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198
THE WAY OF LIFE
From the Audience : We feel displeased. If sons and daughters-in-law love each other, parents feel displeased.
Maharajashri : If some parents feel displeased when they see their sons and daughters-in-law loving each other, then such parents do not deserve any adoration or respect. Parents should never feel unhappy at the sight of the happiness of their children. Ah ! Yes. There is one point to be remembered. Parents who look at life from the spiritual point of view may think thus : "What will happen to our children, in the other world is they forget their souls, absorbed in their physical and materialistic pleasures? They should not be plunged in pleasures". I suppose you think thus.
From the Audience : No. No. It would be very good if they think so. They think thus: “We do not have any control over our son. He is now a slave to his wife. He has forgotten his parents. The daughter-in-law also does not do any household work."
Maharajashri : This is why parents are not worshipped by children. They have lost the affection and respect of their children. They are not loved and respected by the members of their family. There will not be any mutual trust and confidence. The mother-in-law conceals her garments, jewels and other such possessions from her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law conceals from her mother-in-law all her garments, and jewels. If the father conceals his money from his son, the son also opens his own account in a Bank.
Why did not Bhadramatha give a woollen blanket to her son, Shalibhadra ? Listen to the answer to this question. One feels happy when a person whom one loves gets an excellent or expensive article; and one may not feel unhappy if one does not get it. This was the case with Shalibhadra. Bhadramatha must have thought thus : "If I give blankets to my daughters-inlaw, Shalibhadra will feel happy. He would not mind even if I do not give him a blanket. He will be quite satisfied if I give them to my daughters-in-law. My son is a broad-minded and generous person".
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