SRILA PRABHUPADA ASHRAYA PROGRAMME

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR SRILA PRABHUPADA SEVAK

Please answer this questionnaire and handover along with the Registration Form duly filled in.
1. How often do you come to the temple (in a month)?
2. For how many days/weeks/months/years are you visiting ISKCON?
3. How many Sunday morning programs do you attend every month?
4. How many rounds of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra do you chant everyday?
5. How long does it take to chant your rounds?
6. When do you chant most of your rounds?
7. Where do you chant most of your rounds?
8. List all the books of Srila Prabhupada that you have read and indicate against each book
whether you have read partially or fully (cover to cover):

Title of the book Indicate partially or fully

i. _____________________________ ___________________________
ii._____________________________ ___________________________
9. Do you accept Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? a. Yes b. No
10. Why do you accept Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead?
11. What is the position of the devatas? Name a few.
12. Are you willing to render practical devotional service in ISKCON?
a. Yes, everyday b. Yes, every Sunday and festival days
c. Yes, but only on festival days d. No
13. Are you a vegetarian? (Tick the correct alternative)
a. Yes, all my life b. Yes, for the past ______ years / months / days c. No.
14. To become Krishna conscious means
a. We have to renounce family and society.
b. We have to leave job, wealth, position, etc.
c. We need not change our position.
d. We should shave head and wear saffron robes.
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15. Are you planning to take-up next level of Ashraya Program?
a. Yes b. No. Please give reason

16. Taking shelter of Srila Prabhupada - What do you understand by this? Please Explain.
17. How have you been benefited by the contributions of Srila Prabhupada? Explain in your own
words.
18. Read this passage carefully and answer the questions:
i) Heart Disease - The Number One Killer: As early as 1961, the Journal of the American
Medical Association had said, 90% - 97% of heart disease can be prevented by a vegetarian
diet.

ii) Cancer - The Number Two Killer: Cooked meat and fish contains carcinogens, which
sometimes attack the cells genetic material (DNA), alter it and develop cancer

iii) Harmful Chemicals: Meat contains 14 times more chemicals & pesticides than plant foods.

iv) Annual health-care: Annual health-care costs directly resulting from the US meat-centered
diet are between $23.6 billion and $61.4 billion - revealed in 1995 by Physicians Committee for
Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a group of 4,500 medical doctors

a) What is the number one killer? What is the cause of this number one killer?
b) What is the number two killer? What is the cause of this number two killer?
c) Meat contains _____________________ times more ___________________________than plant
foods
d) Meat eating increases health care costs. If 1 billion dollars 5000 crores
Then what is the annual health care budget of US as mentioned in d) above? If our temple cost
is 50 crores, then just by avoiding meat eating, how many such temples can be built all over the
world in ONE YEAR?
e) What is your conclusion from the above examples?
f) Do you want to become a Vegetarian all your life?

19. Please read the following:

Of all the regulative principles, the spiritual masters order to chant at least sixteen rounds is
most essential. (r Caitanya-caritmta Madhya-ll 22.113)

Bahulasva: What is the thing that would please you the most?
Prabhupada: Chant Hare Krsna.
Devotees: Hare Krsna!
Prabhupada: That is the simple thing. You are chanting. I am very much pleased. Thats all.
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 You sing every day morning that by the mercy of the Spiritual master one can please the
Lord and one who has not pleased the spiritual master cannot have any access in the realm of
Krishna Consciousness

a) What is the most essential principle?

b) What pleases the spiritual mater MOST?
c) If one does not please the spiritual master what happens to him?
d) How are you planning to please SP the most?

TULASI WORSHIP

20. Do you worship Tulasi everyday?

21. Do you water Tulasi plant everyday?
22. Do you circumambulate Tulasi everyday?
23. Read the passage carefully and answer the following questions:
rdhann sarve vior rdhana param
tasmd paratara devi tadyn samarcanam
O Dev, the most exalted system of worship is the worship of Lord Viu. Greater than that is
the worship of tadya, or anything belonging to Viu. rla Prabhupda comments on this
verse, r Viu is sac-cid-nanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. Similarly the most confidential servant of
Ka, the spiritual master, and all devotees of Viu are tadya. The sac-cid-nanda-vigraha,
guru, Vaiavas and things used by them must be considered tadya, and without a doubt
worshipable by all living beings. (Cc. Madhya 12.38 purport)

As stated in the Padma Pura, rdhann sarve vior rdhana param: of all kinds
of worship, worship of Lord Viu is the best. Tasmt paratara devi tadyn samarcanam:
and recommended more than worship of Viu is worship of the Vaiava.

