With youth: Responsibility towards parents

The following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

Acharya Prashant (AP): You see you’re young. Right? If you love somebody, do you want to chain him or her?

Listeners(everyone): No, Sir.

AP: Even a pet dog. Do you like to keep the dog in a closed room all the time or do you let it be free? Do you want the dog or caged bird to follow your wishes? Or would you rather have it fly, on its own? If you really love it, if you really know love, do you want to become a master, a controller? Would you say that take my permission before doing all this?

Listener 1 (L1): Sir, then why our parents do this to us?

AP: You may be a parent but you are a man or a woman first, a person first. Just because you’ve become a parent, doesn’t mean that you have suddenly gained wisdom. You are what you are. It’s your culture that has taught you that just because a man or a woman is a biological father or a mother, he becomes worthy of reverence. Look at yourself, I mean you are grown-up men and women. Accident may have it that you become a father or a mother in one year's time. Will that mean that you have suddenly become enlightened?

L1: No.

AP: Now how would it feel? Look at the fellow next to you. How would it feel if he or she becomes a parent and the kid starts worshiping him? The kid says, ‘He is a God because he is my Papa.’ (Listeners laugh) Now you may be a papa, but you are what you are. Are you worthy of respect, really? Look at your neighbor’s face, and he is a papa. And the kid is saying, ‘God!’

If I really love someone I would try to share what I have. And as adults, it is your responsibility that if you really love your parents, you should share the truth with them and not let them continue in darkness. You see there is this amusing story of this woman Gandhaari. Right? Do you know Mahabharat?

L (everyone): Yes.

AP: The husband is blind. What does she do? She says, ‘I will put on a blindfold all my life.’ Now is this love?

L (everyone): No.

AP: This is absolute stupidity. (Listeners laugh) Now, why must you do the same with your parents? If the…