An urgent medical need arose for someone I don’t know personally, but who is known to my Christian friend’s family. Though my friend stays in touch with me regularly, his other family members do not. They once treated me as part of their family, but I realized that while many non-family members will be part of our lives, we can never truly become part of their family—except in rare cases. This is a part of life. It’s pointless to tell people who are ‘part of life’ that they are also ‘part of the family’. The natural law of ‘blood is thicker than water’ holds true here.
However, commitment is required even in these ‘part of life’ relationships. Remaining committed to our relationships, despite the absence of perfect people in our lives, is essential. This is true for every relationship, starting at home. It’s not only ‘charity that begins at home’, but also ‘commitment’. We will never find perfect parents, spouses, siblings, or friends, but mutual commitment helps sustain relationships despite the challenges we face in life.
This is particularly true in my relationships with several Christian friends who were part of my early journey in the Lord. Though we may not keep in touch regularly, I never hesitate to reach out in an emergency. Despite our different approaches to understanding, interpreting the Muktiveda, and practicing our bhakti in the Lord, we are all part of the body of the Lord.
This is a fundamental mark of Muktiveda. For me, it is the foundation on which our bhakti in the Lord should be built and grown. It is not about knowing all about the Muktiveda or even the Lord. As I often insist, we don’t have a private God or bhakti. We sing together or sail together in this world, as the Lord put his Universal Body alone as His witness in the fallen world—not a Christian religion or its various denominations. Despite our differences, we bhaktas are members of the same body of the Lord.
In some relationships, mutual commitment alone is not enough. To sustain it, both parties need to work harder. This is especially true for spouses and friends, who need to go the extra mile to keep their relationship intact. An elderly couple once told me that to keep their relationship alive, they keep their romance alive in a different way as they age. “But still, it is romance in any form that cements our relationship,” they said. As I don’t have personal experience, I trust their words and find some logic in them. Other couples might have different experiences and might say, “Married life is like a war; it is very easy to start but very difficult to stop [like Ukraine war and Gaza genocide by Jews].”
Similarly, to keep friendships alive, they should be nurtured. Unlike couples who live under the same roof, nurturing friendships demands extra work by keeping in touch regularly and responding to messages. Because in romance, familiarity breeds contempt, while in friendship, a friend in need is a friend indeed. Thiruvalluvar says:
உடுக்கை இழந்தவன் கைபோல ஆங்கே
இடுக்கண் களைவதாம் நட்பு. (788)
Swift as the hand seizing a slipping garment, Friendship acts to assuage a friend in distress.
> “The friendship of the noble is like the shade of a mango tree; it springs to life even when it is chopped down and still continues to give shade and shelter.”
Friendship does not fit neatly into the category of relationships. A friend is one with whom you don’t need to explain a lot. In other relationships, especially familial ones, a lot needs to be explained when relationships strain, often in words and deeds. To mend a strained relationship, mere verbal explanations won’t solve the problem; actions are required. As someone wisely said, “If you love someone, show it.” In friendship, a friend will understand our limitations.
At the end of the day, mutual commitment is a prerequisite in every relationship. The only exception is with the Lord. He came down to redeem us and will always go the extra mile to maintain His relationship with a bhakta more diligently. Like us, He also desires our fellowship. After all, He created us for this purpose, as the Trinity can work together but cannot have fellowship together. To savor love, it needs another, which is not possible for the Trinity as they are three in one in both essence and mission.
So remember your commitment to maintain relationships.
29-5-2024
Gurukulam
An urgent medical need arose for someone I don’t know personally, but who is known to my Christian friend’s family. Though my friend stays in touch with me regularly, his other family members do not. They once treated me as part of their family, but I realized that while many non-family members will be part of our lives, we can never truly become part of their family—except in rare cases. This is a part of life. It’s pointless to tell people who are ‘part of life’ that they are also ‘part of the family’. The natural law of ‘blood is thicker than water’ holds true here.
However, commitment is required even in these ‘part of life’ relationships. Remaining committed to our relationships, despite the absence of perfect people in our lives, is essential. This is true for every relationship, starting at home. It’s not only ‘charity that begins at home’, but also ‘commitment’. We will never find perfect parents, spouses, siblings, or friends, but mutual commitment helps sustain relationships despite the challenges we face in life.
This is particularly true in my relationships with several Christian friends who were part of my early journey in the Lord. Though we may not keep in touch regularly, I never hesitate to reach out in an emergency. Despite our different approaches to understanding, interpreting the Muktiveda, and practicing our bhakti in the Lord, we are all part of the body of the Lord.
This is a fundamental mark of Muktiveda. For me, it is the foundation on which our bhakti in the Lord should be built and grown. It is not about knowing all about the Muktiveda or even the Lord. As I often insist, we don’t have a private God or bhakti. We sing together or sail together in this world, as the Lord put his Universal Body alone as His witness in the fallen world—not a Christian religion or its various denominations. Despite our differences, we bhaktas are members of the same body of the Lord.
In some relationships, mutual commitment alone is not enough. To sustain it, both parties need to work harder. This is especially true for spouses and friends, who need to go the extra mile to keep their relationship intact. An elderly couple once told me that to keep their relationship alive, they keep their romance alive in a different way as they age. “But still, it is romance in any form that cements our relationship,” they said. As I don’t have personal experience, I trust their words and find some logic in them. Other couples might have different experiences and might say, “Married life is like a war; it is very easy to start but very difficult to stop [like Ukraine war and Gaza genocide by Jews].”
Similarly, to keep friendships alive, they should be nurtured. Unlike couples who live under the same roof, nurturing friendships demands extra work by keeping in touch regularly and responding to messages. Because in romance, familiarity breeds contempt, while in friendship, a friend in need is a friend indeed. Thiruvalluvar says:
உடுக்கை இழந்தவன் கைபோல ஆங்கே
இடுக்கண் களைவதாம் நட்பு. (788)
Swift as the hand seizing a slipping garment, Friendship acts to assuage a friend in distress.
Friendship does not fit neatly into the category of relationships. A friend is one with whom you don’t need to explain a lot. In other relationships, especially familial ones, a lot needs to be explained when relationships strain, often in words and deeds. To mend a strained relationship, mere verbal explanations won’t solve the problem; actions are required. As someone wisely said, “If you love someone, show it.” In friendship, a friend will understand our limitations.
At the end of the day, mutual commitment is a prerequisite in every relationship. The only exception is with the Lord. He came down to redeem us and will always go the extra mile to maintain His relationship with a bhakta more diligently. Like us, He also desires our fellowship. After all, He created us for this purpose, as the Trinity can work together but cannot have fellowship together. To savor love, it needs another, which is not possible for the Trinity as they are three in one in both essence and mission.
So remember your commitment to maintain relationships.
29-5-2024
Gurukulam
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