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How to grown up a noble child?

The sixteen saṃskāras are prescribed for the conscious conception and cultivation of a noble human being. Passion must be directed toward this conscious creation. Parents prepare through bodily purification and await an auspicious constellation for conception, the first saṃskāra, Garbhādhāna. Subsequent rites protect and nurture the pregnancy, welcome the child into the human race, and guide its development through naming, first outings, and first foods. Later saṃskāras mark education, marriage, retirement, monastic life, and the final funeral rite. These ceremonies structure a complete life toward liberation.

"Karma is passion. For humans, it is said that your passion should be utilized for giving birth to a noble human creature."

"Dharma rakṣita rakṣitāḥ: first, live life according to dharma; protect and save your own dharma and other people's dharma."

Filming location: Vép, Hungary

The word 'kāma' has many meanings. It is karma, action. Karma is passion. For humans, it is said that your passion should be utilized for giving birth to a noble human creature. This must be done very consciously, with awareness and spiritual consciousness. Therefore, the ṛṣis prescribed sixteen saṃskāras for the soul that will descend into a human body—a soul that will be liberated and become a liberator, incarnated as a savior. This is thanks to those parents and their wishes, who resolve to prepare for such a soul. These are called the sixteen saṃskāras. I will not explain them in detail due to time, but I thought you should know them. I will only tell you the names and their literal meanings, for having the best child, a noble human creature. This is the first saṃskāra. The parents, the husband and wife, make preparations for their new generation. This involves purification of the body from all kinds of intoxications: alcohol, nicotine, narcotics, toxic food, meat, eggs, spoiled food. They perform prāṇāyāma, fasting, and eat healthy, fresh food four times a year. In that time, all food was organic, so there was no question of organic or non-organic. Then they search for the best astrological constellation. This may take a few years, but they wait. When that constellation arrives, it indicates the husband and wife should live happily together but follow brahmacarya. It is a hard time. Then, on that particular constellation, they should prepare for conceiving the best child. That is the first saṃskāra. Otherwise, you cannot have that divine child; it will not come to you. You are asking the cosmic Self to descend into this mortal world. A special energy, a special soul is coming to that mother. Can you imagine those blessed parents of Jesus, in whose lap Jesus played as a baby? Or the blessed parents of Mahāprabhujī, Devapurījī, Holī Gurujī, Krishna, or Rāma? Can you imagine that a great divine soul will incarnate and be in your lap as a small baby? Yes, it could be. But dharma rakṣita rakṣitāḥ: first, live life according to dharma; protect and save your own dharma and other people's dharma. Otherwise, most people are born out of alcohol bottles. They said the best day to conceive a child is the best day after menstruation, which is after 16 days. This saṃskāra is called Garbhādhāna. It means achieving, receiving as an embryo, becoming pregnant. The second is called Puṇyasaṁskāra. This is the saṃskāra performed when you know she is pregnant. The ceremony takes place in the third month. There are mantras, chantings, and everything. Now she is not seen as a wife, but as a mother, a divine Śakti. She is respected, helped, served, taken care of, and protected. Now, svadharma and paradharma: svadharma is his dharma, and paradharma is her dharma, strī dharma, the woman’s dharma. His dharma is to protect his dharma and her dharma. There is a ceremony and mantras for the protection of the embryo, so a healthy and good child will be born. Husband and wife both make a saṅkalpa: they will not do anything—any action, any work, any thoughts, any quarreling—that may cause abortion or affect the psyche of the child. The third saṃskāra is done in the fourth month of pregnancy, for the development of the child's mental abilities and better brain capacities. It is very important that the ladies, our future mothers, our pregnant women, are very happy all the time. Except for working time, the husband should not leave her alone. He should not go gambling, drinking, or go outside. How can you make her happy and relaxed? This is the duty of the husband. The fourth saṃskāra is called Jātakarma. This is performed when the child is born, marking that he has now fully entered the human race. It is said that at the moment of birth, the father should take a golden thread or something nice that doesn't hurt, like a tiny golden spoon. He mixes a little honey and ghee, and with this golden piece (not something hurting), he writes on the tongue of the child. The father also whispers the first mantra into the ear of the