Should I send my children to the Gurukuls to protect his devotion?
A woman devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Prabhuji i have a question..if we get success in inclination of a child in krishna conciousness. 1.how we are supposed to create krishna conciousness environment around him/her if he or she supposed to go a school where he or she will not get same environment?for example he /she goes wearing tilak or any attire like a devotee ,except his/her uniform ,how we will manage that? 3.Is there any school available which give him/her spritual education?”
REPLY:
I do not fully support admitting the children in Gurukuls and hostels away from the parents, unless you like to make him a full time devotee or Pujari without any other business or career. The small children are always vulnerable. Though we trust the people, leaving the small innocent children 100s of 1000s of miles away from you in gurukuls may cost their safety. They do not know to decide which is right and which is wrong. The children upto 16 years should grow with the parents only, not anywhere else.
Please try to avoid sending your small children less than 16 years in the hostels of any school or gurukuls far away from home unless you like to make him a full time devotee. We can not avoid materialistic environment. We should just educate the child to protect himself/ herself in this corrupted environment. Instead, make him a good devotee from home itself.
(What is the punishment for the parents who desert their children? READ HERE!)
Instead, plan and give spiritual education from home and near by sathsangha. Let the child go for material education in a good nearby school because he/ she has to fight hard for settling in a career of his/ her choice in this highly competitive world. So, give material education in nearby schools in your direct supervision and spiritual education in the forums available nearby.
Let us read some tips to make your children devotee while doing material education.
(1) The children spends just 5 hours in school. All the 19 hours are spent with the parents only. So, though a child studies in a school where there is no spiritual environment, it will not make much impact in diverting the child from devotion.
(Why the Scriptures permit getting more children? READ HERE!)
(2) Usually, in our day to day life, we meet so many materialistic people. But, we are still in Krishna Consciousness. Because, we give preference for Krishna Consciousness realizing that it is the only purpose of human life. We also know the difference between this temporary material life and eternal life with Krishna.
(3) Thus, we will follow only the thing to which we give importance in life. And, we always aim for the eternal life with Krishna.
(4) Do the same thing to your child. Explain the difference between this material life and the life with Krishna. Also educate her/him that the purpose of this human life is to go back to Krishna.
(5) At the same time, advice her/him not to reduce the importance for material studies because, she/he has to study well and settle in life to maintain day to day life management properly. Tell her that unless she does not study well, she can not run life comfortably and follow devotion properly. Educate her that we should earn well and support the devotees with that money and only attachment with money is wrong, but, we have to do our duty properly by studying well and start earning.
(6) On your part, follow all the recommended sadhanas in home properly. Also involve her in all these sadhanas. Insist her about four regulative principles – No meat, No gambling, No intoxication and No illicit sex.
(Why the scriptures prohibit preventing or aborting the child? READ HERE!)
(7) Ask her to chant 4-8 rounds daily without affeccting her studies by waking up atleast at 5 AM. This is enough right now.
(8) Do not give a materialistic environment in home and make your home itself like a temple. This will make her inclined towards devotional life style more though she goes out for material studies.
(9) Do not give her access to advanced concepts of devotion till her 13-14 years of age. Right now, chanting and sadhanas are enough. Let her read Bhagavad Gita after her 13 and Bhagavatham after 18.
(10) If you like to make your children as Pujari or a full time devotee of Krishna right from childhood, then, admit them in the schools with spiritual education. There are many sathsanghas in Injdia. Even ISKCON has a gurukul in India. Contact your nearest ISCKON centre for the details of eligibility and procedure.
Hope this helps.
(HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR CHILD AS A DEVOTEE OF KRISHNA? READ HERE!)