By Ambika devi dasi
Bhaktivedanta Gurukula (http://www.krishnaschool.org/) has welcomed students at the beginning of the new school year. Gurukulas are very important in our society because while the students are being trained in academic knowledge, they are also being guided to remember the cause of all causes, Lord Krishna. This early guidance will remain with them throughout their lives and will assist them to see the Lord’s presence in everything.
In the sixth chapter of Bhagavad gita, Krishna explains how a spiritual seeker who does not attain perfection returns to this world, taking birth in a pious, prosperous or transcendentalist family. That soul then revives the divine consciousness of his previous life and makes further progress in order to achieve complete success.
There are many references given by the Founder Acarya of ISKCON, Srila Prabhupada, regarding the special nature of children born into a Krishna Conscious family: “These children are given to us by Krishna, they are Vaisnavas and we must be very careful to protect them. These are not ordinary children, they are Vaikuntha children, and we are very fortunate we can give them chance to advance further in Krishna Consciousness. That is a very great responsibility, do not neglect it or be confused.” Letter to Arundhati, 30/7/72
A letter from 2/11/69: “It is very good news that Vishnu-arati is advancing nicely in Krishna Consciousness and I know that you and your husband will always do your best to bring her up on the right path of KrishnaConsciousness. To raise one soul to Krishna Consciousness is counted by Krishna as a very great service, so you do this duty very carefully and Krishna will certainly bestow His blessings upon you.”
Just as Lord Chaitanya astonished Mother Saci by preaching to her after she had chastised Him for sitting on rejected pots, so also these children have experienced spiritual life in previous births and can astonish us at times with their realisations. By nurturing their bhakti creepers, we will do them the best possible service. To achieve this, we need the vision that all living entities are souls and are part and parcel of Krishna.
Despite being situated in small bodies at present, these children are elevated souls whom the Lord has placed amongst us in order that we may assist them in rekindling their love for Him.
