DISCOVER YOUR SELF – 6 sessions, 120 min/session

Breakup of the two hour session time (sessions 1 to 3)

Kirtan and Prayers.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 15 min

Slideshow and GD .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 75 min
Q & A .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 20 min
Kirtans.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 min

Total time.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 120 min

Breakup of the two hour session time (sessions 4 to 6)

Kirtan and Prayers.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 min

Slideshow and GD .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 70 min
Chanting Hare Krishna japa .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 min
Q & A .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 20 min
Kirtans.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 min

Total time.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 120 min

Session 1 : Can a scientist believe in God?

Specific Aims

To help students understand the presence of God scientifically, based on our own observations.

Objectives

At the end of the session, the student should be able to :

 Cite examples to show God as the Artist, Designer, Lawmaker, Organiser behind the universe.
 Quote at least three scientists who say that the universe was created by God not by chance.
 Explain how there is a law (not chance) that governs our beauty, riches, intelligence.
 Compare the government of any country and universal government of God to prove His presence
 Outline the fallacies of the ‘big bang’ theory
 Enumerate the four duties of scientists

Session 2 : Getting the eyes to see God

Specific Aims

To help students appreciate the fact that

 No one can understand either the material world or the Absolute Truth completely and correctly by
any amount of endeavour, because our senses are defective and limited.
 Truth can be understood only by hearing from a bonafide authority.

Objectives

At the end of the session, the student should be able to :

 Illustrate with a story how our senses are imperfect to know truth.
 Mention the three methods of gaining knowledge (in Sanskrit with translation in English)
 Explain each of the three methods with a couple of examples for each method.
 Cite the four defects that human beings have with at least one example for each.
 Explain how is the method of receiving knowledge in shabda different from pratyaksa and anumana
 Highlight the importance of seeing things as they are through the eyes of scriptures.

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 Session 3 : Vedic wisdom – The Privilege of Humanity

Specific Aims

To help students appreciate the fact that

 The essential difference between humans and animals is that humans can inquire about the cause of
suffering and the ultimate destination of life.
 Advancement in the field of Science, Technology and Medicine can only superficially cover up the
problems by offering temporary stopgap solutions to our sufferings; they cannot eradicate our
sufferings.
 The solution for all sufferings lies in hearing the Vedic scriptures from a bonafide teacher and
applying the laws of God in one’s life; when we give up breaking the laws of God, we can also
become free from suffering.
 Accepting Vedic axiomatic truths is not blind, as in every field whether it be Mathematics, Science or
Thermodynamics, we accept axioms.
 Vedas are timeless and the truths spoken in the Vedas are becoming confirmed by modern science;
the prophecies made in the Vedas are being proved. Thus a wise person should take advantage of the
Vedic wisdom and not reject it blindly based on some superficial perception of the ignorant public.
 Just as we have authorized College, Professor and Books, similarly we have authorized Parampara,
Spiritual teachers and Vedic texts. Thus one should approach spiritual knowledge scientifically.

Objectives

At the end of the session, the student should be able to :

 Mention the four activities common to animals and humans

 Explain how animals also have reasoning power, thinking ability, technology – but only for
doing the four basic activities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending.
 Explain how animals are superior to humans in the four basic activities.
 Quote the verse from Mahabharata about how humans are superior to animals in performance
of Dharma.
 Highlight the special prerogative of humans over animals as the ability in humans to inquire
about the cause of suffering and the ultimate destination of life.
 Tell the story of mahamoorkha and illustrate the lessons from the story, especially the
importance of knowing the destination of life.
 Enumerate the threefold miseries with an example for each.
 Explain with a story or example clearly how the scientific advancement can only superficially
cover up the problems.
 Illustrate how the temporary stopgap solutions to our sufferings cannot eradicate our sufferings;
we suffer because of breaking God’s laws; we can avoid suffering by knowing God and His laws.
 Explain that the solution for all sufferings lies in understanding the three essential aspects
taught in Vedic scriptures from a bona fide teacher.
 Give four examples to prove that acceptance of Vedas is not a blind faith.
 Give four examples to show that the timeless Vedic truths are confirmed by recent advances in
the field of science.
 Give four examples to show how the Vedic prophecies have become true.
 Highlight the difference between ascending and descending knowledge with examples and the
disadvantage of ascending knowledge
 Illustrate how the Vedic process of learning is not dogmatic but scientific.

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 Session 4 : Science of Soul

Specific Aims

To help students appreciate the fact that

 presence of soul makes the living body exhibit consciousness; a dead body has no consciousness.
 There are many empirical scientific ways of inferential logic to appreciate the presence of soul.
 Knowledge of soul can offer us innumerable benefits in everyday life
 Soul as opposed to matter has different set of nature and characteristics
 We are not Gods but we are God’s property.

