Title: BRAHMANA INITIATION EXAMINATION
Author: Aniruddha dasa
Company: ISKCON Melbourne

FIRST INITIATION EXAM
Pass Mark 75%
SECTION ONE:

1.	Who is Krsna?									(1 Mark  )
2.	What is your relationship with Krsna?					(1 Mark  )
3.	What are you expected to do with your relatioship with Krsna		(1 Mark  )
4.	What is the aim of Krsna consciousness?					(1 Mark  )
5.	What do you mean by religion?						(4 Marks)
6.	Is Krsna consciousness a type of religion or religion faith?			(5 Marks)
7.	How do you distinguish between religion and faith?			(5 Marks)
8.	Can religion or faith be changed from one type to another?		(5 Marks)
9.	How do you distinguish between changeable and eternal religion		(5 Marks)
10.	What are the different types of religious faith?				(2 Marks)
11.	Can religion be manufactured by philosophical speculation?		(1 Mark  )
12.	What is the greater common engagement of religious men?		(1 Mark  )
13.	If you believe that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead?	(5 Marks)
How do you substantiate your belief?
14.	What is Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan?				(3 Marks)
Section Sub-total	(40 Marks)

SECTION TWO:

1.	What is the meaning of the maha-mantra?
a)	i)	Hare
ii)	Krsna
iii)	Rama
iv)	The maha-mantra							(5 Marks)
      b)  What are the progressive stages in chanting?				(3 Marks)
      c)   How does chanting affect us?						(2 Marks)

2.	What are the four regulative principles and why should they		(8 Marks)
be followed?

3.	Sadhana-bhakti is comprised of various devotional observances.
Please describe the purposes and benefit of taking part in the
following activities:
a)	Mangala-arati
b)	Japa-meditation
c)	Tulasi-puja
d)	Srimad-Bhagavatam class
e)	Worship of the Deities
f)	Guru-puja
g)	Observance of Ekadasi
h)	Honouring prasadam
i)	Serving devotees
j)	“Preaching” – distributing knowledge of Krsna to others 		(20 Marks)

4.	Who are the personalities usually worshipped in ISKCON temples?

Match the description with the personality.
Lord Jagannatha		Lady Subhadra		Lord Nityananda
Srimati Radharani		Disciplic Succession		Lord Nrsimhadeva
Lord Balarama			Lord Caitanya		Laksmi-devi
Tulasi-devi			Lord Krsna			Six Gosvamis

Match with:

i)	The most merciful incarnation.
ii)	The original Supreme Lord.
iii)	A  pure devotee in the form of a plant
iv)	The most recent acaryas.
v)	Krsna’s sister.
vi)	Half-man, half-lion incarnation who appears to protect his devotee.
vii)	The Goddess of Fortune.
viii)	Krsna’s eternal consort who is in charge of devotional service.
ix)	The orginal spiritual master.
x)	The Lord of the Universe.
xi)	Krsna’s brother.
xii)	Great devotees in the disciplic succession from Lord Caitanya.	(12 Marks)
Section Sub-total (50 Marks)

SECTION THREE:

1.	What are the three modes of material nature and how do they affect us? 	
(9 Marks)
2.	Describe the characteristics of the soul or atma.				(5 Marks)
3.	Describe the process of transmigration of the soul.		                 	(5 Marks)
4.	a)	Is the phenomenal world true or false?				    	(2 Marks)
b)	Explain how a devotee should interact with the material world.          (2 Marks)
5.   Explain Lord Caitanya’s philosophy of acintya-bheda-bheda tattva.         (2 Marks)
6.   Explain the origin meaning and purpose of Varnasrama-dharama.          (10 Marks)
7.   What are the four defects of the conditioned soul and how do they           (5 Marks)
       affect us?
							Section Sub-total (40 Marks)
SECTION FOUR:

1.	Describe the characteristics and qualities of the following positions in 
       devotional service:

       a)	Kanistha Adihikari							(4 Marks)
       b)	Madhyama Adhikari						(4 Marks)
       c)	Uttama Adhikari							(4 Marks)

2.	What is the prospective disciple’s relationship with Srila Prabhupada?

a)	before initiation?							(2 Marks)
b)   after initiation?							(2 Marks)

3.    How should one regard the God-brothers of his guru?		(1 Mark)

4.   Give the English translation of the 1^st, 7^th and 8^th verses of the	(6 Marks)
     Gurvastakam of Srila Visvantha Cakravati Thakura.
						Section Sub-total		(15 Marks)
							             Total     (153 Marks)