The real question seems to be "How can I change my parents to fulfill my desires?" Each of us have our own samskaras or karmas to deal with in this life. We all are here not to change others but to change ourselves. It is very difficult to see our own faults and very easy to see faults in others.

Parents must be respected and treated with divinity, because they have given you birth and cared for you even at the cost of their worldly pleasures. Their sacrifices are innumerable. Most parents sacrifice a lot for their children, if not out of true love certainly out of the delusion of ownership.

Parents and children both are victims of seeking comforts and luxuries. So instead of blaming each other, they should patiently develop an understanding to cope with this problem. They should develop an attitude of serving each other and the Lord. Viewpoints, opinions, traditions, religious and cultural or political and economic rules are only beliefs. Truth may be quite contrary to those beliefs as Gitaji teaches us. So why should one blind person lead another blind person? Even religious teachers are deceptive, so we need to be very vigilant and learn the basic truth from Gitaji, pray to God and be humble. This will guide us to cope with each other.

A society based on lust and greed or name and fame cannot judge you from a truthful viewpoint. Examine facts rather than the whims of people, society or religion. Once you get to the bottom of the problem, whatever it may be, then you will realize that you need to change your viewpoint and your parents also need to change theirs. Only unbiased saints have the correct viewpoint. They observe the facts, behaviors and results based on reality and not on imagination or belief.

Obviously, in order to resolve the issues, we must take heed to the teachings of saints like Buddha, Jesus, Krishna, Mirabai, Shree Ramakrishna or Mahatma Gandhi or their life teachings. All these teachings are based on the Gita, Dhamapad, Bible and other true scriptures. Once we learn the messages, then awareness will come only when we free ourselves from deception, lust, greed and other vices.

The finger should always point towards ourselves. This applies to both parents and the children.

-- Swami Radhanandaji