To Hindu Youth

[Guest guest]

Excerpted from Hinduism Today, "Dharma Discussions -- Mela 2003: Hinduism's top

spiritual leaders offer their views on the Mela, dowry, youth, cloning,

corruption, untouchability and other tough issues facing Hindu society today."

Link to full article below.

 

Q: What is your advice for Hindu Youth and their parents?

 

Mahant Swami Vidya Giri:

 

"Youth must accept modernity in their outward life, but not let it touch their

innermost beings. They can use modern tools for working in the outside world,

but not for the exploitation of people around them. When the youth start

questioning the importance and relevance of temples, scriptures and even holy

traditions like taking a dip in Kushavrat at the Kumbha Mela, then the process

of deterioration will start. Our society is standing on the bedrock of dharma.

Our shastras say, 'Wherever dharma is followed, victory is there.' So if you

want progress, be connected to dharma. ..."

 

Swami Raghavacharya Vedanti:

 

"Today's youth are obsessed with the culture of television. In our preaching to

them, we try to awaken their consciousness, but after they leave, the culture of

television overpowers their minds. Wrong television programs are a big pollution

which has engulfed our society. Today young sons, daughters and daughters-in-law

watch obscene programs together. The decorum and decency that was traditionally

maintained in our families is disappearing. They all laugh together at the wrong

type of scenes. TV should broadcast programs which uplift the human mind.

 

"From time immemorial, the mind is attracted towards desires, just as water

poured on a slope flows downwards. To bring the mind up requires sadhana,

spiritual disciplines and practices. But if we uplift the mind for one hour and

then let it float downwards for ten, what will be the result? Today the people

of affluent countries are fed up with material things. They are upset and do not

understand why peace eludes them. They came here to India in search of peace.

Just see our state of confusion! People from the West come to us looking for

peace, while we are going toward the West and adopting a materialistic

lifestyle."

 

Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Swami Samvidananda Saraswati:

 

"Today the parents have no time for their children. Most leave their houses

early in the morning when the children are sleeping and come back at night when

the children are again asleep. Only on Sunday do the children come to know who

their mother and father are. Maid servants take care of them. The children grow

up and do not give due respect to their parents, and at times even insult them.

The onus of growth and development of the children rests on the parents."

 

Mahant Shri Foldol Behari Das Ji Maharaj:

 

"I will only say to the youth that in the morning when you get up, first of all

touch the feet of your parents and get their blessings. Mother is the first guru

of the child. If this culture of respecting the parents and touching their feet

disappears, then how will the children attain peacefulness? Earlier, wherever

people would go, they used to go with the blessings of their mothers. They

understood that mishaps can be averted through her blessings."

 

Mahant Nritya Gopal Das:

 

"The damage that could not be done to our culture and heritage in the past five

hundred years by Islam and the British has now been done by the obscene

television programs which are being viewed together by the families in our

homes. We are giving the opportunity to our youth to get attracted to what the

senses demand. All this is very dangerous."

 

Shri Mahant Paramananda Saraswati:

 

"Our youth are very intelligent and smart, and more aware and alert than us.

They view television and use the Internet. But when they truly understand their

own dharma, they like to stick to their own roots and do not follow the Western

way of living. You just look deeply, and you will find that most of the youth

are deeply religious."

 

FOR FULL STORY visit URL:

 

http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2004/1-3/28-35_discussion.shtml