Many parents are hard pressed to explain to their youth why some music, movies, books, and magazines are not acceptable material for them to bring into the home or to listen to or see.
One parent came up with an original idea that is hard to refute. The father listened to all the reasons his children gave for wanting to see a particular PG-13 movie. It had their favourite actors. Everyone else was seeing it. Even church members said it was great. It was only rated PG-13 because of the suggestion of sex - they never really showed it. The language was pretty good - the Lord's name was only used in vain three times in the whole movie.
The teens did admit there was a scene where a building and a bunch of people were blown up, but the violence was just the normal stuff. It wasn't too bad. And, even if there were a few minor things, the special effects were fabulous and the plot was action packed.
However, even with all the justifications the teens made for the PG-13 rating, the father still wouldn't give in. He didn't even give his children a satisfactory explanation for saying, "No." He just said, "No!"
A little later on that evening the father asked his teens if they would like some cookies he had baked. He explained that he'd taken the family's favourite recipe and added a little something new. The children asked what it was.
The father calmly replied that he had added dog poop. However, he quickly assured them, it was only a little bit. All other ingredients were gourmet quality and he had taken great care to bake the cookies at the precise temperature for the exact time. He was sure the cookies would be superb.
Even with their father's promise that the cookies were of almost perfect quality, the teens would not take any. The father acted surprised. After all, it was only one small part that was causing them to be so stubborn. He was certain they would hardly notice it. Still the teens held firm and would not try the cookies.
The father then told his children how the movie they wanted to see was just like the cookies. Our minds lead us into believing that just a little bit of evil won't matter. But, the truth is that even a little bit of poop makes the difference between a great treat and something disgusting and totally unacceptable.
The father went on to explain that even though the movie industry would have us believe that most of today's movies are acceptable fare for adults and youth, they are not.
Now, when this father's children want to see something that is of questionable material, the father merely asks them if they would like some of his special dog poop cookies. That closes the subject.
This is a good story to tell your children, since it puts sin or Maya into its proper perspective. Srila Prabhupada also cites a similar example of mixing sand within the sweet rice. It may be a small amount of sand, but it has a devastating effect on the sweet rice. Maya and Krishna cannot be practiced side by side.
Hare Krishna!
Dhirasanta dasa
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