The Happy And Harmonius Family

At the heart of peaceful co-existence in today?s fissured world lies the family. It is here that the individual picks up his most fundamental beliefs about himself, and the traits and values that will determine the kind of person he will become. It is here too that he learns to interact with others. In the process he learns that as in the family, so too in the world outside, no two people are the same. Differences are inevitable, and to surmount them tolerance is a must. Not only does this attribute help maintain balance and peace within the family, it makes for a healthier society as well. In The Happy and Harmonious Family, Acharya Mahapragya, the tenth Acharya of the Jain Shwetambar Terapanth sect, discusses these and other aspects of living happily and harmoniously in a family and how these attitudes can be replicated in society. The subject is all the more important as the family is itself facing a crisis as it struggles to survive against a rising tide of individuality and self-centredness, so that although living together, family members tend at times to lead separate and isolated lives as they cope with the onslaught of outside pressures. The Happy and Harmonious Family provides a number of solutions to everyday familial problems, and various practices of contemplative meditation which will enable a reader to overcome negativity within the family.