CHILDREN AT GURUKULA

CHILDREN AT GURUKULA

Letter to: Aniruddha –  72-01-10
Bombay, 10 January, 1972

The children should be trained in early rising, attending mangal arati, some elementary education: arithmetic, alphabet, some of our books, like that. They should go to bed by 8 p.m. and rise by 4 a.m. for mangal arati, getting 8 hours sleep. If they take 8 hours sleep, they will not fall asleep during arati. When they get up they should wash with a little warm water, at least three times wash face. They may sleep one hour in the afternoon and there is no harm.

Encourage them to chant as much japa as possible, BUT THERE IS NO QUESTION OF FORCE OR PUNISHMENT. IF THERE IS NEED YOU MAY SHAKE YOUR FINGER AT THEM BUT NEVER PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT IS ALLOWED.

Try as far as possible to discipline them with love and affection, so that they develop a taste for austerity of life and think it great fun to serve Krishna in many ways. Rising early and mangal arati, this is enough austerity. Besides that, let them learn something, chant, dance, eat as much prasadam as they like, and do not mind if they have playful nature—let them also play and run, that is natural. It is nice if they eat often—if children overeat it doesn’t matter, that is no mistake. Boys and girls should be educated separately.

72-07-25. Letter: Satsvarupa

REGARDING YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT CHILDREN AT GURUKULA, ABOVE TEN YEARS OLD THEY CAN BE INITIATED FIRST TIME, AND AFTER ONE YEAR OF PERFECTLY CHANTING 16 ROUNDS AND OBSERVING THE OTHER REGULATIVE PRINCIPLES, THEY MAY RECEIVE SECOND INITIATION. The Bhagavata class should go on, just as I have shown you, with everyone attending, including the children. Read the Sanskrit sloka all together, word meanings, translation, purport and give elucidation on all points. THE CHILDREN SHOULD BE DOING THE SAME THING WE ARE DOING, PLUS GIVING THEM THE PLAYING FACILITY, A LITTLE ABC, HISTORY, MATHEMATICS, GEOGRAPHY, LIKE THAT. THEY SHOULD NOT HELP IN COOKING, NOR SHOULD THEY TAKE PART IN ANY HARD WORK, THEY MUST STUDY. After initiation, then they can learn cooking. They should not be utilized for giving service to the elderly members, they should be given chance for reading and writing. So far marriage is concerned, they must be legally married.

72-02-28. Letter: Satyabhama

Your idea to start a nursery school in New Vrindaban is very good proposal and you may immediately try for it by cooperatively consulting amongst yourselves how to do it. But one thing, we are teaching Bhakti by practical attendance and by decreasing playing desire or drive. If the children simply do as their elders are doing, that is, regularly attending mangal arati, rising early, chanting, eating prasadam, looking at books, worshiping the __ like that, then automatically they will become trained up in right way and there is no need for special program for education. CHILDREN WILL ALWAYS DO AS THEY SEE OTHERS DOING, so if by the good association of their parents and the other older persons, they will come out nicely fixed in Krishna Consciousness, and because they are not spoiled by an artificial standard of sense gratification, they will think that performing austerities is great fun, just like in India we see the young brahmacaris are sent out to beg for their spiritual master to teach them humility and non-attachment, and they spend the whole day in the hot sun and come back at night, take a handful of rice, and sleep without blankets on the hard floor–and they take this type of life as very much enjoyable and great fun.

THIS IS HOW WE TRAIN OUR CHILDREN IN KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, JUST BE KEEPING THEM ALWAYS ATTENDING OUR REGULAR PROGRAM AND ASSOCIATING WITH KRISHNA DEVOTEES, TEACHING THEM IN SPIRITUAL REALIZATION BY GIVING THEM THE IDEA THAT SACRIFICE AND TAPASYA FOR ACHIEVING THE HIGHEST GOAL OF LIFE IS A VERY NICE WAY OF LIFE. NOT THAT WE SHALL GIVE THEM MANY GAMES FOR PLAYING, THESE SO-CALLED SCIENTIFIC METHODS OF LEARNING ARE ARTIFICIAL, UNNECESSARY, AND ON THE WHOLE I DO NOT HAVE MUCH TRUST IN THIS MONTESSORI SYSTEM OR ANY OTHER SUCH SYSTEM OF TEACHING. YOUR IDEA FOR HAVING ALTARS TO TRAIN THE CHILDREN IN DEITY WORSHIP IS VERY NICE.

72-06-13. Letter: Stokakrsna

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated June 5, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. Yes, the proof of your teaching method shall be seen in the spiritual improvement and fresh enthusiasm exhibited by the children.

IF THEY ARE ALLOWED TO WORSHIP THE DEITY BY PRACTICING PERFORMING ARATRIKA VERY SERIOUSLY, PLUS ALWAYS BE ENGAGED IN DIFFERENT VARIOUS ACTIVITIES CENTERED AROUND KRSNA, THEN THEIR EDUCATION WILL BE COMPLETELY SUCCESSFUL. THE CHILDREN SHOULD ALWAYS BE INSTRUCTED BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THEIR PLAYFUL MOOD AND TEACHING THEM TO PLAY KRSNA GAMES LIKE BECOME COWHERD BOYS, COWS, PEACOCKS, DEMONS AND IN THIS WAY IF THEY ALWAYS THINK OF KRSNA BY PLAYING JUST LIKE THEY ARE ACTUALLY PRESENT IN ASSOCIATION WITH KRSNA THEN THEY WILL BECOME KRSNA CONSCIOUS VERY QUICKLY. IN ADDITION, THERE SHOULD BE A LITTLE ABC, THEN PRASADAM, THEN WORSHIPING THE DEITY, THEN MORE PLAYING KRSNA GAMES, SOME KIRTANA, A LITTLE MORE ABC, LIKE THAT. IN THIS WAY, ALWAYS KEEP THEIR MINDS AND BODIES ENGAGED IN DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES BECAUSE CHILDREN ARE RESTLESS BY NATURE SO THEY WILL WANT TO CHANGE OFTEN.

