“Jaisi sangat , vaisi rangat ! ” “The company you keep plays an integral part in influencing you, moulding you and making you what you are as an individual.”

Swamiji says …

” All of you are well – versed with the age old proverb – ‘Birds of a feather flock together’. I am certain that each one of you can relate , very closely, with the import and truth of these words, as at every stage of your life, you either willingly savoured the truth of these words as you benefited immensely or , were unwillingly forced to experience the negative essence of these words in their true context.”

” It is true that similar to the manner in which birds of the same species flock together , human beings too have a habit of making a beeline for people with similar tastes and interests. Very often , like – minded individuals with common goals, leanings and interests are drawn towards each other and derive great pleasure in spending time in each other’s company. This could be an ideal situation – but only when the net result of the time invested in each other’s company is fruitful and purposeful. The problem is when one willingly prefers to spend time with a person whose company is looked upon with disapproval, and can only bring about one’s downfall. At a juncture like this one has to be cautious and behave in a manner befitting one’s age.”

” If you recall the directive that your parents or elders often repeated … ‘achchi sangat mein raho’ – seek the company of good children – was, at times, not heeded to by you, and when you had the choice of either adhering to their words of wisdom or disregarding their good counsel – you opted for the latter. During your formative years, any such advice by parents is mostly looked down upon, and considered as intrusion in your privacy and you dislike them for doing so. Your parents are aware that their young and tender child – ‘ ek kacchi kali jiski daal kamzor thi ‘ – can go astray and ruin his future. Curiosity and inquisitiveness of a young mind to seek answers to questions which he is not mature enough to handle can send him wayward and he can easily fall prey to immoral and bad behaviour. He wonders what characteristics make some other children wear the badge of ‘being bad’? He too desires to be labelled adventurous at any cost. It is trite, but, true, that ‘opposites attract’ and you alone know how strong that pull is. It requires mammoth effort and grit of steel at this tender age not to fall into the trap of wrong – doing and worthlessness, as is rightfully and repeatedly, highlighted by your family members.”

” At times, you are influenced by such influencers as .. ‘How boring!’ ‘How passe’ it is – to be always called ‘good’ and how exciting and invigorating would it be to rebel just once !’ You decide to tread on the path taken by the crowd , join the multitude , venture into forbidden territories and deliberately associate yourself with a group that revels in indulging in illicit activities. The hours that were to be utilized by you in the library to gain more knowledge about your subjects, are whiled away in bunking college and cheating. The delusionary world of drugs and alcohol beckons you and you are willing to waste precious, valuable hours of your short life by living momentarily as the king of La La land. You try and convince yourself – ‘ What is the harm in trying these things just once? ‘ ‘ Nothing happened to the others ! What can happen to me ?” And before you know it, you are enslaved by this slow poison ! What will you gain by choosing to live a life that is addicted to substances ? Does your ‘soul ‘ which is always in a joyful state need any such ‘relaxers’ to stay happy and high?”

“It is the choice that you make at a young and impressionable age of flocking with the right peer group – at the right time – that holds you in good stead, throughout your life.You should be judicious while making your choice. You can walk away from all the negativity and ill – effects of drug abuse and instead gravitate towards a positive, inspired and motivated peer group who happily walk on the path of principles and values – ‘nek raaste park chalte hain ‘ and live an uncomplicated life , achieve the goal that they have set for themselves , maintain a fine balance between academics, sports, ethics, fun time and take out time to remember and thank God for enabling them to live a life that is purpose driven , fulfilling and worth living – and when they continue to live a life of good morals, they are not too far away from questioning the purpose of their birth.”