PHILOSOPHY

Daiva Varnasrama Culture

Culture is characterized by the behavior, cooperation, relationships, conduct and righteousness. Daiva Varnasrama Culture is that which is characterized by set of aspects that foster Krsna Consciousness or God Consciousness. Our focus area is hence to widely disseminate, train and demonstrate such a culture for a rural community. This is a call for a paradigm shift from the present exploitative, capitalistic, impersonal and unsustainable culture.ISKCON Daiva Varnasrama Ministry (India) has formulated various programs under this focus area such as: Popularizing Sanskrit, Awareness and Training on Hari Bhakti Vilas and Sat Kriya Sara Dipika, etc.

Traditional Education

Practice of Daiva Varnasrama Culture is intimately connected to education. Traditional education methodology and curriculum fosters and influences the practice of Daiva Varnasrama Culture. Therefore, at ISKCON Daiva Varnasrama Ministry (India), one of the important focus area is Traditional Education. To provide traditional education, we strive to establish: Varnasrama Shikshalayas, Gurukulas,Varnasrama Colleges and Homeschooling at rural communities.

Local Governance

The concept of Good Governance derived from the scriptural references as well as the rich history provides a right model for governance at community levels. Governance is most crucial for a providing right ingredients to establish a culture in the community. At ISKCON Daiva Varnasrama Ministry (India), the department of Protection, Administration and Welfare (PAW) is focused to provide awareness, training and education in the area of Local Governance.

Traditional Agriculture

Integral to Daiva Varnasrama Culture is sustainable and self-sufficient economy. This is based upon Traditional Agriculture and Cow Protection. Traditional Agriculture differs from the conventional agriculture with high inputs of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It differs from the organic agriculture itself and also practice of bio-dynamic agriculture or other contemporary forms of agriculture being propagated. The primary difference is the viewpoint that Traditional Agriculture is considered as a form of yajna or as an act to satisfy the Supreme Lord – Sri Krsna. With the concept of yajna, agriculture is viewed as an interaction between conscious world all-permeated by supreme consciousness and animate and inanimate living entities including human beings. ISKCON Daiva Varnasrama Ministry (India) aims to demonstrate, provide training and education and create awareness about traditional agriculture.

Cow Protection

Land, Cows and Krsna are the three ingredients for self-sufficiency. The terminology of cows include Cows, Bulls, Bullocks/Oxen and their progeny. Cow protection means protection from physical exploitation, healthcare, establishing proper breeding policies suitable for the local situation, utilizing the products of cows and bulls such as milk and its byproducts, cow dung and cow urine and providing engagement for bulls/Oxen.

Village Technologies

Village technologies are locally designed, sustainable and often energy independent technologies used to process the raw food from the farm or to extract oil or to lift water or in handicrafts. Village technologies are sustainable, provide engagement for Ox/Bullocks and hence supportive to the cause of Cow protection. Under heavy industrialization and globalization, these time tested village technologies are lost and those remaining in traces are also being lost rapidly. ISKCON Daiva Varnasrama Ministry (India) is focused to revive these technologies, provide their use in it’s rural community bases and thus demonstrate their reliability, sustainability and efficiency.

Culture Training and Empowerment of Women

Education and training for women is of crucial significance since the culture of a family unit and community in a broader sense is dependent upon the integrity, chastity and education of women. As per direction of Srimad Bhagavatam, girl child need to be educated to be fully conversant with scriptures. Apart from scriptural education, the significance of training in arts, crafts and home science is crucial to cultural development of Daiva Varnasrama communities. ISKCON Daiva Varnasrama Ministry (India) is therefore focused for cultural training and empowerment of women to facilitate organic growth of Daiva Varnasrama communities.

What We Do?

  • Creating Awareness

The avenues for this strategy are:
  1. Books – Varnasrama Book Publications (VBP) made up of a team of four persons, continuously is endeavoring to research, compile and edit to produce various literature. Ministry has to it’s credit the publication of popular books. Kindly visit our publications page to know more.
  2. Films – Varnasrama Media Productions (VMP), setup in 2008 has atleast 15 films to its credit. With fully equipped latest equipments, software and camera with accessories, VMP is poised to produce more films to push forward the mission of Daiva Varnasrama. Kindly visit the page on VMP to know more.
  3. Websites – With websites, social sites and internet medium taking center stage for easy, inexpensive and wide reach for dissemination, campaign and advocacy, the ministry wants to maximize this platform. Kindly visit our link page to know more about resources.
  4. Events – Events are a great venue to showcase and exhibit the activities and get-involved opportunities. Visit our events page to know more.
  5. Seminars & Conferences – Seminars are held regularly
 
  • Providing Education

The avenues we have defined for education are:
  1. Varnasrama Shikshalaya (Age 4 – 5)
  2. Gurukula (Age 5 – 10)
  3. Varnasrama College (Age 10 – 20)
 
  • Building Sustainable Communities

  1. Training
  2. Consultation
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