If their parents are not wealthy enough to satisfy their whims, they disparage them as being lazy. They complain about being embarrassed by their parents' thriftiness. Sometimes, they bully their parents or throw tantrums to get their way. These children are accumulating bad kamma without even realizing it. These problems do not occur only in middle class or poor families, but in wealthy families as well.
Luang Phaw once mentioned a millionaire from the South who came to him with a sullen face, saying, "Please help me. My son is terrible. He coerces us to buy him things, and once we do he doesn't even take care of them. If we say no to him, he curses us. I don't know what to do with him anymore."
Luang Phaw advised, "Since your son has never attended the temple, I am unable to advise too much. If I tell him to come listen to a sermon or to meditate and purify his mind so that he can see for himself his parents' worth, he will refuse even if we paid him. If he is capable of cursing his own parents, why would he listen to someone else?”
"Let's handle it this way. Before returning to the South, take your son to the orphanage in Pakret City, Nonthaburi Province. Give whatever reasons you need to convince him to go. Make sure that he gives dana by offering lunch to the orphans. Maybe this merit will allow him to realize his own good fortune. It might even help turn him around."
The Warm Hearted Family 185 The Unconditional Love of Parents