wondering about the ways to communicate

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

 

I am a student at a community college near me and for one of my classes they asked me to attend a gathering of people different then my own. So I went to a local temple and observed them there but I didn't get much out of it. I was wondering what you do when you greet one another and how close you like to be when talking and maybe do you interrupt people or do you let them talk and then you talk? This is for s communication class I am taking, so just if you would please give a little insight on how you communicate to other people.

 

Thank in advance

Scott

[theist]

Scott,

 

Your's is an example that is all too common I'm afraid. But it is also part of an answer to your question. You went to a local temple and didn't get much out of it. And what you were seeking was to understand communication. It appears no one there was willing to take the time to communicate with you. What does that tell?

 

I am assuming you went during a Sunday feast. That's when most guest's go. You probably observed that the people that knew each other stayed in their little comfort zones and made no effort to reach out to new people.

 

That type of behavior has become all too common as we tend to mistaken Krsna conscious gatherings for something like mundane social events. A little religious clique gets formed

and its hard to break in. Myself I don't want in but you were there to observe and learn.

 

I've seen it for years. The reason for that coldness is that this movement has become top heavy in talking philosophy but really low on ordinary manners and genuine human warmth.

 

Your post may serve as an unintended wake up call. The fact that you tried to communicate one on one and ended up having to search the internet for a facsimile of that experience I find very sad. And I am sorry Scott.

[Guest guest]

see some answers below your quetions.

 

"I was wondering what you do when you greet one another and"

 

when we greet, we say "hare krishna", or "jai sri krishna"

or "hari bol" or "jai" or "rama rama", or "namaskar" or "pranam", etc. we do not say "Hi".

 

 

" how close you like to be when talking and "

 

it depends upon gender and status and familiarity.

usually a man stays at more distant from a stranger woman and vice versa. close friends or relatives stay close.

with an aacharya or swami you can stay close but do not touch his body but can touch his feet.

 

in a temple if you approach a person or the priest, he will give you answers about relgion, but no one would really come forward to greet you if they do not know you. this i think should change. a new comer should be greeted happily.

 

"maybe do you interrupt people or do you let them talk and then you talk?"

 

if you respect the speaker, you do not interrupt.

in temples when some one gives a discourse, any one could raise hand and question when speaker tells. usually all questions from the audience are answered at the end of a discourse. once a formal program in a temple is over, then people can greet with each other and move in their groups, but respect all others because they are not ordinary peole, they are special god conscious as they have come to a temple.

 

temple is a place where people feel the presence of god and His great devotees. So, people behave accordingly.

 

hope it helps.