Service to Parents or Service to God ?

To serve your parents is a moral duty (dharma). No matter what kind of [karmic] account there is, yet you should serve them; that is your moral duty. To whatever extent you fulfill your moral duty that much happiness arises within you. The elderly will receive service, and along with that happiness arises within you. If you give happiness to your parents, then happiness will arise within you. The people who make their parents happy are never unhappy at all.

I once met a man in a renowned ashram. I asked him, “How come you are here?” So he replied, “I have been living in this ashram for the past ten years.” So then, I informed him that, “In the village, your parents are in extreme poverty and in the last stage [of their life]; they are miserable.” To that he replied, “What am I to do about that? If I go to help them, then I would forgo practicing my religion (dharma).” How can that be referred to as religion? It is called dharma when you take care of your mother and father, you take care of your brother and you take care of everyone. Your worldly interactions should be ideal. The worldly interaction that contemptuously rejects one’s own dharma, which even contemptuously rejects the relationship with one’s parents, how can that be referred to as dharma?

Do you have parents or not?

Questioner: I have a mother. 

Dadashri: From now on, serve her well. You will not get such an opportunity over and over again. Moreover, if someone were to say, “I am miserable,” then I would tell him, “Just serve your parents well, then you will not face any misery in worldly life.” One may not become rich; but at least he will not face misery. Religion should come after that. How can that [contemptuously rejecting a relationship] even be referred to as religion?

I too, had served my mother. At that time, I was twenty years old, so I was in the prime of my youth. Therefore, I was able to serve my mother. I carried my father’s bier on my shoulder and took him away, I was able to serve him that much. Then I realized that, ‘I have had so many fathers like him! Now, what can be done?’ The answer to that was, ‘Serve the one who is currently living. The one who has departed is gone, but, if he were currently living, then serve him; if he is no longer living, then do not worry. We have had so many in the past. Forget about the past, start afresh now.’ Serving your parents gives direct results. God is not visible, whereas your parents are visible. Can God be seen? However, your parents can be seen.