November – 2008

Which else shall beautify a home but the flame of a lovely lamp? Which else shall adore the mind but the light of wisdom deep.
– Chinmaya

Love is the very foundation for a home. And this love is compared to a lamp in a house. No one likes to stay in a house without light. How miserable and sometimes fearful we feel when the power goes off in the night unexpectedly! All comforts and beauties become redundant in a house without lighting.

Same is the case with love also among the members of the family. A home becomes heaven upon the earth when the family members love and respect each other, serve and sacrifice for each other. This is the way of life taught by our scriptures– to consider one’s parents, teachers and elders as God, and hence to bow down to them in reverence, and to obey and serve them in all humility. The husband and wife are asked to serve each other with the attitude of serving God, ever ready to sacrifice their comforts for each other. It is said that God ever resides in such a home with an ambience of love, service and co-operation.

In Ramayana, it was seen that when this lamp of love was put off, the darkness of selfishness and hatred took its place, and overnight the whole kingdom of Ayodhya plunged into gloom. Indeed, love is the greatest force on earth.

Two brothers, farmers by profession, stayed in a village. They earned their livelihood by cultivating the inherited land. Whatever produce they obtained, they used to divide equally among themselves. The elder one was unmarried, while the younger one was married and had two children. Years passed. One day the elder brother thought, “Being unmarried I have no responsibilities. My younger brother has to feed three extra mouths. Therefore it is my responsibility to help him.”

That night, loading the cart with sacks of grains he set out to his younger brother’s house, all in secret.

Almost at the same time, the younger brother’s thought ran thus, “I have my children to take care of me in my old age. But my elder brother is alone. So it is my responsibility to take care of him.” Thus loading his cart with grain-sacks, he also started to his elder brother’s house in secret. Both of them met each other on the way. When they came to know that each of them thought alike, their joy knew no bounds! They hugged each other with eyes filled with tears of love.

If love is that which makes a home alive, it is the wisdom that gives depth to that love. A man of wisdom sees the one Self in all. Therefore love, compassion, forgiveness etc. is natural to him.

 A holy man was walking along the road. A gang of robbers came and attacked him. He fell unconscious. After some time, a rich man with his car passed by that road. He stopped the car, took the holy man to his house and treated him well. When the saint regained his consciousness, the rich man asked giving him a cup of milk, “Swamiji, may I know who did this heinous act?”

The holy man replied, “The One who beat me is now giving milk to me.”Seeing the rich man confused he clarified, “It is God alone who does everything. Through the robbers, He gave me beatings, and now through you, He is taking care of me! Hence praise be unto His name!”

Such a divine mind, ornamented with true wisdom, expresses its beauty by loving all unconditionally and thus by bringing in the flame of love not only to one’s own home but also to the world at large.

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

Posted in: Chintana

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