Behind the scenes: how mayapur institute crafts its spiritual leadership and dance courses
0
0
A Curriculum Born from Prayer and Practicality
The courses you see listed on our website, from the in-depth Bhakti-vedanta to the expressive sacred dance programs, don’t just appear out of thin air. Their creation is a thoughtful, collaborative, and prayerful process that happens behind the scenes. It always starts with a need,a gap in the development of a devotee’s life. For our spiritual leadership courses, we asked: what does a temple president, a community leader, or a project manager in ISKCON actually need to know? It’s not just philosophy. So we built a curriculum that includes conflict resolution, pastoral care, project management, and public speaking, all framed through the lens of sastra and the example of previous acaryas. Every module is tested and refined based on feedback from students and facilitators, ensuring it’s not just theoretical but genuinely useful for someone trying to lead and inspire others in a spiritual context.
Weaving Art and Philosophy Together
The development of our dance and arts courses follows a similar principle of integration. We don’t see sacred dance as mere performance; we see it as a form of moving prayer and a powerful means of preaching. The curriculum crafting for these courses is a delicate balance. On one hand, we focus on the technical skills,the precise mudras (hand gestures), the rhythmic footwork, the storytelling through movement. On the other hand, and this is the part that makes our courses unique, we weave in the philosophical and devotional heart of the art. Students don’t just learn *how* to dance; they explore *why* we dance for Krishna. They study the pastimes they are depicting, the mood of the devotee they are trying to convey, and how to cultivate the right internal attitude of service and surrender while performing. This behind-the-scenes work ensures that every course, whether focused on leadership or the arts, is a holistic offering designed to engage the body, mind, and soul, equipping students to serve the mission with both skill and a sincere heart.
