Viplavah 2020
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
MISSION STATEMENT Vision statement To provide Krishna conscious education of high quality to everyone through temples, educational institutions and various global initiatives. Mission statement To develop comprehensive educational systems globally, that foster higher spiritual values, fulfil the needs of ISKCON members, and the larger society, bringing about excellence in all areas of human life. We aim to fulfil this mission by 1. Empowering and supporting educational initiatives and collaborations among educators, educational institutions and professionals 2. Establishing and monitoring high standards of Vaisnava education 3. Supervising the development and execution of educational plans and ensuring they are delivered to high standards and 4. Understanding and fulfilling the educational needs of the Krsna conscious families 5. Making every temple as an educational centre and a centre of excellence. MASTHEAD Viplavah is a Journal of the Ministry of Education of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Founder Acharya His Divine Grace Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Minister of Education: H. G. Sesa Das Executive Director: Tapana-misra Das Core Committee: Hanumatpresaka Swami, Sesa Das, Atul-krsna Das, Tapan-misra Das, Indira- sakhi Devi Dasi. Executive/Issue Editor: H. H. Hanumatpresaka Swami Editorial Board: • H. G. Indira-sakhi Devi Dasi • H. G. Rama-giridhari Das The first issue of the Journal was published Janmastami 2017, publishing four issues each year. It is driven out of North American and the Western Hemisphere but is aimed at serving the educational needs of ISKCON globally. Ministry Web Site: iskconeducation.org For Correspondences: Secretary, [email protected] Viplavaḥ - September 2020 2 CONTENTS Srila Prabhupada Uvaca .............................................................................................................................. 4 Letters from the Editors ............................................................................................................................... 4 General Editor .......................................................................................................................................... 4 Managing Editor ...................................................................................................................................... 5 ARTICLES ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 Benford and the Bhagavata ..................................................................................................................... 6 Campus Engagement Through Hindu Chaplaincy ........................................................................... 10 “Your seed has borne fruit”: A Story from the Future ...................................................................... 13 Journal of Vaishnava Studies: A Spiritual Phenomenon in an Academic World ........................... 16 The Bhaktivedanta Research Centre: Safeguarding Vaishnavism’s Intellectual Tradition ........... 18 Indian philosophy of education: from the ancient gurukula and buddhist sangha to neo-vedanta ................................................... 24 REPORTS ..................................................................................................................................................... 29 Bhaktivedanta college Budapest: Yoga and wisdom at a higher level ............................................. 29 Report on Vedabase.io ......................................................................................................................... 32 Book Announcement .......................................................................................................................... 34 Selected bibliography ........................................................................................................................... 34 Calendar ........................................................................................................................................................ 36 Next Issue ...................................................................................................................................................... 36 3 Viplavaḥ - September 2020 Srila Prabhupada Uvaca My Dear Giriraja, lease accept my blessings. I beg to enclose herewith one letter I have received from your father which will Pspeak for itself. From this letter it appears that you are a good scholar and there is very good background in your educational career. So if you wish to make progress further in your educational career, that will be a nice asset for our Krishna Consciousness Movement. You have a taste for psychology and divinity studies, and this is very nice. Of course, our Krishna Consciousness Movement is on the line of divinity, and we have got so many books about the science of divinity. Unfortunately these books are not yet on the university cur- riculum, but if you take your post-graduate studies in divinity by comparative study, then in the future we shall be able to present the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness in comparison to other theological presen- tations. Actually, we are teaching the science of God; we are teaching how to develop our dormant propensity to love God. Being parts and parcels of the Supreme, we have got an eternal affinity to love God. Unfortu- nately, by our contact with matter we have practically forgotten that we are eternally related with God. In our Krishna Consciousness philosophy there is no question of sectarian views. Krishna Consciousness is the post-graduate study of all religious conceptions of the world. I like the idea that you should make a thorough study of all theological schools, and in the future if you can explain our Krishna Consciousness Movement as the post-graduate presentation of all theological theses, then it will be a great accomplishment. You are a grown-up boy and intelligent also, so you make your position clear and do the needful. I hope this will find you well. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. (Los Angeles, 10 July, 1969) Letters from the Editors Message from the General Editor by Hanumatpresaka Swami ot wishing to join the greatest enemies of progressive spiritual culture in Nhuman society and realizing the members of the younger generation are not as stupid as we old administrators1, we are retiring as General Editor of Viplavah with the next, and last, issue of 2020. Of course, the Ministry is looking for a new General Editor. Any candidates? If you have been reading and following the previous issues you know what is required. Certainly we will stay available as Advisors. We have seen the Journal as the back-bone of the Ministry. This issue is shocking! The variety and intensity of content astonishing. Acting Editor Radhika-ramana Das (Prof. Ravi Gupta) and all the contributors have a done an astounding job. We especially like the article by our very respected friend Professor Albert Ferrer. It shows an excellent contrast and comparison to our ISKCON educational effort. See yourself in the eyes of those around you. See yourself in the eyes of Krsna. Radhika and the authors speak for themselves. We can’t add much more. It would be trying to hold a candle to the Sun. 1 Bhaktivedanta Swami, A. C., Light of the Bhagavata, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, https://vedabase.io/en/library/lob/37/#bb1582485 (Retrieved 2020 September 9) Viplavaḥ - September 2020 4 Let us just include a letter we received from our Ministry Director, Sriman Sesa Das (Dr. Seth Spellman) about the previous Issue: Hare Krishna I have a few days down time and have used the time to delve into the current issue of Viplavah. It is just wonderful! Thanks to all of you who have worked so diligently to make this resource available to ISKCON Educators and others. Message from the Acting Editor by Radhika Ramana Dasa (Professor Ravi M. Gupta-Utah State University) elcome to Viplavah’s annual issue focused on higher education! As we Wwere putting together the articles for this issue, we noticed that a special theme emerged, entirely unplanned: the role of spiritual care in higher education. Gadadhara Pandit Dasa writes about his experience as a Hindu chaplain at Columbia University and New York University. Chaplaincy is a growing service opportunity for devotees in higher education, and there is an increasing number of devotees who serve as formal chaplains for their local universities. Gadadhara Pandit Prabhu was one of the pioneers in that area, and his article gives an honest perspective on the benefits and challenges of that service— the ways in which it broadened his understanding of outreach, the kinds of activities he organized, and why the service was not very suitable for a brahmacari. Gadadhara Pandit Prabhu’s article thus provides valuable perspective for other devotees who are considering working in this area. As a further resource for prospective devotee chaplains, we have included a synopsis of a groundbreaking book on Hindu caregiving, co-edited by Vineet Chander (Venkata Bhatta Dasa), that includes several articles by Vaisnava scholars and caregivers. Purnamasi Devi Dasi’s essay is a moving journey into the future, where a lifelong teacher remembers her caring relationships with her students and reflects upon the rewards of being a teacher. And H.H. Hanumatpresaka Maharaja describes a wonderful encounter between Prof. Gregory Benford, an award- winning