I felt terrible and was moved to tears. I never ask for anything for myself; I only ever asked that they take care of her. Earlier, when I was considering a divorce, they had promised to look after her. She is a very simple and good-natured person; she even pawned her jewellery when my father needed money, and on top of that, she handles all the household chores. Yet, now that things are improving, this is how they speak to her. I also feel that my mother harbors hostility; she does not hold kind sentiments in her heart and uses very harsh language when things do not go her way—she speaks the same way to our little daughter, too…
While such speech might be common in Rajasthan, I feel her heart lacks true goodness because she harbors ill will toward others. As for my father, he never sits and converses with the family; he is obsessed with politics and spends all his time watching it on his mobile phone. With these realities becoming increasingly apparent, I wonder how one is supposed to deal with them, and how difficult it is to live in a home lacking such purity of spirit. Was my tearful reaction to their treatment of my wife merely a ‘lower vital impulse’?
Such is the nature of the world. Selfishness and meanness are its way to live. From the Yoga point of view, one must practice inner detachment and equanimity while going through all the various situations with the inner remembrance of the Divine and offering your actions and the results to Her.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
