Bhaktivedanta College Requires So That They Can Be Scheduled All Applicants to Have Completed to Teach at Bhaktivedanta Col- a Bhakti Shastri Program and Lege
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preparation for a lifetime BHAKTIVEDANTA ColNewsletterlege Spring 2009 Our Eighth Academic Year Is Coming: 2009–10 In spring, Mahendra valuable offer. Some aspects that Dasa, our Assistant our students appreciate are: Course Director, starts planning • studying Vaishnava theology the next school year. He defines in a devotional environment the beginning and the end of the • receiving a Bachelor’s degree coming academic year and the in Theology from the University two major holidays. He integrates of Wales Lampeter our Vaishnava festivals into the • associating with and being plan. He contacts teachers and taught by Vaishnavas, sannyasis, coordinates the times they will and gurus • receiving training in voca- tional and managerial skills • being supported in personal A regular preaching activity is chanting. Here spiritual development through the students were chanting in Antwerp. participation in the spiritual pro- grams and being mentored breakfasts with student friends • being a member of a multi- or performing other services for cultural student body, represent- the Radhadesh community ing about twenty countries • shopping, sightseeing, and sporting with student friends in areas near Radhadesh. So that students derive the The college opened in Radhadesh in Sept. 2002. full benefit of the courses and Radhadesh’s spiritual programs, be free from their usual services, Bhaktivedanta College requires so that they can be scheduled all applicants to have completed to teach at Bhaktivedanta Col- a Bhakti Shastri program and lege. Coordinating the academic to have experience living in an schedule takes a great deal of ashrama. Reasonable skills in communication and some flex- speaking and writing English are ibility from everyone involved, also a must. so that the course schedule is Our Web site offers all the reasonable for both teachers and information related to applica- students. In 2008–9, Urmila Dasi, a highly experienced tions, courses, and life at the col- The academic year, 2009–10, educator, taught at the college for the first lege. Our contact information is time. will start on September 14th and at the bottom of the page. Any end on June 18th. Applications • going on harinama, assist- prospective student may get in must be completed and turned ing in other preaching programs, touch with our college secre- in by May 1st. doing book distribution, and tary, Mangala Candrika Dasi, at Our applicants may reflect on traveling to festivals in Europe [email protected] or by writ- why Bhaktivedanta College is a • helping to cook community ing to her or calling. PetitePetite Somme 2 • 6940 Durbuy • Belgium • Tel: +32 (0) 86 32 32 77 • [email protected] • www.bhaktivedantacollege.com Students Visit Three Faith Communities by Bhaktin Lalita Ivankovich As part of our Interfaith and World about the statue, which had recently nothing, but soon we got answers to our Religions courses, we first-year students been sculpted. Finally, a question-and- questions. We were greeted politely by took a field trip to Brussels. We visited a answer session took place. Elder Stevens, who showed us around Buddhist temple, a Catholic church, and Then we went to the large apartment and explained the basics of his faith and a Mormon chapel. in the center of Brussels that serves as our ISKCON branch. The attractive Gaura- Nitai Deities inspired a blissful kirtana led by Alakananda Dasi. We ate a delicious lunch prepared by Anupama Dasi. Full of energy, we soon hurried to our next destination. At the Catholic church we visited, the priest was giving shelter to 150 Muslims (including children) from the Belgian government, while striving to help them After the full-day excursion, these students were delighted. practice. Then we were introduced to some Mormon youth, who shared their stories and experiences with us. We were offered refreshments and given an op- portunity to ask questions and discuss philosophical ideas. Members of both traditions compared their experiences of following religious principles that go Buddhism is not theistic like Vaishnavism, but it is historically related to it. This church gives shelter to people who do not against the questionable moral values of have permits to stay in Belgium. today’s world. At the Tibetan Buddhist temple, we The day was truly inspiring. Gaining were warmly received by a female guide, acquire legal status. The church had a better perspective on other traditions who ushered us into a large, beautifully been known for some hatred of Islam, so helps us communicate more produc- decorated temple room. We saw a large this was an interesting example of inter- tively, improves our preaching skills, statue of Buddha and sat down at