Bhakti Vrksa Program - class given by HG Venu Gopal Prabhu -

[Guest guest]

This is the summary class given by HG Venugopal prabhu ( from

Muscat )

 

Lecture starts here ::

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Bhakti Vrksa Program ( BVP) in Muscat was starrted from home - then

it started growing. After that when GuruMaharaj came to our BVP we

felt it started working nicely. Since then it grew rapidly. There

were totally 80 cells. Large number of devotees are moved away.

 

I am going to discuss three points here :

1. Why BVP

2. How BVP expands

3. What is the result?

 

BVP allows individual attention for everyone. New person needs

individual attention. start chanting - and read - step by step -

individual attention is needed. If you don't give proper

guidance and care then 50% of the congregation will go away

=== THIS IS THE ESSENSE OF CONDUCTING BVP.

 

BVP need not be conducted like a class - means individual attention

and care is needed. There is no lecture given by a cell leader.

But cell leader facilitate all the cell members to express

themselves. Then the facilitator explains in accordance with the

Srila Prabhupad teachings.

 

Facilitator helps them to understand about what Srila Prabhupad says.

For example the facilitator can take one verse and then encourage

the people to talk about that - The cell members will come with

speculation, impersionalism like that.. - Facilitator helps to

clear all these doubts according to Srila Prabhupad books.

 

BVP is not a class to listen and go away. Members should become

friends. As BVP progresses - should make close relationship with

them and inspire them to take higher and higher comittments -

to help those who have taken less comittments.

 

The new members call their friends and BVP expands like this. Each

devotee increases his/her comittments - taking more responsibility.

We have the following system : One who has taken Srila Prabhupad

acraya can become a cell leader. They should have been attended

seminars, Bhakti Sastric courses like that. And they should be able

to facilitate BVP.

 

Krishna Consciousness means love of Krishna. Not jnana - love of

Krishna is the real advancement - starts loving Krishna more and

more - increases by working more and more to please Krishna.

 

THE MOOD OF BVP IS THIS:

 

YOU ARE GETTING HAPPINESS AND YOU WANT TO SPREAD THAT. NO FUND

COLLECTION - NO CRITIZISM " - I AM GETTING HAPPINESS AND WANT

TO GIVE IT TO OTHERS.

 

If you are convinced in this (KC ),then you can convince others. IN

that way BVP expands.

 

Suppose there are 15 members in the cell. - It is the time to

divide the cell according to different grades the devotees are in.

The cell leader should have the committment to spend time with

the cell members. He should encourage each and every cell members

to attend the BVP, sunday programs, rath yatra like that..

 

When the person inside the cell, internal leader is showing these

qualities, that is the time to split the cell. Then the cell can

be divided. Then BV will grow. During festival times, large number

of people will come to common place like temples.. That time devotees

can invite new people to join the BVP program.

 

FRIENDS VISITORS COLLEGUES

 

iNVited to the BVP.

 

Some may leave the BVP. But it is the duty of the facilitator to

see that the persons who are leaving can become a cell leader.

Then they can go and spread. Like HG Caitavatai prabhu who is serving

in Bangalore.

 

As the committment grows for the cell leader, his/her house would

become a temple. Sometimes some cell member can bring a group of

members some week days for preaching. The cell leader should preach

them properly. Cell leader should think my first comittment is

to serve Krishna. His all thoughts should be to expand Krishna

Consciousness.

 

I don't think of name, fame - how to please Krishna - Guru and

Krishna. - this is the mentality of Cell Leader.

 

Whatever we do, we speak - we should - will i speak like this

in front of my Guru Maharaj = will Guru will be pleased by this

way of behaviour - we should check all our acitivities like this.

 

KC - means no quarrels, no fights, no selfish motives. If we have

only good motive, even if other person hurts me - i would tolerate

that - If u ve such consciousness, then you can convince others.

More and more people would come. They would come to you often to

take major decisions - like job, marriage like that. Because you

are representing your guru maharaj.

 

The cell leaders are acting as representatives of Guru and cell

members should not take decision on their own - should consult

their cell leader.

 

We believe that we don't have any enemy among devotees - we never

separate any devotees - If any devotee has any 'anartha', we

tolerate it - after some period of time, the anartha will go away.

 

In this way we overlook the negative feelings . Thus after a long

time also, we see cell members in a family mood. This is what

Caitanya Mahaprabhu wants us to do. We believe that this is the

mission set for us.

 

Never we should kick away the ladder thro which we have climbed up.

We should never think that I am an autonomous now - We should remain

connected to Caitanya Tree. As we advances we become critical.

It is easy to ciritisize others. But it is not proper to ciritisize

others if we are not able to help them properly.

 

Krishna consciousness will spread if BVP is adopted in this manner.

If we have this type of committment, responsibility then we can

improve in Krishna Consciousness.

 

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Lecture ends here ::

 

your servant,

sundara murari dasa.