You’ve got to treat these children nicely, gently, kindly.

Krsna Kumari : At one point Srila Prabhupada wasn’t feeling well. He actually had to be helped up onto the vyasasana, but he still came to give the class. After the class they had to help him off the vyasasana and hold him while Srutakirti put his shoes on. Upon walking back to his room, he came along the hallway, looked in a classroom and wanted to go in. Now during that class, I had all these little kids, and one of them had started crying. I had taken her out and put her in my classroom and she had cried herself to sleep behind the door. When Prabhupada opened that door to go in the classroom, it bumped into the child who immediately woke up and started crying all over again. When Prabhupada entered, the child saw Prabhupada and stopped crying immediately. She fell down and paid her obeisances. I’m not sure why he decided to go into the room or whether he sensed she was there, but his intention was completely focused on her. He reached out and touched her head gently. Then his eyes moved over to me. His glance pierced me with the message, “You’ve got to treat these children nicely, gently, kindly.” I had been told that we were to be really strict with the children until they turn sixteen years old. He once said we could keep a stick, but only show the stick. He said, “Don’t ever use the stick.” However, this look of Prabhupada was admonishing me to the core. From that day on I changed completely. I realized these children are the future of our movement and they have to have positive impressions to develop nicely. My heart changed from that moment to a more loving mood because I saw Prabhupada’s love.