The Ganges river at Mayapur, India
Dear Devotees,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
When I joined the movement in 1977, “Chant, dance and be happy” was the
motto on all the devotees’ lips. It was like the implicit contract we signed
when we joined: if we chanted and danced, we would be happy. As the years
rolled by I found out about the fine print in the contract: to “chant, dance
and be happy”, we had to go through a lot of hardships. So it wasn’t always
easy to remain enthusiastic and determined in my service. The upheavals and
changes in our movement sometimes bewildered me, but in 1989 I discovered
something that makes chanting, dancing, and being happy a lot easier. I
discovered the Vrindavana Institute of Higher Education (VIHE).
After that, I would work hard at my service all year and then go to
Vrndavana to take the VIHE courses on Srila Prabhupada’s books, offered by
senior Vaisnavas. Taking these seminars gave me such deep realizations and
inspirations that I would return to my service of preaching and book
distribution with greatly renewed enthusiasm and determination. After
relishing the nectar in Srila Prabhupada’s books, I had no choice but to
distribute it. I attended VIHE seminars seven times, and they really helped
me keep going in my service year after year.
Now we have developed the Mayapur Institute for Higher Education and
Training (MIHET) in cooperation with the VIHE, under the direction of the
Ministry of Educational Development. We hope the MIHET addresses current
needs, similar to those I experienced in the 1980s, and fulfills a desire
Srila Prabhupada expressed in a 1971 letter:
“…throughout the whole world there is no institution to impart education
in the matter of spiritual understanding. So we are going to open a big
center in Mayapur where this education will be internationally imparted.
Students from all parts of the world will go there to take education in
this important subject.”
—————————————————————————-
I actually sent all of the above as part of an invitation to devotees all
over the world 7 1/2 years ago to participate in first MIHET courses that
began in February, 2000.
Since those early days, the MIHET has made progress by the mercy of the Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the parampara and Vaisnavas from all over the world, as
demonstrated by the statistics and testimonials that I have pasted at the
end of this message.
We hope you may have benefited by taking MIHET courses in the past and we
hope you will seriously consider participating in one of these upcoming
courses:
Separate Sections for Men and Women
Bhagavad-gita Jayadvaita Swami
BVV Narasimha Maharaja
Laxmimoni devi dasi
Rasa Manjari devi dasi
Nectar of Devotion Kadamba Kanana Swami
Nanda devi dasi
Nectar of Instruction Devamrita Swami
Srimati devi dasi
Sri Isopanisad BVV Narasimha Maharaja
Laxmimoni devi dasi
Srîmad-Bhagavatam, Cantos 1–3
(Before entering this Bhaktivaibhava Course Module, students will complete a 13-week Preliminary Home Self-study Unit available on our website.)
Atul Krishna dasa BVV Narasimha Maharaja
Hari Sauri dasa Kadamba Kanana Swami
Laxmimoni devi dasi Lokanath Swami
Madhavananda dasa Tara dasa
Please visit http://www.mihet.org for details and to register online.
We are looking forward to serving you when you come to Mayapur to receive
the mercy of Navadvipa Dham and the blessings of the Vaisnavas.
Hope you are well and blissfully engaged in service to Guru and Gauranga.
Your humble servant on behalf of the MIHET teachers and staff,
Janmastami dasa
* 361 students have received Bhakti-sastri degrees,
* 182 students have attended the professionally designed VTE Teachers
Training Courses,
* Over 250 students are curently studying in Bhakti-sastri courses arranged
by MIHET-trained devotees in different temples throughout the world
* Over 6000 students have enjoyed yearly seminars and workshops ranging from
leadership and management training, deity worship, Bhagavad-gita, to
fund-raising, and Ayurvedic health, and
* The MIHET currently serves over 2500 students every year with courses
ranging from 4-day seminars to 13-week intensive sastric degree-oriented
courses.
“It’s just a damn good program!”
–Jayadvaita Swami
“The MIHET is a wonderful project that has already benefited so many,
however, it is but at the dawn of its development. I look forward to
the day when the MIHET is not only the centre of advanced studies in
Mayapur, but is at the very heart of the Mayapur project itself.
