Student Testimonials

Dear Mother Urmila,

Hare Krsna. Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Today I was remembering you so much as my mother and I were reminiscing about the old days when we were young and in your care. My sister and I were very blessed to have the keen discipline and love that you gave us throughout our growing years. It was such an important part of our lives, perhaps the most important, and we had you to hold our hands and guide us through every step in our journey of learning.

You chose the best path for us, as you felt that we must have the best of both spiritual and academic knowledge. All the memories of being with you in gurukula flash to me as if they were yesterday, like the time when my sister first started her gurukula and I had to watch as she was able to march off to school with the other children. I was given a maha garland by you instead, to make me feel better. The times when we would chant japa in the prasadam hall of the Detroit temple or in the main hall of the entranceway adjacent to the powder room and it was freezing cold! We would have a small heater to keep all of us warm. Or the times that you taught us the Tulasi prayers in the gift shop and we couldn't quite understand why it sang as "hairy" for heribo ami. And of the times when only a child who had an "ouwwy" could sit on the bench during japa time. So we would purposely scratch our knees and bandage them to be able to sit on the bench. I remember how much you fought for us so that we could have mahaprasad sweets every morning and nothing tasted better to us.

Of course, the best times were of when we were in North Carolina. I can never forget the dynamic Bhakti Shastri class, where you taught us to analyze and discuss every verse and purport, thus strengthening our philosophical grounds... and the logical thinking class you taught us. At times we would be literally rolling on the ground in laughter. I learned the ability to be fearless while speaking in the Speaking and Debate class although that was a natural quality of my sister's- to persuade until she succeeds. :) The list of memories can continue and fill up all the memory of my computer. As I see my daughter growing and flourishing in her Krsna consciousness, I am so thankful to my parents for bringing me to you. Kishori does not have the good fortune to be in your gurukula. However, here in Vrindavan we have Mother Yasoda from Berkeley, a former teacher in American public schools and a gurukula teacher here in Vrindavan for the past eight years. She is elderly, quite learned, and experienced. She has been teaching Kishori both academic and spiritual school. At age 3 1/2, Kishori reciting 14 key slokas from Bhagavad-Gita, both Sanskrit and English as well as the first six slokas from Brahma Samhita, and morning program prayers. In addition, she is about to graduate from the Spalding method of reading which consists of the 70 phonogram sound in the English language. Mother Yasoda is a blessing for Kishori as you were for me. Mother Yasoda sees you as an exemplary teacher in your impeccable character, morals and virtue. With pride, I declare that I was your student. The rigid, unyielding principles that you carried out brought me a long way. Some may have said you were fanatic, or too strict but without that we would have a generation with no regulation, as it is seen in a large percentage of the children, now adults of my age. Srila Prabhupada transformed the hippies into happies. Hippies to devotees. And presently we have produced devotee children into hippies. Due to the authority of my parents and the discipline of you, I was trained to make every effort to advance in my service to carrying out the instructions that Srila Prabhupada has given us. I, now, am praying for your blessings, so that I may continue what you have given me, in raising my daughter. Thank you for your years of perseverance, thank you for your determination in giving us the best, and thank you for your love in all the trying times.

Eternally indebted to you, your servant and student,
Gaura-mani devi dasi

 

Dear mother Urmila prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to ISKCON founder/acarya Srila Prabhupada.

I am sorry that I have not written you sooner. I have been traveling all over the eastern side of the U.S. distributing books. We ran out of books and have come to New York City to pick some up, so now I can finally write you.

First of all, I want to thank you for all of the help that you have given me. You taught me many valuable things. You were willing to give me a chance at your school even after you saw my previous records from public school.

Few people in my life have given me opportunities like that, or have shown me so much care.

The school there is very nice. It is the most academically together Gurukula that I have ever attended. The curriculum and classes are also very nice. They are based around Krsna but at the same time teach a lot of material knowledge as well. All of the teachers there are very dedicated and advanced devotees. I don't think mother Campaka has ever broken the regulative principles. Mayapura Chandra Prabhu is also a very nice devotee. He is extremely dedicated to His spiritual master, and has spent so much time with me, trying to help me with my problems, even though I was never really appreciative of his help. And of course you are also very dedicated to Srila Prabhupada. My spiritual master told me that you were very special and advanced devotee.

Again I want to thank you for the association and help that you have given me. I hope that I have your blessings. I am just struggling to try and surrender to Krsna.

Hoping this meets you in the best of health and blissful Krsna consciousness.

Your servant,
Jagannatha das

 

I attended ISKCON School in North Carolina for eight years. The education I received at the Gurukula was quality, unparalleled in any area near Hillsborough. Whereas the average CAT score for the local elementary school was circa 65, the Gurukula boasted an average in the 80th percentile. I got to skip a grade and graduate from high school two years early, enabling me to start college and travel to Europe. I took the SAT's and received 1420. I applied to 11 colleges and universities, all either Ivy League or upper tier schools, and got accepted into all but two. I am currently attending Boston University. I was awarded an Air Force scholarship (full ride) and will be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force in one year. One of the things we do a lot in the Air Force is give briefings, a.k.a public speaking. I have never gotten less than a 98% on a briefing due to the excellent public speaking and English skills I learned at the Gurukula. Another thing that stands out is the strong moral backbone I have. It is extremely rare to come in contact with a college student that has basic morality (in other words, the four principles). Overall, I am glad I went to Gurukula. It was a unique experience from which I gained a lot.

Amrita devi dasi

 

Dear Mother Urmila,
Please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Recently I got my grades in the mail for the summer semester at Alamance Community College. I got A's in both classes I took, Microeconomics and Sociology. Now that I am taking regular college classes, I am beginning to realize how fortunate I am to have gone to Gurukula all my life, having you as my teacher. I am getting A's in all of my college classes and getting many compliments from my teachers, including inquiries about what high school I attended.


Not only in writing, but in many other academic areas I feel I have a head start above others my age. You taught us public speaking skills which has helped me so much and I'm sure will continue to help me in my life. You taught us to be analytical, to discuss different points of view, to analyze people's writings and to detect faulty reasoning or biased points. You taught us how to work effectively on our own and to be responsible, which is a skill I feel has helped me a lot.
And of course, the most important part of my education, which really has placed me far, far beyond my fellow students at Alamance, was my spiritual education. I am so happy that you made that a major part of our education. You taught us famous verses from the Bhagavada-Gita and other scriptures, you taught us Sanskrit, you made us read through all of Srila Prabhupada's books and write essays on what we read, you taught us how to defeat Darwin's theory of evolution, you made Bhakti Sastri a required class for high school students, and most of all you always put whatever we were discussing, whether it be World History, Literature, or whatever topic, in a Krishna conscious light. And, of course, you have inspired me in countless ways by your own personal example as a dedicated devotee of Lord Krishna.

Mother Urmila, I don't know how to thank you enough for continuing teaching all of these years. I don't know where I would be if it weren't for you.

Your servant,

Ratnavali d.d.

I came to Mother Urmila's gurukula because I had heard how her students received a very high academic education and because I wanted to go to school in a place where the atmosphere was very Krishna conscious. I was more than happy to find how her school was able to offer these things so nicely. She is helping so many children to learn spiritual values that they can keep with them their whole lives and is simultaneously giving them a higher academic education than most public schools.

Krishnaa devi dasi

 

ISKCON School (Padma Academy's former name) has given me much of the material and spiritual preparation that I need now in my life. I fully encourage everyone to take advantage of or assist in this valuable project.

Murari das