First and foremost, you should show gratitude to your parents, love and respect them. Your blood, food, head, and money - all these are the gifts of your parents. You do not receive these gifts directly from God. All that is related to God is only indirect experience. It is only the parents whom you can see directly and experience their love. Children can understand the meanings of the words ‘fox’ or ‘dog’ only when they see their pictures. Similarly, it is only after seeing the parents that one can understand the existence of God. Only when you love and respect your parents you can understand the love of the Jagatmata and Jagatpita (Divine Parents). This is what I tell you often: if you understand the ‘I’ principle in you, you will understand the ‘I’ in everybody. Vyashti (individual) has emerged from samashti (society), samashti from srushti (creation), and srushti from Parameshti (Creator). Only when you understand the principle of creation, can you understand the Creator.

- Divine Discourse, May 6, 1999.