Swamiji says …
” A mother willingly takes upon herself the herculean task of creating a strong and firm foundation of uprightness, honesty and truthfulness in her child by instilling in him the all important values of respecting others, speaking the truth and being straight- forward. She utilises every moment in highlighting the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, truth and untruth as she is aware that her child not only mirrors her reflection but also reflects her teachings and upbringing and she has to ensure that he becomes a good human being. The child obediently follows his mother’s guidelines and imbibes the values introduced by her and comprehends the vital difference between respect and disregard, honesty and dishonesty and lives happily by simply following his mother’s teachings.”
“All religious and sacred books emphasise on the importance of respecting our elders , our parents and treating them with reverence and respect. Respect their age , their words, their experience and behave with them appropriately. The same child who had been a good , well-behaved child earlier now succumbs to the external pressure of the environment in which he lives… without putting up a fight…and is now , sadly , transforming into a youth who has no qualms in selling his soul to the devil , who can look away from the truth without batting an eyelid and embrace the untruth unblinkingly , who can hurl abuses at others needlessly and uncaringly, who can lie confidently at every opportunity in order to save his skin. Words of falsehood, deceit and deception stream out of his mouth unceasingly. When, how and why did he develop the art of deception and connivance is the root point on which we must deliberate! The same child who used to treat his parents with love, utmost care and respect in the past… has no time for them now … insults them at his will and fancy and treats them with contempt, disdain and lets them know that they are a burden on him. He becomes so uncivilised and unrefined that he speaks to them in a callous manner, unmindful of the distress and pain that he is causing them. The order of the day now is to be impolite, discourteous, arrogant, disrespectful. Is this what had been taught to him by his mother and elders.”
” You meet your friends in order to gain some happiness and know about all that has been happening in their lives…good and the not so good. But instead of doing that, you while away hours speaking ill about some other common friends… dissecting their personal lives, besmirch their name and reputation… and when you later meet those very people…you put up a facade of being their well-wishers and their best friends too. What kind of behaviour is this? You are turning into a devious con artist …Are you or aren’t you ? You were always taught to be transparent and honest in your behaviour with others. What is bringing about this change in you? Could it be due to a total collapse in your value system and disregard for old age customs and beliefs ?”
“Your material possessions are of such great value to you that if another person’s car as much as touches your vehicle, you are blinded by anger to such an extent that you are willing to kill the other person in a moment of mindless rage. Are you any less than a savage when you let such sweeping emotions take control of you ? Were values of this kind ever taught to you by any of your elders ? Does the society in which you live have an effect so detrimental on you that you are becoming more uncivilised day by day? Shouldn’t you be held accountable for deliberately and knowingly turning into an unrecognizable person… completely different from what you were previously.”
” You must try to rein in your emotions before they gain an upper hand on you and turn you into someone you don’t know at all.”