The Bhaktivedanta Reading Program is for encouraging everyone to read all the books, lectures, conversations and letters of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Such encouragement will be done by the awarding of certificates and titles as well as having transcendental competition to see who can finish reading everything that was ever written or spoken by Srila Prabhupada.

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS

·        Make a commitment to read\hear at least a minimum average of two pages a day (enough to move one’s book marker over) or ten minutes if one is reading from a format that has no pages.

·        Read at least the translations and purports. If in the purports there are Sanskrit or Bengali verses given, one can skip over that and just read the translation if it is provided.

·        If when beginning the program, one is already reading one of the required books, then he can just continue that and he will get credit for that. For example, let us say that one is in the middle of the 1^st Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, he can just finish it, and he will get credit.

·        Keep track of when you finished a certain book and if possible, when you began it.

·        Get back to me when you finish a book.

·        You can read out loud or silently, alone or in groups (in groups if you can keep your attention).

·        When reading\hearing, one must not do anything else during that time, like driving, cooking, dressing the Deities, etc.  Of course the effect is there but, for this course, one’s full attention is required.

·        One has to read\hear the books, lectures, conversations and  letters in an orderly fashion.  Such as in the following ways:

o   Reading all the books, then all the lectures, then all the conversations, then all the letters.

o   Reading all the lectures, conversations and letters in chronological order. For example reading all the letters, conversations and lectures from February of 1970.

o   Reading the books along with the lectures, for example besides reading the 1^st Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, one would also read\hear one or all the lectures that Srila Prabhupada gave for that canto.

·        One will receive a certificate for each book finished and for bigger books such as the Srimad-Bhagavatam, one will receive a certificate for each canto.

·        Besides getting certificates for each book, titles such as that of Srava?a-kovida (one who is expert in hearing) will also be given by reading the following nine translated books of Srila Prabhupada, namely: 1) Bhagavad-gita 2) Srimad-Bhagavatam 3) Caitanya-caritam?ta 4) Sri Isopani?ad 5) The Nectar of Devotion 6) The Nectar of Instruction 7) Teachings of Lord Caitanya  8) K???a, the Supreme Personality of Godhead 9) Light of the Bhagavata

As of December 19, 2021 the following six devotees in this program have completed reading at least one of Srila Prabhapada’s books, namely: Rabindranatha Dasa Adhikari (at 784 pages), Radha Krpamayi (at 208+ pages), Rudradeva das (at 138 pages), Shyam Murari Dasa Brahmacari (at 138 pages), Vanamali Krsna das (at 94 pages) and Venudhara Dasa (at 82 pages).

If you would like to be a part of this program, then you can email me at the following address: Rabindranathadasa@gmail.com and for that put “ReadingBooks” in the subject part of letter.

—Rabindranatha Dasa Adhikari.

(Head Pujari of ISKCON of Los Angeles and Director of the Bhaktivedanta Reading Program)