Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


It is the duty of the father and mother to engage the child, boy, from the beginning of his life in the matter of devotional service

Expressions researched:
"It is the duty of the father and mother to engage the child, boy, from the beginning of his life in the matter of devotional service"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

If one is actually having sense . . . of course, a boy has no sense. It is the duty of the father and mother to engage the child, boy, from the beginning of his life in the matter of devotional service, bhāgavatān.

kaumāra means five years to ten years. This space, this span of life is called kaumāra. Kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, that as we are reading here, kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā. So kaumāra means boy's life. So kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha. A human being, he should learn about the Bhāgavata-dharma from the beginning of his kaumāra age, not that keep it aside, "When I shall become old man, then I shall read the scriptures." No. Kaumāra, from the boyhood. Kaumāra ācaret prājñaḥ. If one is actually having sense . . . of course, a boy has no sense. It is the duty of the father and mother to engage the child, boy, from the beginning of his life in the matter of devotional service, bhāgavatān.

Fortunately, we got a very nice father; he engaged us in this devotional service from the very beginning of our life. So it is the duty of every father, every stage, every guru, every friend, every relative how to engage the boy in spiritual life. Kaumāra ācaret prājñaḥ. Śāstra says, pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt: "One should not become father, one should not become mother," na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum (SB 5.5.18). The father and mother's duty is to the children, that "This child has come to me in my womb," mother, "this is the last. He will have no more to come back to the womb of mother. I will teach him in such a way that he will be liberated." That is the duty of the father and mother.

If one's father and mother is not able to coach and teach his children like that, how to get out of this entanglement of birth and death, he should not become father and mother. That is real contraceptive method that, "I should not produce cats and dogs. I should produce a child who will never come back again to another mother. He will be liberated. He will go back to home, back to Godhead." That is the duty of the father and mother. Not that produce cats and dogs.

And therefore, the world is in trouble. They are fighting like cats and dogs, because cats and dogs have been produced, and they have not been trained up: no brahmacārī system, no gṛhastha system, no vānaprastha system. Therefore, the Vedic conception of civilization is the perfect for human society. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). You will find everything in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So first of all you have to understand that we are spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, Brahman. "I am not matter, I am spirit," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. These are Vedic words, so 'ham. So 'ham does not mean "I am God." I am god-ly—I am part and parcel of. As God is in quality, so I am also in quality. Just like a drop of ocean water, qualitatively it is the same as the vast mass of water in the sea, but not the drop of water is equal to the vast mass of water. Similarly, in quality, so 'ham, "I am that," means the Supreme God, as He is in quality, I am also the same in quality. So 'ham. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am Brahman. I am not this matter, I am spirit soul." These are the knowledge.

So when one comes to that knowledge, brahma-bhūtaḥ . . . now we are not brahma-bhūtaḥ; prākṛta-bhūtaḥ, jīva-bhūtaḥ, the exact word. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). The world is being maintained by this jīva-bhūtaḥ, by the living entities. Just like the city of Manila is very important so long the living entities are there. If there are no living entities, nobody will be prepared to purchase the whole land even for a farthing.

What he will do with the dead matter? The dead matter has no value. It is valuable so long we utilize it in different purposes. Otherwise, it has no value. A nice motorcar with nice machine, first class, it has value so long it is driven by a living entity. Otherwise, who cares for it? Nobody cares for it. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedam (BG 7.5). Therefore matter, however valuable it may be, it is inferior to the spirit. The spirit is superior energy of God. Matter is inferior energy of God.

So the material energy is external energy, and we are trying to become happy by adjusting this external energy. That is illusion. Suppose in this life you earn lots of money, make a big balance, and have a very nice skyscraper building and good relatives and friends and position. That's nice. But when you leave this body, you do not know what you are going to become. Suppose, theoretically, you become next life a cat in the same skyscraper building, then what is your value? And there is possibility, because your next body will be awarded by nature according to your work, according to your mind, intelligence.

Page Title:It is the duty of the father and mother to engage the child, boy, from the beginning of his life in the matter of devotional service
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2022-10-22, 07:54:42
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1