AI for Seva
From Basics to Mastery
A Practical Workshop for Devotees
ISKCON Budhanilkantha
Gaura-Nitai’s Service Centre, 2025
b Hare Krishna
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Today’s Journey
( Roadmap ◎ By the End You Will. . .
1. Why AI for Seva? ✓ Write clear, effective prompts from scratch
Motivation & mindset ✓ Draft announcements, flyers & summaries
2. Module 1 — The Basics ✓ Build volunteer rosters & schedules
Context · Task · Instruction ✓ Spot philosophical errors in AI output
3. Module 2 — Personas ✓ Use a personal checklist every time
Speaking AI’s language
✓ Teach this to a fellow devotee!
4. Module 3 — Refinement
Iterative prompting
5. Module 4 — Accuracy
Hallucinations & philosophy
6. The Golden Checklist
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Introduction — AI as a Tool for
Bhakti
AI Is Not Magic — It Is a Capable Volunteer
Think of AI like a highly literate new volunteer:
They are eager to help but know nothing about { What AI Can Do for Seva
your temple. $ Write festival announcements
They are incredibly fast at writing, summarising, Build volunteer rosters
translating.
Û Summarise Srila Prabhupada’s lec-
They will do exactly what you ask — not tures
what you meant. Translate prasadam menus
They never get tired, never complain, and are º Draft social media posts
available 24/7. [ Create study-circle questions
Write donor thank-you letters
Key Insight: The quality of your output
depends entirely on the quality of your input.
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The Spiritual Context: Yukta-Vairagya
_ Srila Prabhupada on Tools 8 Our Guiding Principle
"Everything should be used in Krishna’s service.. . . We b AI assists — devotees decide.
are not against material advancement, but we want
b Always verify philosophical content
to utilise everything in the service of the Lord."
manually.
— Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Introduction b Time saved = more time for chant-
ing.
Yukta-vairagya = appropriate renunciation. b The tool serves the mission, not the
Using technology as an instrument of seva, not an other way around.
end in itself, is fully in line with Vaishnava philosophy.
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Module 1 — The
Context-Task-Instruction
Framework
Context sets the scene Task names the deliverable Instruction shapes the style.
Together they are like a complete seva assignment — not a vague wish!
CTI in Action: Festival Announcement
q Poor Prompt
"Write something about Gaura Purnima."
. Why it fails: No context (who, where?), no format, no audience, no tone. AI guesses — and often
guesses wrong.
¥ Optimised Prompt
Context: I manage communications for ISKCON Budhanilkantha temple, Kathmandu. We are
hosting a free Gaura Purnima celebration on 14 March, open to the public.
Task: Write a festival announcement for our WhatsApp community group.
Instruction: Keep it under 120 words. Use a warm, devotional tone. Include: date, time (5 PM),
prasadam distribution, and a call-to-action to share with friends. Do not use complex Sanskrit
without explanation.
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¥ Why it works: The AI knows who you are, what you need, and how it should look.
CTI in Action: Lecture Summary
q Poor Prompt
"Summarise this lecture for me." [pastes 3,000-word transcript]
. Why it fails: What format? For whom? How long? Which key points matter?
¥ Optimised Prompt
Context: Below is a transcript of a Sunday Feast lecture on Bhagavad-gita Chapter 9, given at
ISKCON Budhanilkantha. Our audience is devotees with 2–5 years of experience in bhakti.
Task: Summarise the lecture.
Instruction: Produce: (1) a 3-sentence overview, (2) 5 bullet-point key teachings, (3) one practical
takeaway the audience can apply this week. Preserve any direct quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s
books exactly as given.
[Paste transcript here]
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Exercise 1 — Write Your First CTI Prompt
Workshop Exercise
Scenario: Your pujari department needs to send a reminder to all temple volunteers about
the correct procedure for offering tulasi to the Deity. The message will go out on Telegram
and must be respectful, clear, and under 80 words.
Your Task: On the notepad provided, write a full Context–Task–Instruction prompt that
you would give to ChatGPT or Gemini.
