Hare Krishna!

Would you like to integrate Improving Sanga’s principles in your own discussions?

In this section you will find our 18 Useful Tips. These are tried and tested ways of implementing the principles.

We also have a list of questions on each principle. Use the questions to help you assimilate the information.

If you want more help, fill out the contact form and get in touch. We are waiting to help you, your family, your temple, and your community to feel the Improving Sanga magic. 

Your servants,
The Editors

[COMING SOON: Video Tutorials]

Since we first started experimenting using the 10 principles, we discovered some ways of applying them were more effective than others. We share our most helpful discoveries as 18 Useful Tips. In our experience these 18 tips ensure everyone is heard and given an opportunity to fully and effectively participate in the discussion. If the discussion becomes boring, confusing or disjointed, it is normally because we are not properly applying these tips. When they are applied properly, sastra discussions become a truly magical and dynamic experience. Our experience is that devotees frequently need personal coaching in how to use the tips properly. If you would like coaching, connect with us via our WhatsApp link.

18 USEFUL TIPS

Having a set of protocols that everyone agrees to is really useful. It keeps us all singing from the same song sheet, so to speak. Please use or adapt these protocols as you find helpful. 

1. Understanding and Response
   Separate your discussions into two main parts: Understanding Srila Prabhupada and responding to him.
   When understanding, simply explain in our own words what we understand the text means.
   When responding first bring up your doubts, confusions, and misgivings, and then any lessons you take from the section.

2. First Understand
   Always start the discussion by understanding the text. Once everyone who wants to, has done their understanding, then move on to responses.
   This protocol is quite revolutionary, as usually when devotees give class, they immediately launch into their responses. This can be a difficult habit to change, but coaching sessions can help.

3. Deconstruct the Sentence
   When understanding difficult sentences, deconstruct the sentence by unpacking the meaning, a phrase or word at a time. After systematically deconstructing the sentence,  again reconstruct its meaning. When doing an understanding, avoid using Srila Prabhupada’s words. This will oblige you to think carefully about the meaning of the text and express it in your own words. If a sentence is very simple, short or straightforward, you may not don’t need to do this. Use this tip wisely. Again coaching can help.Examples of sentences for which we would use this tip:

• “Bhagavad-gītā is the widely read theistic science summarized in the Gītā-māhātmya (Glorification of the Gītā).”This sentence is packed with pregnant phrases and words such as ‘widely read’, ‘theistic science’, ‘summarized’ and ‘Gita-mahatmya’. We would typically unpack the meaning of each of these phrases or words.

• “There it says that one should read Bhagavad-gītā very scrutinizingly with the help of a person who is a devotee of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and try to understand it without personally motivated interpretations.”This sentence is also packed with pregnant phrases and words such as: ‘There it says’, ‘very scrutinizingly’, ‘with the help of a person who is a devotee of Sri Krsna’, ‘try to understand it’, ‘without personally motivated interpretations’. All these phrases warrant scrutiny.

Examples of sentences for which we would not use this tip:

• “Duryodhana mentions the exceptional heroes in the battle, all of whom are ever victorious.”

Here is an example of how we would understand this sentence: “Duryodhana gives the names of some particularly powerful fighters who have never lost a battle.”

• “Vikarṇa is the brother of Duryodhana, Aśvatthāmā is the son of Droṇācārya, and Saumadatti, or Bhūriśravā, is the son of the King of the Bāhlīkas.”

Here is an example of how we would understand this sentence: “Srila Prabhupada lists three warriors and introduces them in terms of their relationship with another well-known personality.  He introduces Vikarna in terms of his relationship with Duryodhana, Ashvatthama in terms of his relationship with Drona, and Saumadatti in terms of his relationship with the King of Bahlika. He also tells us Saumadatti’s alternative name, Bhurisrava.” 

