It is important to send children to good schools which follow good Indian traditions. Here, the parents are to be blamed and not the children. In their eagerness to provide good modern education, parents enrol the children in those schools which do not teach Indian values and traditions.

It is your fault that you put the children in such school, and you encourage them to dress differently. Do you always sing bhajans at home? Do you practice what you learnt? In America there are hundreds of devotees who diligently sing bhajans at home. 60 Christian teachers came to see Swamiji when He was there. They were astonished at the commitment shown towards their tradition by their Indian students who are Swamiji’s devotees.

Due to your worldly ambitions you send them to expensive schools and then blame them. You are raising a foreigner. You are raising a child who has no discipline. You are encouraging them wearing western attire and then you are blaming them. One day this child will fall in love and will leave you. You have only given birth but have not taken the responsibility for their upbringing. You have no time to attend to the child’s attitude. You do not know what they are learning. You have no inclination to teach them spirituality. Naturally, the child sings English songs.

Many of my devotees’ children study in Christian schools and yet come to ashram regularly. Pramod’s son is studying PUC only in a Hindu school. Do you think he can’t afford to send him to an expensive school? Many children who are introduced to Swamiji when they were young refused to go to USA even when they had the opportunity.

First teacher for every child is the mother. At home, all the time you must speak of Swamiji. You must introduce your child to this path of spirituality. Play His bhajans. Be with children all the time.

Do you know why do I go to American so often? The children who are being raised there are beautifully chanting the Bhagavad Gita. Now all the 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita they are learning, within one year. There are many such children.

If you put the children in hostels, they get spoilt. Keep the kids with you at home. 24/7 you have to speak of Swamiji. Always tell about where Swamiji is, and what He is doing. Then the child will not forget tradition. Children are spoilt because of parents. It is not their fault. You must get the strength to control the children. This is the truth. Absolute truth. Give them all Indian traditions and raise them well.

(Q&A Bangalore 11 Nov 2015)