month, the chances drop to 60%. Leaders who
visit eight or more new people each month multiply their
groups twice as much as those who visit one or two.)
8. Exhortation in cell groups to invite friends. (Cell leaders who
weekly encourage members to invite visitors double their
capacity to multiply their groups- as opposed to those leaders
who do so only occasionally or not at all.)
9. Number of visitors to the cell. (There is a direct relationship
between the number of visitors in the group and the number
of times a leader multiplied the group.)
10. Outside Meetings. (Those cells that have six or more social
meetings per month multiply twice as much as those who
have only one, or none.)
11. Raising up interns. (Those leaders who gather a team double
their capacity to multiply the cell.)
12. Level of Pastoral Care. (Regular visitations by the leader to
the cell members help consolidate the group.)
PRAYER FOR GROUP MEMBERS:
When comparing prayer, contacting, and social meetings, it was

discovered that prayer for group members is the leader’s most
important work to unify and strengthen the group in preparation
for multiplication. Building a team is a close second.
PREPARATION OF THE LEADER:

When analyzing devotion, goals, training and preparation,
devotions and goals are more important. Effective cell
leadership is more of a Spirit led adventure than a Bible study
technique.
EVANGELISTIC THRUST OF THE GROUP:

When analyzing visiting new people, exhortation, and visitors
in the group, visitation and exhortation are equally important.
The flow of visitors is secondary.
INTERVIEWS WITH
BHAKTI VRIKSHA LEADERS
Vraja Prana dasa, Middle East
Question: What have been the strengths of your Bhakti

Vriksha group?
Answer:
The core value of a Bhakti Vriksha program, according to me, is
Love and Care. Creating a strong bond among the cell members
by love and care results in a healthy atmosphere – the new
members comfortably take up Krishna Consciousness as they
begin to like their friendly seniors almost immediately and
secondly, each member gets inspired by the others to progress
collectively in Krishna Consciousness. As such, some of the
strengths of our Bhakti Vriksha group are:
n the strong bondage between the cell members

n vital roles played by the intern and other senior cell members
in supporting the cell sevaka in running the Bhakti Vriksha
group
n we have some excellent mataji cooks in our group who
organize wonderful prasadam which is a strength!
Question: What have been the trials? How did you try to
overcome them?
Answer:
I must say that I have been lucky enough not to face many trials
so far. Since, we have an established yatra and many senior
devotees who are ever willing to guide you in your service;
everything is kind of given on a platter! But I can share the
following points on this question:
n Lack of self-confidence. I was not sure if I could handle
facilitating a BV group. Two things greatly helped me to
overcome this issue:
¡ The excellent support and encouragement I got from
my Chakra leader (he oversees many sectors, which
in turn comprises of many cells, within the Bhakti
Vriksha system)
¡ The way the Training Modules have been compiled
made it very simple even for a beginner like me in
facilitating the cell. Even minute details are covered
in the module giving various tips and instructions
to the facilitator.
n Of course, to realize the fact that this is an important service
that you can do to please your guru maharaja gives you
enough strength!
n Bringing new people into the program is quite challenging.

In a Bhakti Vriksha program that is well conducted according
to the modules, the cell members get inspired to preach and
invite their friends and contacts to the Bhakti Vriksha.
Question: What have you achieved as a BV leader so far?

Kindly share your success realisations.
Answer:
With due modesty, before saying anything on achievements as a

BV leader, I am glad to say that Bhakti Vriksha has made me more
steady in Krishna Consciousness. I was a sheltered devotee when
I was engaged in the BV service and today I am initiated by my
beloved guru maharaja HH Jayapataka Swami. Facilitating a BV
program is quite intense as it has got many facets to it; it really
helps you to get more fixed up in your service. As a BV leader, I
am happy to say that our cell multiplied to three cells in about ten
months time.

