Page 229 - Seekers Guide Book

The Seeker’s Guide

1 What is your advice to parents
of young children?

he advice is that you should not favour your children at
Tall. They should be given a chance of self-development.
If they fall, let them fall and get back on their feet. I had
met a Parsi in Pune about whom I learnt that he once
made his child stand on the table and asked him to come.
When the child leaped towards his father, he moved
behind and the child fell down. Then he said to his son,
‘Do not trust anyone; not even your father. Trust your
own abilities.’ This is a realistic approach to parenthood.

2 Why is it so difficult to accept

defeat?

t is difficult because people are not ready to accept
Ithe role of the law of nature in deciding a result, be it
success or failure. Man is often governed by his ego and
whims, which makes him a case of failure. The logo of
The Times of India bears the following inscription, ‘Let
truth prevail’.

On the same lines I would say in real life, the principle to
be followed is: ‘Let the law of nature prevail’. If, however,
we desire that our ego prevails, it would be hard for us
to accept failure and draw a positive lesson from it. On
the contrary, if we accept our shortcomings, not only
are we able to accept failure but also work towards self-
improvement.

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