child—whether it is a girl or a boy. That mantra is like this. This is the fourth saṃskāra. The fifth saṃskāra is giving the name. After one hundred and one days, or at the beginning of the second year, a name should be given. It should be a beautiful, meaningful, great name—one that is very dear, divine, and has great meaning. Because that name will influence the personality of the child. Our sixth saṃskāra is Niṣkramaṇa. This is done in the fourth month after birth, on the day corresponding to the birthday. It means the child should now be brought into a good and open environment, before it is in danger of any infections or negative influences. This is the first education, giving the child a sightseeing of this world. Now he has side-seeing: these are trees, these are clouds, and so on. It is a beautiful sightseeing of this sṛṣṭi, this creation, to see Kṛṣṇa's creation. The sixth and seventh saṃskāra: Annaprāśana. Annaprāśana is the first time giving anna, meaning some form of solid food—the first kind of grain food like rice, wheat, or barley. It may be just a quarter spoon, or it may just touch the tongue. That is the first time in his life, aside from mother's milk. But what are we doing now? Already, we put the plastic, what you call, a dummy. The mother is already somewhere working, and the child is with babysitters. We already have many side things behind us. This is done between the 6th and 8th month, when the child's digestion is developed enough to digest it. Do not give any kind of child food before. Though they say child food is good food, what good is still there for this child? There is nothing better than the mother's milk. The mother should always get the best food—good, solid, and rich food. Take care of the mother's diet, and automatically the diet of the child is there. The child will get the best milk. The eighth saṃskāra is Cūḍākarma. This is the first haircut. It is done either in the first year or the third year and is also called the Muṇḍan Saṃskāra. It is a big ceremony; you invite all people and give a big feast. You are cutting something from this child for the first time, aside from the navel cord. The ninth saṃskāra is called Karṇavedha, the piercing of the ears. It doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl. You see, I have also sealed the holes so you can see through. This will protect you from many kinds of allergies and illnesses. It is scientific; you should ask those who know about acupuncture. This is done around the fifth year of age, not before. The tenth saṃskāra is called Upanayana. This is done in the seventh year. Through the satguru, through the sacred ceremony, one receives what you call the sacred thread. The eleventh saṃskāra is on the same day, or one year later: Vedārambha, the beginning of study or school. On the first day of going to school, the Gurukula, the first study should begin with the chanting of the Gāyatrī Mantra. This is the first day the child goes to school in the Gurukula, and the Gāyatrī Mantra is first intoned. Before that, there should be no pendling between house and there, and cinema and nightclub and disco. All that is finished; hurry up. The tenth saṃskāra (Upanayana) is only for the boys, the sacred thread. For the girls, they get some bracelets. The thirteenth saṃskāra is marriage. Search and find a good partner, comparing astrology and constellations—not only whether they are beautiful or not, but all guṇas, all habits, everything. You will only be happy in your life if you find such a partner. There is such a partner waiting for you, but you cannot wait. You are too much in temptation; you are a slave of the senses, a slave of your feelings. You are attracted by your senses, not by your ātmā. So, the saṃskāra that will come to you is for you. If it is not meant for you, then it doesn't matter how many times you fall in love or marry. You will still suffer and be alone. The fourteenth saṃskāra is called Vanaprastha, retirement. After fifty years, when you have children and have educated them, you give everything to your children. You prepare yourself, turning from pravṛtti to nivṛtti, and meditate and pray. The fifteenth saṃskāra is called Sannyāsa. Then you become a sannyāsī after the age of 60, 65, 75, or 85. Sannyāsa is complete; you stay above all attachments. Jitendriya: you become victorious, mastering all your senses. Now desires cannot trouble you. No attachment, no sorrows, no anger, no jealousy, no hate. Then your sannyāsa life will be successful; otherwise, it will be even worse. The last and final sixteenth saṃskāra is called Antyeṣṭi. Antyeṣṭi means the funeral ceremony. Now, for some things, we are too late. Our parents did not know. I know, but still, we have at least two or three steps. Many still have the study, Brahmacarya, Gṛhastha, and definitely one is left, that is for sure. So, what the ṛṣis, what the greats here have written, it is science.

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:

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