C: Who are you? What is the situation? T: What do you need?
I: Tone / length / format?
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Module 2 — Using Personas
What Is a Persona and Why Does It Work?
Analogy: Imagine calling a florist.
If you say "I need flowers" — you could get # Useful Personas for Seva
anything. º Social media manager for a Vaishnava
If you say "I need flowers for a Deity room — non-profit
sattvic, fragrant, no onion-family plants" — Bhakti-shastri study group facilitator
the florist shifts their entire frame of reference. \ Newsletter editor for a devotee com-
munity
When you tell AI to "Act as [X]", you are loading
´ Volunteer coordinator for a Hindu
a professional frame of reference into its responses.
temple
It then filters all vocabulary, tone, examples, and _ Translator familiar with Vaishnava
structure through that lens automatically. terminology
» Event caterer experienced with sattvic
menus
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Persona: Before & After — Social Media Post
q Poor Prompt
"Write an Instagram post about our Harinam on Saturday."
. Result: Generic, commercial-sounding copy — "Join us this Saturday for a fun spiritual walk!"
¥ Optimised Prompt
Act as: A social media manager for a Vaishnava spiritual non-profit. Your style is warm, joyful, and
devotional — never commercial or clickbait.
Context: ISKCON Budhanilkantha holds a public Harinam sankirtan every Saturday at 4 PM, starting
at Budhanilkantha temple and walking through the local market.
Task: Write an Instagram caption (max 150 characters + 5 hashtags) that invites the general public
to join. Include the time and location. Convey the joy of chanting without sounding preachy.
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Persona: Before & After — Donor Thank-You Letter
q Poor Prompt
"Write a thank you letter to our donor who gave NPR 50,000."
. Result: Corporate boilerplate — sounds like a bank receipt. Cold, impersonal.
¥ Optimised Prompt
Act as: The secretary of a Hindu Vaishnava temple with a devotional, heartfelt, and slightly formal
writing style — like a letter from a guru to a disciple.
Context: A local Kathmandu businessman named Ramesh Shrestha ji donated NPR 50,000 toward
our Janmashtami feast sponsorship programme.
Task: Write a one-page thank-you letter (approx. 200 words).
Instruction: Begin with a Sanskrit benediction (provide translation). Mention how his donation will
feed 300 devotees. Close with an invitation to attend the festival. No fundraising ask in this letter.
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Exercise 2 — Design Your Persona Prompt
Workshop Exercise
Scenario: The temple president has asked you to create a WhatsApp message inviting local
school students (ages 14–18) to a free Bhagavad-gita study camp during Diwali break.
Your Task: Write a complete prompt using the Persona + CTI structure below.
Act As: (describe the persona) Task:
Context: Instruction (tone, length, format,
exclusions):
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Module 3 — Iterative
Prompting & Complex Tasks
Conversation, Not Command
Most people treat AI like a vending machine:
insert one coin, receive one product. Ú Useful Refinement Phrases
Expert users treat it like a skilled co-worker: give "Make it 30% shorter."
an initial brief, review the draft, give feedback, and "Rewrite in a more formal tone."
refine. "Add a line about prasadam distribu-
tion."
The Refinement Loop
"Remove all English transliterations."
1. Send → initial CTI prompt
"Give me 3 alternative versions."
2. Review → read output critically
3. Refine → "Change X, add Y, remove Z" "Make it suitable for non-devotees."
4. Repeat → until satisfied "Use simpler vocabulary — grade 7
Typical good result: 2–4 rounds level."
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Complex Task: Volunteer Roster for Gaura Purnima
q Poor Prompt
"Make a volunteer schedule for Gaura Purnima."
¥ Optimised Prompt
Round 1 — Structure:
Act as a temple volunteer coordinator. I need a 10-day volunteer roster for Gaura Purnima preparations
at ISKCON Budhanilkantha (1–10 March 2025). We have 5 seva departments: Deity Service, Kitchen,
Outreach, Decoration, and Logistics. Each department needs 3 shift leads and 10 volunteers per day.
