Family

I was watching my nephew's photos and felt little sad. I'm not part of that family. I'm not part of their celebrations/sorrows/misery. There are whole bunch of people who are called my family and yet I'm too far from them.

Am I regretting for taking a decision to stay away? Not really. If I compare everything, this pain is nothing. Much of my opinions were changed after meeting a German friend whose childhood was in Orphanage. Every culture has got it's own advantages and drawbacks. Yes, statistics say that divorce rate is very low in India comparing to developed countries. It doesn't mean that there are more happy families.

In my opinion, the first priority is to be given to one's own happiness. In that process, happy families are born and so happy nations. Quest for happiness means, changing partners? No. Then how?  Changing partners gives happiness is a wrong assumption. In that case, where to stop with which one? I'm only telling that there is no meaning in continuing when there is no respect in any relationship. I'm not talking about changing, I'm talking about leaving.

Question: In the West, many think that sexual relations between any two consenting adults are permissible. What's your opinion?
S.N.Goenka: That view is far away from Dhamma. Someone who has sex with one person, then another, and then someone else, is multiplying his passion, his misery. You must be either committed to one person or living in celibacy.

There is a lot to write. But, I'm going away from the topic I've started. Women in India, why they feel so helpless? Why they feel so weak? Is that the culture which brain washes to respect/tolerate till the end of their lives? The same mind set of our people enable corrupt leaders to rule the country for decades. No culture/religion on Earth says to compromise with your self respect. It's all our wrong perceptions.