SPIRITUAL PARTNERSHIP
GUIDE
Table of Contents
FROM THE SEVEN PURPOSES OF ISKCON
WHAT IS SPIRITUAL PARTNERSHIP?
SASTRIC BASIS AND INSPIRATION FOR SPIRITUAL PARTNERSHIP
SPIRITUAL PARTNER ROLES
WAYS TO DO SPIRITUAL PARTNERSHIP
GITA PARTNERSHIP
SLOKA COACHING
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
EXCELLENT QUESTIONS
JAPA PARTNERSHIP
FEEDFORWARD
THINKING PARTNERSHIP
INTEGRITY PARTNERSHIP
SET YOUR WEEKLY INTEGRITY GOALS
MORE WAYS TO DO SPIRITUAL PARTNERSHIP SESSIONS
SIMPLE SESSION MODEL
NOTES
SRILA PRABHUPADA
DISCLAIMER
CONTACT
LINKS
***
FROM THE SEVEN PURPOSES OF ISKCON
Two of the seven purposes of ISKCON mention “bringing the members together”:
3. To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, thus developing the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna).
6. To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler, more natural way of life.
This Guide can help to bring the members together via high quality Vaisnava association we call Spiritual Partnership.
WHAT IS SPIRITUAL PARTNERSHIP?
Spiritual Partnership is a committment of two devotees to help each other succeed in Krsna consciousness.
It is an alliance of two or more devotees or family members who want to help each other succeed in devotional service and other areas of life that support devotional service.
They speak regularly and have a two-way session, both playing roles of a Spiritual Partner. They help each other work on their Krsna conscious goals by using the structures recommended below, or some other useful structure. You may have such a partnership with several devotees if you like.
The difference between an ordinary talk and Spiritual Partnership Session is that it is a structured conversation and is more beneficial for both devotees.
SASTRIC BASIS AND INSPIRATION FOR SPIRITUAL PARTNERSHIP
guhyam akyati prcchati
Confidential conversations.
Upadesamrta 4
Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all.
Bg 2.29
One must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.
Bg 6.5
The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me.
Bg 10.9
That is why the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas protect each other, as well as themselves; and the Lord Himself, who is both the cause and effect and is yet immutable, protects them through each other. SB 3.22.4
The self-effulgent Vaikuṇṭha planets, by whose illumination alone all the illuminating planets within this material world give off reflected light, cannot be reached by those who are not merciful to other living entities. Only persons who constantly engage in welfare activities for other living entities can reach the Vaikuṇṭha planets.
SB 4.12.36
As King Indra was standing by, he became ashamed of his own activities and fell down before King Pṛthu to touch his lotus feet. But Pṛthu Mahārāja immediately embraced him in great ecstasy and gave up all envy against him for his having stolen the horse meant for the sacrifice.
SB 4.20.18
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear sons of the King, I am very much pleased by the friendly relationships among you. All of you are engaged in one occupation — devotional service. I am so pleased with your mutual friendship that I wish you all good fortune. Now you may ask a benediction of Me.
SB 4.30.8
May there be good fortune throughout the universe, and may all envious persons be pacified. May all living entities become calm by practicing bhakti-yoga, for by accepting devotional service they will think of each other’s welfare. Therefore let us all engage in the service of the supreme transcendence, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and always remain absorbed in thought of Him.
SB 5.18.9
One should learn how to associate with the devotees of the Lord by gathering with them to chant the glories of the Lord. This process is most purifying. As devotees thus develop their loving friendship, they feel mutual happiness and satisfaction. And by thus encouraging one another they are able to give up material sense gratification, which is the cause of all suffering.
SB 11.3.30
By good association everything is possible.
Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.2 - Boston, April 28, 1969
SPIRITUAL PARTNER ROLES
Spiritual Partner helps to:
- Empower your confidence with faith in God
- Stimulate your creativity with excellent questions
- Enthuse your heart with unconditional love
Each partner plays three basic roles for the other:
• I’m your thinking partner
• I’m here to support and encourage you
• I’m here to help you be accountable to your goals
Thinking Partner
I help you think with clarity, rigor and imagination about your goals and challenges. I give you undivided attention and ask you questions that ignite your best thinking.
I listen without interrupting you when you speak.
Support
I see you in terms of your potential, not in terms of your present behavior and performance. I believe in your sincerity and ability. I am your sincere well-wisher and benefactor.
Accountability
You know I am going to ask you how you are doing with the goals you set last week. I am the one you entrusted with your list of what you really want to accomplish, and what you have committed to actually do. You are counting on me to ask you.
WAYS TO DO SPIRITUAL PARTNERSHIP
GITA PARTNERSHIP
Encourage devotees to read and discuss in pairs or in groups ("Always enlightening one another and conversing about Me." Bg 10.9) and allow Bhagavad-gita As It Is to guide them. The essence of this approach is to allow Srila Prabhupada and Krsna to be the guide of each devotee according to devotee's qualifications and inclinations.
Here the role of a Spiritual Partner is to facilitate another devotee's being guided by Srila Prabhupada's and Krsna's teachings in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. This creates a strong spiritual foundation for success.
Here are the steps:
1. Before the session, if a devotee has a problem or a goal, ask him to define it in writing, and share it with you
2. Ask him to find, also before the session, quotes in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is that could help him work on it
3. If he is not able to find them, help him
4. Discuss with him how these quotes can help him work on his goal
5. To help him be more focused and disciplined, recommend that he sends you daily or weekly his progress reports
SLOKA COACHING
Both Spiritual Partners choose a verse that each of them would like to apply during the upcoming week, discuss how to apply it, make a plan, take action, and report daily or weekly to each other.
Example: Bg 17.15 for communication skills
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
1. Make a list of important areas in your life and form them into questions that your Spiritual Partner can ask you in a session. These questions may cover your top daily or weekly priorities.
For example:
- Have you done your best to chant quality japa?
- Have you done your best to read Srila Prabhupada's books?
- Have you done your best to build trusting relationships with devotees, relatives, colleagues, and friends?
- Have you done your best to make a wonderful contribution?
2. Your Spiritual Partner asks your own questions and listens to your answers attentively. If needed, he asks subquestions to help you think better about your goals and priorities.
3. In the second part of the session, he gives you his Personal Questions, and you play a role of a coach. You both have equal time as a client and coach.
EXCELLENT QUESTIONS
Use these steps to do a two-way session at least once a week:
1. Ask a devotee to clearly define a weekly goal. If he has a problem, turn it into a goal.
2. Ask him to think about and write down several excellent questions that can help him achieve the goal.
3. Ask him to think of the best answers to these questions.
4. Ask him to make a plan based on the answers and take action.
5. Ask him to report to you at the next session, or daily if he likes.
6. Review together his performance and results at the next session.
JAPA PARTNERSHIP
Help each other with improving your japa by:
- Sharing inspirational japa quotes
- Reading together books about japa (Japa Affirmations, Japa Reform Notebook, The Living Name, MTE Devotional Practice)
- Discussing obstacles to your japa
- Reporting to each other about your japa
- Chanting in one go
Here are few quotes:
Of all the regulative principles, the spiritual master's order to chant at least sixteen rounds is most essential.
Cc Madhya 22.113 P
It is essential ... that everyone fulfill a specific vow to chant the Hare Krsna mantra. Therefore we have prescribed in our Society that all our students must chant at least sixteen rounds daily. Such chanting must be offenseless in order to be of high quality. Mechanical chanting is not as powerful as chanting of the holy name without offenses.
