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peaceful and happy, and if there is unanimity in their opinions, they can make progress in their spiritual austerities. They will experience delight in carrying out their spiritual endeavours and austerities. There will not be any tension or obduracy or doubts and suspicions.
AN IDEAL JAIN FAMILY
Once, I happened to come across such a family. There may be other such families but I am going to speak of that family because I know it. That family comprised four members; the husband, the wife, a son and a daughter. After begetting two children, they began practising complete celibacy. The husband was a graduate. That is, he was well-educated. They educated their children who too became graduates. But they did not imbibe any evils of collegiate life; and were not at all polluted by the college-life. Whenever I saw the members of that family, I found them cheerful and happy. No one was either angry or displeased at any time. No quarrels or misunderstandings arose among them, at any time. Everyone used to carry on his or her spiritual activities happily and smoothly. I found that the members of that family had faith, knowledge and excellent character
Families which are not cultured and contented like that family abound. In fact, in such families as are not cultured we find that the parents do not have the objective of keeping the members of their families happy and ethically excellent. The father runs after wealth and the mother is always absorbed in her dress, decorations, fashions pleasures and social activities. The desire to appear affluent and aristocratic in the eyes of society, has greatly increased. How can there be peace, felicity and wholesomeness in such a way of life? How can such people carry on their spiritual activities with a firm and unwavering mind ?
We are now discussing the fruits that should accrue from a marriage. There will be serenity and felicity in a family if the woman and the children in the family are cultured and noble. In such a family, all the proper household activities go
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