Category:Attending Classes
Theme Analysis
In the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, spiritual advancement is not based on blind faith or sentimental enthusiasm; it is grounded in systematic philosophical education. Śrīla Prabhupāda establishes attending classes as one of the non-negotiable daily duties for every initiated and prospective devotee. He consistently groups it with rising early for maṅgala-ārati, chanting sixteen rounds of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and strictly following the four regulative principles. This combined morning and evening program acts as an impenetrable shield against the illusory energy (māyā).
The primary purpose of attending classes, specifically on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā, is purification. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that even if a neophyte devotee initially lacks the taste for hearing transcendental topics, by forcefully sitting and attending the class, that taste will naturally awaken, and the troublesome anomalies in the heart will be completely destroyed. Temple leaders are given the heavy responsibility of ensuring that all devotees maintain this standard practice without deviation. Furthermore, Śrīla Prabhupāda established a strict standard for new candidates: no one could be initiated unless they had regularly attended classes for at least six months and proven their practical realization.
Śrīla Prabhupāda draws a sharp contrast between this authentic Vedic training and the modern, commercialized yoga industry. He criticizes the hypocritical practice of attending weekly "yoga classes" merely to learn deep-breathing exercises or gymnastics for better health or sex life. True yoga is not a part-time hobby; it demands the complete control of the mind and senses. Therefore, attending classes in Kṛṣṇa consciousness means adopting a practical, lifelong process of purification, completely free of charge, aimed solely at developing pure love of God.
- The Standard Daily Program: Attending morning and evening classes is an essential, non-negotiable part of the standard temple routine, equal in importance to chanting japa and attending ārati.
- Purification of the Heart: Regular attendance in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam classes destroys material contamination and creates a genuine taste for transcendental topics.
- The Prerequisite for Initiation: A candidate must prove their sincerity by regularly attending classes and following the regulative principles for at least six months before receiving initiation.
- Real Yoga vs. Gymnastics: Unlike modern commercial yoga classes that focus on physical health while ignoring sinful habits, authentic spiritual classes require strict sense control and practical realization.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Attending Classes - The Foundation of Spiritual Education.
Pages in category "Attending Classes"
The following 50 pages are in this category, out of 50 total.
A
- Always strictly follow all the rules and regulations, rising early, attending mangala arati and classes and without fail chanting 16 rounds daily. This will make you strong in Krishna Consciousness which is the most essential thing
- Attend the arotrikas and the classes and read my books very carefully and chant on the japa mala beads 16 rounds daily
B
- Be sure and help them become first class devotees by following all of the rules and regulations, very carefully, especially, they must rise early for mangala arati, chant at least 16 rounds and attend class
- By regular attendance in classes on the Bhagavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed
- By simply following this process without deviation, chanting 16 rounds, following the four regulative principles, attending classes and mangala arati, rising early, these things will gradually bring you to the platform of pure love of Krsna
C
- Chant 16 rounds daily, attend mangala arati and classes, etc. and you will be very happily engaged in the service of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna. Never let a moment go by without engaging in at least one of the nine devotional processes
- Chant 16 rounds minimum daily, attend classes in the temple, and read Bhagavad-gita, and Srimad-Bhagavatam regularly. Whenever there is any question, ask me, and try to preach Krishna Consciousness movement to your best capacity
F
- Following all of our principles; rising early, chanting 16 rounds, attending classes, eating only Krsna prasadam, etc. This simple formula will make everything perfect
- Following the basic principles that I have given; chanting 16 rounds daily, following the four regulative principles, rising early, attending mangala arati and classes etc. This is of the utmost importance
- For six months, a candidate for initiation must first attend arati and classes in the sastras, practice the regulative principles and associate with other devotees
I
- I am glad that you attended our class at Montreal and tried to understand the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness. It is neither sectarian nor dogmatic
- I am pleased to learn that you are regularly attending all of our classes and you are serving nicely in the New York temple. Continue on in this way and try to understand our philosophy as far as possible
- I am requesting again and again that all of my disciples simply follow all of the rules and regulations very strictly. Rising early, chanting 16 rounds, attending mangala arati and class, etc. are all essential for spiritual development
- I have advised him that he must attend daily classes regularly, but there is no need of his attending other functions like Aratis etc
- I hope that you are being very careful to strictly observe all of our basic rules and regulations such as rising early (before 4:00 AM), attending mangala arati and classes
- I'm glad that you're feeling happy in KC. Please continue to follow all of the rules, regulations very carefully & strictly so that your spiritual life will flourish. Rise early, chant 16 rounds, attend mangala arati & classes & your life will be perfect