Output as a table: rows = departments, columns = dates 1–10 Mar. Use codes: SL = Shift Lead, V
= Volunteer.
Round 2 — Refinement:
"Add a ’Notes’ column for special requirements on festival day (10 Mar). Highlight that Decoration
needs double volunteers on 9–10 Mar."
Round 3 — Export: 14
"Now rewrite this as a clean WhatsApp-friendly text list, grouped by department, without the table
Handling Structured Data: Prasadam Menu Planning
AI can work with lists, tables, and structured
data. ¥ Optimised Prompt
Give it information in, and it will organise, sort, I have a prasadam menu for 50 people. Be-
translate, or reformat it for any purpose. low is the item list with quantities for 10
people. Scale all quantities to serve 50.
O Real Seva Use Cases Then add a column for estimated cost in
» Plan a 7-day sattvic menu for a retreat NPR (assume rice = NPR 90/kg, dal =
NPR 120/kg, ghee = NPR 800/kg).
f Calculate ingredients for 500 servings
Output as a table with columns: Item | Qty
Ñ Estimate prasadam costs in NPR
(10p) | Qty (50p) | Est. Cost (NPR)
Translate the menu into Nepali & English
[Paste your menu list here]
Flag allergen warnings (nuts, dairy, gluten)
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Exercise 3 — Iterative Refinement Challenge
Workshop Exercise
Scenario: You have received this AI-generated draft announcement and it is not quite right:
; AI Draft to Fix
"Hey guys! Big party at the temple this weekend! Come join us for some awesome spiritual vibes
and free food. Bring the whole family, it’s going to be EPIC! #temple #spiritual #freeFood
#ISKCON"
Your Task: Write a refinement prompt — a follow-up instruction to fix this draft. You may
NOT rewrite the announcement yourself! You must instruct the AI to fix it.
Consider: tone, vocabulary, missing information, inappropriate phrases, length, and hashtags.
Time: 5 minutes. Compare your refinement prompt with a neighbour’s — whose instructions are
more precise?
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Module 4 — Hallucinations &
Philosophical Accuracy
What Is a "Hallucination" and Why Should Devotees Care?
Hallucination: AI confidently states something that
is factually false. ³ High-Risk Areas for Seva
It is not lying — it is pattern-matching without p Sanskrit verse citations (chapter/verse
true understanding. numbers)
It can invent Sanskrit verses, attribute quotes p Prabhupada quotes (must check Ved-
to Prabhupada that he never said, or confuse abase)
similar festivals. p Acharya biographies & dates
The output sounds completely credible. p Historical claims about the sampra-
daya
✓ Creative writing, announcements
- Rule: Never publish AI-generated philosophical
content, shastra quotations, or biographical claims ✓ Schedule/roster/menu tasks
without manually verifying in the original source. ✓ Translation & reformatting
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Prompts That Reduce Hallucinations
q Poor Prompt
"What did Srila Prabhupada say about vegetarianism?"
. Risk: AI will generate plausible-sounding quotes that may be partially or fully fabricated.
¥ Optimised Prompt
I need to find Srila Prabhupada’s teachings on vegetarianism.
Please do NOT invent or paraphrase quotes. Instead, describe the general themes he addressed
on this topic and list the books/lectures where these themes appear, so I can look them up on
[Link] myself.
If you are unsure of an exact reference, say "I am not certain — please verify" rather than guessing.
¥ Why it works: You have explicitly asked for directions to the source, not a reproduction of the source
— and you have instructed the AI to flag uncertainty.
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Exercise 4 — Spot the Hallucination
Workshop Exercise
Scenario: A devotee asked AI: "Write a paragraph explaining Ekadashi for our temple
newsletter." This is the AI output:
"Ekadashi is observed on the 11th day of both the waxing and waning moon, totalling 24 fasts
per year. According to the Padma Purana, Chapter 14, Verse 22, Lord Vishnu declared: ’One
who observes Ekadashi with pure heart shall attain the merit of bathing in all sacred rivers
simultaneously.’ This sacred fast was introduced by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati in the early
20th century as part of the Gaudiya Vaishnava revival movement."
