Bh. Vai. in ISV etc.
From: Bhaktarupa (das) ACBSP (Puri - IN)
To: Srivasa Pandit Das
Cc: HPS BhaktiVaibhava ;Vaisesika Prabhu <>
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2017 8:45 PM
Subject: Bhakti Vaibhava certificates
> Dear Bhaktarupa Prabhu,
> Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
> The following the devotees who have completed their work for Bhakti
> Vaibhava.
My congratulations to the successful candidates!
I will need the award dates for printing on each certificate.
Please confirm that all the devotees below want their name spelled as "Dasa"
instead of "Das". Sometimes devotees want to use their certificates outside
of ISKCON and prefer the more pronouncible "Das".
> Hanumatpresaka Swami
> Vaisesika Dasa
> Namacarya Dasa
> Srinivasa Acarya Dasa
> Sundari Radhika Devi Dasi
> Chandramukhi Devi Dasi
> Upendra Dasa
> Srivasa Pandit Dasa
If you are the Program Administrator then you cannot approve your own
assessment. I am travelling right now and don't have all my records with me,
so if there is some special situation that covers this case then let me
know.
> Can you please let us know what we can do further to get the certificates?
As I am travelling it will be a few weeks before I can print them, but just
send me the full address to which they should be sent by air parcel post and
I will send as soon as possible.
Your servant, Bhaktarupa Das
___________________________________________
HpS - ASA >>> Srivasa Pt, Vais, B. Rupa, Radhika, Anantarupa, Bh. V. students, Badri Swami, Hari-lila and Radha-krsna Das (Houston)...
Hare Krsna, Prabhus, Maharaja,
AGTSP. Paoho. We are glad to see that Srivasa pt. Das is pushing this forward. First we would like to say that from our perspective all the candidates he mentions have satisfied the ISKCON requirements for the diploma by the ISKCON standards except for one thing, and we think that the ISKCON standards would satisfy Srila Prabhupada. We don't think anyone scored 100% in their studies, nor has ISV scored 100% in its course administration. Maybe all of us have just squeaked by with a D score, but we think that we are pioneering this and going ahead in ISKCON is the secret.
In our opinion the diplomas should not be awarded until Prabhu Vaisesika Das finishes his last Masters Class of the four he promised to give. He is listed as one of the teachers in the application ISV made to be a BhVai. Diploma Center. He should do it and we all should hear it and write a little essay for it.
Another thing is that all of the students need certification that they are engaged in favorable devotional service by a senior ISKCON devotee. Again, this does not have to mean that they are free from faults, but they are practically engaged. For the students in Boise, as far as I know, former Temple President,Radhika-ramana Das; ourselves and Badri-narayan Swami would attest that they are favorable engaged as far as they reasonably know.
Any well wishing objections?
nunc aut loquetur pacem in sempiternum tenere
Speak now or forever hold your peace.
As a general note, feel that there are fundamental adjustments that need to be made with the ISV program administration. We feel that there should be personal involvement of the Temple President with the local students and also the Diploma Center. There should be a form from the Ministry to be filled out and submitted by the Temple President of the Diploma Center of his review of the program each quarter(?) etc.
We feel that education, daily SB class, should be understood to be the primary way to please the Deities rather than Srngara tan Mandira-marjinado. Of course, they are related and nice Diety worship is the proof that the Temple has organized a good SB sanga for its members.
First challenge for Temple President is to see that their is physical opportunity for neighborhood devotees to sit together morning and evening and hear SB together. This will be the fastest (and maybe only) way to improve peoples character and eliminate personality disputes. President should adjust the timings for modern work schedule and members should adjust their work to be able to join. Krsna will help us in both cases.
If we want to say that devotees who live too far to come to Temple for morning class are Members of our Congregation then we should offer them some on-line program that they can join. This is simple in the modern world if we make it a priority service for the Deity.
Then Members can (must) come on the weekend for live discussions and review of the week's SB study.
Unless this can be arranged then we feel we should be honest and tell our authorities, GBC, Gurus, that we cannot act as proper Temple Presidents or Disciples and the Center should then admit that it is a Preaching Center and not an ISKCON Temple. That is also GLORIOUS, no?
These are our opinions, from our position of encountering the elephant, from visiting centers in USA, India, around the world (Pune, Mayapua, Brisbane, Melbourne), working with the Ministry for years, running our own Center(s), giving a pint of blood in personal efforts.
We are just little pigs, but we will continue with this effort by your mercy and make our small squeaking sounds, and then listen to yours large squeaking sounds.
We will publish this letter at our Blog etc. so that we can follow in Pandita Ji's footsteps, all of your footsteps, and push things forward.
Thank you, Prabhus and Maharaja's
