Assessment

OPEN BOOK ASSESSMENT ESSAY WRITING GUIDELINES

Students should keep in mind the following guidelines when writing answers to open book questions. Open book assessment answers should be approximately 600 words each.

Presentation and Style

Leave Room on the page for comments.
Divide the essay into sections and paragraphs.

(Optionally give headings)
(Bullet Points are acceptable)

Follow a sequential development of concepts.
Include introduction and conclusion.

Focus

Write a focused and concise response responding to the questions.
Avoide additional irrelevant phislosphical information.
Do not exceed the word limit.
Open Book Assesment Guidelines

Quotations

Quote, with exact reference, to support your points.
Explain the significance of the quotes.
Quote specific phrases from verses, purports and lectures.
Do not include long quotes without any explanation.

Srila Prabhupada on Writing

“Write your realization—what you have realized about Krsna. That is required. It is not passive; always you should be active. Whenever you find time, write….Sravanam, kirtanam—writing or offering prayers, glories—this is one of the functions of a Vaisnava]. You are hearing, but you have to write also.”

Srila Prabhupada Lecture
1968, Los Angeles.

Sample Open-Book Assessment Answers

Open-Book Assessment (Preaching Application)

Present how a pure devotees’ passage to the supreme abode is guaranteed by devotional service with reference to Krsna’s statements in Bhagavad-gita Chapter 8.

The following paper is an example of a poor response. Note the areas which should be improved (For each paragraph, notes are left in bold and italic):

Sample Answer 1:

Anyone who quits his body in Krsna consciousness is at once transferred to the transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is the purest of the pure. Therefore anyone who is constantly Krsna conscious is also the purest of the pure. The word smaran (“remembering”) is important. Remembrance of Krsna is not possible for the impure soul who has not practiced Krsna consciousness in devotional service. Therefore one should practice Krsna consciousness from the very beginning of life. If one wants to achieve success at the end of his life, the process of remembering Krsna is essential. Therefore one should constantly, incessantly chant the maha-mantra—Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Lord Caitanya has advised that one be as tolerant as a tree (taror iva sahisnuna). There may be so many impediments for a person who is chanting Hare Krsna. Nonetheless, tolerating all these impediments, one should continue to chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, so that at the end of one’s life one can have the full benefit of Krsna consciousness. (Up to this point, the student has simply copied verbatim from Prabhupada’s purport to 8.6. This is unacceptable. One should present philosophical points in one’s own words, to reveal ones understanding.)

Of all the 8 questions asked by Arjuna, Krsna dedicates almost the entire part of Chapter 8 to answer Arjuna’s 8th question: How can those engaged in devotional service know You at the time of death? This chapter brings us to gross reality of life – we cannot stay in this body forever. Therefore we must consider where we are going next. That is intelligence. Time is breaking us down in this material world and yet our heads are full of dreams. We don’t seem to take our life seriously and we glide from one sensory experience to another. (Good)

When we read of Pariksit Maharaj in Bhagavatam that he had only 7 days to live, we feel sorry for him. Prabhupada always pointed out we don’t even know if we have 7 minutes. Krsna being the doctor is giving us instructions how we don’t have to subject a period for birth and death. How can I die in a proper state of mind is the intelligent question asked by Pariksit Maharaj. Sukadeva Goswami glorified this question as the essence of all questions. The tendency to live and live (since the soul is eternal) is so deep which makes us think we will never die. In real human civilization we understand the present moment is the product of the past. According to the consciousness of our past life we now have our present mentality and our present situation. Therefore what we are thinking now will lead to the future situation. (Here the student is getting off the point of the question (guaranteed passage to the supreme abode) and preaching in general, with reference to texts beyond the scope of the question.)

We have to be intelligent to shape our life. We have to be careful where we are heading. We have to understand where we came from. The Lord explains that our consciousness now and our life situation is the result of our previous death. If we have to truly focus our present moment then we have to think of our previous death. People say the magic of the moment. Actually the version of “the now” is the result of our past death. That is how relevant our past death is. Where am I going to be trained for the best possible life in the next birth? A devotee realizes this hard core reality and therefore cultivates and shapes his mind in such a way that at the time of death our mind is in the highest peak possible. The highest possible level is thinking of Krsna consciousness. Through the mysticism of His pastimes, Krsna liberates the whole world. (A vague quote…. The student should include exact references to the 8th Chapter. All or part of the relevant verse can be included.)

Training the mind is the most important obligation. Our mind can finish us off. That same mind can act so wonderfully to take us back home back to Godhead. Sastras explain we are imprisoned in this material nature through the mind. Devotees take up the process of fixing their mind at His lotus feet. That easy process of fixing the mind at the Lord’s lotus feet is made very simple. (Vague quotes without solid references.)

