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Confusion in Degrees

Posted by Aakriti Singh on April 7, 2025 at 9:28pm in Bhakti, ISKCON, and Reading

Hare Krsna Dear Devotees, 

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada

PAMHO 🙏🏻

Respected devotees, I was yesterday very very inquisitive about the spiritual education and the degrees that Srila Prabhupada had introduced to us, but I am having a problem in understanding where to begin like, what degree has what syllabus, also where we study SB, where we have BG and when is CC? I can't understand the chronology also the way it is divided. 

What are the Eligibilities and criteria that one needs to fulfill in order to be able to study these, if you could please clear my doubt. 

 

Forever indebted to all the Vaishnavas, 

Your Servant, 

Aakriti 

Hare Krsna. 

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Replies

  • Gayatri April 8, 2025 at 11:15pm

    Hare Krishna,

    As prabhu ji's told start with small books and proceed to BG and SB and CC. 

    But don't call this as spiritual degree ofcourse BG is considered graduation, SB is considered Post graduation and CC is considered as doctoral degree.

     

    But then you see Bhakti is not a some course.

    Hari anantha hari katha anantha. Can you trap the sky with a blanket? can you hold the water of an ocean in to a container?

    It is just like that.

    Any amount of knowledge ( book reading) we cannot Know Sri Krishna.

    To know Him he himself adviced in BG

     

    Bg. 4.34

    तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्न‍ेन सेवया ।
    उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः ॥ ३४ ॥
    Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.
     
    That is the method which is prescribed by Lord Sri Krishna.
     
    Yes, ofcourse you read you learn things get to know who is God-
    What are His qualities?
    How does He look like?
    What are His likes and dislikes?
    What are His preachings?
    You know who are HIS friends and enemies?
    You will know what to do to reach Sri Krishna?
    How devotees in the past have done this bhakti to attain Sri Krishna's grace?
    What is the abode of Sri Krishna?
    Who are the inmates of that abode?
    What are different rasas in which You can approach Sri Krishna?
    all these you will know.
    But KNOWING IS NOT enough IMPLEMENTATION is important.
     
    Now how to implement is taught only by a spiritual master. This is learnt when you become humble and be doing minial service to someone thinking and taking him as guru. 
     
     
    How can I get aquinted with someone? I must know what are his likes, dislikes his friend and foes.. then I will slowly make friends with the people who are his close associates and slowly get in touch with the person isn't it?
    That same thing goes in bhakti too.. you must read about the Sri Krishna to know what are HIS likes His dislikes.. His friends His enemies.. HIS devotees who attained HIm.. then get close to the person ( guru) who is in the Parampara. Who is actually a friend to the friend to the mutual friend of Krishna, to reach Krishna..? you must make friends and serve them..then they will take you to some more close friends of Krishna .. you will serve them they will show you to some more close intimate friends of Krishna and they will recommend your name to Krishna. So, you start you journey by doing seva. When you do seva to a guru. ..who is in the parampara will take you closer to Rupa Goswami pada. Those Goswami's are manjari's and the manjari's will take you to Sakhi's and Sakhi's will take you to Nikunj where Krishna is eternally present with Shree Radha. So, you are infact learning how to do seva to all these people in between and pleasing them.. to get to that level... When you doing seva.. in mind.. or in real they are pleased. In real you can start doing service to a guru maharaj whom you think is best for you. 
    You start with surrender to Srila Prabhupada and do seva by distrubuting His books
    You start with reading Srila Prabhupada literature and and serving him and offering pranamas mentally and then you may even do chanting daily and offer 1 round or 1 mantra to Srila Prabhupada as guru maharaj's offering. You may prepare bhog and offer to Srila Prabhupada. 
    Then you serve you own guru maharaj. and offer pranamas mentally. offer him some chanting or bhoga prepared.. These people they accept your offerings and just simply place your offering at the feet of Sri Krishna. ( like a recommendation letter).
     
    Eligibility:- You need to have eagarnees to learn and follow. You need to be inquisitive to learn more and more about Krishna. 
    Criteria and expected standards:- Need to follow the 4 regulative Principles perfectly.
    Subjects learnt:- Small books, BG, SB, CC 
    Degrees earned:- small books ( ceritificate course), BG ( graduation), SB( Post graduation), CC ( Phd.)laughing  
    Qualification achieved.. but still not passed The GOLOKA entrance exam..
    Need more qualification.
    Real time experience needed.
    Experience:- minimum a whole life time service to deities and service to guru to achieve Hari Guru Kripa.
    Goloka entrance exam:- Due date to yet to announced...
    PASS OR FAIL:- Pass or fail  need not lament as you know by now that " we need not lament for the results" because we do our duty and leave everything upon Krishna for the decision. It may take one life time or 10 life times we don't care for the results. We are sure to reach someday. As in this endeavor there is no loss. As per BG :-  

    Bg. 2.40

    नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते ।
    स्वल्पमप्यस्य धर्मस्य त्रायते महतो भयात् ॥ ४० ॥
    In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.
     
    So, no fear we have done so far some advancement... So we can do attain Krishna's mercy some day when HE thinks we are fit for that. Tests at this point become more severe... as theory test is done.. practical testing starts.. we may fail but we are sure to pass someday as Lord will lift us up when we fall at it point.laughing because you have done your best all this while, you achieved some grace points as well.
     
    Hare Krishna
    • Gayatri > Gayatri April 8, 2025 at 11:21pm

       All the best. Enjoy the journey and care not of the destination.laughing

      Radhe Radhe.

  • Krsna das April 8, 2025 at 1:19pm

    Start with small books then move on to bigger ones...hare krsna...

    • Aakriti Singh > Krsna das April 8, 2025 at 2:14pm

      Yess Thank you 🙏🏻 

      Hare Krsna

  • Sevak
    Bharat April 7, 2025 at 9:54pm

    Hare Krsna

    This is the recommended sequence of reading Srila Prabhupada books. This is for self study. https://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/suggested-orderscheme-of

    The courses for systematic study of Srila Prabhupada books are as follows

    1.Bhakti Shastri - Bhagavad Gita As it is , Nectar of Instruction, Nectar of devotion & Sri Isopanishad (Eligibility may vary slightly). You may ask the instructor about eligibility. One example of eligibility is given here.

    https://www.vidyapitha.in/p/bhakti-shashtri1

    2.Bhakti Vaibhav - Srimad Bhagavatam (Eligibility - Bhakti Shastri)

    3.Bhakti Sarvabhauma - Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita (Eligibility - Bhakti Vaibhav)

    Hare Krsna

    SUGGESTED ORDER/SCHEME OF READING SP BOOKS
    SUGGESTED ORDER / SCHEME OF READING BOOKS The following is the list of Srila Prabhupada’s books to be read by interested readers, aspiring to be seri…
    • Aakriti Singh > Bharat April 7, 2025 at 10:36pm

      Hare Krsna, Thank you so much for this, It cleared a lot of my doubts prabhuji. 

      Hari Bol

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