True Education

In the mornings, in an intimate setting with his own disciples, Prabhupada taught Caitanya-caritamrta.  Even in the pedagogical sense, his was an accredited course in advanced spiritual knowledge.

When Prabhupada heard that IBM was donating free typewriters to bona fide educational institutions, he asked me to go get one.  I met with the man, but when he heard the description of our ISKCON storefront, he said, “I am sorry, but these typewriters are only for educational institutions.”  I replied that Krishna consciousness is the king of education.  It teaches absolute knowledge.  Mathematics, for example, is one department of knowledge within the Absolute Truth.  Therefore, ISKCON is an educational institution.  He decided not to argue with me, but said that he would send his representative out to check on the quality of classes at 26 Second Avenue.  Of course, no one ever came.  An impartial educator, however, would have to admit that learning was going on in Prabhupada’s classes.  Prabhupada was teaching us the principles and objectives of spiritual science as passed down by the great acaryas of India.

Anyone who studies Prabhupada’s books becomes educated in the most important subject.  Whenever a follower of Prabhupada hears a discussion of God consciousness, he spots contradictions or a “poor fund of knowledge” wherever it occurs.  Even a young brahmacari can note the flaws in the presentation of learned theologians or clergymen.  Theologians are puzzled as to “why bad things happen to good people”.  Some of them theorize that God may be all good, but He is not all powerful.  Some may say that God cannot have a form, or that God exists only in human relationships – but we can see this as a poor fund of knowledge.

One of the benefits of a good education in any field is that one easily meets opposition from prejudiced or ignorant persons.  Sometimes people would ask Prabhupada, “What is your faith?”    Prabhupada usually replied, “It is not faith, it is fact.”  He also said, “You may believe or not believe, that is a different thing.”  When a devotee meets a strong-minded atheist, the devotee sees right away that the atheist is only speaking for himself.  We are not shaken in our convictions.  Let us always thank Prabhupada for giving us the best education in the most important of all subjects.  It is not a sectarian religious education.  It is not less important than material knowledge.  Prabhupada teaches raja-vidya, the king of education.  Most of us are unqualified to receive this education, and yet we have received a full scholarship.  Just as an underprivileged person feels fortunate to receive a scholarship to a top university, we are grateful that Prabhupada has accepted us into the University of Vaisnava Brahmanism.

A few colleges now give credits to Prabhupada’s students in courses based on his books.  Nevertheless, it is hard to imagine that Krishna conscious students will be given as much credit in the world as science or business students.  If Vaisnavas became recognized as educators, that would be nice.  If not, we will go on teaching.  One who is trained by Prabhupada is better than a PhD – yet he humbly thinks himself unadvanced.

The subject in which we are trained, love of Krishna, is unlimitedly vast.  We can never know everything about Krishna.  Therefore, a PhD in this field honestly says that he does not have a deep love for Krishna.  He reasons that if he had love for Krishna, how could he live in this world without Him?  The accomplished student of Krishna consciousness never considers himself a master of this subject and never becomes puffed up.  He acknowledges that even simple people can receive God consciousness by the direct method of chanting the holy names.  Prabhupada has taught us everything.  He has given the syllabus and the practices, and he has stressed humility.  This is true education.