By Bhakti Raghava Swami
GLOVESCO (Global Varnasrama Educational, Social, and Cultural Organization), pioneering the global varnasrama mission, is pleased to announce its first varnasrama course, entitled “Land, Cows, and Krsna-Part I: Applied Varnasrama Practices.”
This historic three-month educational adventure will be conducted at GLOVESCO’s fourteen-acre ashram and headquarters, situated at Sahyadri Sri Krsna-Balarama Ksetra (SSKBK), in the foothills of the famous Sahyadri Mountains, near the town of Hebri (in the Udupi District of) Karnataka, South India, commencing on 1 January 2009.
This innovative groundbreaking course is meant to train devotees to support themselves by depending simply on land, cows, and Krsna. Along with a study of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions for varnasrama development and a study of dharma-sastra, we will also present, both in theory and practice:
1) An overview of village technologies,
2) The basics of Vedic agriculture and cow protection,
3) Use of the bullock cart, and
4) Traditional home construction.
These will constitute the core curriculum. In addition, the following complementary subjects will also be taught:
5) Ayurveda, or Vedic medicine (in this context, especially that related to self-healing, the promotion of immunity within a community, and the cultivation of medicinal plants),
6) Astanga-yoga (asana, pranayama, etc., also in the context of self-healing and immunity),
7) Vastu-vidya (Vedic architecture and town planning),
8) Vrksa-ayurveda (Ayurveda for trees, plants, and crops),
9) Pottery,
10) Basket fabrication,
11) Cloth manufacture, and
12) Bamboo crafts.
Padayatra with bullock carts and harinama-sankirtana in neighboring villages will enhance the devotional aspect of this novel educational experience.
This course will be the forerunner to a full-fledged GLOVESCO Varnasrama College (based wholly on traditional varnasrama educational concepts and practices), which will gradually be introduced all over India and then in other parts of the world. The college will train all varnas and asramas in both para-vidya (bhakti) and apara-vidya (Vedic arts and sciences) and will feature four educational levels:
– Varnasrama Shikshalaya (ages 8-12)
– Varnasrama Vidyalaya (ages 13-16)
– Varnasrama Maha Vidyalaya (ages 17-20)
– Rupanuga Vidyapitha (ages 20-24)
The college will also offer adult education and various other courses, seminars, and mastership classes.
In keeping with traditional educational codes of ancient gurukulas, as well as with the guidelines given by Srila Prabhupada himself, “Land, Cows, and Krsna-Part I: Applied Varnasrama Practices” will be offered free of charge and will be available to males only (however, provision and training will be available at a separate venue to wives of householder students).
As overseer of GLOVESCO’s developments, my humble self will be the resident sannyasi during the entire three months of this course. Please join in this exciting educational venture and gain in both knowledge and experience through ideal association with trained Vaisnava teachers expert in their respective fields.
Only those willing to commit to the full three-month course need apply. Candidates will be selected solely according to the discretion of the organizers. Please apply early, since enrollment is limited.
Thank you very much.
Hare Krishna.
Bhakti Raghava Swami
For more detailed information, and to download the full course pamphlet and application
http://www.varnasramaeducation.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=86&Itemid=163
or
http://www.varnasrama.org/photos/VarnasramaCollegeCoursein2009_Colorlowres.pdf
Wow, this sounds like a fantastic educational opportunity. I wish I were young enough (or had a child young enough) to attend.
What an adventure it must be, even for a student getting a more traditional education, to get to go spend even 3 months in such an educational environment.
A lot of our better high schools and private academies in the U.S. incorporate some “experience abroad” in their curriculum, sending kids to Europe where they can practice their French and view art masterpieces, or to Latin America where they can practice Spanish and get a glimpse of third world life.
But this sounds like so much better, to go to Karnatika and learn both spiritual and material Vedic knowledge side by side from qualified devotees.
How much does it cost?
When I mentioned this project today to my wife and some friends who were helping prepare the Vyasa Puja feast, these senior ladies all had a similar reaction:
“It sounds great, but I hope some women and parents are involved in the management or oversight of such a school.”
They explained that matas have some insight in raising and instruction of children that have sometimes gotten overlooked in “saffron only” projects.
Their spontaneous and unanimous response (and many have experience in ISKCON educational system both as teachers and as parents) made me think they must have a good point.
It also makes sense that, since varnasrama society necessarily involves both men and women (and both parents and children), the collective experience and realization will benefit from inclusion and substantial involvement of women and parents.
But I am sure GLOVESCO must have already thought of that. :-)
Hare Krishna Akruranatha Prabhu,
Thank you very much for your encouraging words and concerns. It is very nice to know that you are interested about Varnasrama Mission. I also invite you to take part in the online GLOVESCO conference at pamho.net.
You wrote:
>How much does it cost?
Keeping with the Vedic tradition, the whole course is free including boarding and lodging. If the students and like-minded would like to voluntarily give dakshina, they will be accepted.
Hope you will be able to participate sometime in future. Devotees in all levels of asramas are welcome, as is devotees interested in various spheres of farm life.
You wrote:
>It sounds great, but I hope some women and parents are involved in the >management or oversight of such a school.
>But I am sure GLOVESCO must have already thought of that. :-)
Thanks again for these important discussions. You guessed it right. The curriculum, the infrastructure, the teachers, students and the resources to train an individual for the making Vrndavan Villages has been well thought and laid out. Things will more refined step by step and this should be thought of as a pioneering stage.
Overall there is great enthusiasm in trying to fulfilling what Srila Prabhupada wanted many years back and so much he told about each temple having a Varnasrama Collge. I end with a comment. Thank you again. Hare Krishna
Your Servant,
Bharat Chandra Dasa
Prabhupada: …[The politicians’] business will be to exploit the poor
citizens. And they will be embarrassed and harassed so much: by one side, no
sufficient rain, and therefore scarcity of food, and the other side,
taxation by the government. In this way, the people will be so much harassed
that they’ll give up their home and go to the forest. Very [pitiful]…
Unless they take to Krsna consciousness, they’ll not be saved. The
varnasrama college has to be established immediately. Everywhere, wherever
we have got our center, a varnasrama college should be established to train
four divisions: one class, brahmana; one class, ksatriya; one class, vaisya;
and one class, sudra. But everyone will be elevated to the spiritual
platform by the spiritual activities which we have prescribed. There is no
inconvenience, even for the sudras.
Vrndavana, March 12, 1974 – Varnasrama Walk