The Gurukula Tucked Away in the Woods

A few hundred yards behind the ISKCON complex in Sridharam, Mayapur, tucked away in a lush woodland is a gurukula. A gurukula is a school where children live together in an ashram under the direction of a spiritual preceptor and his assistant teachers. Such is the ancient Vedic system of education. Unlike other Gurukulas in India, this one has a staff and pupils who mostly were born and raised in countries from around the world before they came to live here.

This structure is to become the Gurukul's place of worship. It awaits someone's generous contribution that will give it a thatched roof. Honeybees have built their home in the main building, as perhaps many flower shrubs adorn the nearby grounds. Every morning, the pupils themselves prepare their breakfast.

After the cooking is over, the utensils must first be washed before the students sit down to eat. The brick building in the center of this view will house the permanent kitchen, while the straw-roofed units surrounding it are already where the children take their meals. A sample of each preparation is offered to Lord Krishna in these dishes. That done, it is mixed with the rest of the food and served in buckets.

This sanctified food is called Prasad, God's mercy. It's class time, introduced by Vedic hymns. All the classes in the Gurukula, however, are in English. The head of the school hails from America.

Besides teaching children, he gives a class on scripture study to adults four days a week. in this verse is the behavior of one who follows the eternal religion. Other kinds of behavior, as long as they do not contradict this behavior, may be adopted when necessary. In other words, this is your basic principle. This is what's being given by Krishna himself, that what is to be done or not done, this is the essential.

Then from here one can expand. Otherwise, One has to know what the priorities are, one has to know what the priorities are.