By Bhakti Raghava Swami
Sahyadri Varnasrama College (SVC) officially opened at Sahyadri Sri Krishna Balarama Ksetra (SSKBK) on the Appearance Day of Lord Nityananda Prabhu, February 5, 2012. Scheduled to begin the first week of January, SVC started 3 weeks later this year due to late arrival of students. After a one week Orientation Program the students were asked to pen their first impressions at SSKBK. The following article was compiled by Bhakta Miho, student at Sahyadri Varnasrama College (SVC).
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After leaving Mayapur, it took me almost three days before I approached my new destination, Sahyadri Sri Krishna Balarama Ksetra (SSKBK) in South Karnataka. I was going to take a course at Sahyadri Varnasrama College (SVC) and I didn’t have many expectations. My mind and heart were open for a new learning and soul nurturing experience.
The last bus I took was from Udupi to Hebri. There in the bus, to my good fortune, I met five helpful devotees also making their way to the same place I was going – SSKBK – the project promising to become an excellent example of successful devotional farm community or Daiva Varnasrama in India. Looking through the window of the bus I was fascinated by the beautiful forest hills surrounding the landscape. I was happy to feel that vibrant environment full with old grown trees as contrary to the monoculture crop fields that have gradually encroached India. After receiving guidance and help from the devotees with the luggage and finally reaching my destination, I felt deep peace and joy. Immediately I noticed that there was not a single artificial machine noise – only the pure healing sounds of nature, cows and people. Later I learned from the leader of this project, Bhakti Raghava Swami, that this mountain-range of Sahyadri is one of the few biodiversity hotspots in the world – a heavenly sanctuary for wildlife and for those of us aspiring to live in harmony with nature.
Bhakti Raghava Swami Maharaja received me with warmth and openness that made me feel at home and at ease from the very beginning. As the days passed in his presence I recognized also the depth of knowledge he has accumulated over the years, the beautiful example of having applied it in his life as well as the proficient and yet light and joyful manner in which he shares it with his students. I also found it fascinating how he patiently and thoroughly responded to all my questions, doubts and concerns which made it so easy to understand and accept this new environment and project.
Similarly, I received positive impressions from the resident devotees who all have a strong attitude of service and are always helpful and kind. Sometimes some of them are more quiet than the usual associates around me and it took me some time to get use to that. Sometimes I thought that it would have been inspiring and enriching to sit in a circle with them and hear from each one some words about their lives, their feelings, realizations and thoughts. At the present moment, there are also four very lively and happy children – and they turned out to be some of my greatest teachers and source of inspiration here. Often I find myself eating with them and smiling when they are around.
The food I received here is simple and yet meeting all my needs. Initially I was missing some things from the usual menu I have – which includes more fruits and dairy. Now my body is content with the food that is offered. I feel it is cooked with love by our beloved matajis and
Udhava prahbu – our special Chef who cooks for feasts. I especially love the deserts made with jaggery and not with white sugar.
Similarly, the living conditions are simple as well and down to the basics. In a way, I am very happy to live in conditions like those here, which are much closer to nature and natural cycles than what I have experienced in Europe. Sometimes I would think “too simple” for most westerners’ taste, which I often consider as spoiled.
In these conditions the course on Varnasrama promises to educate by theory as well as practice. Most other places I have been to, where they teach about sustainable living, are not as nearly as good in demonstrating their teaching by example as SSKBK is promising to be. It is a new project in development and there are many features planned to be added and more residents to come. Yet I see and feel that I already learned a lot by being introduced to the vision of the project, by its leader Bhakti Raghava Swami and encouraged by the kindness and warmth of all the devotees and students here.
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In addition to Bhakta Miho from Bulgaria, SVC students this year include three devotees from Bali, Indonesia, Sucaru prabhu, Gopala Govinda prabhu and Maha Guna prabhu as well as one student from W. Bengal, India, Pankajangri prabhu.
Now in its fourth year, SVC plans to expand its 3 month introductory course, “Land, Cows and Krishna” to a variety of small, medium and long term semesters. The Sahyadri Varnasrama College is closely connected with the ISKCON Daiva Varnasrama Ministy (IDVM) which oversees the development of Varnasrama Colleges in India. Anyone interested to introduce the varnasrama curriculum in their centers or projects may contact Sriman Bharat Chandra prabhu, National Coordinator of IDVM, at Bharat.Chandra.BRS@pamho.net.
Readers interested to know more about the project at SSKBK and SVC may get more information at: www.sahyadriksetra.com and www.iskconvarnasramacollege.com.