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Peaceful Domestic Happiness

 

 

  • Normally, this phrase is meant to describe a stagnant life of indolent comfort.
  • The landed gentry was often endowed with great wealth in the subsequent generations which enabled them to enjoy without any exertion. As this was accompanied by great prestige and  status, it was looked upon as the one desirable thing.
  • The facts are twofold. It is true that inheritance conferred on the heir a great boon. Those who maintained and enjoyed it had great character

What was invisible was the intense psychological effort the heir had to make in order to own the inheritance.

  • The more attractive part of this brood consists of those who had a lot of money to throw about and who destroyed themselves in dissipation.
  • At all levels of life, a minor version of the above is found.
  • The question that is of interest is what the character of life that enables enjoyment is, and whether it can be preserved.
  • The basic characteristics of a secure inheritance that lasts long are:

- To know all the potential of such an inheritance.

- To know how they were acquired and honour those traits.

- To decide not to cross its boundaries except for expansion.

  • In the experience of one who has inherited a substantial property, all the knowledge necessary to preserve it, is there. Honour it.
  • What applies to property in essence will apply to the family.
  • Those who honour it will preserve it and pass it on to posterity.
  • Here one can see the essence of English conservatism.
  • Safe properties, peaceful family and a growing reputation are thus ensured.
  • As times change, this stability is challenged and attacked.
  • If there is an everlasting essence that can survive the change of times and revolutions, it should be of interest to us.
  • The essence of property is in character; the essence of character is in values; the essence of social values lies in spiritual values; they all sum up as equality and patience.
  • One who wants to practice them or test them can see that each time he loses patience, he tries to preserve the old form of values in new situations.
  • Patience is difficult to learn and when acquired it will refuse to mature into equality of inner status.
  • He should see the values, capacities and characteristics that went into the creation of that property and learn to see their versions in the changing new situations.
  • Dogmatism, orthodoxy, inexperience, ego, stubbornness and such characteristics will stand in the way.
  • It is easy to see that all of them abridge themselves into Patience.
  • Of course, patience has dozens of versions according to the context, but centrally it will be patience, difficult to acquire.
  • It demands a knowledge of the present, the other man's point of view, remembering the experience of the past, projecting the thinking into the future, insight into character, penetration into personalities and above all, a pliable intelligence.
  • When it is acquired, one can see it is on the surface of the inner personality.
  • A repetition of the same experience at a deeper level is well nigh impossible, but is the necessary next step.
  • That, when it succeeds, yields equality.
  • Though this sounds highly philosophical, we can see ordinary people possessing different versions of it as a behaviour for survival or efficiency.
  • What dozens of ordinary men possess partly, I ask one to acquire, not as parts, but as a whole.
  • This is an exercise or experiment open to all in daily life but when achieved, it will be a rare possession that deserves a rare rise in life.
  • Mother makes the long story short.
  • Surrender makes it instantaneous.
  • Surrender to Mother is the Summit of Life.



story | by Dr. Radut