Building A Sacred Future Through Our Children part-one hundred Four

Building A Sacred Future Through Our Children

When the Lord comes in our midst there are two important aspects to His descent that stand out among others. One is His powerful and enchanting presence, which has the potency to transform and raise all who comes to Him. Everyone who comes to Him benefits, some considerably and few immensely, depending on one’s receptiveness. The other aspect is the message that He brings, and this has some unique benefits of its own. Adherence to the message has the power to manifest the Lord in one’s life. A tryst with Divinity could be a blessing for good acts of the past, but it is in loyalty to the message that one completely benefits and finds redemption, and also a means to express one’s devotion to the Lord. So it is indeed of paramount importance for each of us to dwell on His message.

As part of the 90th Birthday offerings, we will begin every month from with excerpts of a discourse from the Golden Jubilee Birthday Celebrations of Bhagawan. During the grand 50th Birthday celebrations, Baba gave discourses specific to the Seva wing and the Bal Vikas wing, apart from discourses revealing His own message and mission. The excerpts presented below are from the discourse Baba gave on 19 Nov 1975. This is the second part of the article published last month, with more clips from the same discourse. Let us listen and re-listen, read and re-read even as we imbibe the essence contained.

What does it take to make education so sacred and holy? In what sort of an environment can the exchange of spiritual education take place? Bhagawan explains that for such a sacred exchange, both the receiver and the giver must be elevated. Especially a lot depends on the teacher. Swami tells us what should be the nature of a Guru, for the Guru to be an imparter of true education.

The first and foremost problem of our education system is the commercialisation of it. As Swami said in the previous clip, it is difficult for a teacher to impart to the students the true ideals when the teacher has an eye on the remuneration or the exchange of knowledge becomes a business deal. When that happens, there are two commodities being exchanged, one is education and the other money.

And as more importance is given to money, now in the student-teacher relationship, the student becomes the giver and the teacher the receiver. In such a scenario, the student chooses and demands what he wants. Interestingly, this was precisely the point Bhagawan made when He announced that His colleges and schools will charge no fees. He said while talking to the staff one day in the portico of the mandir in Prasanthi Nilayam, “If we take money from the students, we have to give them what they ask for. When we give education free, we can give them what has to be given!” Bhagawan goes on to describe, why an education system based on money cannot impart sacred learning.

Though a significant part of the onus for this deterioration in the education system lies in commercialisation, the problem could be traced to a deeper cause. This can be recognised through a close observation of the change in our attitude itself. Why would any society wish for a system that is injurious to the progress of the society? The only cause for a system’s failure could be wrong prioritisation of the individuals in the society. But in this scenario, whose error of judgement is it? Bhagawan explains in the clip to follow.

Building A Sacred Future Through Our Children – divine blessing for positive living

Building A Sacred Future Through Our Children is one of the most sacred duties of parents, teachers, families, and society. Children are not only young members of the home; they are the living foundation of tomorrow’s world. The values we plant in their hearts today will become the character, culture, peace, and strength of the future.

Every child is born with innocence, curiosity, purity, and hidden greatness. But this greatness needs proper guidance. If children grow in an atmosphere of anger, dishonesty, fear, and selfishness, their minds may become disturbed. If they grow with love, discipline, prayer, truth, and compassion, their lives become meaningful and noble.

Building A Sacred Future Through Our Children begins at home. The home is the first school, and parents are the first teachers. Children learn more from example than from advice. If parents speak truth, respect elders, help the needy, and control anger, children naturally absorb these qualities. But if parents only preach values and do not practice them, children become confused.

True education is also very important. Education should not only prepare children for exams, jobs, and competition. It should prepare them for life. A child must learn honesty, patience, gratitude, humility, service, and respect along with worldly knowledge. Intelligence without character can become dangerous, but intelligence guided by values becomes a blessing.

Building A Sacred Future Through Our Children means teaching them the power of love. Love should not be limited only to family members. Children should learn to care for friends, neighbors, animals, nature, and those who suffer. When kindness becomes natural from childhood, the heart grows soft, generous, and peaceful.

Discipline is necessary, but it should be given with affection. Harshness may create fear, but loving discipline creates understanding. Children need guidance, correction, and boundaries, but they also need encouragement, trust, and emotional safety. When correction comes from love, it helps the child grow without breaking confidence.

Building A Sacred Future Through Our Children also means protecting their minds from harmful influences. Today, children are surrounded by screens, distractions, comparison, and pressure. What they watch, hear, and read leaves deep impressions. Parents and teachers must guide them wisely through conversation, awareness, and good example. A pure mind is the foundation of a strong life.

Spiritual values should be introduced in a simple and loving way. Prayer, silence, gratitude, respect for all faiths, and remembrance of God give children inner strength. Spirituality should not feel like a burden. It should be shown as a source of peace, courage, love, and humility. A child who learns to pray sincerely also learns to trust and reflect.

Building A Sacred Future Through Our Children requires teaching service. Children should understand that life is not only about receiving, achieving, and enjoying. It is also about giving, sharing, and helping. A small act of service, such as helping a classmate, feeding someone, caring for plants, or speaking kindly, can awaken compassion in the heart.

Respect is another essential value. Children should learn to respect parents, teachers, elders, workers, nature, and themselves. Respect does not mean fear. It means recognizing worth in every being. A respectful child does not become arrogant with success or cruel toward the weak. Such a child grows into a balanced and thoughtful person.

Building A Sacred Future Through Our Children also means helping them grow with confidence. Every child is unique. Some may be good in studies, some in art, some in service, some in leadership, and some in quiet wisdom. Constant comparison can damage confidence. Adults must guide each child with patience and help them discover their own strengths without creating pride.

Truthfulness must be taught early. A child who learns to speak truth develops courage and a clean conscience. Lies may give temporary escape, but they weaken character. Parents and teachers should create such an environment that children feel safe to admit mistakes and learn from them. Fear often creates dishonesty, but trust supports truth.

Children also need emotional guidance. They must learn how to handle anger, sadness, failure, and disappointment. Life will not always be easy, so they must be prepared with inner strength. Teaching patience, forgiveness, gratitude, and faith helps them face challenges without becoming bitter.

Building A Sacred Future Through Our Children finally means building the future through character. Buildings, technology, money, and power cannot save society if human values disappear. The real wealth of tomorrow is a generation filled with love, morality, courage, discipline, devotion, and service.

A sacred future does not begin later; it begins today in the way we speak to children, teach them, correct them, love them, and live before them. When children grow with divine values, families become peaceful, society becomes noble, and the world moves closer to unity, compassion, and grace.