720110 - Letter to Aniruddha written from Bombay

Letters by Date, 1972

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Date: January 10, 1972
CAMP: ISKCON Bombay

My Dear Aniruddha,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of 12/10/71, and I am very much pleased that you are enthusiastic to instruct our KC children at ISAVASYA SCHOOL. I have heard from Satsvarupa that we have not got that big building we were trying for. Never mind, the important thing is that we continue our work nicely for educating children, and Krishna will give us all facility.
I have read that you are "screening very carefully" the children who want to come there. That is not a very good proposal. All children of devotees should be welcome. Even they have developed some unfavorable qualities, they are only young children, how do you expect them to behave in the best way? You have to make them very nice behaviour by training them and simply giving discipline. So let everyone come to our school. That is our policy, not to discriminate.
The children should be trained in early rising, attending mangal artik, 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 artik, getting 8 hours sleep. If they take 8 hours sleep, they will not fall asleep during artik. 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 artik, 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.
Please keep me informed your progress there, and if you have any further questions. Hoping this will meet you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/sda