Watering the Saplings

GRS Children and Youth Programmes

by Radhika (d/o Krshna Rathi Mataji and Swayam Prakash Prabhu)

In every society, inclusivity is a criterion that, while tough to meet, is a non-negotiable. Thankfully for us, GRS offers several programs that appeal to the young and old alike. While the adults and senior devotees attend the lectures and classes, having children do the same is a distracting and unreasonable demand. Children need to be brought to Krishna consciousness in a way that appeals to their childlike sense of wonder and in a fun and engaging manner, which is exactly what the child and youth programs do.

As someone fortunate enough to grow up in this community, watching my peers advance from one group to another has been nothing short of inspiring and makes me eternally grateful for this congregation. The ability of the teachers to skillfully put forth the philosophy of our scriptures, primarily Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, has been remarkable. They do so in a manner that can be easily absorbed by young children while also involving us in services that are both fun and easy to execute with the right guidance.

I started my journey in GRS with Gopal's Garden, a weekly session for children as young as 3-4 to as old as 12, spearheaded by HG Radhika Mataji and HG Mayuri Mataji. The classes occurred during the lecture that was attended by our parents and the other members of the congregation. When I was younger, Gopal's Garden had a standard format — we would start classes at 7 pm sharp by chanting one round on our beads that we were encouraged to bring to class and also chant on during the week. In fact, at one period of time, to foster in us the attraction to chant the holy names of the Lord, we were given an incentive in the form of a chanting log — log in to a notebook every round you chant over the week, get a signature from your parents (to determine if we were honest in our chanting) and get a sticker for every week completed. If we did a good job over the year, we were rewarded in some form, either with a gift or by graduating to another tier within Gopal's Garden.

After we chanted a round of Japa on our bead bags, we were made to recite verses from the scriptures. Srila Prabhupada emphasized strongly that books were the basis of the movement, and the Gopal's Garden teachers took it upon themselves to instill in us a love for verses. We were taught the verse, the word-for-word, the translation. The purport was also explained to us in an easy-to-understand manner. Throughout my time at Gopal's Garden, the cohort had learned in its entirety the four seed verses (BG 10.8 to BG 10.12-13), Chapter 12, and Chapter 15 of the Bhagavad Gita, that too by heart, along with the translation. Special emphasis was given to understanding the meaning of the verses to ensure that our recitation was not just "parrot-like" and that we fully understood the mood of the prayers and why they were being offered, so that we could aspire to imbibe the same mood while offering them to the Lord and the devotees.

The post-verses segment of the class was usually conducted on a lighter note, either with pastimes about festivals that were going to take place in the coming month (the pastime of Lord Rama for Rama Navami, the killing of Hiranyakashipu for Narsimha Chaturdasi, etc.), or with some fun games that were dovetailed to be more Krishna conscious. For example, the famous children's game "Simon Says" was replaced with "Krishna Says," and the teachers also included a fun element — "Maya Says" for things that we were not supposed to do. The game "Sly Fox"/"Statues" was also Krishnaized and called "Go Go Govinda," and I remember having the best time playing them with my friends in the temple and then later with my family at home.

Over the course of time, within Gopal's Garden, the children got divided into three categories — Damodar (children between the ages of 3-7), Mukunda (children between the ages of 8-10) and Ajita (between the ages of 10-12). We had a yearly 'test' depending on our age groups and ability to complete certain tasks (chant a set of prayers, show our chanting log, etc.) to advance from one stage to the next. Aside from the classes, the Matajis put together retreats and picnics for us every once in a while, and also devoted their time to train us for dramas and other performances that we would present to the congregation on festivals like Janmashtami. We also had monthly art lessons, conducted by HG Siddhida Mataji and HG Jahnavi Mataji, where we created art in relation to the monthly festivals, for e.g. Narasimhadev masks for Narasimha Chaturdasi.

Today the Gopal's Garden children continue to be engaged in the same services and are also actively involved in planning events like the children's Rath Yatra held earlier this year and coming up with a roster to sing Narasimha Arti at the end of every Saturday evening program.

Under the able guidance of HG Radhika Mataji, the youth girls and boys, between the ages of thirteen and their mid-twenties, started Bhagavatam classes. This took a different format than Gopal's Garden and included more elements of discussion and group work. The girls and boys were in the same class for a period of time before the boys went on to start classes with HG Madan Mohan Prabhu, called the Madhavas, and the girls continued with HG Radhika Mataji, becoming the Manjaris. After we completed a series of pastimes along with the respective prayers that accompanied them as well as an introduction to Srimad Bhagavatam, the Manjaris started discussing the small books of Srila Prabhupada — these discussions were facilitated by HG Radhika Mataji and HG Mayuri Mataji. We started The Nectar of Instruction at the beginning of this year, as the teachers felt like it contained the essence of the scriptures and would be helpful in letting us practically apply what we had learnt previously into our behaviour. We have been taught that Bhagavatam should translate to behavior, and this is what studying the small books hoped to do.

The Madhavas started with a similar structure, and completed The Nectar of Instruction and started Sri Isopanishad over the course of the last 2 years. HG Raghunandan Prabhu and HG Dhananjaya Prabhu took turns with HG Madanmohan Prabhu to facilitate these discussions. According to the Madhava boys, Gopal's Garden taught them the basics of Krishna consciousness, such as memorization of Chapters 12, 15, and the seed verses, and this structure allowed them to stay interested in spiritual science. The teachers were approachable and allowed them to express their inquiries freely, which encouraged them to act in a manner befitting somebody born in Krishna consciousness and kept them on track. When they moved over to the Madhavas, HG Madanmohan Prabhu took the time to shape the youths into leaders. He focused on giving them more services that appealed to their strengths. This cultivated a sense of leadership in them and motivated them to take up even more services. He also prioritized their strengths; for example, he strongly encouraged them to practice their instruments for the pleasure of the Lord.

He emphasized a lot that kirtan needs to be played to the best of our ability for the pleasure of the Lord. He also talked about Vaishnava etiquette and how devotees should behave in the temple. He drilled in them the concept of needing to learn verses not simply to recite them as parrots but because it gave them credibility as future preachers. He provided them with various opportunities whether it was giving classes, leading festival kirtans, attending house programs etc. — that gave them some more exposure to the preaching sector of GRS. He got rid of their egos and the idea that they are the best at what they do. And because they developed a personal relationship with both HG Madanmohan Prabhu and HG Raghunandan Prabhu, it made the boys more comfortable to receive knowledge from them.

As for the Manjaris, the Matajis have become a support system for us. Navigating teenage life, amidst academic stressors and also trying to maintain and improve our devotional service can be scary and stressful sometimes. However, the constant love and guidance we receive from the teachers make it enjoyable and make us forever indebted to them for providing us with a platform to be able to take association of like-minded devotees who are going through a similar situation in their lives. Aside from the philosophy that we are taught, the Prabhujis and Matajis mentoring us arrange for retreats and celebrations. This way, we have a chance to bond with one another and them, such that our devotee family remains united and strong together. My biggest takeaway from these youth programs, apart from all the subject matter we learn and all the fun that we have, is simply seeing how serious our teachers and mentors are in their own devotional practice.

It is said that children are like sponges — they absorb everything that they see around them because their ability to grasp information is very high. In today's world, where children are exposed to the most vulgar, violent and disturbing things on the internet and around them, we have found a safe haven within the four walls of the center, a place where good behaviour is exemplified and where we are taught not just by words and books, but by our teachers and other devotees who lead by example. And all we have to do is follow sincerely.