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their money, bluff them and go away. Fortunately, the Krishna consciousness movement is there to give all facilities
for both material and spiritual advancement. In this way, people in the Western countries may take advantage of this
movement. In India, any person in the villages, unaffected by the industrial cities of India, can still live in any condition
and make spiritual advancement. The body is the city of nine gates, and these nine gates include two eyes, two ears,
two nostrils, one mouth, a genital and a rectum. When the nine gates are clean and working properly, the body is
healthy. In India these nine gates are kept clean by the villagers who rise early in the morning, bathe in the well or
rivers, go to the temples to attend mangala-arati, chant the Hare Krishna mahamantra and take prasadam. In this
way, one can take advantage of all the facilities of human life. We are gradually introducing this system in different
centers in our society in the Western countries. One who takes advantage of it becomes more and more enlightened
in spiritual life. Now, India is analogous to the lame man and the Western countries to the blind man. For the past two
thousand years, India has been subjugated by the rule of foreigners, and the legs of progress have been broken. In the
Western countries, the eyes of the people have become blind due to the dazzling glitter of material opulence. The
blind man of the Western countries and the lame man of India should combine in this Krishna consciousness
movement. Then the lame man of India can walk with the help of the Westerner, and the blind Westerner can see
with the help of the lame man. In short, the material advancement of the Western countries and the spiritual assets of
India should combine for the elevation of all human society.” (SB 4.25.13, Purport)

The culture of Krishna consciousness in Sammamish
Within the Sri Sri Radha Neela Madhava temple in Sammamish, we teach our congregants this culture of Krishna
consciousness. If a husband and wife decide that they will dedicate some of their time to cultivating spiritual life with
their children, their endeavor will succeed by regular attendance of temple programs and structuring their home life
around the worship of Radha and Krishna.
The temple is organized in such a way that the whole family can come and have an uplifting spiritual experience. The
children as well as the parents are educated together. There are many families where the husband and wife receive
initiation at the same time and gradually develop their skills to become pujaris who dress the deities and serve them
intimately. As the children grow, they also can receive initiation. In this way, a family that prays together stays
together. All are encouraged to evolve to their full potential in spiritual life. The skills they learn as devotees helps
them to succeed in their professional lives also. The verse of Bhagavad-gita quoted above (Bg 9.32) explains the gist of
Krishna consciousness. Anyone, regardless of their social or economic situation, can become a pure devotee of Krishna
in this lifetime, and benefit their family members, neighbors, co-workers, and everyone they encounter by the purity
of their practice of Krishna consciousness.
If we follow Krishna consciousness properly, a cogent example becomes habit and custom that can last for
generations. For example, women may choose to cover their hair when they come to the temple, wear a colorful sari
along with their children similarly attired. Whenever there is a traditional Vaishnava festival in the temple, women
wear their best saris and men don traditional dhotis, kurtas or chaddars. They sit, and sing bhajans or holy chants. The
temple environment becomes surcharged with devotion. When guests visit the temple and see happy families
worshiping and serving Krishna, they become inspired to come regularly and participate in the spiritual bonding
through chanting Hare Krishna and serving the Deities of Radha and Krishna. When a large group of cooperative
families pray together regularly and engage in the varied service opportunities of the temple, then the temple will
succeed in its endeavor to establish Krishna conscious culture.
At the Vedic Cultural Center, we have a regular school from pre-school to seventh grade, adult education through the
Vedic University, different Indian classical dance classes, karnatic and Hindustani singing, violin, mridanga, sitar, Indian
guitar, yoga, Vedic mathematics, cooking classes, and many more varied cultural programs and seminars. The mood of
the temple is peaceful due to the gentle behavior of the devotees. There is no kama (lust), krodha (anger), and lobha
(greed). Everyone volunteers his service, time, and money. We help people elevate spiritually by which Lord Krishna
takes charge of their life and welfare. The Lord explains this in the Bhagavad-gita.

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