Seva Padma devi dasi, Middle East
In my first Bhakti Vriksha group, progress of the members was

a little slow. I found that the reason was that, initially, they
were a bit irregular in attending the program. It was a major
draw back as I could not do many things as per schedule, I
could not introduce Srila Prabhupada’s book reading and that
was the reason they found it difficult to increase the chanting
and fix their mind in devotional services fully.
As a BV leader I was trying to follow the instruction given in the

Training Modules for each week. Sometimes I really used to feel
low to see their slow progress towards Krishna, but I never lost
hope and always depended on the mercy of Guru and Gauranga
and used to get strength from them. Only that helped me to control
my emotions and do my duties without attachments to my success
and failure.
As recommended in the Modules, I used to take help and advice

from senior devotees and used to call them for our program and
that has a tremendous effect on the cell members. Just the
association of senior Vaishnavas and their purity change their
hearts quickly and they found it easy to surrender. Even I used to
get motivation from them to become more devoted and stronger
in preaching.
Meanwhile, I had constant touch with them in their spiritual and

personal affairs. I tried to become more close to them so that they
could share their problems with me. I feel that is also a very
important part of Bhakti Vriksha - to develop a loving relationship
with the members. Simultaneously, I was trying to motivate them
to depend more and more on Krishna, by increasing their japa
rounds and reading of Srila Prabhupada’s books. I found
Prabhupada’s books are really very motivating and if members
start it reading they advance by leaps and bounds.

I used to have their association through telephones. I used to
arrange lots of other programs like picnics and get-togethers to
make them feel free and to develop the mood of devotional service
in a group and family. Personal relations play a very important
role. Even the members who were very tough in the beginning
got changed by loving relationships.
Last but most important part was making my sadhana steadier,

and praying to Guru and Gauranga. I feel it’s just Guru and
Gauranga’s, s mercy that they change their heart and they came
forward in devotional service.
Question: What have you achieved as a Bhakti Vriksha leader?

Kindly share your success realisations.
As a Bhakti Vriksha leader, I have gained many things personally,

as preaching is a direct service to Krishna. So I always used to
feel connected with our bona-fide sampradaya.
When I started my Bhakti Vriksha group, I myself was a neophyte,
having just one year’s experience in Krishna consciousness. But,
as advised by senior Vaishnava devotees, I started my first Bhakti
Vriksha program. All that I have learnt in devotional service is
only when I myself started preaching. As it is s said you learn the
subject well only when you teach it. Yes, preaching to others
made me also stronger in my devotional services. Along with the
BV members, the BV leaders also grow, in the Bhakti Vriksha
program. It gives us a sense of responsibility, and the mood to
serve others which is a very important teaching of Lord Caitanya.
It makes us more humble, tolerant and patient. I started respecting
others views. I had many shortcomings in me, like pride, anger,
and false ego, but, slowly, after I started involving myself in
preaching service, it became easier for me to control my emotions.

Spiritual growth of the members and change in their Siksha level
gives immense happiness which can not be compared by any
material gain or happiness. By Krishna’s mercy and the blessings
of my Guru and senior Vaishnavas, all my members have come to
the level of Srila Prabhupada Ashraya and I hope, by the mercy
of Lord Gauranga, soon the will connect themselves directly with
our bona-fide sampradaya.
The most important benediction of preaching is, I always feel

myself protected by Srila Prabhupada, Guru, and Gauranga. I feel
strong when I preach about Krishna because I feel Krishna Himself
is protecting me.
Brahmanda Gauranga dasa, Middle East
Question: What have been the strengths of your Bhakti

Vriksha group?
Answer:
¡ Most cell members are staying within the camp
where I stay. It’s easy to access, and no conveyance
is required.
¡ With the constant assistance of my Sector Leader
our strength soared from two to twelve.
¡ There are many new recruits in my office, to whom
I can preach
¡ Service-minded members help me to speed up
making prasadam, preparing arati paraphernalia,
gathering flowers etc.,
¡ Slow but sure progress in taking up Krishna
consciousness
¡ My knowledge of several Indian languages -
Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, and English, helps me to
conduct Bhakti Vrikshas in several languages

