Gurukul

Etymology

Gurukul means, the literal meaning of the Gurukul is, Guru’s home.

Gurukul means Guru’s home. Guru’s family. Becoming part of the Guru’s family, please understand. Even if you want to become a Sannyasi you have to become a part of the Guru’s family who may be a Grihastha. Many great sadhus, monks, monastic members, Sannyasis, studied under Grihastas. My own Guru, when I became a part of my Gurukul, my Guru’s family, he had 14 kids. Please understand; 14 kids. The last one was my age. And I need to put this on record, at that time my Guru was above 80. At least because now only we are discovering his age. Very safely I can come to the conclusion he is above 80. When I joined his Gurukul I was three and a half years, three or three and a half years. Even when I requested him I want to become a Sannyasi, he said, ‘you will become a successful Sannyasi but be part of my family first’. The training I had. The exposure I had. To live with this family, taught me so much to run the sangha now. None of his kids will listen to him, but he had the patience to out up with everyone. None of his kids will listen to him but he had a patience to put up with everyone. That never giving up has come to me from my Guru. I may train, scream, shout, but I will never give up. That is from him. The gift – not compromising or getting diluted, neither breaking. He will never compromise or get diluted in his ideas and standards he sets. And same way will not give up. - Paramahamsa Nithyananda Paramashivam

Gurukul - Compulsory for anybody whom happens in the Vedic Tradition, Including Incarnations!

Whether incarnations like Rama or Krishna, all great Incarnations, have to go to Gurukul in Vedic tradition. You can’t say, ‘what, I am a great Incarnation why should I go to Gurukul?’ No. Even if you are consciously born, even if you are born with all the experiences and spiritual powers, you need to study the shastras (scriptures) to validate your experience. Especially when you want to reproduce that experience and powers on others. When you want to share, Gurukul is required. Gurukul is an important factor makes Incarnations complete. Otherwise you will never know the authenticity of your experiences. You will never be able to reproduce that same experience on others as a science. Gurukul is compulsory for anybody happens in Vedic tradition.

Vedic Education is Education Centric - It Gives the Basic Tools to Explore

Our Gurukuls are not teacher centric, our Gurukuls are education centric, please understand. Our Gurukuls are not teacher centric, our Gurukuls are education centric. Student can develop, invent something which his Guru doesn’t know. He has a freedom. Please understand, only the basic formulas are taught. Basic tools to awaken knowledge is taught. Then student is left free to explore on his own. The kind of a creativity, please understand. Gurukuls are not with the set of rules or frame, they only supported people to explore the highest possible creativity. Gurukuls are not like dams for your inspiration and energy. It is like an embankment for the wild river. Embankment is different, dam is different. With a dam you are damned. It’s embankment, not dam. That is why many of the Advaita Guru’s disciples were Visistadvaitas or Advaitis, or many of the Visistadvaiti Advaiti Guru’s disciples were Advaitis, means what? Only the basic analysis scales were given to you but you are left to feely analyse. You are given spoon not spoon-fed. You are not spoon-fed. You are only given spoon. The freedom, freedom itself shows, otherwise you will be shocked Ramanuja’s Guru was a great Advaiti. Being Advaiti, Ramanuja was even able to think in the language of Visishtādvaita shows the freedom available in the Gurukul. And same way there are many Advaitis studied at the feet of Dvaitis or Visistadvaitis.

But, Sanatana Hindu Dharma gives only the tools to explore, but it is not putting you any frames, any restrictions, dams. This whole verse, if you read the Shanti Mantra, it is education centric, not teacher centric. Unfortunately, in the modern day, because teachers have not taken the responsibility to be education centric, it has become more teacher centric. This whole verse if you read; “may we both together be protected.” See, teacher is also praying along with the student. Actually, it is because we are education centric, we were able to explore and reach the new new heights of seeking. New, new heights of seeking. That is where even the Ishta Devata concept has come. Guru encourages disciple to travel, discover, reinvent, invent their own paths, their own methodologies. He continues to encourage the disciples to explore on their own. Just being available as a good support, guide. Not being heavy on them. I can say, the uniqueness of our Gurukuls are freedom to explore, create, the constructive freedom they enjoyed. Even in our Gurukul, I initiate them into various powers, and let them explore. See when I had enlightenment at the age of 12, the third eye awakening has happened I was able to see all the 360 degree. I initiated the kids into that power and let them explore. Now they are coming up with too many new, new powers. They are able to download languages, they are doing many more things which I did not do.

References

Gurukul, The Education Centric Family Of Guru By Paramahamsa Nithyananda http://nithyananda.org/video/gurukul-education-centric-family-guru-paramahamsa-nithyananda#gsc.tab=0