Who should live in the Matha or temple

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Who should live in the Matha?

Our Matha is not meant for wrestlers; nor do aristocrats need to live in the

Matha. Only Lord Hari’s devotees should live in the Matha. If we remove the

people in the Matha who are fond of eating and enjoying intimate association

with women, the Matha’s expenditures and problems will diminish. We have to

send home those proud and independent people who do not follow the Matha’s

rules and regulations, and who neither follow the spiritual master’s orders

nor display humility. If as a result we have less manpower, we are content.

We should not allow those who are not interested in worshiping Hari but who

aspire for profit, adoration, distinction, women, and wealth to live in the

Matha. Such people are opposed to the Matha in their hearts. They think, “I

have been living in the Matha for a long time. I have worked hard for the

Matha, and therefore can now eat nice foods, dress opulently, demand respect

from others, and be given a share in Matha administration.” We should never

encourage such ideas, because they are opposed to devotional service. Such

mentalities develop when living entities indulge in doubt, blasphemy, and

idle talk.We should not be proud and think, “I am expert, intelligent, a

good speaker, and a good singer.” These thoughts are averse to devotional

service. We need to feel ourselves lower than the straw in the street. If

anyone attacks or criticizes us, we should tolerate it and simply chant

Hari’s holy name. We should think that today the Lord has mercifully awarded

us the opportunity to become humbler than a blade of grass. When someone

blasphemes us, we should know that the Lord is awarding us a benediction

through those whose trouble is inevitable.

 

(Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Amrta Vani)