Guest guest Posted January 1, 2003 Report Share Posted January 1, 2003 Varnasrama College update By Rabindranatha Dasa Adhikari January, 2003 will mark the beginning of classes at the Varnasrama College, here in New Dvaraka (ISKCON of Los Angeles). The first class will be based on the first chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. It will include all the verses, purports and classes given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. As this marks only the beginning, in order to have a full scale Varnasrama College, with many classes, land and cows, as desired by Srila Prabhupada and as outlined below, I am in need of your assistance. Following is an explanation of my plan for the Varnasrama College: The Varnasrama College will be the first self-sufficient Vedic College in the United States. It will be located in a somewhat secluded place, having rich soil and plenty of local water. The college will be in a place with a long growing season and a moderate year-long climate. There will be no charge to attend the Varnasrama College, however, those who do attend must engage in services such as working in the kitchen, cleaning around the campus, growing food, etc. All the teachers will be brahmanas working without receiving a set salary, but automatically given donations. Students will demonstrate proficiency in all subjects. For example, in Vedic philosophy, the students will be required to recite many philosophical points, student writers will publish what they write and those who are practicing cooking will make nice preparations. The quality of learning will be seen through: *1) accreditation 2) recognition (by various prestigious individuals and institutions) 3) contests 4) publications 5) a high demand for products and services 6) yearly public demonstrations 7) daily on-site demonstrations 8) a catalog of everything that college and the students have demonstrated Following is a partial list of class offerings: Vedic Theology & Vedic Philosophy** Bhagavad-gita & Srimad-Bhagavatam Gardening Cow protection Cooking Oil and watercolor painting/Drawing/Sculpture Singing, Playing and Making musical instruments Acting (Stage Drama, Storytelling, puppeteering) Deity worship & samskaras Carpentry Metalwork (for making Deity paraphernalia, garden tools, etc.) Management Hand-to-hand combat, Firearms English composition, grammar, vocabulary, spelling, pronunciation Sanskrit Science (according to the Vedic perspective) Parapsychology (Astrology, etc.) Medicine (Ayurveda) Psychology Sociology Physical education (hatha-yoga, walking, swimming, wrestling) Practical mathematics, Accounting Modern (Kali-yuga) History and Culture (According to the Vedic perspective). The College will also develop the following 18 projects: 1) A Vedic library 2) Filming, with a digital camera, all the Vedic literatures that are within our library and obtained from others 3) Entering all Vedic literatures into the computer 4) Designing a website where all the Vedic literatures, can be seen in their original form, with English transliteration as text material 5) Making Critical Editions of all the Vedic literatures showing the differences between the various editions 6) Translating all the Vedic literatures into English 7) Creating a Master index of all the Vedic literatures 8) Presenting the Vedic knowledge “as it is” by arranging it into various sub-categories It will be written as: a) textbooks b) books that contain one statement on all the various points on a certain subject. c) books that state everything about a certain subject showing all the original texts and translations. d) poetry e) songs f) “radio” plays g) films h) slide shows i) plays j) sculpture k) drawings and paintings l ) photographs m) sound recordings of Srila Prabhupada n) film of Srila Prabhupada. The books will include the following subject matters: Saints and Sages, Vedic history, the spiritual master, the soul, Deities, samskaras, sacrifice(s), demigods, Astrology, Astronomy, Devotees & Devotional service, the holy name, Nitya-Kriya (things that should be done on a regular daily basis), The Vedic calendar, Dress & Bodily features; Vedic dress and the specific dress and physical appearance of everyone mentioned in the Vedas, Varnasrama, Psychology (desire & hate, happiness & distress, the Mind & Senses, intelligence, Fear, Anxiety, Attachment, etc.), Geography (the material & spiritual world, heaven & hell, etc.), Karma, time, the Universal form of the Lord, The different classes of human beings and the different species of life, etc.. 9) A recording of the proper pronunciation, pitch and meter by those who are among the best in the world in reciting the Bhagavad-gita, purusa-sukta, Visnu-sahasra-nama, etc. 10) “Preservation” of the holy places, by taking pictures and films of them, as well as taking soil and water samples and also creating replicas of some of those places 11) Preservation of all the various artifacts and examples in Vedic art, science and culture, some of which will be shown in the Vedic museum 12) An arboretum of all the plants that are mentioned in the Vedas, fragrant flowers and all the nice food plants from around the world 13) Psychological help and counseling 14) Plays 15) Medical (Ayurveda) 16) Astrology 17) A nice Vedic temple that is simple but complete, including one set of life-size Radha-Krsna Deities and four Salagrama Silas. The temple will also nicely observe all the major festivals on their actual day. 18) To “prove” Vedic knowledge by modern scientific methods and disprove so-called scientific knowledge by the modern scientific methods. The Teachers: The teachers will be brahmanas, who attend the full morning and evening program, chant 16 rounds a day, follow the four regulative principles (which includes no divorce). And take bath thrice in a day. Management The Varnasrama College will be managed by a board of directors, who also chant 16 rounds a day, follow the four regulative principles, and attend the full morning and evening program. The Varnasrama College president will have vetoing power, over the board of directors. Ownership Ownership of the Varnasrama College as well as that of all the land etc. will be in the hands of the Brahmanas, who will freely ($1.00) lease it to the ksatriyas for 99 years. The lease will be under the condition, that the ksatriyas uphold religious principles, which will be specifically spelled out in the lease agreement. Honesty The Varnasrama College will be honest in all their dealings. They will follow all the state laws, which includes not dealing in the black market. There will be a first class accounting system, having all the accounts audited*** by a certified public accountant and published. Prasadam There will be nice prasadam at the Varnasrama College with everything cooked and offered to the Deity, by first class brahmana Vaisnavas. Daily there will be fruit, milk, vegetables, grains, capatis, rice and dal. --The End *The Varnasrama College will be giving college degrees for classes which have some useful purpose. (We are not going to teach something just because it is a requirement for obtaining a regular college degree.) **This would be based on all the writings of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada progressing to other Vedic literature. ***”Bookkeeping is the most important item. As we are growing in stature, our accounting system should become very perfect. We have to publish now a short statement of accounts. As we increase our life membership number, we must submit our audited accounts and that will convince the public of our stability.” (Letter to Karandhara 18March1971) This is a big project and in order to do it, I need the need the help of so many devotees and am requesting, please, if you would like to help in any way, please contact me right away. Some of the areas that you could assist with are as follows: finding or becoming a teacher helping with accreditation participating in the design and/or implementation of the "18 projects” becoming a sponsor helping with the incorporation procedures locating some good land for the college Also, if you have any comments on this presentation, please let me know. Your servant, Rabindranatha Dasa Adhikari rabindranatha_acbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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