Formation of a Family

The second step of Gyan Yagya is -formation of the family. By and large every man creates a family. Those who do not marry, they live with their parents, brothers, sisters etc. This also is their family.

A unit consisting of wife and children is not the only family. Those who have renounced the world and become saints, they also form their groups, sects, ashrams (hermitages) etc. A tradition of Guru-Shishya parampara (the Guru handing down the chief position to one of his disciples in succession) starts and a family of followers is created. If an industry is created and run with high ideals, the workers and associates become family-members. The relationship between students and teachers is in reality a family -relationship. If one develops a little more generous outlook, then this periphery crossing the bounds of country, religion etc - encompasses the whole world. A t that time the idea of "vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (i.e. this whole world is a family) does not remain merely an imagination, but becomes a practical reality. It is a different question as to who earns how much, who is called great and whose personality is great. It is very easy to become great - but very difficult to become an excellent gentleman. Not status but greatness is required to live peacefully and to keep one's associated happy and satisfied. Maintaining greatness is the biggest achievement of human life. The worthiness of any family is in proportion to its progress in the above direction.

If undesirableness and perversities exist in the family's atmosphere, the only reason for them is the absence of an atmosphere which creates goodwill and promotes good actions. Only on creation of such favorable atmosphere will the puzzles get solved. This only is the spiritual reason for clashes within the family. Seen at a physical level other reasons can also exist for malice and quarrels and they can be tackled also, but even then when the intelligence itself has been corrupted, some reason or the other for malice and clashes will crop up and create the stench of rot. Living in such a family the individual can neither remain happy and prosperous nor can he develop the proper qualities and nature for practicing good deeds for significant progress in life. Unfortunate are those who think of money as everything and die for it. People with discretion know that there is no better joy giving material in this world than goodwill with a clean heart. Therefore they pay attention to its nurture and maintenance, even though they may have to remain financially poor.

To create a clean atmosphere and make family-members cultured is only one facet of creating a good family. The second facet of creating a good family is even more important, and that is - controlling or disciplining personal habits, beliefs and activities. This action is possible only in the laboratory that is called a family. The excellence of one's qualities, deeds and nature can be cultivated only by contacts with others. Only mental satisfaction is achieved through lonely reflection, study and lectures, but good actions become ripe only through practice. For this purpose there can be no better medium than the family. Since, we have to live with some people, to change their nature, in reality means changing one's own nature. The requirement of increase in goodness and goodwill in the family must be fulfilled. The mental horizons of the family members must be widened so that they do not become the proverbial frogs in the well i.e. narrow minded. A man many a time suffers damage and stumbles in life because of indifference or ignorance about life's and society's problems. There should be an atmosphere of belief in God and respect for God. Each member must have the habit of remembering God and bowing down to Him. It may take a minute or two, but those two minutes should be utilized.

We must understand that the family is a complete society, a complete nation. Even though its size is small, but all the problems which are faced by a society and a nation, also exist for the family. For a comprehensive development of our personality and for purifying our qualities, nature and deeds, the effort for creating an ideal family should be considered an important experiment in our life. It is a kind of service to the country, society and the whole world in a mini-form. The salvation of self and family-members lies in this only. Needless to say that to achieve success in this experiment, first we have to reform ourselves. This desired second step of forming a decent, integrated family will prove a very important link towards the formation of a new era.