Should I restart the Rūpa-śikṣā study program? 🤔

When I looked at the calendar yesterday, I noticed Akṣaya-tṛtīyā approaching in just two weeks' time. I was reminded that this was the day we began the Śrī Rūpa-śikṣā program last year. With it coming so soon, I'm now starting to feel mental, wondering whether or not I should restart it. If you have a moment, I'd really appreciate it if you could look at the program details below and let me know if you would be interested in participating. That would greatly help me decide what to do.

The program last year

Last year around this time, I made a plan to cover the first half of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instructions to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā Chapter 19) over four months and complete the study program on the disappearance day of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.

For the first two months, each week I created videos and wrote posts for all the main verses, and facilitated Zoom sessions to review what we learned and give everyone an opportunity to recite the verses and share their understanding. Unfortunately, two months into the program, my phone, which I was using to create the videos, was stolen, forcing me to abruptly discontinue the program. (Although I did still continue the weekly Zoom sessions with three of the participants for a couple more months.)

Do it again this year?

I'm inexperienced in video editing, speaking, and conducting online classes, and, as my energy is currently divided among multiple projects, I'm unsure if starting this program is worth the effort it would require of me. If at least five or six people commit to seriously following the program, I think I will proceed with it.

To participate, you would need to memorize two verses a week (I'll be making videos to help with that) and attend a weekly Zoom session where we'll recite and discuss the verses we've learned. If for any reason you can't join the Zoom session(s), don't worry — you can always share your recitation and thoughts with us via our Rūpa-śikṣā WhatsApp group or message me directly.

Would you like to be a part of it?

You can take a look at some of the videos I made last year to get an idea of what it'll be like. Please let me know within a week, and I'll start making preparations.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Aspiring to please Śrīla Gurudeva and the Vaiṣṇavas,
–Madhukar das