Bhakti Vaibhava Authorization etc.

8 years, 6 months ago by abhinanda in Special Category A, Hot Topics

Hare Krsna Gurudeva

PAMHO.AGTSP.

I hope you are in good health. My question is about Bhakti Vaibhava Degree. What institution accredited this course? What are the requirements to be an Examiner of Bhakti Vaibhava?

One of the functions  of the educational  Commission is to ensure that devotees read the BG and SBhg. One idea for doing this is that the readings are included in the tests. I think a devotee of the first initiation must have already read the BG and devotee to the second initiation must have read the canto 1, 2 of SBG and Nectar of Devotion  then a reading program could bring him close to Krsna.

Many Thanks Gurudeva. (forgive my bad english)

Abhinanda das

 
HpS - ASA --- AGTSP.  Very nice questions. Thank you.

1. The Bhakti-vaihava diploma is given by the ISKCON Ministry of Education through it's Board of Examiners and then through authorized Bhakti-vaibhava
Teaching and Testing Centers. You should be able to find this information at www.iskconeducation.org unde the Schools and Institutions section. It is a little disorganized. They need a general description of who they, BOE, are.
 
 The only TandT Centers in the Western Hemisphere at this point are San Jose, California; Houston, Texas; and Dhanvantari Swami's Center in Brazil. Mayapura Intitute and maybe Souh Africa and VIHE, and Yadunanadana Swami's center in Spain, are also authorized. Washington D. C. with Braja-bihari Das is close to being authorized.

Peru applied some time ago but there were several things that needed to be adjusted in the application and then Laksmana had his big medical collapse, so since then it has been a disorganized program. Yugala-kishore Dasi and Laksmana Das have been very, very regular and sincere in going through the materials with the 1st San Jose group, but even that group is doing a lot of work to correct things, because they are the first group. There are two more later groups in San Jose, early cantos.
 
O.K. Is clear?

2. Next point. For first initiation there is no ISKCON standard except for the Guru-Disciple course as far as I know. Of course, almost every Yatra has some kind of course like your, "Introduction to Bhakti Yoga" course. Basic books tht are generally introduced are: The Science of Self-realization, one-volume Lilamrta, Nectar of Instruction, Life of Lord Caitanya (Intro to SB).
For second Initiation the Bhakti Sastri is becoming required.

It is a big pioneering era, so don't try to fix anything too rigid yet. Stay in touch with other Yatras, devotees, develope you local program with great enthusiasm, but in an integrated way with the whole society. Prabhupada did a lot of experimentation in the beginning.

O.K???