the faith work in action. and deepens our appreciation of what guide’s request. She led a five-minute Our last stop was a Mormon chapel. Srila Prabhupada gave us. Thanks to meditation, meant to clear the mind. Only some of us knew a little about Mor- Mahaprabhu Dasa and the college staff Afterward, she explained some details monism, and the rest of us knew next to for arranging this educational field trip! The New Library Club Needs You! If you join the Library Club, your name will be listed on a brass plate in the new library, in our donors’ register, and in the Bhaktivedanta College newsletter. Rest assured that the students and staff will be grateful and that Srila Prabhu- pada will be pleased by your contribution, for Bhaktivedanta College is a unique pro- gram that greatly contributes to the devel- opment of ISKCON’s membership. Along with the new library, new offices The former library will be converted into for teachers and staff will also be available an art gallery for Radhadesh’s many visitors. in the first building, as the college was re- quested to free the facilities in Radhadesh Bhaktivedanta College is about to finish that till now served as a library and offices. the new library in its first building. You are Also, Radhadesh’s facilities did not allow invited to become a member of the Library the college to host the increasing number Club, by donating one or two thousand of students; additional residential rooms euros to make our six thousand books, in- for students and staff will be available in cluding Srila Prabhupada’s books, available an adjoining building, once the library and The new library (the top floor, above) opens in May. to students in the new library. offices are finished. The new offices are located on the ground floor. PetitePetite Somme 2 • 6940 Durbuy • Belgium • Tel: +32 (0) 86 32 32 77 • [email protected] • www.bhaktivedantacollege.com A Cold Weekend for Distributing Books by Manjari Dasi reminded me that the soul is en- time in Antwerp. It went better than caged in the body. This inspired me I expected, considering I was go- to be more enthusiastic about dis- ing on book distribution and knew tributing books, because no matter almost nothing about it. At first, it how beautiful the body appears, the was hard to approach people, but best “soul food” is the holy names, after some time I started to feel which are elaborately described in more at ease. Many people refused our books. After spending the day me, but the few books I did give out on book distribution, we went back gave me courage to carry on. A spe- to the temple for the Sunday feast. cial thing for us was that after being A few students expressed their in the city with books, we returned realizations from that weekend. to the temple and got hot and tasty Dutch editions of Srila Prabhupada’s books about prasadam.” to be distributed in Antwerp. December is special for many ISKCON devotees because it is the month of Srila Prabhupada’s Book Distribution Marathon. On the first Saturday in December of 2008, twelve college students and staff members went to Antwerp, the capital city of Flemish Belgium and one of the Benelux’s main historical and cultural landmarks, to distrib- ute Srila Prabhupada’s books. Hosting our big college group Bhakta Nimai enjoys book distribution. were the devotees at the small, Bhaktin Lalita Ivankovic well-maintained ISKCON branch in Antwerp. We chanted before the Bhakta Nimai: “This was, more beautiful Deities of Nitai and Gaura- Bhaktin Lalita Ivankovic: “The or less, the first time I went out to nataraja. Then we took lunch and experience in Antwerp was great. I distribute books. So this experi- heard from experienced devotees was impressed that so few full-time ence was an eye-opener, and I had about distributing books. Finally, devotees could nicely run the small a change of thinking toward book we packed our bags with Dutch, temple there. With the blessings of distribution. French, and English books and sur- the beautiful, merciful Deities, we “Practically the first man I ap- rendered ourselves to the mercy of were able to go out that weekend, proached started shouting: ‘Get out Srila Prabhupada. It was cold, windy, despite the freezing cold, and still of my face! I don’t need your stuff!’ and rainy, but our spirits were high. distribute books and spread the But after some time, things slowly The people I met were not merciful teachings of Sri Caitanya brightened up, and by the end of quite like those I had distributed our Mahaprabhu.” the day, I started to like it. vegetarian cookbooks to in Califor- “The next day I was enthusias- nia. Still, by Krishna’s mercy, we all tic to go out and apply some tech- managed to meet some nice people niques that I had thought of over- who took books. When we returned night. It was Sunday morning, and to the temple, we had a hot dinner the people outdoors were older and and sang bhajans.