By Visva Daksina Das
The Hare Krishna Training center celebrated its 9th annual graduation ceremony on 20th November in Nairobi, Kenya.
About the center:
The quiet stillness of the morning at the Hare Krishna Training center is broken with the low murmur of the center student chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra. In the distance, the ringing of a small bell can be heard as morning offering of breakfast is done. This is the meditative atmosphere that is always felt at the HKTC. Every morning, before going out to face the struggles of the day, the students are surcharged with spiritual energy from the Japa meditation session, philosophical discussions, and spiritual wholesome and healthy meals. This makes them mostly ready and strong enough, both physically and mentally to deal with the difficult situations of the world.
Officially opened the 11th January 2017, the center has not only been a center for learning and spirituality, but also a center for refuge, an oasis in the rough journey in this material world.
Currently, the center has a capacity for 100 students. There are about 30 fulltime residents and 20 part-time who come to relish the nectar of Krishna Consciousness. Most of these students describe the center as unique in a location spotted with many hostels that are profit-oriented at the expense of the cleanliness and wellbeing of the students.
Different life-improving skills are learned from the timeless Vedic teachings daily discussed in the center. Students have been able to get rid of addictions of drugs and alcohol, learn about living a clean and pure life, and also learn basic cooking skills that make them stand out when they finish their campus education and enter the workforce. Students interested in music also get a chance to learn and develop their musical talents. One of the topics emphasized is working for the pleasure and service of Krishna, (God) in whatever field one may be, one should work to serve God, and not the insatiable self. This completely changes the perception of the students and makes life more meaningful, it makes the students work with purpose and determination.
Besides the morning meditation and classes, the Training center also runs different programs geared towards making society a better place. These programs include visiting of different colleges and campuses for book distribution and preaching of the philosophy of God-consciousness. Some of the programs attended are at the Tangaza college, the University of Nairobi, the Catholic University, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital College, and many more. In all of these places, the timeless message of self-realization is spread through a program dubbed ‘The Mindset Program’ and is mostly well-received. The world is indeed in want of truth and knowledge about the science of God Consciousness.
One of the most successful programs is the weekly Wednesday and Saturday programs held at the Nairobi center. This has been running for the past 8 years and has grown into a program known by most students in the Nairobi city area. The classes have steadily improved over the years from just a handful of students to about 120 students who assemble in the temple hall and receive teachings on Srila Prabhupada’s books. The different lectures are given by a variety of facilitators from advanced devotees who travel the world teaching, to former students of the same program who have learned through the same classes and can now share and teach the rest. This gives the classes a unique tune and mood as the facilitators give both an international perception, share views from outside countries and cultures, and also daily relatable issues that the students face in their endeavors.
Srila Prabhupada says that “we are opening centers all over the world to give people a chance to hear about Krishna. Not business centers. This is the purpose of the Krishna Consciousness movement.”
After taking the weekly classes, the students take an exam to gauge the understanding and effectiveness of the program. This, over the years, has shown that the students have positively taken to the classes and the message is making an impact. The real impact is however seen in the lives of the students, who even after leaving the programs and going out to join the workforce, still have some remembrance of Krishna Consciousness. Every year, over 100 students graduate from the program with a certificate of Ethics and morality. This is a testament of the interest of the young generation in learning something that will change and make an impact in their lives. After graduation, the students move onto a different book still teaching the message of Krishna Consciousness.
Srila Prabhupada, in a letter to HH. Cayavana Swami states that we should utilize what Krishna has given us and make the Nairobi center a Headquarter for all of Africa. This is the dream that Srila Prabhupada had. Day by day, with different programs, in different ways, Prabhupada’s dream and mission, not only for Nairobi or Africa but for the whole world will be achieved.
Testimonials from students.
“Being in the center has helped me learn how to deal with different people in different situations. It has made me stronger in handling issues that I come across and know about using my talents and skills in service to God.”
Emmanuel Murage, Student of Art and design.
“Every day, I desire purification and change in my life, being at the center makes me a better person and I am forever thankful to Srila Prabhupada for opening such a center that I can find good association and relief from the material world”
Victor Njiru, Photographer.
“Before joining the HKTC I used to live a reckless life, I was running an alcohol and meat business. Also engaging in drug use. With the association I have received from the devotees, I was able to stop that careless life and go to school, finish my Diploma ad follow through with my Degree. I am forever grateful to Srila Prabhupada for the Knowledge that I have received from the books, real knowledge not fiction. I have become more tolerant and understanding, I am thankful to the devotees who nurtured me and cultivated my Krishna Consciousness.”
Gideon Mburia, Student of IT.
“Being in HKTC has helped me understand the importance of having a good association, it has helped me develop my character, deal with my weaknesses and imperfections, and grow to be a better person, and I have learned the importance of spiritual life and having a spiritual culture ”
Fred Chege, Electrical Engineer.
Srila Prabhupada says that,
“As living Spiritual souls we are all originally Krishna conscious entities but due to our association with matter, from time immemorial, our consciousness is polluted. And we are becoming more and more entangled in complexities. The transcendental chanting is the sublime method of reviving our dormant Krishna Consciousness.”
It is our prayer that this center will revive Krishna Consciousness in all who pass through its doors.
More photos: Click here
Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=80196
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