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 The Esoteric Teaching University of Vedic Wisdom Bhakta Degree Program is the first step on the path to becoming a pure devotee of the Lord.
“This Esoteric Teaching is the King of Education, the Most Secret of all Secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the Self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.”
[Bhagavad-gītā 9.2]
The Bhakta Degree Program consists of the following courses (course descriptions, welcome video, links to details after the jump):
- Introduction/Orientation
- Effective Study Techniques
- Chanting and Regulative Principles
- Sanskrit I: Pronunciation
- Cooking and Offering Prasādam
- Śrī Īśopaniṣad
- How to Live as a Devotee in the Material World
- Temple Songs and Mantras
- Kṛṣṇa Book, Part 1: Braja-līlā
- The Esoteric Teaching Bridge Community
- Vocational Training: Śudra-varṇa
- Final Examination
These cover the basic skills you need to be a devotee, a student of the Esoteric Teaching of the Vedas and a member of an Esoteric Teaching Bridge Community. Each course contains video, audio, links to reading material, assignments, exercises and questions to build and then demonstrate your mastery of the material. Real mastery of a subject means the ability to apply it in a variety of circumstances. So the actual goal of this course is that you are able to apply the principles and practices of bhakti in your life.The Bhakta Degree Program begins from the Introduction/Orientation Course described below.
 sa evāyaṁ mayā te 'dya
yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ
bhakto 'si me sakhā ceti
rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam
"That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend; therefore you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science." [Bhagavad-gītā 4.3]
Introduction/Orientation
Before beginning any endeavor it is important to set goals and determine your intentions. The expectations you create at the beginning of this course will determine to a great extent what you get out of it. Therefore let us begin by fixing our minds on our spiritual masters, Bhakti-sarvabhauma Gaurahari Dāsānudās Bābājī and His Divine Grace Bhaktivedanta Svāmī Śrīla Prabhupāda. They are giving the all-important instructions by which we can attain the goal of human life, lift ourselves out of the pool of material suffering and attain the lotus feet of the Lord.
bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ
tayāpahṛta-cetasām
vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ
samādhau na vidhīyate
"In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination of devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place." [Bhagavad-gītā 2.44]
By the time you graduate from the Bhakta Degree Program, you will be able to:
- Study effectively, teach yourself any subject and be able to apply it in practice.
- Chant your japa-mantra nicely and follow the regulative principles of spiritual life.
- Read transliterated Sanskrit and chant Sanskrit ślokas and songs with proper pronunciation.
- Cook and offer nice vegetarian dishes to the Lord with love and devotion, and honor the remnants as prasādam, the mercy of the Lord.
- Chant and understand the meaning of the Vedic scripture Śrī Īśopaniṣad, which is the basis of varṇāśrama spiritual society and the Vaiṣṇava faith.
- Live comfortably as a devotee in the material world.
- Understand the unique structure and benefits of the Esoteric Teaching Bridge Community and your role in it.
- Understand the nature and character of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other Vedic scriptures.
- Chant and sing the regular Vaiṣṇava temple songs and prayers easily and tunefully.
- Understand the structure and purposes of the Esoteric Teaching Bridge Community and University of Vedic Wisdom, and how your personal qualities and aspirations fit into this program to reinvent human society.
Read detailed description of the Bhakta program curriculum, and what students say about our courses.
"I love the format of the Bhakta Intro course. It is so easy to use and organized so well that it really excited me to realize that I can get through this material if I put forth the appropriate effort. So this is a big THANK YOU to all of you that put this together!" — Jennifer L.
The Esoteric Teaching University of Vedic Wisdom Bhakta Degree Program takes about three months of full-time study at our Bridge Community Āśram, or six months to a year of part-time study at home. It is available for serious students of the Absolute Truth for a donation of only US$61 for each course, or US$601 for the complete Degree Program (12 courses—you save $131!). Most of the material for the course is already publicly and freely available on our website. Then why do we ask for a donation? Because it takes a lot of time and skill to guide the students through the course and monitor their progress. Your Teacher will call you for an hour consultation weekly. We ask for a donation both to offset the resources that we have to dedicate to the courses, and also because that will help you, the student, value what you learn here. A skilled and learned Teacher will stay in touch with you via email, IM and a weekly web conference, monitor your progress and help you overcome any problems you may have.
You know you want this knowledge! Just click one of the buttons below to register:
| Intro/Orientation Course only US$61 |
Complete Bhakta Degree Program US$601 |
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Note: All donations to Esoteric Teaching Seminars, Inc.
are tax-deductible under Article 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code.
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