The World Wide Web is undoubtedly a media playing an increasingly important role in influencing the views and lives of people, playing a crucial role in their search for both information and entertainment. The beautiful tradition of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu deserves to be well represented in the ever-evolving modern world, new avenues of broadcasting and inspiration need to be established.
Here's what we have currently covered:
- Moving images - Lake of Flowers Productions
- Audio - Raganuga.Com, upcoming at Lake of Flowers Productions
- Still images - Raganuga.Com, upcoming at LOFP
- Static information - Gaudiya.Com, Raganuga.Org and the such
- Interactive information - Gaudiya Discussions, some private forums
- Source texts - Gaudiya Grantha Mandir
- Sites for individual traditions - Krishnacaitanya.Com, Madrasibaba.Org and the such
Additionally, there are some budding projects in various stages of completion or currently frozen due to lack of resources:
- Gaudiya Encyclopaedia - An extensive information resource in a searchable database online.
- News - The structure for the site is coded together, however we lack a network of contributors.
- Gaudiya introductory kit - A bundle containing a small book, a CD and some pictures, freely available, ordered online. With an introductory website.
- Online study groups - A prototype version has been rolled out to a limited audience, we are looking into broader education in various scriptures along with lessons in Sanskrit and Bengali.
- Organization - The online presence of a pan-Gaudiya mother organization to facilitate and support all of the above (currently being registered).
- Calendar - An online Vaishnava calendar, needs to be locally customized and linked to information on the events noted.
With all of the above, somehow I feel we've barely scratched the surface. I'd therefore like to hear any and all ideas our good audience may come up with. What would you like to see online?
As part of the online study group programme, I'd like to see correspondence courses because I like to read texts and write essays about them in various ways (such as "compare and contrast", "historical analysis" etc.)
It might even be fun to include "comprehension" exercises - with a text, then multiple choice questions to see if we've understood the text properly. Professionals in many fields must gain a certain amount of "CPD" or continuous professional development points each year from completion of such exercises - so why not Vaisnavas!
I'd also like to see people do "pastoral role play" exercises, that is write about how they might approach a real world situation using devotional insights, such as assisting junior family members through difficult challenges, or resolving work-related problems calling for the development of sattva-guna qualities. This might seem a bit mundane, but in my opinion there has been insufficient focus in some devotee communities on supporting eachother as devotee-friends, or developing the "pastoral" side of being a guru or spiritual teacher to others. I feel that weaknesses in these areas can lead to problems focusing on sadhana and in maintaining harmonious relationships with other devotees.