The definition of a temple is a place where God resides. Lord Swaminarayan and his saints are always insistent on the fact that whilst we are establishing many temples, they are permanent, still and unmovable. Temples of the soul however, are necessary in the modern day. Temple of the Soul means a walking and moving (mobile) temple. In other words, living a pure and divine life, exactly as per the wishes of Lord Swaminarayan and therefore encompassing a level of purity in oneself where Lord Swaminarayan would reside. It is essential that this is instilled in our Children so that they can fulfill this need, as they are the future which will shape our “tomorrow”.
They are in essence the saints of the social arena and the roots of the spiritual arena. Children are innocent and like clean slates. They can therefore be moulded to lead divine lives and collectively can create a divine society for the future. It is for this reason that HDH Bapji gave his blessings and established the Swaminarayan Dham Gurukul.
The visions of these Satpurush are truly phenomenal. HDH Bapji‘s vision is that each and every child who enrolls at the Gurukul will be given not only education but also God. Their life will be enriched with values that will enable them to lead a divine life embellished with a true conscious presence of the Lord. The main role of the Gurukul is to provide them with the strength and passion to continue shining with religious value and ultimately to enable their life transformation to inspire a transformation in others. Education is essential, however good values are just as essential, if not more so.
Today’s modern environment is hugely materialistic and centered towards accumulation and encouraging negative traits such as addiction, violence, disrespect etc in early youth. The Gurukul instills moral values from a young age in order that all such negative traits can be eliminated at inception. This provides a firm foundation, allowing the individual to aspire to a bright future and to enable future generations to have the same. It is with these ideals that the Gurukul has been established.
The Gurukul is not just a building; it is a place where the sculpting of a truly honorable life begins. The saints work relentlessly to enable this process.
These children are being groomed according to the vision of HDH Bapji and the heartfelt desire and wishes of Lord Swaminarayan such that; from morning till night God remains the focus of all their daily activities, they maintain respect for parents and elders, maintain trustworthiness and honesty and are truthful in thought, word and deed. These are the ideals upon which the children are sculpting their own lives with the commendable guidance of the house masters & saints.
The progress of the Gurukul is driven by such ideals and goals. The fees are intentionally low such that a child from a poor or mediocre financial family can afford an education, accommodation and nutritious meals prepared to the purest spiritual standards. In addition to this the child attains the highest moral values which will be of great use in his future life. All this said, it is important to note that there is no professional or commercial objective behind the Gurukul, the intention is to realise and develop the full potential of each child and nurture them in such a way that they may sculpt their lives accordingly.