Objectives

At the end of the session, the student should be able to :

 Explain the difference between matter and spirit

 Explain how the soul makes the living body exhibit consciousness; a dead body has no
consciousness.
 Logically explain that we are not just chemical bundle but pure spirit soul trapped in a material
body.
 Give two examples to illustrate difference between body and soul
 Give four empirical scientific ways of inferential logic to appreciate the presence of soul.
 Cite four practical benefits of Knowledge of soul in everyday life
 Philosophically explain the characteristics of Soul based on Bhagavad gita
 Illustrate with four examples differences between God and soul.

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 Session 5 : Substance and shadow
Specific Aims

To help students appreciate…

 God or Krishna is full in six opulences and the soul is only a part and parcel of God.
 Nature of Material beauty and Spiritual beauty.
 Spiritual world and material world
 Right use and misuse of independence by the living entity
 Importance of hearing and chanting for purification of heart

Objectives

At the end of the session, the student should be able to :

 Quote the six opulences (beauty, wealth, strength, riches, knowledge, renunciation) the tiny presence
of which makes one attractive in the eyes of others.
 Explain how God or Krishna is ‘all attractive’ while souls are only his part-and-parcel and thus
exhibit a small spark of His opulences.
 Distinguish between material beauty (fleeting, like a counterfeit note) and spiritual beauty
(permanent, real).
 Give reasons why the soul has come to the material world.
 Illustrate with an example and a story how the soul can never be happy by turning away from God;
he can only be happy by surrendering to God and serving Him with love.
 Logically prove that the material world is a prison to reform the conditioned soul of his wrong
mentality to become an independent enjoyer.
 Enumerate the clearcut differences between the nature of spiritual world and nature of material
world.
 Show through a story the mistake of Mundane intellectuals and atheists, how they are deluded by
outward beauty of the relative truth (material body) because they are unaware of the spiritual spark,
which is both truth and beauty at the same time.
 Explain how the True love exists on a spiritual plane between God and the living being. The so-
called love of the material world is only a perverted reflection of that pure love.
 Highlight the importance of returning back home back to Godhead, because Lord Krishna or Lord
Rama is Supreme Personality of Godhead and the pastimes of the Lord with devotees is also divine.
The real family is in the spiritual world. The society, friendship and love of the material world is
simply a counterfeit as we have no permanent longlasting relationships in this world.
 Bring out the important conclusion about the purpose of life in this world, which is to purify our
hearts and return back home back to Godhead by :
- hearing ‘Krishna katha’ (pastimes of the Lord) and ‘Krishna upadesh’ (instructions of the Lord). One
can become free from all the contaminations of the heart – lust, pride, envy, anger, illusion, greed – by
such hearing.
- chanting the holy names – ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare
Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare’. The purpose of yoga and meditation is to revive our forgotten
relationship with the Lord.

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 Session 6 : If God is one, why there are so many religions?

Specific Aims

To help students appreciate…

 By comparison how the principles presented in all religions is same, but the depth of information
and the surrender taught is according to the ability of the audience to digest the truth.
 Understand the different platforms in which God is worshipped – Feat, Desire, Duty and Love
 Appreciate the ultimate understanding of God as Krishna and the ultimate goal of life as Love of God
without any motivation.
 Practical steps for a peaceful life, the ABCD formula

Objectives

At the end of the session, the student should be able to :

 Quote an example to show that different religions are presented according to the ability of audience
to digest the Truth
 Establish with quotes from Bible, Quran and Gita the loftiness of Sanatana Dharma over all other
religions
 Present the essential difference between Sanatana Dharma (depth of verifiable and inconceivable
information in Vedas is enormous) and other religions (give very brief information about God)
 Compare the different teachings of religions and synthesize them to show that they all essentially
teach the same truth, but present the truth to gradually elevate the follower to the highest platform of
love of God.
 Clarify with an example that although God is one Supreme, still different religions approach Him at
different levels of intimacy.
 Explain the four different motivations for one to approach God – Fear, Desire, Duty and Love.
 Explain with an example the nature of love without motivation.
 Compare the age of different religions and establish that the fact that Sanatana Dharma is the oldest
and supermarket of all religions.
 Understand and explain the differences between worship in mode of ignorance, passion and
goodness.
 Explain logically why do we call Krishna as God and the nature of Krishna’s personality and His
descent into the material world.
 Cite the ABCD formula with explanation and example for each of the topics.

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