Sweet and tender-hearted boys and girls! In our culture we have four injunctions: "Matru devo bhava, Pitru devo bhava, Acharya devo bhava, Atithi devo bhava - Regard your mother, father, teacher and guests as God”. Ever since you entered this world, your mother has loved you, has fostered you with her own blood and wishes for your welfare constantly. So first and foremost you must learn to respect her. Your father protects you and thinks constantly of your future, welfare and prosperity. Hence you should show affection and regards to him too. Mother gives you the body, father shows you ways of protecting and fostering it, but the teacher enables the intelligence in you to flourish. Life does not consist merely of eating. Education is that which shows how one should conduct oneself in society. So the teacher who gives you this ability should be honoured. And the society is the place where all of these can be put to use. Therefore, considering guests as representatives of society, we should offer them the due respect and honour.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 22, 1975.