How should parents discipline their children with regard to money? Bhagawan clearly and lovingly reminds us today.
We should never regard wealth as the most important thing in our life. We should regard dharma as the most important. We should thereby earn the grace of God. You should have money which is enough to meet your essential requirements. Anything more than that should be used for charity and such other good things. Today, we do see many situations amongst students by which they get spoilt by possessing an excess of money. In the first instance, it may look very difficult to get on with a minimum amount of money; but if they can control their desire for money, they will be very happy and peaceful thereafter. When students are really in need of ten rupees, they prepare themselves to ask for twenty rupees. When the children ask for twenty rupees, the parents should give only ten rupees. This is very essential. Even though the son feels hurt momentarily, he will get strength later on. If he is given twenty rupees when he actually needs only ten, he will get bad friends and spend that money on them.
– Summer Showers in Brindavan 1973, Ch 17.