Tulasi devi is a pure devotee of Krishna and she should be treated with the same respect given
to all Krishna's pure devotees.
a) What is the best worship?
b) Which worship is better than the worship of Vishnu?
c) What is the position of Tulasi devi?
d) Worshipping of Tulasi is more pleasing to the Lord than worship to himself. How do you
support this? ____________________________________________________________________
e) How can you take to the worship of Tulsi?

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EKADASHI :
24. Do you observe fasting on Ekadashi and other festival days as recommended in Vaishnava
Calendar?
a. Yes b. No c. I will start observing now on
25. What are the forbidden food items on Ekadashi days?
26. On Ekadashi if we can have the following listed item tick [ 4 ] YES are else tick [ 4 ] NO
a) Peanuts - YES / NO b) Idli, Vada, Dosa, Upma - YES / NO
c) Thirupathi Laddu Prasadam - YES / NO d) Mustared - YES / NO
e) Rice Sambar - YES / NO f) Sathyanaraya Vrata Prasadam-YES/ NO
g) Only Idli-vada - YES / NO h) Saboodana and Varai - YES / NO
i) Items prepared with Salt and Chilly - YES / NO
j) Saboodana - YES / NO k) Rice, Ragi, Wheat Chapaati - YES / NO
l) Toordal, Uraddal, Peas, Beans - YES / NO
27. Read the passage carefully and answer the following questions:

According to the Vaiava calendar, there are many fasts, such as Ekda and the appearance
and disappearance days of God and His devotees. All of these are meant to decrease the fat
within the body so that one will not sleep more than desired and will not become inactive and
lazy. Overindulgence in food will cause a man to sleep more than required. This human form
of life is meant for austerity, and austerity means controlling sex, food intake, etc. In this way
time can be saved for spiritual activity, and one can purify himself both externally and
internally. Thus both body and mind can be cleansed. (SB 4.2835-36 Purport)

Ekadasi is observed for increasing the strength of devotion. (Letter to Madhusudana -

01/02/68)

In the Brahma-vaivarta Pura it is said that one who observes fasting on Ekda day is freed
from all kinds of reactions to sinful activities and advances in pious life. (NoD Chapter 7)
a) List down 3 reasons why one has to practice Ekadasi?
b) Human form is meant for _______________________
c) List down few austerities. What is the benefit of austerities?
d) How are you planning to increase your austerities?

PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS:

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28. Have you read the book Beyond Birth and Death cover to cover?
A. Yes b. Partially c. No

Based on the book Beyond Birth and Death answer the following questions:

29. What is the very first step in self-realization?

30. What is the relation between the soul and consciousness? Explain with an example.
31. What is the argument that Srila Prabhupada gives to say that it is incorrect to deny the soul
simply because we cannot perceive it by our gross senses? What is the alternate method, that
Srila Prabhupada recommends, by which we can perceive the soul?
32. Why is sense control essential in spiritual life?
33. What is the common purpose of the Vedas, the Old and New Testament and the Koran? And
what is the common method recommended in all of them?
34. What is the simple process recommended by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to establish oneself on
the spiritual platform, above the three modes of material nature?
35. Even though the higher planets are subject to birth and death, why do great yogis strive to go
to them?
36. How can we escape from death?
37. What is the process for understanding God and His kingdom? Explain in your own words the
example Srila Prabhupada gives.
38. What is the real aim of human life?
39. What is the prayer of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu?
40. Can we see God by our own endeavor? What is the correct process?
41. How would you defend yourself about having faith in the Bhagavad-gita? Explain with an
example.
42. When we place our faith in something, what is that we should carefully look for?
43. What is the symptom of one who has progressed in devotional life?