Devotee:
Guru-deva, my respects to you.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Blessings to you.
Devotee:
Regarding your YouTube channel, Gupta Sadhak Shyamakapa, we watch it every Sunday and look forward to it in the future as well. This coming Sunday, you will be hosting a YouTube Live session.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes. If my health permits, I will be on YouTube every Sunday from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. If anyone has questions, I will try to answer them. My health isn't always good, but I plan to be live every Sunday.
Devotee:
Guru-deva, I would like to hear your thoughts on self-esteem or self-respect (Atma-maryada).
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Self-esteem literally means giving respect to the soul. Everyone should possess this sense. Those who have a soul must respect it—essentially, one must respect oneself. However, looking at the current state of affairs, it seems people have lost this sense of self-respect. They have lost faith in themselves and are unable to value their own existence.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Consequently, they cannot respect their parents either. If you cannot respect your own soul, you cannot respect your parents, your teachers, the wise, or the saints. People today speak recklessly and disrespectfully without understanding anything. Some are somewhat educated, but…
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
There are some young people who jump around like small fish in shallow water, but if you put them in deep water, they are helpless. If they lack self-esteem, they will be deprived of the blessings of their parents, their teachers, the wise, and the saints. Ultimately, even Nature will deprive them.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
What will be the result? It leads to either suicide or drug addiction. These tendencies are increasing rapidly. Just a day or two ago, a boy came to me from a rehabilitation home. The marks on his legs where he had been beaten… it broke my heart. He said they don't give him enough food, or they snatch it away, and then they beat him.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
He had some mental health issues and was sent to that home. It pained me to see his condition. Many parents are sending their children to such homes nowadays. One reason for this is the parents themselves. They should have taught the child self-esteem from a young age—how to speak and how to behave with others.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
But parents don't teach these values because they don't have the time. Often, both parents are busy working to earn more money. But what is the point of earning if your child ends up in a home or starts physically abusing you? I hear such stories every day. Today, two people came whose son is torturing them. He is young and studying engineering, but his behavior has driven his parents to the brink of madness.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yesterday, someone from Dum Dum came with a similar story. I am shocked because society wasn't like this before. We have seen and raised children too, and we always prioritized teaching them self-esteem. Besides the lack of parenting, look at mobile phones, Facebook, and constant chatting—people are sinking because of these distractions.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
And then there is the current social system. As soon as boys grow up a little, they stop thinking and join political parties. For every action, they claim, "I belong to a party." But these parties won't last forever. They do it for a little money, but it is a path to ruin.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Those at the top of these political parties don't see how many young men are being destroyed or are committing suicide. I hold these political parties responsible too. They lead the youth astray and then don't look back. So many lives are lost, and so many boys are ruined. I have seen this with my own eyes.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Educated boys join parties because they have no other options. And then the behavior they exhibit in the name of their party—be it CPM, TMC, or BJP… let me tell you about a recent incident. A boy plays a loud microphone at home day and night. He is with the BJP/RSS. He claims he is chanting God's name, so why should he stop?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
He lacks the common sense to realize that the neighbor's children need to study. Morning and evening are times for study, not for loud music. If you want to listen, do it quietly for yourself. But even that basic sense is gone. Our youth have lost their self-esteem. They don't respect their own souls, so how can they respect anyone else?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
A day will come when their parents and teachers will disown them. Wise people will despise them. There is a saying: "The one who slaps is the one who is truly insulted, not the one who receives the slap." But now, people are constantly threatening others, saying, "I'll show you" or "I'll do this." It's exhausting to hear.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
There is still a little time left to change things. A couple of generations are already lost, but we must look after the current generation of young children.
Devotee:
Guru-deva, parents often give mobile phones to children just to keep them quiet. What is your opinion on this?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
A couple came to see me recently; both are employed. They said their 5-year-old son has become very difficult. I cannot perform any spiritual rituals or Tantra on a 5-year-old; it's forbidden. I asked what happened. They said he won't eat without a mobile phone. They used to leave him with a servant while they worked, and now the child is addicted to the device.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
He won't eat, sleep, or even sit still without it. He is totally addicted.
Devotee:
You mentioned servants, but even many parents hand the phone to their kids themselves.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, parents give them. Who else would?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
It is damaging their brains and eyes. Now, there is online education—which is another problem. Staring at a computer or laptop for hours… what will that do to their eyes? The people in charge of education policy should understand this. It dries up the brain.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
They think they are making the children highly educated, but this isn't real education. Online schooling is ruining their eyesight. Even toddlers are wearing thick glasses. What will their future be? It is truly painful. People have stopped respecting others because they have no self-respect. Parents and society are failing to teach these values.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Self-esteem is the first thing parents should teach. On YouTube, we see many comments that clearly come from uneducated minds. Even if you disagree, you can write politely, but people have lost that sense of proportion. Society will soon start to despise them.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Thousands of people watch my episodes. What will they think of these young men? Without self-esteem, one ruins oneself and becomes disconnected from society and nature. Eventually, only suicide or drug addiction remains. It is becoming harder to control. What is the point of a society like this? It feels more like a society of animals.
Devotee:
Guru-deva, some people change as they grow up, even after a good upbringing.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Society is responsible for that. In college, they feel pressured to drink or smoke. Nowadays, a decent person can't even enter certain colleges. Jadavpur University and many others are facing these issues now.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes have become a "trend." They even do it in front of their teachers. This is the loss of self-esteem I am talking about. They end up with cancer or other terrible diseases. I see parents coming to me in total distress. Just today, eight divorce cases came to me.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Either the husband left or he is involved with another woman. Even highly educated women are coming to me. I ask them, "What can I do if your husband is with someone else?" They think I can fix it through spiritual means. It is very sad.
Devotee:
Guru-deva, thank you for this insightful discussion on self-esteem. My respects to you.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Blessings to you.