1. Educate well
When you were born, your father dreamt of you becoming a better version of him.
Not seeing me much interested in education during my early childhood, my father said, “education is the light that will develop the intelligence through which you can see the world in a new perspective.”
My father always felt that we should be well educated and achieve excellence. His emphasis was on substantiating our learning with practical field skills.
Your father wants to hold his head up and announce to the world about your education and your knowledge. For him, the gift of education is priceless and the most revered thing that you can gift to him.
Even though you want to live and do for your passion, education helps you develop your brain and intellect to better execute and pursue your passion for achieving excellence in life. The Hinduism scripture says – “Those parents who do not provide proper education to their kids are like enemy. He appears like stork in the conference of swan.”
Education is the most precious wealth compared to any other form of wealth!
2. Care for your mother
Your mother is the source of your existence. Words like innocence, love, care, commitment, and affection are synonymous with motherhood.
She is there with open arms and unconditional support in your thick and thin.
She compromised her comfort and sleep for you.
Your mother never bothered about her feelings. She faked her laughter for you to smile, cried when you were in pain, and always prayed to the almighty for your well-being.
You are lucky that you have a mother – many others stay deprived of a mother’s love. She is the most beautiful woman in the world, and she is the most soulfully soft woman you will find anywhere.
Your father wants you to care for her and give her the dues.
3. Love and Pride for your Nation
After victory in Lanka, the lord Ram said to Lakshman, “Lakshman, even this golden Lanka does not attract me. Mother and motherland are greater than heaven.”
Your motherland has provided you with earth, water, fire, ether, and air to shape your physical form and existence.
Your love for the nation should go beyond taking credit for being born here. You must, through your efforts, contribute to elevating the cultural, traditional, and social status of your nation.
Your deeds and acts should be such that everyone should aspire to your indomitable spirit of building and safeguarding your national interest.
4. Leave the small for big things in life
The pleasure that you get taking a bath in the pond, lake, or river, you will get a similar or more pleasure while bathing in the sea – leave the pond, river, or lake for the sea.
My father was struggling with the social unjust imposed upon him. I was scared to leave my family for my studies and career growth. For a while, we lived in very unsafe social settings. My father said, “These matters are temporary. It will settle down. But, your time and opportunity will not come again.”
5. Right to Action
You think of the result first without realizing that your action brings the result.
The more you spend thinking about the result, the less time you will get for the actions.
The bullock pulls the cart, not otherwise. Your action will bring the result, not dreaming about the results.
In many cases, it does not matter what you do. What matters is that you do something and keep doing it until you get the result?
Lord Krishna’s Sutra to Arjuna;
You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action।
I wrote fortnightly letters to my father, updating him about things, plans, and vision. He would rarely reply to those letters. On my visit to the home, I asked him, “Why you don’t reply to my letters?”
He said, “You write too many flowery sentences in your letter. It would be best to spend more time doing things and then sharing the results. The wealth, donation and vision fructifies when kept secretly.”