72-07-30. Letter: Giriraja

So far the school of Sumati Morarji, make the children into Vaisnavas through English medium of learning. We are not going to abide by the government schedule. They should be taught our books as soon as they can read and write. The idea is that those who will later on accept service, they cannot be accepted by us for schooling, we cannot help them. They must be the sons of rich and important men who will not be taking education simply to use it for eating and sleeping.

THEY SHOULD BE TAUGHT JUST TO DO LIKE THE ELDERS, THAT IS, RISE EARLY, CLEANSE, ATTEND MANGAL ARATI, READ OUR LITERATURES, CHANT, GO FOR SANKIRTANA, LIKE THAT, AND BESIDES THAT, A LITTLE ABC, MATHEMATICS, GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY, THAT’S ALL. AND TEACH THE SMALL CHILDREN TO PLAY KRISHNA GAMES: ONE CHILD IS A COW, ANOTHER IS COWHERD BOY, THEY GO TO THE FOREST, THERE ARE DEMONS THERE, KRISHNA KILLS THE DEMONS, LIKE THAT; IN THIS WAY, LET THE CHILDREN PLAY KRISHNA GAMES, THEN ATTEND ARATI, THEN LEARN SOME ABC, THEN PLAY SOME MORE, HAVE KIRTANA, LITTLE ABC, AND BY KEEPING THEM ALWAYS DIVERSIFIED THEY SHALL NOT LOSE INTEREST AND WILL KEEP THEIR ATTENTION ALWAYS FOCUSED AROUND KRISHNA.

Letter to: Vibhavati – 69-07-15
Los Angeles,15 July, 1969

Regarding your questions about sex life, the basic principle is that in executing Krishna Consciousness sex life should be avoided as far as possible, and it may be utilized only for begetting Krishna Consciousness children. This is the basic principle that should be followed as far as possible by all married individuals. During the period of pregnancy sex life should be strictly avoided.

THE BASIC IDEA OF RAISING CHILDREN AS THEY ARE DESCRIBED IN THE VEDIC LITERATURE IS THAT FROM BIRTH TILL THE AGE OF FIVE YEARS THE PARENTS MAY BE VERY LENIENT WITH THE CHILD. FROM THE AGES SIX TO TEN THEY SHOULD TIGHTEN THE DISCIPLINE OF THEIR CHILD, AND FROM THE AGES OF TEN TILL THE SIXTEENTH YEAR THE PARENTS SHOULD BE AS STRICT AS A TIGER WITH THEIR CHILD SO THAT HE WILL BE AFRAID TO BE DISOBEDIENT AT ALL. THEN AFTER THE SIXTEENTH YEAR THE PARENTS SHALL TREAT THEIR CHILD AS A FRIEND, AND THE CHILD IS ALLOWED TO GRADUALLY DEVELOP HIS ADULT RESPONSIBILITY AND INDEPENDENCE.

Letter to: Indira – 71-08-15
London, 15 August, 1971

SO FAR YOUR SON LEAVING YOU, HIS PARENTS, AT 5 YEARS, THAT IS NOT NECESSARY. ESPECIALLY OUR KRISHNA CONSCIOUS CHILDREN; THEY ARE ALREADY LIVING IN A ASRAMA.

THE CHILDREN OF OUR DEVOTEES MAY LIVE WITH THEIR PARENTS PERPETUALLY BECAUSE YOU ARE ALL LIVING IN THE TEMPLE AND ALREADY ENGAGED IN DEVOTIONAL SERVICE. OTHER INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOR THOSE NOT ENGAGED IN KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS.

Any family engaged in Krishna’s service is living not in this material world. Such a home is considered as Vaikuntha. That is the verdict of Bhaktivinode Thakura. So if you are afraid of your husband’s taking sannyasa, I shall not give him sannyasa order at any time. Be rest assured. Your husband is already a householder sannyasi because he has no other business than to serve Krishna. You can be living peacefully with husband and children and always engaged in Krishna Consciousness. One should become sannyasa by action, not by dress.

In Bhagavad-gita it is said that any person who doesn’t work for himself but for Krishna only is a perfect sannyasa and perfect yogi, never mind what order he lives in. That is the opinion of Lord Caitanya also.

If they are allowed to worship the deity by practicing performing aratrika very seriously, plus always be engaged in different various activities centered around Krsna, then their education will be completely successful.

Letter to: Svati
January 1972 , 72-01-00

Regarding your other questions: Children may be recommended for initiation when they are twelve years old.

WE SHOULD AVOID AS FAR AS POSSIBLE ANY PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT TO TRAIN CHILDREN. IT IS BETTER TO USE SWEET WORDS OR IF IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO PUNISH THEN YOU MAY BIND WITH ROPES IN ONE PLACE OR SHOW THE CANE, BUT DO NOT USE—LIKE THAT.

I have recently explained to Aniruddha in Dallas school and you may write to him for details. The most important thing however is to see that somehow or other the children are always engaged in some kind of Krsna conscious activity, then they will naturally develop a taste for it and think it great fun even to work very hard for Krsna’s pleasure.

So in this way you as mother and father must take responsibility to deliver these nice children and that will be a very great service for Krsna.

Compiled by Mahesh Raja

https://gurupoison.tripod.com/support/gurukul.htm