The ABCs

AMERICAN BHAGAVATA CURRICULUM

of

The Anjana Suta Academy

(rev. 120819)

 

 

We heard directly from Srila Prabhupada’s lips that if you chant the Pancha-tattva maha-mantra and follow it with the Hare Krsna/Rama maha-mantra you have achieved the perfection of life, but if you want to preach you should probably read his books.

 

Also, to accelerate the process we should read his books.

 

To that end the Anjana Suta Academy (ASA) supports its American Bhagavata Curriculum (ABC).

 

The heart of the Bhaktivedanta Library is the Srimad Bhagavatam (SB). Our chapter study guides for the SB are available at our web page, archive, with the name pdp-csg.doc for the first two cantos. We are working on the third canto under the name of tpp-canto3.doc.

 

For the Bhakti-sastri study guides look for tpp-iso, noi etc.

 

For basic info about ASA go to our Web-page: www.jayarama.us . Look for updates to ABC stuff in our News bulletin, the Kapi Dhvaja, at the ASA Web-page and asked specific questions at the ASA Blog, www.hps.monkeywarrior.com .

 

COOL DETAILS

1. Vedica Education is Spiral. That means that we will discuss the same things again and again, eg. you’re not the body, but from different perspectives, with more depth. Thus, in the Bhakti-sastri certificate, Primary class, we read the Bhagavad-gita, but we just start. We will do it in more depth as we go on.

 

2. We roughly divide our Curriculum into these levels:

        Kindergarten – Chant Hare Krsna and Take Prasadam.

        Primary – Read the KRSNA book, Light of the Bhagavata, Srila Prabhupada’s one volume biography by Satsvarupa Maharaja, Bio of Lord Caitanya in the Introduction to Srimad Bhagavatam, Nectar of Instruction and maybe Science of Self-realization. All these are available at the BBT web page. This is like an ISKCON Bhakta program. Candidate for Hari-nama initiation.

        Secondary – Like High School in the USA. Bhakti-sastri in ISKCON. Requisite for Second Initiation. NOI again but more systematically. Also, LOB again and add Bhagavad-gita and Isopanisad and Eastern part of Nectar of Devotion (NOD). We have ASA study guides for these. They are in our Archives at the Web-site as tpp-iso etc. Tpp means Tava pache pache. It is from the Song “Ohe, Vaisnava Thakura”. It means that we are running behind Srila Prabhupada like dogs in the dust of his footsteps writing our study guides. It would be about two years of study.

        Graduate – This is ISKCON Bhakti-vaibhava and tpp study guide is in the Archives also. It is planned for four years and the heart is the first six cantos of the Srimad Bhagavatam (SB). We also include NOD Southern Part. It’s called nod-2. Prabhupada said all the Sannyasis should have this diploma. Seems should have some Sanskrit grammar by this time also. Would maybe correspond to the Western Bachelors diploma and then you are initiated as a Goswami and begin to study for your Master, Swami, diploma.

        Post-graduate – This is later. Cantos 6-12, Bhakti-vedanta.   We are developing our formal curriculum. It doesn’t exist to much now.

 

3. Informal Study is based upon the concept that Hanuman never carried a club as far as we have read. He just picked up whatever stones and trees were at hand and smashed the demons. So, Sticks and Stones is our formal, at hand, way of studying and “applying” the philosophy. Our guiding image is our name, Hanumatpresaka Swami. Srila Prabhupada gave us this name. It means He (Rama) who sent Hanuman with a message (for Sita). So we take the NOI as the ring that Rama gave Hanuman to give to Sita and to identify himself as Rama’s post man. In the ASA we carry the NOI around our necks. It is our core curriculum. We study it to the bone.

Every night after engaging in the days search, Sankirtan, the monkeys would regroup and discuss the days activities. So we have our Blog: www.hps.monkeywarrior.com for this purpose.

 

4. Daily Sadhana – Get up early and get your rounds done!   We have a Japa Forum at www.asa-forum.webex.com you can join us from 1.30-3.30AM daily for Japa Sanga and photos. Our Calendar in the Kapi-dhvaja (KDh) will tell you our time zone. Read the Caitanya Caritamrta daily before Mangala arati. NOD after. If you chant sixteen enthusiastic rounds daily and follow the four regulative principles strictly and keep a full morning and evening program and see that everyone under your authority does the same you will have no problems. So Mangala-arati, Kirtan, SB daily. Evening BG etc.  Afternoon before Gaura-arati, Bhajans. KRSNA book and hot milk before takig rest.  Japa 24-hours daily!  Where ever you go, whomever you meet, tell them about Krsna based upon BG and SB. Give them BG and SB.

 

5. That’s all we can think of now.  Everything is in the NOI in summary, introductory format:

        MISSION: Preface – To study the works of Srila Prabhupada so that we can help Lord Caitanya teach the science of Krsna consciousness.

        WHAT IS EDUCATION:  1) NOI 2 & 3. Learn basic Varna-ashrama principles, principles of civilized life, 2) Find your practical place in Lord Caitanya’s Sankirtan as a painter, boss etc. 3) NOI 7 & 8. Reawaken your esoteric relationship with Krsna.

        HOW TO LEARN: 1) Develop lifelong, practical ASSOCIATION with Teachers, Study Partners and your Students;  2) Develop TECHNIQUES such as full-morning and evening programs, putting weekly verses to memorize and review on your refrigerator door;  3) Learn the CONTENT of the ABC books.

 

6. We’ll revise this later. Within the class levels above we’ll give more details of our ideas.

 

7. OUR FACULTY: Hanumatpresaka Swami; Tom Brown (MONKEY); Buck White (PIGGY); Uncle Gismo (ASA SCIENCE OFFICER); Brother Ass (OUR MORTAL BODY).

 

8. “You can only understand Srimad Bhagavatam when you become a mad-man like me”, Lord Caitanya.