independent VAD colleges

[Guest guest]

Dear VAD developers,

please accept my humble obeisances.

 

While reading many messages posted by different devotees,

I've notices the popular opinion that Varnasrama colleges

should be started in ISKCON temples. Personally I don't

adhere such an idea. Yes, the education may run in ISKCON

premises, but to put temple administration in control

of this project will have lethal consequenses. Devotees,

living in temple ashrams, can teach other people only

about "pure" spiritual practices, they can teach how

to worship the Deities and how to distribute books,

but mainly they never will teach you about practical

side of the life. VAD teachs you how to become an independent,

responsible, and mature person, while unfortunatelly

in our temples there still goes on preaching and emphasis

on immediate taking renounced orders of life and

authority-dependent thinking. So VAD colleges is

a field of communities and congregations. And temples

shouldn't be rulers of community, instead of community

should take care of a temple. Temples and temple devotees

are just a part of larger communities. That was one

of mistakes of Project Future Hope, when they tried

to find jobs for youth in the temples, instead of

more focusing in finding jobs in devotees businesses,

and establishment of professional training courses.

In result, youth anyway was leaving the temples, but

they lost quite some of valueble time. Let us not make

same mistakes again and again.

 

yhs,

Oleg.

 

P.S. Yesterday, 11th of August, was my 24th birthday. :-)