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DISCOURSE 68
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should not get angry with them; and you should not treat them with contempt. If you treat them thus, they may lose all regard for spiritual austerities. If you cannot explain certain things to them, encourage your sons and daughters to seek explanations from the enlightened people; and send them to such noble people.
It is absolutely necessary to clear the intellectual doubts of intelligent people. Whatever spiritual austerities you may perform, you can derive delight from them only if you carry them out, after understanding fully “the why and the how" of those austerities. You should know the purpose and method of performing those austerities. One would not discard an activity in doing which one has found delight.
In order to engage the members of your family and your dependants in spiritual or mundane activities, you must know their abilities and preferences. You have to inspire in them the enthusiasm to carry out those activities. Do you know the art of inspiring enthusiasm in them? You cannot inspire enthusiasm in them by getting angry with them or by rebuking them. I hope you know this.
THINK ALSO OF THE NECESSITIES OF YOUR DEPENDANTS
From the Audience : We naturally get angry with our sons and daughters when they do not like to do any useful work; and when they spend all their time in eating, drinking, wandering about or in sleeping. They do not like to perform any spiritual austerities; nor do they want to do any mundane work.
Maharajashri : Ignore such dependants. Let some time pass. Wait for the proper opportunity. Have patience. Think of the point that jivas are governed by their Karmas. Do not condemn your dependants in the presence of others. Think thus : "When the right time comes, they will reform themselves". Do not also keep repeatedly inspiring and encouraging them to do the right work. At the same time, you also keep thinking of the methods which you can adopt to reform them.
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