Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
21 January 2018
Brothers-in-law
“Makers or Breakers”
A sister’s husband is a brother-in-law to her brother. This implies that a sister’s husband could have a sister as well as living with his parents. The significance is that brothers-in-law could have sisters.
Brothers-in-law will live daily life if the wisdom of prema, satya, shanti, dharma and ahimsa is understood by them. They may behave as if they have understood the wisdom in living daily life.
If they have understood the wisdom of prema, satya, shanti, dharma and ahimsa in daily life, they will live every moment of daily life in prema, satya, shanti, dharma and ahimsa.
If they behave as though they understand the wisdom of prema, satya, shanti, dharma and ahimsa in daily life, their behaviour of prema, shanti, satya, dharma and ahimsa is unreal in the eyes of God.
If they have understood the wisdom of prema, satya, shanti, dharma and ahimsa in daily life, the brothers-in-law will treat each other as brothers. They will be in prema, satya, shanti, dharma and ahimsa with each other.
If brothers-in-law do not speak openly with honesty to each other, it implies that they do not live in prema, satya, shanti, dharma and ahimsa, but only behave as though they live in prema, satya, shanti, dharma and ahimsa. This behaviour is unreal in the eyes of God.
If a brother-in-law lives in prema, satya, shanti, dharma and ahimsa, he will advise his wife to treat his brother-in-law as she would treat her own brother. If a brother-in-law lives in prema, satya, shanti, dharma and ahimsa, he will treat his sister’s husband in the same way that he would like to be treated in his own house.
If a brother-in-law lives in prema, satya, shanti, dharma and ahimsa, he will make every effort to make his sister’s husband feel important in his own house, just as he likes to feel important in his own house.
If a brother-in-law lives in prema, satya, shanti, dharma and ahimsa, he will love his sister’s children as his own children. He will make every effort that his own children speak to his sister’s children with prema, satya, shanti, dharma and ahimsa.
If brothers-in-law live in prema, shanti, satya, dharma and ahimsa, they will advise their respective wives to be makers of a family and not breakers of a family.
The scriptures indicate prema, satya, shanti, dharma and ahimsa as values to be lived and cherished. If they live and cherish the values, brothers-in-law will be makers of a peaceful and loving family.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2017
Editor’s Note:
Interlinking family relationships are influential in cultivating and protecting peace and love within the social unit of family. In the case of a wife’s brother-in-law, the manner of whose life has led to loneliness and disappointment, the brother’s wife has brought him comfort and unfailing consideration. In such a wife there is deep understanding of the values that are the hallmark of these articles in which the values are lived and cherished. The scriptures and the wise are the embodiment of prema, satya, shanti, dharma and ahimsa.
Julian Capper, UK.
German Translator’s Note:
A family is a living entity. It does not stay the same, as life is constantly flowing. This means that new members come into a family in various manners, by birth or by marriage. To respect life means therefore to respect the change in a family too. Love in the family is to be adapted to the everchanging members, including a brother in law. Otherwise, without unconditional love, the family does not deserve the name “family”. Dr. Shankar’s article is a strong reminder to live life with unconditional love in every family.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany.