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How to be good parents? || Acharya Prashant, on Vivekachudamani (2018)
Scriptures and Saints
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1 year ago
Vivek Chudamani
Adi Shankara
Self-realization
Biological conditioning
Spiritual education
Parenting
Discrimination
Wisdom
Description

Acharya Prashant explains that the 'child' mentioned in the Vivek Chudamani represents the state of being driven purely by physical conditioning and biological impulses. At birth, a human is merely a body, characterized by restlessness and a lack of higher values. The purpose of spiritual education and upbringing is to rid the individual of these innate biological tendencies that provide no real joy. If a person who has attained discrimination and tasted the joy of the Self returns to these unreal, childish pursuits, it is considered a downfall and a sign of foolishness. True joy is of a higher order than physical pleasure; it is constant, unthreatened, and does not lead to restlessness. Regarding the behavior of a difficult child, Acharya Prashant asserts that children are born as biological entities without higher order values, focused only on self-preservation. If a child remains disorderly, aggressive, or disrespectful, it reflects a failure in their education and the environment provided by parents and teachers. Since children are not yet cunning enough to hide their inner chaos, their behavior serves as a mirror to the parents' own state of being. To guide a child toward order, the parents must first be self-illumined and wise, as spiritual order is contagious and must be radiated from one's own being rather than taught as a commodity.