My son aged 12 years shows little interest in Hare Krishna chanting. No one in the house encourages him for Hare Krishna chanting except me. I am pained to see that he shows little interest in our scriptures and chanting. By profession, I am an online entrepreneur and stock investor. I am doing 16 malas everyday and also watching youtube vidoes of ISKCON.
I want to ask if I can chant 16 malas on my son's account everyday in addition to mine - total 32 malas?
Replies
Hare Krishna,
Pls. don't get attached to these relationships which are just formed as karma bandhanat. Son, wife, husband, brother, sister these are all belong to this life time. Last life time you didn't know who this son is what was he for you. Each soul ( jiva) is working towards and progressing towards Krishna in a different manner. You may have attained Krishna Bhakti at an earlier age in life compared to ur son. It doesn't mean that you son should be like you.
There is a saying in telugu "pandita putra param suntha" it means a son of Pandit ji can became a loafer or a moron. It is not written in any shastras that a pandit ji's son will become a pandit ji only., just like a doctor's son cannot be a doctor. Every Jiva gets on his shoulders carried forward from past life times some Sanchita karma and some Prarabdha karma. Until the jiva gets over huge burden of these parabdha karma he or she cannot even realize God. Even if u say 1000 times Krishna name in front of him also it just goes over head and deosn't enter between the ears. This stage should pass only.
As a parent you may try daily to make him eat Krishna's prasadam and give him some good krishna conscious books to read. Children KC books are available. You may also show some devoteee and the kids who are doing KC practice. You must show that you find such people are ideal to humanity. They are good citizens. Keep taking the child to temples, get him interacted to the devotees and ask him to participate in some devotional activities. In Iskcon there are painting classes... fun activities for kids, like story telling. get in involved in them. seek Permission of the local authority of ISkcon temple and get him involved in cleaning floors of temple or washing the temple articles, like diyas or utensils used to pooja make him pluck flowers when you go to temple and get him involved to himself offer Lord flowers. Tulasi manjari's plucking could be like an activity at start even when not having bhakti. He can do parikrama of tulasi maharani so that his bad karma or Prabadha karma will end qucikly.
If you eat food in the place of your child will it solve his hunger? no so also in adhyatmika marga, bhakti needs to develop slowly. You can plant the bhakti seed in a barren ground but the seed to sprout you may even water it also and take care but seed takes its own time to sprout. Just have patience. God is great. You are doing a great!!! you are working hard to turn ur son to bhakti. that is ur duty. you do that duty without expecting much. Someday by the grace of Tulasi maharani and Krishna the seed willl sprout.
Hare Krishna.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9Snv8Q4oss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y5PGIRTmtw
Let him watch these types of vids.
Hare Krishna Mata ji!
PAMHO
don't worry! since you are a devotee, he must have been a devotee in previous lives and he'll surely get naam ruchi. just remember one thing, teens and kids usually hate stuff which they feel is boring or not helping them in any way. so instead of telling your son, show your son how happy you are chanting. dance and sing to kirtans and ask him to join you. soon he'll get ruchi
Good luck!
Hare Krishna!
Thankyou so much for your good advise Mataji.
Thankyou for shwoing concern and your advise.
Thankyou for shwoing concern and your advise.
Hare KRsna Vineet Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
Very noble thought. In ISKCON, we are forever chanting for someone's health or some or the other issue. As far as chanting for your son is concerned, if you decide to chant 16 rounds for your son, it would take more than 4 hours a day of chanting (16 for you and 16 for son). Easier would be to chant Nrisimha Kavacha for son. Takes lesser time and can be done while doing other works (like cooking or driving) once you have memorised it. Nrisimhadev removes obstacles from spiritual path. YOu coudl top it up with 1 round extra chanting for son.
Another thing that can be done is put him in company of devotee children his age and slightly older. That is best way to preach to him.
Another way is to be happy and content in your life and giving the credit to chanting. You can demonstrate to him that this chanting is so important to you. This is longest route, will take years before he understands.
Ensuring that he has Krsna Prasadam is easy and best way to introduce someone to this path.
Best of luck.
Haribol,
YOur servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
Thankyou for your advise Radhaji. Even though everyone has shown concern for me and given good advise, to me your advise appeals the most and hence I will follow your advise. Thankyou.
Hare Krsna
Chanting 32 rounds will certainly benefit you. But I am not aware of any scriptural basis that it could be done on behalf of someone.
Do not be disheartened. Sometimes it just takes time and we have to be patient. Meanwhile you could engage him in other devotional services like eating prasadam, music or kirtan, painting/ coloring etc. Being a parent you will certainly know your son's interests and introduce Krsna consciousness through those. It may not help being solely focussed on chanting and scriptures. 12 year old may not be interested or understand much of philosophy. Please pray to Krsna and feed prasadam.
Hare Krsna
Thankyou for showing concern and giving your advise.