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THE FAMILY AND THE NATION
forms of worship from poetic tales. At length religious authorities pronounced that God had ordered such things. Thus men forgot that all deities reside in the human heart.
The monistic theory of the Universe is that One is All, and All is One. Hinduism believes that one substance manifests itself as the seeming many elements of the material world. It also believes in a causal relationship between thought and circumstances.
The concept of Karma implies a cause and effect. Each of us is different and hence, lives differently. But we ourselves reap the results of our conduct. Good conduct breeds good results. The concept of Dharma means purpose in life. Each of us has a purpose in life. It calls for self-discovery to unravel the inner layers of our minds. The most important book of Buddhist literature, Dhammapada, says that our lives are shaped by our minds; we become what we think. Mind precedes all mental states; Mind is their Lord; they are all mind-made. If one speaks or acts with a harmful mind, trouble follows as the wheel follows the ox that draws the cart... If one speaks or acts with a harmonious mind, happiness follows like a shadow, never leaving.2
BODY AND MIND The partnership of growth and development continues from the first days of life till the end. Body and mind cooperate as indivisible parts of one whole. The mind is like a motor, mobilizing all the potentialities it can discover in the body, thus helping it survive all difficulties. Our work is inspired by our minds. The development of our bodies is directed and aided by our minds. The mind is always engaged in governing the environment in such a way that the body can be protected from sickness, disease and death.
This is the purpose served by our ability to feel pleasure and pain, and to identify ourselves with good and bad
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