4. Reflect back in 3 steps
   When empathically understanding your discussion partner, try using three steps:

1. 1. Repeat the word or phrase our partner is unpacking. “You are unpacking this phrase / word…..”
   2. Repeat our partner’s explanation, using their words. “I heard you say……”
   3. Explain their meaning in our own words. “I understand you mean…..”

Steps 1 and 2 force us to listen and help our discussion partner feel genuinely heard. If you find it hard to listen, focus on these two steps. As you become more practised at listening, you can try adding step 3, putting their meaning in your own words. Step 3 is excellent for giving our discussion partner ‘psychological air’. When they hear their meaning rephrased, it allows them to reconsider their understanding or feel more comfortable building on it.

If you find the reflections robotic and boring, it may be because you are not doing step 3 properly. You may just be paraphrasing, or word-swapping, for example, replacing the word ‘look’ with ‘see’. Try taking a risk when you do step 3 and expressing in your own unique way what you thought they meant. Try to express their intended meaning better than they did.

If we are enthusiastic and patient in implementing these tips, it really helps our discussions become exciting journeys of discovery. Coaching can help assimilate this tip.

5. Short sound bites
   When understanding Srila Prabhupada, remember your discussion partner must repeat back what you said. You can help them by speaking in short sound bites. If you say too much in one go, they may not be able to remember what you said.

6. Courtesy tip when understanding
   After applying Useful Tip 4, end each attempt to understand our partner with the phrase, “Have I understood you properly? Would you like to say more?”If they do say more, continue to understand them and invite them to say more if necessary. We continue understanding until they feel fully understood and have nothing to add.This tip ensures they feel comfortable speaking in short sound bites because they know they will get to finish what they want to say.Furthermore, by letting them know you are interested to hear them, you will help them feel respected and thus develop a positive emotional energy in the discussion. Positive emotional energy allows everyone in the discussion to think more deeply about the subject matter.

7. Courtesy tip when speaking
   Be careful to keep the discussion interactive and not monopolise it. Keep to the point when it is your turn to understand Srila Prabhupada. Even though your discussion partner courteously invites you  to say more,  only do so if you have something of value to add to the understanding. Be conscious not to speak for the sake of speaking and thus rob your discussion partner of the opportunity to speak.The same applies when you respond. When you explore your response to a question, your discussion partner will continue to ask if you want to say more. Please only speak as long as it takes to share your light on the question you raised. Be careful not to ‘mind-map’ and discuss other related points. Please be conscious that your discussion partner may be waiting to say something, and their contribution is important to the discussion. Carefully discipline Your tendency to speak so others also get a chance to participate. Failure to do so, may end up in your discussion partners feeling bored, and not wanting to discuss with you anymore.If they ask if you would like to say more, but you have finished sharing what is relevant to the point under discussion, just say, “No, thank you.  Would you like to say anything?”

8. Who answers the question
   When your discussion partner asks a question, first reflect the question back to them. We do this in two steps. First, we say their words, to make sure we heard them properly, then we rephrase their question in our own words. When doing this second phase, do not just word swap. Try to put their confusion in your own words.Once they feel their question is properly understood, do not answer the question. Instead ask, “Do you have any light on your question?”At first, some devotees find this protocol strange. After all, if someone asks us a question it means they don’t know the answer and want us to answer it for them. However, we have discovered that often we get insights or ‘lights’ on our questions when given a chance to ponder them. And when the answer comes from us, it’s much more powerful and convincing. If we don’t have an answer, we can say so, and our discussion partner can then offer their thoughts.One might ask if Srila Prabhupada ever did this? When we question our spiritual master, that’s very different from asking another devotee. The Acharya is the ‘professor’ delivering the knowledge. As students, we are just trying to understand and assist each other in understanding his teachings. We are not professors ourselves who can answer all questions.However, even though in his dealings with his disciples, Srila Prabhupada was the undisputed Acharya, he often asked, “What do you think?” This is like saying, “Do you have a light on your question?” It’s an invitation to think for ourselves and remember relevant scriptural instructions. 