Your Task: Identify at least two potential hallucinations or errors in this paragraph. Write
a follow-up prompt instructing the AI to correct them safely.
Time: 5 minutes. Hint: check the last sentence carefully!
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Conclusion — Your Prompt
Checklist
The Golden Prompt Checklist
À Before You Send ⋆ After You Receive Output
§ Context: Have I told AI who I am and § Read the full output before copying.
what the situation is?
§ Are there any philosophical claims?
§ Task: Is the deliverable crystal-clear?
§ Verify all scripture references on Vedabase.
§ Persona: Should I assign a role to AI?
§ Check proper Sanskrit spelling.
§ Format: Did I specify length, structure,
§ Does it sound like your temple?
channel (WhatsApp / print / web)?
§ Run 1–2 refinement rounds if needed.
§ Tone: Formal, devotional, friendly, formal?
§ Have a senior devotee approve theological
§ Exclusions: What should NOT appear?
content.
§ Audience: Who will read this output?
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Quick Reference: AI Tools to Get Started
Free Tools (No Account Needed) Getting Started Today
Google Gemini — [Link] Step 1: Open [Link] on your
Excellent for long documents, summaries, phone.
Nepali language Step 2: Type your first CTI prompt (use the
Claude — [Link] festival announcement example).
Excellent for careful, nuanced writing Step 3: Read the result. Refine once.
ChatGPT — [Link] Step 4: Show a fellow devotee and teach them!
Versatile, strong for structured content b "Teach to learn completely."
ò All have free tiers sufficient for seva tasks. — Chanakya Niti
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Summary: The Pillars of Effective AI Seva
#
Personas Iterative Verify
CTI
+ Context Refinement Accuracy
Framework
Context · Task "Act as. . . " with Review, re- Vedabase for
· Instruction Vaishnava lens fine, repeat all philosophy
b AI is a powerful instrument of seva when used with knowledge, discernment, and Krishna
consciousness.
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Final Exercise — Your 7-Day Seva AI Challenge
The 7-Day Challenge
Pick ONE seva task you do regularly and complete it this week using AI with the full CTI +
Persona framework.
Suggestions: Report Back:
# Weekly e-newsletter introduction § Which tool did you use?
| Sunday programme schedule § How many rounds of refinement?
² Volunteer duty roster § Any hallucinations spotted?
` Bhagavatam class summary § Time saved (estimate in minutes)?
¡ Donation appeal letter § Would you use it again?
Instagram post for next festival Share your results in our devotee WhatsApp
group!
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b
Hare Krishna!
Thank you for your attentive seva.
Questions & Open Practice Session
Workshop materials: ask your facilitator for the PDF handout.
Vedabase: [Link] Gemini: [Link]
"The highest perfection of human life. . . is to remember
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the Lord at the time of death." — Bg 8.5
Appendix — Prompt Cheat Sheet (Print & Keep)
[ CTI Template Refinement Phrases
[CONTEXT:] I am the "Make it 50% shorter."
at ISKCON Budhanilkantha. "Change the tone to more formal."
We are . "Add a line about prasadam."
"Translate this into Nepali."
[TASK:] Please write/create/ "Give me 3 alternative versions."
summarise . "Remove all hashtags."
[INSTRUCTION:] Format: "Use simpler vocabulary."
Length: words.
Tone: .
Do NOT include: .
NEVER Trust AI For. . .
Scripture verse citations (always verify on [Link])
Prabhupada quotes (check the exact wording)
# Persona Starters Historical dates of acharyas
"Act as a social media manager for a Vaishnava non- Siddhantic conclusions (consult a senior devotee)
profit. . . "
"Act as a Nepali-English translator familiar with Vaish-
nava terms. . . "
"Act as an event coordinator for a Hindu temple. . . "