–Praghosa dasa, GBC
“Here in Mayapur, we have the Bhakti-sastri program. I have heard from so
many devotees who have studied Bhakti-sastri here in the holy atmosphere of
the dhama that their lives were transformed by three or four months of daily
full-time study of Srila Prabhupada books. They said it just turned their
whole life around. Why? Your life will become transformed when one way or
another when you deeply accept the principles, these sacred principles of
sastra, of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam.
–Devamrita Swami, GBC, Mayapur Bhagavatam Class, March 1, 2006
“I have taught the ISKCON Leadership and Management course, as well the
Communication Course, as part of the MIHET for almost 10 years.
I find the opportunities to educate devotees from our international
community at Mayapur are an untapped treasure. As Lord Chaitanya’s movement
spreads around the globe, it is mandatory that we train our new members in
understanding the depth of Vaishnava philosophy and culture, as well as in
practical skills to improve their service to Srila Prabhupada’s movement.
When education and training are given priority at our world headquarters, we
will build a culture of service to the devotees and develop a standard of
excellence for ISKCON that combinedly will help transform the world.”
–Anuttama dasa, GBC & ISKCON Communications Minister
“It was without a doubt the most wonderful experience of my life. I’m sure
that either systematically studying Srila Prabhupada’s books or residing in
Sridhama Mayapur for a few months fully engaged in service would have been
transcendentally enlivening, but the combination was exponentially
ecstatic.”
–Navin Jani is a Ph.D. student at University of California, Irvine,
with a M.A. in city planning from University of Florida, where he
wrote his thesis on the proposed city in Mayapur.
“I’d say Bhakti-shastri revolutionized my spiritual life. I’ll never be the
same after taking the course. Now I feel so strong, inspired, and enriched
by studying Srila Prabhupada’s books, and I just want to preach Krishna
consciousness all over the world.”
–Sita dasi 19), Vaishnava youth, Australia
“Philosophy I did not fully understand has become clear. Now I am more
determined in my spiritual practices. I saw the conviction of the teachers
in Prabhupada’s mission.”
–Bhakta Kevin, Ireland
“The integrity of the facilitators, their commitment to sastric study and
their living according to Vedic ideals proved to be great models for
personal growth. Prabhupada’s books were re-established in the center of our
lives.”
–Santi Parayana dasa (Traveling Preacher, Polish Tour)
“I am happy to be home, although I must say that attending the MIHET
Bhakti-sastri course was one of the most enriching things I have ever done.
I am still feeling separation from the many devotees with whom I shared that
ecstatic 13 weeks.
–Kaivalya Sundari dd (New Talavan Farm, USA)
“Although I have studied Srila Prabhupada’s books for many years, taking
this course has deepened my understanding and realizations in many ways.
For learning in this course focuses not only on acquiring knowledge, but
also on understanding and sastra caksus, as well as personal, preaching and
theological application, students undergo rapid character development.
The MIHET VTE Bhakti-shastri Course helped me to understand Srila
Prabhupada, his mood and his mission as well as my personal service within
that mission more deeply.”
–Lilasuka dasa (Secretary for the Executive Committee of the GBC)
“The course really sobered me, the way I see and deal with people. It was
the teachers. They empowered and challenged me to apply what I was learning.
To complete the course, I had to discipline my mind and senses more than
ever. But I also tasted more love and trust with the devotees than I ever
have. I want to learn more, and teach others.”
–Mahamantra dasa (20), Australia
“It was the way the teachers taught, – lots of group work and interactive
learning, using music, art, and drama. At nineteen, I was the youngest
student, and I was afraid to speak in front of so many senior devotees. But
they encouraged me and gave me confidence that I could realize the truth of
the Bhagavad-gita. I read it all the way through for the first time.
Bhakti-Shastri pacified my heart and gave my studies and career goals a
transcendent purpose - to please Krishna. I owe a lot to my facilitators.”
–Vijaya Devi Dasi (19), Medical Student, Bolivia
“I must say that the Bhakti-shastri course exceeded my expectations. I
thought it would be lectures with questions and answers, but it was so
interactive; practically the students were involved in the teaching process
from the beginning. The course materials and recordings were professionally
done, the facilitators well trained and chosen, and the classes well
organized. And the MIHET staff was always ready to help us with whatever
inquiries or problems we had. I was astonished at how hard they worked,
practically day and night, to make sure everything ran smoothly.”
–Santa-vigraha Dasa (24), Trinidad