¡ My BV members accepted the Krishna Sadhaka
level commitments, just after attending the seminar:
out of ten devotees, seven devotees made the
commitments
Question: What have been the trials? How did you try to
overcome them?
Answer:
- Almost all cell members are of modest education levels, hence
each session I have to split into two or more sessions. Still,
it is tough for them to remember in depth.
- Switching from one language to another leads to waste of
time, none of them are familiar with one common language.
- Problem to start in time, as I myself have to cook the prasadam,
perform the Arati & everything, resulting/forcing me to skip
either Namamrta or Essence of Preaching, because the
members have to be go to work next morning between
5.30-6.20.
- I just can’t expect anyone to stay back to help me clean-up
I have to be patient to train my members with the help of senior

devotees
Question: What have you achieved as a BV leader so far? Kindly

share your success realisations.
Answer:
- Members now accept only sattvika food
(other than one or two devotees)
- Members are improving the QUALITY &
QUANTITY of Chanting the Holy Names,
slowly but surely
- Their taste for devotional service has
increased

- Their inclination to contribute towards the
service of Krishna, to help in purchase,
cutting vegetables etc., developing rapidly


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What are the qualifications and qualities expected of a Bhakti Vriksha leader?

What are the qualifications and qualities expected of a Bhakti Vriksha leader?

What are the duties and responsibilities of a Bhakti Vriksha leader?

What are the duties and responsibilities of a Bhakti Vriksha leader?

1

4 Qualifications for Bhakti Vriksha Leaders......... 7

5 Qualities to be cultivated by Bhakti Vriksha Leaders.. 11

6 Duties of a Bhakti Vriksha Leader............. 21

7 Qualifications for Intern Leaders............ 30

8 Finding members for the Bhakti Vriksha group..... 31

9 How Grihasthas can find the time for all this........ 38

10 Bhakti Vriksha Leader Monthly Report Format........ 39

11 Some Research Findings from Christian Cell Groups.. 40

12 Interviews with Bhakti Vriksha Leaders.......... 42

To the Lotus Feet of my spiritual master His

Prema Padmini devi dasi

The Bhakti Vriksha Leader 1

We are greatly indebted to all the Mathuradesh devotees who

Their loving devotion and co-operation helped us not only in

In particular, we would like to thank the following devotees for

Vijay Venugopal dasa

The Bhakti Vriksha Leader 3

It is a companion to the ‘Bhakti Vriksha Training Modules’

Over a decade of experience in implementing Bhakti Vriksha

NOTE: To avoid awkward construction, the pronoun he/his are

The mood of Bhakti Vriksha, the transcendental tree of

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself is the tree of transcendental

The Bhakti Vriksha Leader 5

Bhakti Vriksha embodies the desire of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

The Bhakti Vriksha program is designed to train the members in

The leaders, by very personally and lovingly caring for the

6 The Bhakti Vriksha Leader

1) He should have a firm faith in Srila Prabhupada the parampara,

The Bhakti Vriksha Leader 7

8 The Bhakti Vriksha Leader

The Bhakti Vriksha Leader 9

Humble as a blade of grass

Humility is the weapon to open people’s hearts and plant the

Even if people, sometimes, are not responsive, or are rude to him,

New members need a lot of extra encouragement, appreciation

He can facilitate the discussions very effectively by encouraging

12 The Bhakti Vriksha Leader

Giving all respect to others

What motivates a new comer, largely, to be regular in attending

Lord Caitanya would first glorify a materialist for his material

Expecting nothing for yourself

Normally people want some material return for whatever service

This sort of attitude in a leader is detrimental to developing true

The Bhakti Vriksha Leader 13

There is no place for of aspiring for position and power, or credit

The Lord reciprocates with more empowerment and Bhakti and

Srila Prabhupada said “to make one devotee, I have to shed

Similarly in Bhakti Vriksha preaching since the leader cares about

In the beginning committing oneself to conducting the program

14 The Bhakti Vriksha Leader

To err is human and to forgive is divine. So if we forgive people’s

People, especially in the beginning of their Krishna

An authoritarian way of dealing with members does not inspire

If the leader exhibits a strong sense of service-mindedness, this