Marriage and World Peace

World peace is not the impossibility it seems. It is very much doable. I just need to build its foundation, the family unit, properly. That’s all. The mansion of world peace will rise on this foundation by itself.

How so? How does building the foundation of a good family help in building world peace?

[Photograph – author. Image Insert source]

I learn the first step to world peace, “righteousness in heart”, in my family.

My family [Source]

Family is founded on the sanctity of marriage. Most of us lead married lives only. Married life has much power. It also has bountiful responsibilities. It shapes and gives life-helping pathways to human beings.

My family environment can bring out the animal, the human or the divine in me. My conduct, shaped in my family, contributes to peace or violence in the world.

      What is a “family”?

To the new born, it starts with the mother, then expands to include the father and siblings. 

     Where does “the family” end?

With the experience and awareness that the whole world is one family. Vasudevaika kudumbakam.

       What! How is that possible? I’m overwhelmed.

No need to be. Even a marathon is run with one step at a time. One step at a time.

       What is this one step?

The step of dharma. The step of righteous conduct.

      Where do I learn this step?

I don’t learn it. I’m born in it, with it. 

      If I already have it, then what do I do with it?

I must practice it. I must ensure my conduct is righteous.

      Where do I practice it first? 

In my family.

      How so?

First, the family is set up by wife and husband in a righteous way. It functions in a dharmic manner, spreading love and harmony. The wife fulfills her dharma and the husband his. Together they sacrifice and build this fantastic mansion called the family. This mansion really becomes one’s home on earth. 

       Umm, interesting! Then?

Second, they bring forth another human being in a righteous way in to this family

       Why do they do that? There are already too many human beings on this earth and most of them are suffering too much!

That’s exactly why!  To reduce the sufferings in the world, to help and care for the needy, to promote goodness and love, a child is brought into this world.

        A mere child can do that?

Of course! Not any child. But a good child.

        But a new born doesn’t know good or bad!

Exactly! This is where the mother and father teach through their own trials, preach through their practices. So the child can imbibe easily.

       What does the child learn?

When the mother and father conduct themselves with righteousness, then …

       Then, what?

Then, the child grows with righteousness in heart

       If the child has righteousness in heart, then what?

Then, there is beauty in its character!

       So? Then what?

When there is beauty in character, then, guess what?

       What?

There will be harmony at home!

       Harmony? Seems far-fetched. Impossible!

Not really. Very much doable. It is no different from joining a fitness club to work out my muscles so they become stronger and do things that were not initially possible.

       How so? Which fitness club should I join to achieve this?

The 24 Hr Fitness club of course.  We are all members in this automatically.  We call this fitness club “the family”!

       What muscles do I exercise in this club?

The Muscle of Righteousness. The Muscle of Character. The Muscle of Harmony.

       What exercises are prescribed for them and how does the Family unit help ?

The Muscle of Righteousness becomes stronger the more I use it. The more loving and selfless thoughts and actions I practice, the more loving and selfless I become. 

The Muscle of Character becomes stronger the more I use it. The more I do things beneficial to others, the more selective I’m in keeping good company, the healthier my character becomes. 

The Muscle of Harmony becomes stronger the more I use it. The more I understand and harmonize difference of opinions, the stronger the togetherness and harmony.

       The family unit is the gymnasium to develop this togetherness and harmony?

Absolutely!

       The child imbibes this life principle in the family unit?

Absolutely!

       And develops into a good person?

Absolutely!

       Who else benefits?

The mother and father also benefit, of course. 

        Let me get this. A man and a woman  – two absolute strangers – meet, get married, start a family unit and live righteously. The result is not only they become better human beings but they inspire goodness in another human being also. Right? 

Absolutely!

        Why get married to do this? Why not “live together” and achieve the same end result?

No, it is not possible to achieve the same result that way. The sanctity of marriage is like the driving license to drive a car. I can drive without a license but I’ll not have peace of mind. I will incur difficulties. Marriage is the building block of righteousness, moral discipline and duty in the society

       You are long-winded! Let me summarize. The role of the family unit is to promote righteousness in heart which gives beauty of character and results in harmony in home. Correct?

Yes. 

       But there are bound to be ups and downs in family life. There are bound to be differences of opinions and arguments. How can there be harmony? Doesn’t harmony mean absence of differences of opinion?

No. On the contrary. The enchantment of the world lies in its variety. No two people think alike always. The game of life lies in harmonizing these differences. The mantra is “understand and adjust”. The beauty of this harmonizing act and result are to be experienced to be believed. It is really great!

        Ok, ok. We get harmony in the home. Then what?

When there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation.

        That makes sense. If every home is harmonious, then there will be order in the nation. Then, what?

When there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.

       What a powerful truth! Let me get this straight. The world’s peace is built upon order in nations, which is built on individual home’s harmony which shines in the beauty of character arising out of dharmic behavior of individuals in the family. So the peace of the world, the well being of my fellow human beings and myself, is directly dependent on the family that I build?

Absolutely!

       So, a man and a woman joining together in marriage is more than a physical union?

Absolutely!

       It is more than a mental union?

Absolutely!

       It is more than an emotional union?

Absolutely!

        It is a spiritual union of sacrifice, discipline and duty?

Absolutely!

       It is a journey of mutual understanding, adjusting and harmonizing?

Absolutely!

       It is a beautiful process of becoming better human beings?

Absolutely!

       And all this to build the edifice of world peace with the family unit as one indispensable foundation block? 

Absolutely!

        Wow! Married life – what an efficacious tool I have to build world peace!

Married life is

• A beautiful thing
• A treasure to be protected
• A sapling to be nourished
• A machine to be regularly oiled and repaired to be in top-notch shape
• A sacred life of togetherness and harmony
• A powerful journey to live in human values
• A supporter and server of society
• A bed-rock to lay the foundation of good family
• A home where  where goodness in human beings is shaped
• Where one learns to be peaceful and contented
• Where one learns to make the world peaceful
• Where one learns to make peace with the world