It is seldom that one can build harmony through discussions. Mind, by its nature, divides the integral truth and takes each portion for the whole. It is also the seat of the ego. People identify with the ideas they cherish and mistake for the Self. That is why one of the first practices in yoga is to detach from these movements and practice inner equanimity. It is only when one is thus free within that one can attempt bringing harmony in the family or the collective life.
The seat of harmony and true happiness is in the heart, not the surface heart but in its depths, in the psychic being. That should be our primary focus before anything else. It is the psychic being that brings perfect faith and true conviction.
At a practical level, the effort towards harmony should be created by engaging in common activities centered around the goal. Some of these are collective prayer, collective meditation, collective reading, collective chanting. These act much more powerfully to bring the needed harmony rather than mental debates and discussions, which only disturb the atmosphere and create more disharmony than what already exists.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
