இலண்டன் சைவ மாநாடு (சிறப்புமலர்)
7வது சைவ மாநாடு இலண்டன் 2004
Understanding Our Children To Give Them
Faith in the 21st Century
Dr. V. Balasegaram MBBS. MRCPsych, Dip.FT
Today our society has changed a lot
compared to the years of Appar and
Sampanthar. In those years the family,
village and national unity were considered
to be very important. The teaching was to
help thy neighbour. Education, which
included fine arts, was taught at the Temples
and Gurukulam By Eminent teachers who
also taught religion. The family, society
and its culture has completely changed
or evolved to the present day way of
functioning. In those days it was the
common good of the neighbours and the
nation, today it is the materialism and
individualism, which permeates in the
society. Given this materialism and
individualization, everything good about
the nation and society has disappeared.
What is left is greed and competition. This
obviously leads to disruption of family
units, losss of discipline and love leading
the family and nation into a chaotic lifestyle.
1 Thus today's children are born into a
family and society, which is materialistic
and individualistic. The need of materialism
is for both parents to work to meet their
individual aspirations. During the early
stage of their development, children are
totally dependent on their parents. They
require their love, discipline and guidance,
which they implicitly follow. This is the
same in the early years of Appar and others.
Children at this stage idolize their parents
believing in everything they do feeling safe,
secure and loved. As they move on to
school, their dependence on their parents is
less though still it is very influential and
now they have their peers and teachers who
also help them in forming their ideas, beliefs
and discipline.
When children reach their teenage years,
they begin to ask questions to find out
and learn about life and the wisdom of it.
They no longer totally believe their parents
especially if the parents are influenced by
materialism and individualism; as a result
they are unable to function for the common
good of society. Children find their parents
confusing because of their way of life and
the way they are told to believe in religion,
morality and other issues concerned with
discipline. Obviously the parent's way of
life is very important thus the
nts need
to set an example to their children in helping
and guiding the questioning child. If there
are no satisfactory answers children are
going to act out and guide them along with
love and discipline rather than "shutting
them up". Materialism and individualism
leads onto to the loss of support from the
wider world leaving them with depression
and loneliness. Thus the way in helping
others and society at large will help the
children to have faith in themselves and
faith in force within.
What is this force? Saiva Siddhanta
philosophy explains it very well. It is
certainly not religious festivals and rituals,
which we perform. For us to place this
force, what we call God. Saiva Siddhanta
philosophy teaches us Soul (Pasu), God
(Pathi) and bondage (Pasam) needs to be
understood to lead a good life. In this
philosophy the soul is reaching out to God,
67
7
வது
சைவ
மாநாடு
இலண்டன்
2004
Understanding
Our
Children
To
Give
Them
Faith
in
the
21st
Century
Dr.
V.
Balasegaram
MBBS
.
MRCPsych
Dip.FT
Today
our
society
has
changed
a
lot
compared
to
the
years
of
Appar
and
Sampanthar
.
In
those
years
the
family
village
and
national
unity
were
considered
to
be
very
important
.
The
teaching
was
to
help
thy
neighbour
.
Education
which
included
fine
arts
was
taught
at
the
Temples
and
Gurukulam
By
Eminent
teachers
who
also
taught
religion
.
The
family
society
and
its
culture
has
completely
changed
or
evolved
to
the
present
day
way
of
functioning
.
In
those
days
it
was
the
common
good
of
the
neighbours
and
the
nation
today
it
is
the
materialism
and
individualism
which
permeates
in
the
society
.
Given
this
materialism
and
individualization
everything
good
about
the
nation
and
society
has
disappeared
.
What
is
left
is
greed
and
competition
.
This
obviously
leads
to
disruption
of
family
units
losss
of
discipline
and
love
leading
the
family
and
nation
into
a
chaotic
lifestyle
.
1
Thus
today's
children
are
born
into
a
family
and
society
which
is
materialistic
and
individualistic
.
The
need
of
materialism
is
for
both
parents
to
work
to
meet
their
individual
aspirations
.
During
the
early
stage
of
their
development
children
are
totally
dependent
on
their
parents
.
They
require
their
love
discipline
and
guidance
which
they
implicitly
follow
.
This
is
the
same
in
the
early
years
of
Appar
and
others
.
Children
at
this
stage
idolize
their
parents
believing
in
everything
they
do
feeling
safe
secure
and
loved
.
As
they
move
on
to
school
their
dependence
on
their
parents
is
less
though
still
it
is
very
influential
and
now
they
have
their
peers
and
teachers
who
also
help
them
in
forming
their
ideas
beliefs
and
discipline
.
When
children
reach
their
teenage
years
they
begin
to
ask
questions
to
find
out
and
learn
about
life
and
the
wisdom
of
it
.
They
no
longer
totally
believe
their
parents
especially
if
the
parents
are
influenced
by
materialism
and
individualism
;
as
a
result
they
are
unable
to
function
for
the
common
good
of
society
.
Children
find
their
parents
confusing
because
of
their
way
of
life
and
the
way
they
are
told
to
believe
in
religion
morality
and
other
issues
concerned
with
discipline
.
Obviously
the
parent's
way
of
life
is
very
important
thus
the
nts
need
to
set
an
example
to
their
children
in
helping
and
guiding
the
questioning
child
.
If
there
are
no
satisfactory
answers
children
are
going
to
act
out
and
guide
them
along
with
love
and
discipline
rather
than
shutting
them
up
.
Materialism
and
individualism
leads
onto
to
the
loss
of
support
from
the
wider
world
leaving
them
with
depression
and
loneliness
.
Thus
the
way
in
helping
others
and
society
at
large
will
help
the
children
to
have
faith
in
themselves
and
faith
in
force
within
.
What
is
this
force
?
Saiva
Siddhanta
philosophy
explains
it
very
well
.
It
is
certainly
not
religious
festivals
and
rituals
which
we
perform
.
For
us
to
place
this
force
what
we
call
God
.
Saiva
Siddhanta
philosophy
teaches
us
Soul
(
Pasu
)
God
(
Pathi
)
and
bondage
(
Pasam
)
needs
to
be
understood
to
lead
a
good
life
.
In
this
philosophy
the
soul
is
reaching
out
to
God
67