Feedback on the ISKCON Disciples Course (IDC) from Leaders

IDC Feedback February 2016

Feedback on the ISKCON Disciples Course (IDC) from Leaders

The course encouraged a lot of devotees who have been on the fence about

getting initiated to make more of a commitment to bhakti and to ISKCON.

I felt that, after teaching the course, the devotees were much more connected with Srila Prabhupada and, because of that deeper understanding, protected from the influence of non-ISKCON Vaishnava missionaries. The students who took the course gained much more clarity about the distinction between ISKCON managerial authority and their guru's spiritual leadership. One of the best outcomes of the course was that students came to

understand the plurality of gurus in ISKCON to be an enormous strength.

Kalakantha das,

Krishna House, Gainesville, Florida

This foundational course has provided an opportunity for our devotees in Toronto to understand basic principles like our collective relationship with Srila Prabhupada, the mood of a qualified disciple and pitfalls to avoid as one grows on their spiritual path. Our hope is to continue to have the ISKCON Disciples Course taught regularly here in Toronto for the betterment and strength of our devotee community. We are extremely thankful to the GBC for instituting this course as a fundamental teaching tool for our growing international Hare Krishna family.

Kevala Bhakti das

ISKCON Toronto Temple Council

I felt the course was a very structured and addressed the core issues of Guru tattva in its practical applicable formula. I had several feed backs from some of the congregational members and one them told me, "This course will unite the family of Srila Prabhupada in Atlanta" I think his statement was based on the fact that we have five or more initiating gurus in Atlanta, facing serious challenges with Guru Groupism. I have noticed, this course had changed some of the cliquish mentality of the congregation to a more co-operative spirit of service. This knowledge of Srila Prabhupada's positions helps to shed the narrow, neophyte mentality. Personally I felt that this course should be made mandatory for all members of the our society. This course can strengthen our faith in Srila Prabhupada and his position in our lives as the preeminent acharya. I believe the mission as "one family under Srila Prabhupada" can be achieved through sincerity and humility. We will be holding many IDC courses in the near future and request everyone, including the leaders of Bhakti vriksa groups, managers, initiated and as well as those who are hoping to get initiated to enroll in this course.

Vedasara das,

Temple President, ISKCON Atlanta

Conflicts we had in our community were solved by this course. The course gives a very deep understanding on who is Srila Prabhupada and what it actually means that Srila Prabhupa is the Founder-Acarya of our movement. The course helped devotees to better understand how to cooperate, having different authorities. I think long term this course can very much help to keep our society together.

Paramananda Puri das,

Coordinator of Education, ISKCON Moscow.

The course has helped to make the following points crystal clear:

·  Serving ISKCON is non-different from serving ones Guru

·  Vani Seva of Guru is more Important than Vapu Seva

We have understood that cooperating with ones local yatra authority is serving ones Guru and we must whole heartedly cooperate with local authorities. The IDC has equipped us with guidelines to impart the right understanding about the position of Srila Prabhupada & Diksha/Siksha Gurus under ISKCON umbrella to new devotees. Cooperation and enthusiasm amongst devotees initiated by different Gurus has increased immensely as a result of IDC. Everyone is equally involved in services and everyone feels welcome in the Yatra.

Siddha Gauranga dasa,

Yatra Leader, Avatarides

I hear only positive feedback from the course. Devotees saw more clearly role and position of Srila Prabhupada in our movement.

Acyutatma das,

Chairman of Russian National Council

The position of Srila Prabhupada as Founder-Acarya of ISKCON becomes clearly established in this course. It really changes whole perception of devotees, whether they recently joined or have been practicing for last 25 years. At the end of the course everyone, with no exceptions, says that their perception of Srila Prabhupada has changed completely. I find that it is very significant effect. This course helps devotees, who were averse to following administrative authorities, change their mind. It helped to solve few actual issues I know of also. The course nicely reminds about importance of cooperation.

Tirtha-pavana das,

Coordinator of Education ISKCON Russia.