9. Be aware of your non-verbal communication.
   Be conscious of your non-verbal communication. Studies show that the spoken word only accounts for 7% of our communication. Our tone of voice and other sounds (like ‘uh-huh’) account for 38%, while body language and facial expressions comprise 55%. Positive non-verbal communication occurs automatically when we have warm feelings towards our discussion partner.  However, by consciously working on our non-verbal communication, we can generate warm emotional energy.  A positive emotional atmosphere is crucial for us to work collaboratively with our discussion partner to deeply explore sastra.However, sometimes we can’t give someone warm eye contact or a genuine smile because we are harbouring deep hurt or resentment. We may not even be aware of our own emotional block, but if we find we cannot improve our non-verbal communication, we need to introspect. If you are discussing with an important person in your life, such as your spouse, we recommend you make time for heart-to-heart conversations. Use non-violent communication to work through difficult issues and emotions which adversely impact your discussions. Non-violent communication principles are very compatible with Improving Sanga. There are many books and blogs on this, and we highly recommend you learn more on this topic.Don’t know where to start looking? Try Living Nonviolent Communication
   Examples of poor non-verbal communication:

• Either failing to give eye contact or giving a glaring look
• Passive expression of the face,
• Turning away of the body,
• Lack-lustre voice tone,
• Crossing your arms or legs.

Examples of positive non-verbal communication:

• Warm eye contact
• Warm smile
• Turning body towards our discussion partner,
• Interested look on face,
• Interested tone of voice.

10. Start your Response with a Question
    After everyone who wants to do an understanding of the text has done so, it’s time to respond. Always start your response with a question. This prevents aimless mind-mapping. To open the ‘honey jar’ of Srila Prabhupada’s purports, we must ask purposeful questions that enable us to penetrate the transcendental and often nuanced meanings of the text. Speaking haphazardly and allowing ourselves to go off on tangents wastes our discussion time. If there are no questions, we do our understanding of the next sentence.

11. Five types of questions
    We limit our questions to five categories to ensure they keep us on track. Questions are the tools we use to excavate the deeper meaning and application of what we read. We don’t need to use them on every sentence, but if we use them wisely, they will help us gain valuable lessons. When we are first learning how to do IS discussions, it may be wise to limit yourself to just the first two categories of questions.The five categories of questions we use in Improving Sanga discussions are:

1. “Am I confused about the sentence’s literal meaning?” For example, is there a word in the text that I need to look up in the dictionary? Or is the sentence syntax confusing. It is important to properly understand the literal meaning of the sentence if we are going to gain any benefit from it.

2. “Do I have any doubts, confusions, or misgivings about the text?”

• A doubt means we are not sure if something is true. For example, I may doubt the moon is further away than the sun.
• A confusion suggests we have read or heard Srila Prabhupada say something which contradicts the text elsewhere, and we are not sure which statement is true, or how they can both be true.
• A misgiving means that something we heard sounds morally abhorrent or offensive. For example, we may find statements about women to be offensive.

3. After we have clarity on the above questions, we can consider if we have any insights. An insight is a lesson which is implied (though not directly stated) by the sentence under discussion.For example, in Bg 8.16 verse, Krishna says, “From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place.”
   
   An understanding of this sentence might go like this: Brahma’s planet, Satyaloka, is the highest planet in the material world, and Patalaloka is the lowest. The inhabitants of both these planets and all those lying in between such as Janaloka, Maharloka, Bhuloka, etc, suffer from adhibhautika, adhyatmic, and adhidaivic.
   
   An insight might look like this: Lord Brahma and those on his planet enjoy the highest standards of material knowledge, beauty, wealth, power, renunciation, and fame, yet none of their opulence can prevent them from suffering. What to speak then of famous, wealthy, beautiful people of this world. Since material opulence cannot prevent one’s suffering, there is no reason to envy those who enjoy them.

