Dear friends, this is Mohanji.
Today I would like to speak about a subject, which is very close to my heart, children. Children of all species are the same for me, they are children. They are just children. And I like to take care of all these children because they are the future. So, the point I would like to make here is this; when you walk through the streets especially in India, you can see many children, selling things and some children trying to beg, trying to get some money from you, etc. I do not really like to give money to children. Instead, I would like to give them food; I’d like to give them clothes, etc. Why I don’t like to give money is, there probably is someone else behind them, trying to extract money through these children. If we give them money because of sympathy, and there are people behind them, or owning them, who were probably trying to make use of them to get money.
So, I would like to help the children as best as we can. How can we help them? First of all, when they are selling something, do not bargain. You give them maybe 5 or 10 rupees more, that’s fine. Don’t bargain. Secondly, ask the question, “Are you hungry?” If they’re hungry give them something to eat, give them water, and show some love and nurturing. And if we can, we should take care of them in a more involved manner; maybe we can take care of their education, or get them admission in a school, buy them books, clothes, and such things. We’re trying to do that through Mohanji Ka Aangan. We’re trying to help as many children as possible through that, but that’s not enough, we should really, really take care of them. It’s not enough to just meet them. We should nurture them, take care of them and make them powerful citizens of the country, and of the world.
Please understand all children are the same, in all species, I’d really like to look at all children as the same, not that human children are special. All children are the same, and they are very precious for their mothers. So, we must make sure, whenever possible that the mothers and children are together. This is very important.
Recently, we have read, heard or seen in television about mothers killing children. These are connected to mental disturbances, you know psychological disorders. They need treatment. But what happens is when somebody does something like that, we immediately victimize them, convict them and jail them. Instead, we should understand them; in hospitals, doctors should be trained to understand the mental states of the mothers. We should also keep an eye on such people who are abusing children, who are tending to abuse children, to beat them to starve them etc. And we must do something about it. We have to gently guide the children away from them or alert the authorities to take care of the children; do something like that so that we prevent various crimes of that nature. Hence children should be really, really taken care of.
I do not like to bargain with small vendors, because that’s silly. Don’t bargain with these daily wagers, such as the people who sell vegetables from their garden. Give them something extra because they are doing a good job, and they are not making a fortune out of it. So, when I see children on the road selling small things, I buy them even if I don’t need them, just to give them some money. Sometimes I try to give them extra money and almost always I have seen that these children are very honest. If you give them money without buying anything, they won’t take your money; they are not here to beg. They don’t want to take money as alms, they would like to sell and earn money. We can at least avoid bargaining, that would help. Pay a little bit extra to encourage them, and when you see them, ask the question, ‘Are you hungry?’ Make it a point to ask this question to anybody in the street, who you think is hungry. Food and water – these are important. You know, we can actually make a difference in their life this way.
I would like to leave this thought with you now. When you’re going out on the street, you can try to make a difference in their lives; not only the children, the street vendors, the old people or others who are selling their wares. Don’t bargain with the rickshaw pullers, the very old and the seemingly sick rickshaw pullers; instead, give them slightly more money than what they ask for. And that’s how you can display your inner richness.
I leave this thought on your plate. Digest it and let’s see some difference in your attitude. Or probably you can share this, you can discuss with people and make a difference in the society this way.
Lots of love. This is Mohanji.
Transcribed by Ulla Bernholdt
Proofread by Vidya Rajagopalan
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