- If you actually follow all of the regulative principles and chant 16 rounds avoiding the offenses, and attend the mangala arati and classes, then Krishna will see that you are sincerely trying to follow the real process of Krishna Consciousness
- If you actually follow strictly the rules and regulations and chant sixteen rounds, why they'll not follow? They'll follow. If you are not attending class and mangala arati, if you are not finishing sixteen rounds, then that is bad example
- It is not that anyone can be suddenly initiated without meeting the requirements. When one is further advanced by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra 16 rounds daily, following the regulative principles and attending classes, he receives the sacred thread
- It is not that one should continue to attend yoga classes and yet remain the same throughout his life; there must be practical realization
- It is your responsibility to see that these devotees that you have recommended strictly follow the rules and regulations, chanting 16 rounds, attending the classes and the mangala aroti and refraining from the four prohibitions
N
- Next time I am not going to initiate anybody who has not attended our classes at least for 3 months, and is not recommended by the leading members of the society. Less intelligent persons cannot take to Krishna Consciousness
- Not that I am going to a class and, weekly or twice weekly attending yoga class, and I remain the same thing for the so many years. No. There should be practical realization
O
- One cannot enjoy sex life daily at home or elsewhere and attend a so-called yoga class and thus become a yogi. One has to practice controlling the mind and avoiding all kinds of sense gratification, of which sex life is the chief. BG 1972 purports
- Our men in the ideal line of activities chalked out by Srila Prabhupada will be great help to me and the persons who are now seriously attending my classes
- Our movement is based on love and trust, so if we do not co-operate, then how is that love and trust? Follow all of the rules and regulations very strictly without deviation, chant 16 rounds, attend class and mangala arati
S
- So long he has to eat meat, he cannot be initiated. Let him attend classes regularly, and render service as much as possible, and Krishna will help him to get out of this dilemma
- So please see that all the members of our Temple are following the rules and regulations which are very simple namely to chant Hare Krishna 16 (sixteen) rounds, attending the classes, reading the books, going out for Sankirtana and taking prasadam
- Sometimes Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu chastised Mukunda Datta by calling him khadajathiya beta because he attended many functions held by different classes of nondevotees. This is stated in the Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya-khanda, Chapter Ten
- Strictly follow the regulative principles, the four prohibitions as well as the devotional practices of arising early, taking morning bath, putting on tilaka, attending mangal arati, chanting japa 16 rounds, and attending Srimad Bhagavatam class
T
- Temple worship means there will be regulative principles, that you will have to rise early in the morning, you have to attend class, kirtana
- That is our very strength in spiritual life, and if you continue to do so, then your rapid advancement in Krishna Consciousness is certain. Read our books, attend classes and go for street Sankirtana and in this way engage yourself in Krishna's business
- The standard practices for initiated devotees: Must attend evening and morning classes. Should not extensively mix with non-devotees. Should not eat food cooked by non-devotees
- The students must all attend morning and evening arati and classes. If we follow this simple program along with regular sankirtana, distributing the books and preaching, then there will be no fall down
- There should be no complaint, under all circumstances we must chant regularly 16 rounds and attend the morning and evening classes, for Krishna we can work like anything, but one lick done for maya it is useless, overendeavoring
- These regulative functions of chanting the rounds sixteen daily, rising early in the morning to attend Mangala Arati, holding classes for studying our scripture and gong on Sankirtana, these items must not be neglected
- Those who are attending this meeting, they have got a little faith: "All right, let us go to this meeting. They are talking about something about God. Let us hear." This is called faith, little faith. So you have to increase this faith. That is required
- To become a scholar of Sanskrit is not our business. You say that 15 to 40 students are attending. Are they outsiders? My point is anyone who will attend the Sanskrit class must be interested for chanting the mantras in our books
W
- We don't charge anything. You can come and join. There is no business. You can live with us. We don't charge anything. Or you can come and go, attend class. There is no charge. Krsna gives us everything
- We have no taste for reading and hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam, but the taste will be created if we even by force sit down and attend Bhagavata class. The taste will be created
Y
- You must make sure that all of these devotees are following the regulative principles very nicely. Everyone must rise early, take bath attend mangala arati, chant at least 16 good rounds, attend class, and follow the four regulative principles strictly
- You should always read also, besides attending class, whenever you have time, the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Then I can surely recommend to the draft board that you are a very serious student of Bhagavad-gita under my supervision
- You should be very much careful to see that our devotees are following the regulative principles and standard practices such as attending morning Arati, classes, Sankirtana, and reading our books
- You should lecture to these devotees on the importance of chanting 16 rounds daily & following the 4 regulative principles as well as attending aroti & classes for their progress in spiritual life, otherwise they will again be carried away by maya