4. “Is there anything we have discussed so far that I need to imbibe more deeply?” By this stage in the discussion, you may have uncovered truths you had never previously considered.  As we tend to forget things very quickly, you may wish to ask this question to see if there is anything that you want to remember. This question is not an invitation to add anything new to what has already been said. Rather it is an invitation to recall and repeat something which you found particularly interesting and which you want to make sure you don’t forget.

5. “So what?” This question is shorthand for, “How can anything we have understood make any difference in how I think, see, feel, speak, or act?” When appropriate, you can divide the reply into two parts: the ideal application and your personal, realistic application. This question is best used in very small groups of 2 to 3, and ideal when discussing with one’s spouse.

12. Show Gratitude When Understood
    Every time our discussion partner tries to understand us, we always thank them.  Understanding others is the hardest part of the discussion, so we always ensure we enthusiastically and warmly express our appreciation. If they didn’t understand us properly, we still express gratitude for they are giving us a chance to clarify our thoughts.We stick to these positive phrases when we are understood:

• If our discussion partner didn’t understand us perfectly, we simply say, “Thank you for giving me a chance to clarify.”
• If they understood us perfectly and we have nothing to add, we simply say, “Thank you. You understood me perfectly, and I have nothing to add.”

We are careful never to discourage them with any negative remarks like,

• “You didn’t understand properly.”
• “You added something I didn’t say.”
• “That’s not what I meant.”

13. Say Why You Are Saying More
    There may be many different reasons you decide to say more when invited to. Always explain why you want to say more, otherwise your discussion partner may think you are constantly correcting their understanding and become discouraged and confused. Here are more phrases you can use:

1. If you were partially understood, say, “Thank you. I just want to stress a point.”

1. If you were perfectly understood, and now want to change your initial understanding, say, “Thank you, you understood me perfectly, and in doing so you have allowed me to reconsider what I understand.”
2. If you were perfectly understood you want to add more, we say, “Thank you. You understood me so well, that I would like to add something.”

14. Stick to the Point
    When we understand our discussion partner, we stick to reflecting their point and are careful not to add our own understanding. We have discovered that if we add our own understanding when we are meant to be understanding our discussion partner, we confuse their thinking. Furthermore, our point is not understood by anyone, as it wasn’t our turn to be understood.

15. Stop on Time
    We allocate a certain amount of time to our discussion, and make sure we stop on time. This makes it easier to regularly discuss because we all feel confident that the discussion will not impinge on other commitments.

16. Recap
    We start our discussion with a recap. This is a good way of maintaining continuity. We don’t recap the whole discussion. Since we discuss every day, we merely remind ourselves of the last point we ended on the previous day. For example, did we end on an understanding or a response. If we ended on an understanding, did everyone get a chance to share their understanding. If we ended on a response, what was the question, and was it satisfactorily covered.If you do a once weekly discussion, consider using WhatsApp or Telegram for your group. You can put a little note in your group at the end of each discussion reminding yourselves of the last point you discussed.When we start a new verse or chapter, we do a slightly longer recap, maybe 2 or 3 minutes. We give an overview of what’s been discussed up to this point. This is a good way of keeping the bigger picture in mind and a sense of the flow. Adjust how you do your recap to suit your discussion needs.

17. Facilitator
    We take turns facilitating the discussion. The facilitator keeps the discussion moving. If there are only two of us, the facilitator doesn’t have much to do, but if there are more than two, they ensure that everyone gets a chance to participate and keep to the discussion protocols. The facilitator’s role is very much like that of an orchestra conductor. In a group bigger than two, the facilitation should rotate between those in the group who are well practiced in the Improving Sanga discussion method.

18. Interact & Participate
    Keep the discussion very interactive and participative. Ensure everyone gets equal turns leading the Sanskrit verse and translation, reading the purport, doing the recap, and starting the discussion. At home, we take turns doing everything.