We can endeavour to restrict the electromagnetic influence on our children and keep the world out of them as much as possible. But we have to be careful that we don’t isolate them so much that when they are old enough to make their own choices, they do so out of reaction. We have to be very wise about how much to allow; what to give and what not to give. ‘How much’ is up to the individual parent.
The important thing is to retain a balanced approach in these matters and not to lose your connection with the inner life. You have to be able to see through the world, or the media, to the truth behind it.
There’s often some point in a TV programme or movie that you can use to help you live the truth. It’s like anything else (including listening to a spiritual master or reading one of his books), you’re watching out for the one truth that you can take away with you today: 'Ah! That’s it. I’m going to live that one.’
For instance I saw a movie called 'Accidental Hero’, starring Dustin Hoffman. The hero is a terrible sleaze-bag and con-man. There’s a plane crash and being first on the scene he even steals from the dead. That’s the sort of man he is. Later on he’s pressed to give his son some fatherly wisdom …
'Son, you remember how I said I was going to explain about life? Well, the thing about life is: it gets weird. People always talking to you about truth like it was toilet paper or something and they got a supply in the closet. But what you learn as you get older is there ain’t no truth. All there is, is bullshit. Layers of it. One layer of bullshit on top of another. And what you do in life, like when you’re older, is you pick the layer of bullshit you prefer and that is your bullshit - so to speak. You get that? No? Well it’s complicated … Maybe when you get to college … ’
That struck me as very good worldly advice from a father to his son. There ain’t no truth in the world. It’s all bullshit. So know what the world is. And then go and make use of it.