ISKCON Guru Training and Assessment Interim Program

By H.H. Prahladananda Swami

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Course Duration
1 Hour

Videos
Self-paced

No. Of Sessions
NA

Sessions per week
1

Language
English

Eligibility
Only Devotees who are aspiring for becoming initiating gurus in ISKCON

Schedule of Classes

Starts on Jun 01
Jun 01, 2023 - Jun 01, 2023

12:00 PM IST

Regular classes on

Thursday

About the Teacher

H.H. Prahladananda Swami

About the Teacher

Prahladananda Swami was born in 1949, in Buffallo, New York. He studied at the University of Buffalo, where he received a full scholarship. In January 1969 he joined ISKCON and rceived both initiations that year from Srila Prabhupada. He helped open temples and distributed Srila Prabhpada's books and preached in universities. He also served as the president of several temples in Texas. In 1975 he joined the Radha-Damodara bus tour and travelled throughout the United States distributing books. In 1982, he entered the renunced order of life. In 1989 he became a member the Vaisnava Institute for Higher Education, in Vrndavana. In 1990 he was appointed to head the GBC committee of Health and Welfare. In 1991, the GBC made him the head of a ministry for members of the renounced order of life. He is dedicated to traveling and preaching. He is an initiating spiritual master.

Course Overview

Course Description: The ISKCON Guru training and assessment interim program is an online course for prospective ISKCON diksa-gurus and is mandatory for all candidates until the full program (Phase II) is available and approved by the GBC. This course is mainly an assessment program to ensure that devotees serving as diksa-gurus have the necessary qualifications, as presented by Srila Prabhupada.

The online course is self-paced, meaning that candidates proceed from one topic or segment to the next at their own speed. The program includes various elements of learning and assessment, such as writing essays, answering multiple-choice questions, reading different documents and books and watching videos. The topics include Sastric Knowledge, Srila Prabhupada's biography and position, relevant ISKCON legislation, spiritual leadership and guru & disciple-related topics.

Course Contents: • Writing essays on Srimad-Bhagavatam & Sri Caitanya-caritamrita. • Answering thought-provoking questions on Philosophical aspects, Application & lifestyle topics, Institutional aspects, Controversial issues • Reading the biography of Srila Prabhupada and "Srila Prabhupada - The Founder-Acarya of ISKCON." • Reading the biography of Srila Prabhupada and "Srila Prabhupada - The Founder-Acarya of ISKCON."

• Writing two essays on: "Srila Prabhupada's position as the Founder-Acarya at present and in the future. "and "The role of ISKCON gurus in connection with the Founder- Acarya."

• Watching two videos by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Maharaja: "Four Maxims for ISKCON" and "The Importance of the Institution. "

• Reading the "UMA Paper" and answering related questions.

• Studying a compilation of ISKCON laws regarding the service of ISKCON diksa-gurus and answering multiple-choice questions.

• Studying a compilation of guidelines on institutional ethics, diksa-guru etiquette etc.

Required Courses as part of the training and assessment are:

• Spiritual Leadership Course

• Bhakti-Shastri degree (Candidates who don't have a bhakti shastri degree can directly take the ISKCON Board of Examinations (BOEX) exam without taking a course.)

Candidates will submit:

• A questionnaire covering aspects such as asrama situation, mentorship relations, devotional history, health, educational background, finances, etc.

• A list of articles/books they have written - if any.

• Links to lectures/seminars they gave.

• Links to their Internet presence (websites, social media, etc.)

Candidates are encouraged to establish mentorship relations, ideally with existing diksa-gurus.

Candidates shall formally commit to participate in whatever ongoing training and association the GBC shall mandate for diksa-gurus.

Target Audience: Diksa-guru candidates

Assessment Plan: This training and assessment program consists of four parts: Part 1 - Knowledge Requirements Part 2 - Other Required Courses Part 3 - Personal Information Part 4 - Resources This online course is self-paced, meaning that candidates can proceed from one topic or segment to the next at their own speed. Candidates may follow the structure of the course given above or may choose to start the program at any section and complete parts of the course in a sequence that suits them.

Course Requirement: NA

Important Guidelines for the Students: NA

Why should one attend this course?
This interim program is mandatory for all diksa-guru candidates until the full program (Phase II) is available and approved by the GBC.

Course Content

Frequently Asked Questions

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Bhakti Shastri (English)

By ISKCON Bhagavata Mahavidyalaya (BS Eng)

ISKCON Guru Training and Assessment Interim Program

Course Duration1 Hour

VideosSelf-paced

No. Of SessionsNA

Sessions per week1

LanguageEnglish

EligibilityOnly Devotees who are aspiring for becoming initiating gurus in ISKCON

Schedule of Classes

About the Teacher

About the Teacher

Course Overview

Course Content

Course Material

Frequently Asked Questions

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