I've spent some years teaching career guidance classes at gurukulas. The subject of career guidance is one dear to the heart of anyone concerned about the future of the children in the Hare Krishna Movement.
I am torn these days about recommending that people stay in University when they have a current, burning desire to get more serious about their Krishna consciousness. I have seen at least three generations of youth now fall for this trap--so many hundreds of my friends, brothers, sisters... all similarly enthusiastic when they were 18--that they will get serious just as soon as they finish their schooling, settle down, get a job, get married... It doesn't seem to work. For most people the prolonged association with people interested primarily in sense gratification and material advancement seems to rub off and before you know it, by your choice of association, friends, and environment, you're floating waaaaay out there in material desire-land and are unable to find your way back to desiring the service and association of devotees of Krishna. So don't let that happen to you, please. (Sure, you say, I am strong. I can resist Maya's urges... Uh hmmm.)
I know H.H. Radhanatha Swami encourages new bhaktas to finish their university degree before he allows them to move into the ISKCON temple in Chowpatty... but I think for gurukulis and youth who have grown up in the movement, it is detrimental if we are not very, very vigilant to maintain our strength and spiritual life while out there in the world of people who are literally looking for happiness in ALL OF THE WRONG PLACES. You will be influenced by the association you keep.
Personally, I dropped out of school when I was 18 and moved back into the temple and have never regretted it. Not that I would ever recommend this to most people - only to those who already know that they just want to dedicate their life to Krishna (yes, to you I say quit the school of material life now and go for it, just do it, just surrender your life to Krishna and He is the most wealthy person in the universe, He will surely maintain you.)
Through my services at temples, at devotee businesses, at ISKCON Youth Ministry, I've learned so many real-world job skills that when I went to go and work at a karmi job for two years (some years ago), I had a resume that was better than any they'd seen in years and I got hired on the spot. We're getting to a point in ISKCON where there are plenty of devotee enterprises you can work for if getting rich is not your priority, and devotee association and service is your primary benefit and desire (BBT, Krishna.com, any ISKCON temple, ISKCON prasadam businesses, ISKCON restaurants, Festival Tours, etc.)
I am beginning to think that the career choices of so many young people today is nothing but another trick of Maya to keep you away from Krishna. Just like chanting japa... your mind will come up with so many excuses of why not to do it... and why to stop chanting. So collectively, our minds have come up with so many excuses of why not to give the best years of our lives to Krishna. "First we should get our college degree, and a good job, and then settle down, have kids, and then, sometime when we're 60 and the kids are out of the house and we're sufficiently tired of material life, at that time we'll think about doing some meaningful service in ISKCON."
That is the trap I see most of my peers, most of my younger siblings, brothers and sisters, falling into. The "chasing after Laksmi instead of Krishna" trap.
I wish they would have an epiphany and get firm faith by the association of sincere devotees... to please chase after Krishna - become a servant of the servant of Krishna - and Laksmi devi will follow.
Give the best years of your life to Krishna, now, when you're young, when your body is healthy, when you have life, enthusiasm, idealism... (because that idealism fades as you get jaded by the harsh nature of this world.)
Ask any army recruiter and he / she will tell you the same. Serve in the Army while you're finishing college, not after :-) They know exactly when the best time for service to God and country and freedom and justice is for young people.
I have so many kirtaniya friends who would love to travel and preach on a bus tour, but won't. Their excuses range from school to work to other responsibilities. Ultimately, the mind will come up with a million reasons why not to. Jaya Radhe and I work hard nine months out of the year in order to travel and preach as best we can for three months. Nobody is saying to be lazy for Krishna. (And I only bring this up in humility to show that I'm not promoting laziness.)
Do we offer a flower to Krishna when it is in its prime, just fresh, full of life and fragrance? Or do we wait until it is old and wrinkled?
So dear friend, offer your life to Krishna while you are in your prime, not when you're old and tired and worn out and don't have the physical stamina to travel and preach. You can always go back to university. (See the older devotees.) There are a million university graduates, but only one person like you, enthusiastic to share Krishna consciousness with others.
Sorry for preaching so strongly. I see tremendous potential within each of you. And you can put that to good use and spread Krishna consciousness now, while you're young and able. (See what the older devotees were able to do when they were 18, 19, 20, 21.... before they settled down and had kids.)
To look at it from another perspective, over the years I've worked with several aspiring youth ministers. Before they got married, they were very enthusiastic to organize youth ministry programs in their region. They did so for about a year or two. Then spouse and child came into their life, and I haven't heard from any of them since. Life has a way of getting to you before you know it and you're stuck for 20 - 30 years before you can again afford to reach out to anyone outside of your own immediate family and spread the Holy Name around, keeping only Krishna as your father, mother, protector, shelter, husband, wife, child...
So do what you want to do for Krishna and for Srila Prabhupada and for his sincere disciples, our parents, godfathers, gurus... before you find that girl friend or boy friend, settle down, get married, and have kids. Because it will take a great rajarshi to do all that and still travel and preach vigorously. There are spiritual warriors, and there are spiritual warriors. To take up Krishna consciousness fully and spread it to others is the most glories occupation - in the three worlds.
For any of you who are thinking about dedicating your life to preaching, Radhadesh Bhaktivedanta College is a great option, and gives you college credits.
Whatever time you've put into University / College up to this point will never be lost. You can always go back to that. Who knows where you'll be in two years time with your enthusiasm and commitment to Krishna consciousness? Don't take that risk. Immerse yourself now :-) Give the next four years to Krishna! (Then settle down and do whatever else you must.)
Again, sorry for being so strong in my words. I may be making a great offense to you and obviously Krishna has a plan for you... but my gut feeling is that Krishna is your servant. He lovingly carries out your plan for yourself and doesn't impose His love on yours. If you sincerely love Krishna and want to please Him, then do so. Nothing is holding you back. Not school. Not work. Not friends. Just do it. (He's there in your heart facilitating your every desire. He'll happily facilitate your desire to be a spiritual warrior for Him.)
And if there were a college where you could get a degree to become a lover of the Lord, I'd recommend it to you with full heart and conviction. Seems, at this point, that is what the school of life is all about, and the sooner you start living, the better.
The below poem by our great-grandfather spiritual master, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, is not as much about death as it is an instruction how to live our lives.
He reasons ill who tells that Vaishnavas die
While thou art living still in sound.
The Vaishnavas die to live, and living try
To spread the Holy Name around.
- Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur
