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Metaphysics, Ethics and Spiritual Development
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universal love, generally it is said that while putting it into practice or converting it into good activities one should start with one's own family; and this is quite proper and desirable. If one has more energy and strength, one should not stop there only. One's love in the form of positive activities should expand more and more with the increase in one's energy and strength. 'Charity begins at home but it does not end there'. Generally one should not do good to others at the cost of one's family or dependents. One should not neglect one's family, while putting into practice one's love for all beings. One's love should gradually expand, first taking in its fold one's own family, then one's own village, then one's own state, then one's own nation, so on and so forth. But sometimes there may arise exceptional occasions when we are required to work for our country at the cost of even our family. Such exceptional occasions are very rare, and they arise in the lives of uncommon men and women in uncommon circumstances.
Here one thing specially to be borne in mind is that if on account of one's love for one's family, etc., one causes any harm to another family, village, state or nation, or exploits them, then one's pure love ceases to be pure and becomes defiling attachment that one should renounce.
Some remain satisfied with mere-negative aspect of love and neglect its positive aspect. They think that by following the negative aspect alone they can achieve the entire objective of pure love, and consequently they become inactive. But their love of such type is imperfect. Love attains its perfection when its both the aspects-negative and positive--supplement each other. Love in its negative aspect takes the form of refrainment from doing any harm to any being while in its positive aspect takes the form of positive activities of service, help, donation, etc. The negative aspect implies the positive one, and vice versa.
In our life, we depend on various animals. We receive so many benefits from animal kingdom. We are very much indebted to them. So we should be grateful to them and pay off the debt by being kind to them, by protecting, feeding and taking care, and by attending those that are suffering.
There are inwardly enlightened saints who live in solitude, constantly engrossed in the practice of higher spiritual discipline. They send spiritually elevating soul-vibrations and yogic light-waves in all the directions throughout the universe (in an unintelligible and mystic way) and thereby contribute much to the welfare of all beings.
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