Five Classes You Must Take While Attending The College Of Life

“Among all kinds of killers, time is the ultimate because time kills everything. Time is the representative of Krishna because in due course of time there will be a great fire and everything will be annihilated.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 10.33 Purport)

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It’s your first year of college. Everything is brand new to you. From living away from home, having to do your own laundry, walking to a dining hall to eat - you haven’t done these things before. You’re excited, since you’ll broaden your horizons. You’re on your own, but there are still other people there with you. You’ll learn together.

One of the things you’re quickly thrown into is the process of registering for classes. You know what your major field of study is, but it’s not like you’re guaranteed to get the classes you need. There are those that are required. Either for your major or to graduate, you need to take these classes. There are also electives. If you want to branch out of your field of study, you enroll in these classes. They may also help to boost your grade point average.

If the journey through life, from birth to death, were compared to attending a university, there are indeed certain classes that are requirements. These help to bring the human being towards their potential in intelligence. Moreover, they help to make the experience truly rewarding. These classes come down from the authority that is the Vedic tradition. Parampara, fortunately, has plenty of teachers to ensure that the proper topics are covered.

1. My Identity - Spirit or Matter?

Who are you? Does your body identify you or is there something deeper lying within? This course covers the interesting topic in depth, using the Bhagavad-gita as the main text. We look at the individual at each phase of the typical life cycle and what it means. We cover the common types of identification and compare them.

2. History of the universe - From Where Did Everything Come?

How did the universe really come to be? Was it a big bang of chemicals that led to the present variety of life that we see around us? How do we explain the intelligence embedded within nature? Using the Bhagavata Purana as our main source, we take a deeper look at what goes into making the many species we see around us. By the end of this class, you will have a better understanding of what the rishis from ancient times say about what goes into making a universe.

3. Time and Death - Natural Friends or Strange Bedfellows?

Life to death, both for the individual and for the creation at large, features constant change. In this course we study the time factor. The Sanskrit word kala is used for both time and death. Time is what is behind the many changes we see. They say that time heals all wounds, and in this course we study exactly why time is here and what its purpose is. Why is there death? Why can’t we all live forever? These questions and more are answered assertively and without doubt by the rishis of the Vedic tradition.

4. Karma - Good or Bad?

Go deeper into the topic we commonly associate with good and bad things happening to us. How do those results manifest? What exactly is good and bad? Is there a way to know the proper action to follow in all circumstances? Why do some people have it good while others are always struggling? Karma, often translated as “fruitive activity” in English, is mentioned in many different contexts in Vedic literature. We cover the common areas of association, such as prescribed duty, positive and negative consequences, and reincarnation.

5. God - Fact or Fiction?

The rich philosophy of the Vedas has no known date of inception. The works themselves don’t say that they came into being at a certain time period. They are sourced in someone who is eternal. He can be known by the term “God,” but there is actually much more to Him. In this class we cover what Vedic philosophy has to say about God, and whether the extra information provided, particularly about His greatness, can help solve the question that has puzzled man for centuries. Does God actually exist?

In Closing:

Life like university entered by you,

Many classes from which to choose.

 

Vedas knowledge on topics giving,

A variety, so that with intelligence living.

 

Karma, origin of the universe, and time,

Is God real or just imagination of mine?

 

In depth, from rishis and Vedic literature store,

Most vital learning, to continue more and more.