Cc Adi 10.43 P
FEEDFORWARD
1. Ask each other for two improvement suggestions in a chosen area
2. Say thank you and do not comment
3. Follow up and report progress to each other
THINKING PARTNERSHIP
Use these steps to do a two-way session at least once a week:
1. What would you like to think about and what are your thoughts?
2. What more do you think, feel, or want to say?
3. What do you want to achieve from the rest of the session?
4. Ask Incisive Questions:
Is there anything you are assuming that is stopping you from achieving your goal (limiting assumption)?
5. If you knew that (add here a positive assumption) how would you prepare for achieving your goal?
6. Write down the Incisive Question (as in no.5), then ask it a minimum of three times (the positive opposite of the limiting assumption)
7. What do you appreciate about your Thinking Partner or Thinker
INTEGRITY PARTNERSHIP
"Exercise integrity in the moment of choice."
Integrity Partnership Goal:
Develop your own integrity and inspire others to develop theirs.
Integrity Partnership is an alliance of two devotees who agree to help each other improve their integrity by: regularly discussing about it, setting Weekly Integrity Goals, and reporting to each other.
Integrity partner sets Weekly Integrity Goals, and reports to their Integrity Partner weekly about how (s)he is working on achieving them.
The first step is to define clearly our Weekly Integrity Goals.
The second step is to work on them seriously every single day.
The third step is to report to your Integrity Partner at least once a week, usually done during the Integrity Partnership Session.
SET YOUR WEEKLY INTEGRITY GOALS HERE
1.
2.
3.
etc.
MORE WAYS TO DO SPIRITUAL PARTNERSHIP SESSIONS
Sessions can also be based on:
3 gunas
Metaphors and analogies
Your favorite verses
Bg index (by topic)
The most important verses
Srila Prabhupada's purports
Sections (e.g., those describing devotee qualities)
Large subjects (e.g. body, mind, spirit)
Be-Do-Have model
Using the GITA model (Goals - Ideas - Tests - Action)
SIMPLE SESSION MODEL
1. Listen attentively with a genuine interest
2. Ask questions that help a devotee work on his goals
NOTES
When we have a problem to solve or a goal to achieve or a philosophical or practical question, our first question is: What Srila Prabhupada said or did about it? And we go to Vedabase or Vanipedia.
True Spiritual Partner wants your success more than his own.
All beneficial relationships are based on trust, therefore respect confidentiality and privacy at all times. Never disclose to anyone private revelations and concerns expressed during sessions. Make sure never to betray trust invested in you.
Your relationship with a Spiritual Partner influences your relationship with yourself.
Spiritual Partner is emphatic, supportive, encouraging, and sees his partner in terms of his potential, not in terms of his present behavior or performance.
Because of the way one partner behaves with another, he develops a similar positive relationship or attitude with himself.
The partner communicates partner's worth and potential so clearly that he starts to see it himself.
Spiritual Partnership is sastra in action.
It is both devotee care and training.
It is a spiritual loving exchange between devotees.
Instead of saying Let us talk to each other, we now say Let us listen to each other.
SRILA PRABHUPADA ON LOVING
Srila Prabhupada:
We are giving Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is loving, real loving. We are giving him eternal life, eternal bliss. Unless we love them, why we are taking so much trouble? The preacher must love the people. Otherwise why he is taking? He can do it for himself at home. Why he is taking so much trouble? Why in eighty years old I have come here if I do not love? So who can love better than a preacher?
Morning Walk
17 May 1975 Perth
DISCLAIMER
Spiritual Partnership or any type of coaching that Gita Coaching promotes is not meant to replace the role of a guru or a mentor. It is meant to help a devotee follow Srila Prabhupada's instructions better and be a better disciple and mentee.
CONTACT
If you have any questions contact me via:
Whatsapp: +381644477126
Email: gitaseva108@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/gitaseva
LINKS
Blog
www.gitaseva.wordpress.com
YouTube
www.youtube.com/channel/UCgCsJSqSFxNbT1KlZkJTZ3g
Article
iskconnews.org/gita-coach-invests-in-devotees-to-help-them-succeed,7246/
This Guide was compiled by Gita Seva
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