The Disciples course is a landmark educational initiative on the sensitive core subject matter of Guru tattva within ISKCON. Its the culmination of many years of thought and reflection by senior devotees and the GBC, in the face of many difficulties and challenges that ISKCON has faced. It establishes a balance between keeping a focus on our founder Srila Prabhupada, relishing a direct relationship with him, while maintaining dedication to one's siksa and diksa gurus. In so doing, it highlights the advantages one has in a Multi Guru Society, as one large family of Vaishnavas, who can be accessed anytime, anywhere for the protection of ones spiritual life and that of ISKCON.

H.H. Bhaktivinode Swami

Temple President, ISKCON Coimbatore

This course is essential for all our preachers.

Namhatta Director, H.H. Gauranga Prema Swami Maharaja

I was surprised to learn just how helpful this course would be for the devotees. Without an exception every student completed the course with more faith, more knowledge and more enthusiasm for the process and for ISKCON. I think this course brings more seriousness to the prospect of being an initiated devotee in ISKCON, and that is appreciated by the senior devotees and to the aspiring initiate. It has certainly helped anyone taking the course understand the meaning of Founder Acharya, and has shown how every single devotee in our movement has a personal relationship with His Divine Grace. It does help devotees understand how to find their guru, and that it is a personal choice that must resonate with the individual.

Mukhya devi dasi

Temple President, ISKCON Alachua

Devotees started to be more serious about ISKCON. Many saw the scale of ISKCON work, saw, that it is actually global organization with global goals. Srila Prabhupada became alive for me and for other devotees. This course actually brings Srila Prabhupada to the primary position in one's consciousness. I saw, that the course really unites our societies members.

Radha-kanta das,

Coordinator of Education, ISKCON Saint-Petersburg.

The ISKCON Disciples Course is definitely useful and it bring some formal training to disciples, which is a centralised syllabus, not just leaving it to variations in training provided otherwise by local yatras. This will ensure a good level or standard for devotees getting ready for initiation.

Srivallabha Das,

Regional Leader, Middle East

We greatly appreciate the course for it really does help address fundamental issues that has become a great challenge to our movement in Indonesia. We have a history for guru groupism and the Eastern vs. Western guru delusion, and the IDC will help us solve these issues.

Bhakta Ravinjaya,

ISKCON Communications, Indonesia.

My conviction is the ISKCON Disciples Course is essential for all devotees including the temple authorities. Failure to implement means continuing crisis.

Rajarsi Dasa, Guyana Regional Secretariat

Many students mentioned that after the course they can now understand that how ISKCON management works. Now it removes all their doubts and they become more cooperative to authorities.

Sri Chaitanya Das (Teacher)

ISKCON Chowpatty

This course helps develop a united ISKCON wherein we can more successfully spread Krsna consciousness. I feel the course is necessary for all ISKCON members.

Namhatta Co-Regional Director, Gaurachandra Dasa

The ISKCON Disciples Course has increased devotees relationships with Srila Prabhupada in terms of to know the real position of him. It has helped them to see their gurus as Srila Prabhupadas servants. They are cleaning their hearts with things that happened in the past, and now they are trying to change the vision of authorities for another vision better and in this way to try to develop a more collaborative mentality. The IDC helped the devotees develop more stronger relationships amongst disciples of different gurus because they feel themselves like part of same family.

Baladeva das

Director of Communication, ISKCON Argentina

After providing the ISKCON Disciple Course in our temples we can observe:

·  A visibly better understanding and cooperation on leaders level

·  Devotees identifications with ISKCON GBC and its guidelines

·  The whole ISKCON "institution" make more sense to the graduates

·  Give clear guidelines for future development etc....

·  Emphasized the importance and the seriousness of initiation

·  More loyalty to the process etc...

·  Raises the enthusiasm to preach to others because the movement make more

·  sense and offers systematic education

·  Graduates are better able to choose diksa and siksa gurus

·  Graduates read Srila Prabhupadas Books more

·  The IDC creates a common bound between devotees of different gurus.

·  In short it make a whole difference in how to guide the movement.

Very important for GBC to convey these messages…

Dina Sharana DD (ACBP)

ISKCON, Germany.

The leaders of Namhatta who have taken this course have agreed upon its immense importance for ISKCON’s future and we will follow the steps to ensure that this course be made available for all Namhatta members.

