Gopesh
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From Back to Godhead
By Sukhada Devi Dasi
When Charles asked his son and daughter-in-law a Hare Krishna couple to move in with him, he knew he’d have to adapt, but his reward was more than he could ever imagine.
Charles was born in 1917. He grew into a man of courage and principles, serving his country in the U.S. Navy for twenty years and then the Civil Service for twenty more. Assigned to a submarine fleet during World War II, he saw his share of pain and suffering and, like many veterans, came to value a safe, secure home for his wife and two young children. Charles was proud of his country and its ideals and strove to instill values in his children that would enable them to grow into responsible, God-fearing citizens.
When his son Charlie, at the age of 24, announced his plan to join the Hare Krishna movement, Charles was shocked. What! Why? Where had Charles gone wrong? Like many parents, Charles was horrified that his son was choosing a path radically different from what he had envisioned for him. It seemed the foolish choice of a young man who couldn’t know the world as Charles did. He did his best to talk his son out of it, but it was no use. Ultimately, he could only accept Charlie’s decision and hope that someday Charlie would change his mind.
Little did Charles realize what a praiseworthy path his son had chosen. Giving up the usual pursuit of wealth and social status, Charlie instead chose to develop love for God, Sri Krishna. Charles had no way of knowing that he himself would someday reap great benefits from his son’s actions. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Lord Krishna assures a boy that because of his saintly behavior, his “entire dynasty has been purified.” Although to Charles his son’s decision seemed a rejection of his family values, Charlie would bring his family a spiritual opulence more transforming than any material success.
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#Family #Fortune
