(Video Duration: 2 mins. 34 secs.)
A nation's durability depends on the education of young generations upon their being awakened to national spirit and consciousness and spiritually perfected. If nations cannot raise perfect generations to whom they can entrust their future their future is dark indeed. There is no doubt that the main responsibility for raising such generations falls on parents.
Human generations come and go. Those who have attained high levels of spiritual attainment are worthy of being considered human. Those who do not develop their spiritual faculties due to their low level of education scarcely merit being called human. They are nothing more than strange creatures even though they are descended from Adam. And their parents to whom they are a burden are unfortunate to have nurtured them.
When trees are pruned properly they produce fruit and their growth improves. If they are not pruned properly they shrivel and become stunted. Given this should not each human being all of whom possess so many talents and abilities be given at least as much care as a tree?
Those of you who bring children into this world are responsible for raising them to the realms beyond the heavens. Just as you take care of their bodily health so take care of their spiritual life. For God's sake have pity and save the helpless innocents. Do not let their lives go to waste.
If parents encourage their children to develop their abilities and be useful to themselves and the community they have given the nation a strong new pillar. If on the contrary they do not cultivate their children's human feelings they will have released scorpions into the community.
Parents have the right to claim their children as long as they educate and equip them with virtue. They cannot make such a claim however if they neglect them. But what shall we call parents who introduce their children to wickedness and indecency and cause them to break with humanity?
Source: Pearls of Wisdom by Fethullah Gulen
