CELEBRATING THE FAMILY SPIRIT

"May we always be burdened with thinking of the suffering of others, for that is what it means to be human." - Kamand Kojouri

The ethos of this great land of India and it's Vedic culture is captured perfectly by the Upanishadic statement - "vasudhaiva kutumbakam". It means - this entire world is one family - the family of God.

Lord Krishna mentions in the Bhagavad-Gita 14.4

sarva-yonisu kaunteya
murtayah sambhavanti yah
tasam brahma mahad yonir
aham bija-pradah pita

"It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father."

He doesn't say that He is only the father of humans. He says that, He is the father of all living entities - the animals, the birds, the trees and even the insignificant insects. If He is the father of all then we are all brothers and sisters. How will God, the Supreme Father feel when we hurt His children. One's love for the father is shown by how one treats one's siblings, especially the one's who are weaker and dependent on the elders. It is the duty of the elder siblings to protect and care for the younger ones. As humans, we are the elder siblings of God and it is our duty to protect the animals and the other creatures as our younger ones. This is called, the family spirit.

EVER EXPANDING FAMILY
The Supreme Lord appeared as Buddha when He saw unnecessary violence inflicted upon the innocent animals in the name of yagna and other rituals. His only purpose in descending to this world was to stop this killing. His heart pained seeing the suffering of these creatures. If we want to please God then we need to embrace His spirit of compassion in us and become His worthy children. Two of the ten commandments of the Bible are - "thou shall not kill" and "thou shall treat thy neighbor as thyself". Who is our neighbor? Everyone who is around us - every human, every animal, every tree is our neighbor. This entire world is our neighbor. Therefore, we should learn to treat others like we would want to be treated ourselves. This is the responsibility of every human being.

When a child is an infant baby, for him, family means the father and the mother. After he grows up a little more, he includes his brothers and sisters in "his family"". Then, after a while, his conception of family grows to include his uncles, aunts, cousins and other relatives. As he grows a little older, "his family" includes his friends. That means, the sign of maturity is proportional to one's capacity to include more and more people within the circle of "his family". Moving from considering one's village, one's state, one's nation as one's family is to include the entire world with all the various life forms as part of "our family". This is the symptom of an evolved human consciousness. This broad heartedness deeply touches the heart of God. How can there be any fight or any conflict if everyone works on embracing this consciousness! This consciousness is God consciousness or Krishna consciousness - seeing all as one's brothers and sisters with God as our common father.

SONGS OF LOVE
Life becomes very exciting, enriching and fulfilling when we see the whole world as one family. Here are few songs by few great souls who walked the surface of this planet and developed this family spirit.

Sant Tukaram Maharaj from the great land of Maharashtra sings a beautiful song with this mood of seeing everyone as one's family. This song has the capacity to melt one's heart.

"Wrukswali Amha Soyari Wanchare
Pakshi Susware Aalwiti

Yene Sukhe Ruche Ikantacha Was
Nahi Gundosh Anga Yet

Akash Mandap Pruthvi Aasan
Rame Tethe Man Krida Kari

Katha Kamandalu Parwadi Vistar
Karoni Prakar Sevu Ruchi

Tuka Mahne Hoy Manasi Sanwad
Apulachi Wad Apanasi"

"The inhabitants of the forest like the trees, creepers, animals and birds who call the Lord with their melodious voice, are are my relatives.

With their association I am very blissful here beyond the contamination of this world.

Earth is my bed and sky is my canopy. My mind is relishing and frolicking amidst this beauty of nature.

The bare minimum need that is a simple cloth to cover body and water pot (kamandalu) also feels burdensome. For those who are staying here the Harikatha is the feast with different varieties to taste.

Tukaram Maharaj says, in this seclusion I talk to myself. This is the state of my self talk."

The following is a song written by St Francis of Assisi, a great Christian saint of medieval times. Here, he takes the concept of brotherhood one step ahead by embracing the elements of nature into his family -

"Brother Sun and Sister Moon
I seldom see you seldom hear your tune
Preoccupied with selfish misery.

Brother Wind and Sister Air
Open my eyes to visions pure and fair
That I may see the glory around me.

I am God's creature, of Him I am part
I feel His love awakening in my heart.

Brother Sun and Sister Moon
I now do see you, I can hear your tune
So much in love with all that I survey."

These saints seems to be so much in love and gratitude for the creation of God. They have mastered the art relishing and enjoying in simple things.

"ME" POWER TO "WE" POWER
There is the famous story of Narada muni preaching to a very cruel hunter named Mrghari. Mrghari was such a cruel hunter that he would half kill animals and enjoy watching them slowly die. But with the preaching of Narada muni, his heart transformed and he became so compassionate that the next time Narada muni came to visit him, he was about to offer prostrated obeisances to him but on seeing some ants pass by, he stopped brushed the ants aside with his cloth and then offered obeisances. From thinking of himself and his family, he became broad-minded and embraced every living entity as his family. This family spirit is a result of awakening of God consciousness within one's heart.

Lord Chaitanya while on His travels through Jarkhand forest, made tigers and deer dance and embrace each other while they chanted the Holynames of God. Animals, which for generations and genetically are enemies became a loving family in the presence of Their Father. This is the power of bringing the Lord in our lives - it awakens our dormant love for each other beyond the mental distinctions of friend and enemy. The advancement of human consciousness is moving from ME consciousness to WE consciousness.

As there is no meaning of a family without the spirit of a family, similarly there is no meaning of this world without this universal family spirit.

- Achyut Gopal Das