Abusing Our Children

Mum, while baby is watching TV and having a nice snack, why don’t you cook some prasadam? Oh you can’t be bothered? Then let’s send out for a Domino’s and some French fries and another big bottle of Pepsi this time. That’s right, ring the bell and put it all in front of Prabhupada. Even if it’s a bit contaminated, Prabhupada will purify it for us. After all Praladah was not poisoned by Hiranyakashipu was he? Krsna protects his devotees.

That’s it darling, you should watch TV. Look at all those adverts for meat, coffee and cake with subliminal sexual messages. You must learn about the world; it’s so terrible. Look at the news about war, and all those dead bodies blown up, and all those foolish people saying nonsense things and shouting abuse at one another. That’s the real reality show. We are so lucky to be devotees.

What, you want to watch MTV? Ok just a little. Yes of course you can dance to the music. Let’s push the harmonium and mrdunga out of the way. You must be feeling a little hyperactive after all that nice prasadam. Wow, you can dance just like Britney, she's just out of rehab and that shows just how bad drugs are. That smell coming from Mum and Dad’s bedroom is incense, not grass. And Lord Siva took it and he’s the greatest Vaisnava anyway.

Oh look, you are all grown up. Yes, can dress yourself like Britney; saris are just for the temple. You don’t look like a slut at all; you’re my angel. And you like to hang out at the mall with all the other gurukulis, but be careful of the ones that drink whiskey and snort drugs. If you go to MacDonald’s, then only buy the French fries, won’t you. Yes, you can get the Cosmopolitan as soon as it comes out. Later on you will read the Bhagavatam. What’s the Bhagavatam? They are the books on the shelf below the TV in the living room. I’ll dust them off so you can read them after coming back from the movies. The devotional life is so full of spiritual knowledge.

Oh there’s a gurukuli-mela in Vrindavana this year during Karttik. Yes you can go, but remember, no boyfriends; you’re only sixteen and must protect your chastity. But it’s alright to mix with the boys to see which of the boys you want to marry. If all you gurukulis go to down to Goa, then avoid the ecstasy and LSD beach raves and all those hippies. Remember, no hard drugs - I mean no drugs. And promise me you’ll go to mangal arotik in Vrindavan. That’s the arotik at 4:30 - no, not in the afternoon, in the morning. I know you didn’t ever go here in the States, but that’s in the West - it’s not practical. Your mum and I used to go all the time when we joined the movement. After all, we are devotees.

Darling you are phoning from India - how nice! Are you having a good time? Oh, you’re in the Delhi police station. What, you were caught smuggling heroin at the airport? One of the older gurukulis in Vrindavana talked you into carrying it for cash? But didn’t I always give you enough money for your pop music and make-up? What? You were stoned at the time! And you’re being sick every morning - you think you might be pregnant. Angel, I’m flying over there right now. Krsna will protect you; chant Hare Krsna until I get there. What, you don’t know the Maha-Mantra! You must have heard it at the Sunday Feast, surely. Really, you don’t have any beads and bead bag? Didn’t you see your mum and dad chanting sometimes while we watched TV?

So dear readers, that’s the story of our devotee daughter (she’s out in five years). The CPO should look into just who is abusing our children. Here in the West, we are surrounded by materialistic people and they are also baldly influencing our children. As devotees, we should not presume that our devotional example is enough for the success of our children. We must be vigilant, but even then, everything is in the hands of Krsna.

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