Amrit Vani
Family is the Prime Training School of Spirituality - II
(Translation of a discourse - continued from the previous issue)
G
urudev Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya’s approach to spirituality was scientific, rationally convincing, and practical. He elucidated that spirituality is a science of holistic wellbeing and virtuous progress. Many people think one has to renounce family-life and all relations for spiritual growth. But this is only an illusory impression. Reality is quite the contrary. In this context, we are presenting the English version of Gurudev’s discourse (originally in Hindi) in a series of articles. As discussed in the first part (published in the previous issue of this magazine), he had lucidly explained the broad meaning and integral role of the family in making us humane in the true sense. In the present part of the discourse, he has reminded us of the importance of family life in the cultivation of the values and traits essential for spiritual development. Sisters and Brothers, If you pay little attention, you will find that there is a lot which the family-life naturally teaches you. First of all, it makes you a human being and nurtures the values and dignity of humanity and morality in your feelings, thoughts, and conduct. Family Nurtures Selflessness and Sensitivity Family-life sustains and flourishes, to a great extent, on the foundation of selflessness and sensitivity and also nurtures and expands these spiritual qualities. By its very definition, a family is a group of people formed by the bonds of unconditional love and care for each other. You naturally
love your family; you are sensitive to the feelings of loved ones, you care for their happiness and wellbeing, and they reciprocate the same way. Even if someone does anything wrong, the warm care, guidance, and loving support of others in the family are supposed to make him realize and rectify his mistakes/weaknesses. If not, there will be a disturbance in the soothing ambiance of the family. Selfishness and insensitivity cannot survive in family-life. For example, when you are in a normal state, will you ever eat something all alone and let your children, spouse, or any other family member stare at you? Will you let them starve, suffer scarcity and infirmity and use all your earnings only for your own comforts? Well, in terms of law and justice, it may not be considered as a crime if you do so; police may not punish or penalize you. But, what about the norms of humanity? Most likely, such actions/ behavior of yours will be scorned off by other people as inhuman; no one aware of your inhuman conduct in the family would really respect you, or, make friendship with
The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible. - Winston Churchill Akhand Jyoti
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JULY-AUG. 2020
