CONVERSATIONS
14 February 1973
In connection with a question on the need for continuity in organising the work with young children, Mother made the following remarks:
But there is one thing, one thing which is the main difficulty: it is the parents. When the children live with their parents I consider that it is hopeless, because the parents want their child to be educated as they were themselves, and they want them to get good jobs, to earn money — all the things that are contrary to our aspiration.
The children who are with their parents... really, I don’t know what to do. The parents have such a great influence on them that in the end they ask to go away to a school somewhere else.
And that, of all the difficulties — all of them — that is the greatest: the influence of the parents. And if we try to counteract that influence the parents will begin to detest us and it will be even worse than before, because they will say unpleasant things about us. There.
That is my experience. In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred the children have taken a bad turn because of the parents.
This seems indispensable to me. We should write a circular letter saying: “Parents who want their children to be educated in the ordinary way and learn in order to get a good job, to earn their living and have brilliant careers, should not send them here.” There.
We should... And that is very important.
You see, there are many, many parents who send their children here because it is less expensive than anywhere else. And that is worse than anything, worse than anything. We should... we should... we must absolutely tell them: “If you
want your children to be educated in order to have a brilliant career, to earn money, do not send them here.” There.
A: Mother, we shall write a circular letter and I shall read you the text. We shall write something with B and the others.
There were some children who were doing very well and were very happy. They went to their parents for the holidays and came back completely changed and spoiled. And then if we tell them that, it will be even worse because their parents will tell them, “Oh, these people are bad, they are turning you against us.” So it must be... the parents must know that before they send them. This has been my experience for so many, so many, so many years, so many years! The danger is not the children, it is not laziness, it is not even that the children are rebellious: the danger,
the great danger is the parents.
Those who send their children here should do it knowingly, they should do it because it is unlike anywhere else. And there are many who won’t come... And those who come only because it is less expensive, well, they will stop sending them.
When the teacher was about to leave, Mother added:
I would like... I would like the attitude of our school to be made known to people before they send their children, because it is a pity when the children are happy and the parents are not; and that creates situations that are ridiculous and sometimes dangerous. This is very important, very important!
In these articles I am trying to put into ordinary terms the whole yogic terminology, for these Bulletins are meant more for people who lead an ordinary life, though also for students of yoga—I mean people who are primarily interested in a purely physical material life but who try to attain more perfection in their physical life than is usual in ordinary conditions. It is a very difficult task but it is a kind of yoga. These people call themselves “materialists” and they are apt to get agitated or irritated if yogic terms are used, so one must speak their language avoiding terms likely to shock them. But I have known in my life persons who called themselves “materialists” and yet followed a much severer discipline than those who claim to do yoga.
What we want is that humanity should progress; whether it professes to lead a yogic life or not matters little, provided it makes the necessary effort for progress.
The Mother
25 December 1950