Padmanetra Das, Co-Regional Director for Namhatta

The ISKCON Disciples Course has taught us to deal equally with disciples of various Gurus in ISKCON keeping in mind the larger interests of ISKCON.

Director Outreach Preaching

Indore, MP, India

IDC harmonizes understanding and establishing position guru and Srila Prabhupada in ISKCON. But it is only one small course in our all live. We need to listen more on such topics.

Madai–Jivana Nitai Das,

Education, ISkCON Poland

IDC is the perfect course for developing the right spirit of discipleship and integrity within ISKCON.

Sankirtan Anand Gaura Das

Yatra Leader, Krsna Katha Desh,

Although devotees in the Philipines had some knowledge about guru and disciple, the ISKCON Disciple Course gave them an oppotunity to learn it altogether in a very systematic way. And because of the effective system of teaching methods (i.e. group exercise, pair, whole class discussion etc.) devotees easily learn, and know how to apply different contents of the course. IDC has helped devotees to value and respect each devotees especially those who are of the different guru, take care of them help and nurture their devotion to guru and Krishna.

Mathuranatha Das

IDC Teacher, ISKCON Philipines

The ISKCON Disciples Course helps us understand the lines of authority in ISKCON; ones relationship with his siksha guru, diksha guru, and Srila Prabhupad. We have clearly understood how Srila Prabhupada is preeminent sikhsa guru of all the devotees for all the time. The strength of ISKCON depends on every member understanding their relationship with Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupad's books are the basis of our movement. We have understood how Diksha guru is the bonafide representative of Srila Prabhupada and he is connected with paramapara through Srila Prabhupada. We have understood that Srila Prabhupada established the principle to follow the GBC and local Management structure is following the GBC. Temple authority is the representative of the GBC. As ISKCON is a spiritual organization that's why it needs a proper management structure. As a result of IDC we see Srila Prabhupada is the center of our organization and we are connected with him through his disciples who are acting as Diksha gurus. In a joint family father and uncles are equally respectful, in the same way all the spiritual masters are equally respectful to all the devotees as the spiritual masters are bonafide representative of Srila Prabhupada.

Bhakti Prema Swami Maharaja

Temple President,ISKCON Ujjain

The ISKCON Disciples Course is well put together. The information and exercises to help the students understand Srila Prabhupada's mission, their relationship to his mission, their relationship to him, and their relationship to their gurus is essential for all the members of ISKCON to understand. When the members of ISKCON understand and realize the content of the course the unity of Srila Prabhupada's movement will be assured.

Bir Krsna Goswami, G.B.C.

Feedback on the ISKCON Disciples Course (IDC) from Students

The understanding of the essential position of Srila Prabhuapada has helped me a lot in my spiritual development and I have developed a feeling of being protected with and inside ISKCON. I felt now a greater respect for ISKCON.

Bhaktine Gisèle now Gokularani devi dasi,

New Mayapura, France.

IDC has given me an in-depth knowledge of my duties and responsibilities as a disciple towards my gurus and has made me aware of the importance of a guru in my life. It has certainly created a very strong impact on my perception of the guru. IDC has made me understand that I have to take his mission further by promoting his books and teachings.
My respect & faith in ISKCON has increased. I feel more protected. There is proper check & balance. So, I can now better appreciate my temple authorities.

Bhakta Sudin Navkal,

ISKCON Chowpatty.

This course helped me to understand the position of Srila Prabhupada in our mission even after his physical departure. Some technical details about rithvik philosophy, re-initiation if the guru falls down, accessing Srila Prabhupada's mercy even today, various laws of ISKCON helped me develop a deep connection with ISKCON in general and Srila Prabhupada in particular. This course also helped me appreciate the role of managing authorities in ISKCON and the relationship between themselves as well as their relevance in a ISKCON devotee's life. This course also helped me understand the position of Srila Prabhupada as the pre eminent guru of all the ISKCON devotees including the initiating Sptiritual masters of our society and hence it helped me develop a deep sense of shelter in the personal relationship I can develop in the shelter of Srila Prabhupada.. It also helped me gain a right vision towards multiple authorities and how to have harmonious dealings with everyone of them.

Krishna Addepalli.S, Ph.D Research Scholar