Jaya Pataka Swami advises how to handle family opposition to Krishna consciousness. Balance practical responsibilities like getting a degree with devotional practice, and show parents that bhakti makes you happy. One devotee's father threatened to send him to the army and disown him, but after eight years of patience, the mother began chanting and the father forgave him.
What to do if family doesn't support us in our Krishna consciousness?
How this is a problem.
Well, this is a problem.
And we found that in history we.
Found that in history there are many.
Such people whose family did not support them.
Whose family did not support them.
Usually.
Usually who are too fanatic.
If they were too fanatic, then they.
Burn out our family.
Then if we are too fanatic, then we may burn out our family.
So we are a little. What to say? Tactful.
So we should be a little tactful.
How to deal with our parents how.
To deal with our parents so that they can support us.
Usually they want us to get our degree.
Usually they want us to get our degree.
Ideal.
Make ideal.
Stay in college, I get my degree.
I'll stay in college. I'll get my degree.
Let me chant Hare Krishna.
Let me chant Hare Krishna.
Something like that.
Something like that.
Ultimately, parents should want their children to be happy.
Ultimately the parents, they want the children to be happy.
So you say he convinced them.
If you convince them this makes you happy. That this makes you happy, Then they should agree.
Then they should agree.
But maybe they have some. See, I thought my parents See, I.
Thought my parents would be very healthy. I gave a devotee would be very.
Happy that I have become a devotee. So I wrote to my father and.
Mother and to my surprise and to my surprise, my father was very angry.
My father was very angry.
He said, you come back immediately.
He said, you come back immediately or.
I'll turn your name over to the USA army.
Otherwise, I'll turn your name over to.
USA army and you'll die in Vietnam.
Then you'll die in Vietnam.
I renounce you as a child I.
Renounce you as a child from the family.
So I lose all the inheritance I.
Will lose all the inheritance from the family.
I asked brother, what should I do?
So I asked Prabhupada, what should I do?
My father wants to turn my name.
Over My father wants to turn my.
Name over to the American army.
To the American army.
So at that time I was in Canada.
And at that time I was in Canada.
My Shel Raharad said, and Srila Prabhupada.
Said, better you join Krishna's army.
You better join Krishna's army.
I joined Krishna's army.
So I joined Krishna's army.
I've been in Krishna's army ever since.
And I've been in Krishna's army ever since.
My mother came up.
My mother came up and she told me. And she told me, I don't Need a Christian priest.
Why don't you be a Christian priest?
I said, well.
I said, well, Lord Jesus said we should love God.
Lord Jesus said we should love God.
And now I have a guru who taught me bhakti, teaches me Bhakti Yoga.
And now I have a guru who teaches me Bhakti Yoga.
Which is the systematic method of how to love God.
Which is the systematic method how to love God.
Then she said, well, why don't you do this when you're old?
Then she said, why don't you do this when you're old?
Then even why now?
Why now? Why now? You do it when you're old.
I asked her, how long will I live for?
I asked her, how long will I live for?
And she started crying.
Then she started crying.
No mother or father knows how long their children live for.
No mother or father would know how long their child would live for.
How did you say then how can you say I'm older?
Do that when I get older.
What's the guarantee I'll live that long?
What's the guarantee that I will live that long?
Later she started chanting four rounds.
Then later she started chanting four rounds.
She came to the temple.
She came to the temple. She did different services.
My father.
My father.
After eight years he told me.
After eight years he told me, father to father. Father to father, son is a son.
Father to father, son is a son.
I forgive you.
I forgive you.
Please come back.
Please come back.
So I visited him.
So I visited him.
But I stayed in Ka Consciousness.
But I stayed in Ka Consciousness.
I don't think it's so difficult for all of you.
I. I don't think it is so difficult for all of you.
I don't think your parents will renounce you.
I don't think your parents will renounce you.
You make some arrangement to satisfy their interest.
Satisfy their interest and be Krishna conscious. Hare Krishna.