My Guru Maharaj said in a class once: “We should practice in our life to remember Krsna always and in that way we are always prepared for death….” (This is an unverifiable reference. The question requests reference.)

The key below indicates the specific marks the student received for the answer shown above.

Column ABC
Present how a pure devotees’ passage to the supreme abode is guaranteed by devotional service.2.00.3
Gives reference to Krsna’s statements in Bhagavad-gita Ch 8.3.00.7
Total Mark27%

Explanation of marking Key
Column A: The particular component of the question.
Column B: The students grade (out of 10) for that particular component.
Column C: The value of that component in the question overall.

Total Mark
The student’s component grades are multiplied by the component values and the aggregate is calculated.

Overall comments
The student has conviction about the value of human life, and its consequences. The student, however, has neglected to address the question, how a pure devotees’ passage to the supreme abode is guaranteed by devotional service, and has given only vague references to the 8th Chapter.

The following paper is an example of a good response. Note the points which score high grades (For each paragraph, notes are left in bold and italic):

The pure devotee of the Lord, ananya bhakta, is always preoccupied with thoughts of Krsna, ca mam eva smaran, he always remembers Krsna by chanting His holy name. By this practice he can certainly remember Krsna at the time of death yah prayati sa mad-bhavam and thus his passage to the supreme abode is guaranteed by devotional service. In fact Krsna Himself guarantees this, yati nasty atra samsayah ”of this there is no doubt”. (BG 8.5) (The student analyzes parts of the verse which are particularly relevant. The student, from the beginning of the answer, focuses on the main point of the question.)

 “If one is transcendentally absorbed in Krsna’s service, then his next body will be transcendental (spiritual), not material. Therefore the chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is the best process for successfully changing one’s state of being at the end of one’s life.” The example of Maharaj Bharat attaining the body of a deer is given by Prabhupada. (BG 8.6 purport.) (The student includes relevant examples and analogies from the purports to 8th Chapter.)

A pure devotee carries out his prescribed duties thinking about Krsna. He engages his mind and intelligence in Krsna and carries out his duties just for the pleasure of the Lord. (BG 8.7) The mind is fickle, and therefore it is necessary to engage the mind by force to think of Krsna. For example, the caterpillar thinks of becoming a butterfly and so is transformed into a butterfly in the same life. Similarly, if we constantly think of Krsna, it is certain that at the end of our lives we shall have the same bodily constitution as Krsna. (BG 8.8, purport) (The student includes relevant examples and analogies from the purports to 8th Chapter.)

The process of thinking of Krsna is very easy. The devotees know that Lord is purusa, a person—we think of the person Rama and the person Krsna and His various attributes. (BG 8.9) For practitioners of other yoga process there are various rules and regulations, but a devotee does not have to think about all this because he is engaged in Krsna consciousness, and at the time of death he can remember Krsna by His grace. A pure devotee is not concerned about the specific circumstances under which he leaves his body. (BG 8. 24-27) (Succinct summary of additional relevant texts)

The pure devotee always remembers Krsna without deviation, ananya-cetah satatam yo mam smarati nityasah (BG 8.14), thus his passage to the supreme abode is guaranteed, tasyaham sulabhah partha nitya-yuktasya yoginah, Krsna says for them I am very easy, sulabhah, to obtain. In fact Prabhupada explains in the purport to 8.14 that one who is practicing pure devotional service has already reached the supreme abode, “a pure devotee can live anywhere and create the atmosphere of Vrndavana by his devotional service. (The powerful conclusion shows the students thorough study of the text.)

Column ABC
Present how a pure devotees’ passage to the supreme abode is guaranteed by devotional service.8.50.3
Gives reference to Krsna’s statements in Bhagavad-gita Ch 8.9.00.7
Total Mark89%

Bhakti-sastri Verses for Memorization

Sanskrit and English translation of the following verses are required for memorization. Verses will be orally assessed at the end of each Module. All verses will be assessed for Unit 5.

Unit 1
Bhagavad-gita Chapters 1-6
2.7, 2.44, 2.13, 2.20, 3.27, 4.2, 4.8, 4.9,
4.34, 5.22, 5.29, 6.47 12

Unit 2
Bhagavad-gita Chapters 7-12
7.5, 7.14, 7.19, 8.5, 8.16, 9.2, 9.4, 9.14
9.25, 9.26, 9.27, 9.29, 10.8, 10.10 14

Unit 3
Bhagavad-gita Chapters 13-18
13.22, 13.23, 14.26, 15.15, 15.7, 18.54,
18.55, 18.65, 18.66 9

Unit 4
Nectar of Devotion
1.1.11, 1.1.12, 1.2.234, 1.2.255 4

Unit 5
Sri Isopanisad
Invocation and Mantra 1
Nectar of Instruction
Texts 1-4 6
Plus all of the above verses

Total 45 Verses

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