There’s something wonderfully magical about communities. One of the most powerful aspects of a well functioning community is that it can scale trust beyond individual relationships. Here are four benefits that you get from being part of a Temple community.

• Growth: Being part of a Temple community brings purification, correction and encouragement that ultimately lead to stronger and more mature devotees. We grow best in Bhakti when we have brothers and sisters who fast-track our spiritual maturity by being a helping hand. We grow best when we grow alongside others who can lead, guide, counsel and pray for us and our relationship with God.
• Purpose: Deep inside, we all want to be part of something bigger than us. When we become part of a community, this is exactly what happens. In a community, we serve a purpose and in serving that purpose, we grow in significance and belongingness. The community is like a body where every member/organ plays a specific role. When we become part of a community, we are given a role to play. We don’t look at this as a requirement, but rather as an opportunity to put to use gifts that God has brought into our lives.
• Fun and Enjoyment: Bhakti is not about rituals, practices and rites. It is primarily about enjoying a relationship with the loving Supreme and with our fellow practitioners.

VASUDHAIVA KUTUMBAKAM

Seeing the world as one family – connected to that one Supreme, who is known and remembered by different names and methods across the globe. This has huge consequences: suddenly, when you’re searching for the answer to a question or need help, you’re not just looking among your family members, friends or personal network, but within a much larger group, potentially thousands of people across the whole globe.

Searching, collaborating and working within a devotional community means that the chances of finding answers to the queries we always had, the support we always needed, the true-friendships we always sought, are much bigger. There will be more people who could potentially help. The set of people who could help us will be more diverse (and therefore more valuable). A match and meaningful insights are more likely. Benefits of growing spiritually within a devotional community are always much greater than what one could ever imagine.