Live Vedanta: Parenting Culture

Virtues: Devotion

Episode Summary

Welcome to Parenting Culture, a space to learn and reflect on 20 virtues that are prerequisites to be an extraordinary caregiver.

Episode Notes

Recap:

• We identify with things/people close to us, making us feel like we have control.
• When we ascribe joy to an object/relationship, we become possessive of it. This leads to expectations, jealousy, anger and regret when things change.
• Just like we don’t control whether the moon shines or not, and don’t get disappointed if the moon doesn’t shine, we should understand that we don’t have control over the objects/relationships in our lives.
• Duality is the nature of living. Be balanced with what we want and don’t want.
• Attitude of “we get what we are supposed to get” will help us do what is right, not easy.
• Long term harm and help is hard to gauge.
• When we invest in our inner selves, we only get more calmness and peace. When we get this, we are able to give to others.

How to practice Bhakti (Devotion)?

1. Be devoted to a higher purpose: When we are devoted to a lower purpose, it makes us lower (Sneha). When we are devoted to a higher purpose, it makes us higher (Prema).
2. Be dedicated: Whatever we are dedicated to, we sacrifice automatically without feeling that we are sacrificing
3. Be present: Provide quality (not quantity) time, effort and resources to the ones we care for.