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How Can Hindu Children be Raised?
Raising true Hindu children means following Sanatana Dharma or universal law, not merely
imposing Hindu beliefs or rituals upon them. It means living in the
Dharma and having a culture of the Dharma, which includes
communities that maintain living traditions of ritual, Yoga and
meditation.
Children are very
impressionable to their environment. They want to be accepted and to
be part of the society in which they live. They are most affected by
sensation and their minds can easily be disturbed by wrong
impressions. For this reason children must be provided a field of
learning in which they can flower spiritually. This requires the
right atmosphere at home and the right relationship between the
parents. For this the parents themselves must have an active
interest in some aspect of Sanatana Dharma and pass it to their
children.
On top of this the right
educational system must be created, or at least occasional camps for
the children which immerse them in a higher form of life. Children
must be brought into contact with real examples of the spiritual
life, various gurus and teachers, so that they have an ideal which
they can follow. They must be brought into the world of Nature so as
to learn how to contact the immanent divinity. Without creating the
proper environment and the right examples it will not be possible to
get our children to become spiritual, just as a plant will not grow
without water and light.
Hinduism contains many myths
and stories that are helpful for teaching children like the
Ramayana. Hindu children should be exposed to this literature, which
can be quite entertaining for them, so that the seeds of
spirituality can be planted in them.
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