Book Title: Family and Nation
Author(s): Mahapragna Acharya, A P J Abdulkalam
Publisher: Harper Publications India

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Page 159
________________ THE BIRTH OF A BEAUTIFUL HOME 145 However, due to our massively conditioned childhood realities, we are rarely allowed access to this aspect of our being. Therefore, our soul reacts to externally conditioned realities, creating a thick shell around our innermost being composed of various survival strategies and control dramas. Most of our repressions, fixations, denials, traumas, and neuroses are held within this layer. We could call this the disowned self. A third layer is our social persona. It is the smiling mask behind which lie the deeply repressed aspects of our disowned self. We often become so adept at living from our social persona that few are able to penetrate the masks of success, poise, and self-control to see the pain beneath. Often, the bigger the mask, the deeper is the pain. It is only when we risk taking off the mask and explore the roots of our pain that we move towards experiencing our true self. As we experience our true self, the healing of our disowned self can begin, and the need for our social persona dissolves. We become transparent beings able to access and reflect the light of our souls. In Indian culture, samskaras refer to dysfunctional patterns that trace their origins not only to childhood and birth traumas, but also to generations of family traditions. The law of Karma is related to these samskaras. According to the law of Karma, every moment lived und sciously creates samskaras, or Karmic imprints, where the light from the soul gets dimmed. Some are like lines drawn in water, which are immediately cleared. Others are like lines drawn on sand. They remain for a while until the tide comes in and washes them clean. Yet others are like lines etched in stone. These are the ones that replicate themselves lifetime after lifetime, always attracting similar energy patterns, and creating misery. These samskaras are the dark soot in an otherwise clear lamp that obstructs the light of our inner self from shining through. Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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