SYMPOSIUMS
LECTURE
No. 6 – BUILDING FAMILY LIFE ACCORDING TO AUMISM
BUILDING FAMILY LIFE ACCORDING TO AUMISM
SUMMARY
Through Aumism, its Founder, His Holiness Lord HAMSAH MANARAH, gives seekers of true happiness the indispensable advice for building their family life harmoniously.
From the very beginning of life as a couple, Aumism appeals to the noblest feelings written in each of us and urges us to apply very early on the practical keys that will quickly lead us to express the ideal of love and unity that humanity so greatly needs today.
Then the arrival of children means both joy and important responsibilities for those who have understood the need to help the younger generations. Indeed, the more or less luminous future of our humanity will depend on the quality of our children’s education. The written Teaching of His Holiness Lord HAMSAH MANARAH provides the elements that will successfully ensure them a balanced and complete physical, moral and spiritual development.
In a rapidly changing society where young souls can no longer find bearings to move forward, it is important that the family be a haven of listening and respect for others, and a factor of social harmony.
TALK
Everyone realises today that it is necessary to restore to the family environment its role and responsibilities, in order to foster the better development of children and adults.
Through his Teaching, His Holiness Lord HAMSAH MANARAH provides us with a whole set of practical keys for founding a harmonious family. But beyond the “how”, He also reveals to us the “why” of the importance of a successful family life.
The purpose of the following talk is to present the noble moral values taught by His Holiness Lord HAMSAH MANARAH.
Our talk will therefore be structured as follows:
1. MARRIED LIFE AND AUMISM
2. CHILDREN AND THEIR EDUCATION IN AUMISM
3. THE FAMILY: A SCHOOL OF PERFECTION AND HAPPINESS
1. MARRIED LIFE AND AUMISM
The first stone in the foundation of a family is laid by two beings whom love has brought together, two beings who, if all goes well, will soon become three, then four, and so on.
But first let us see together how the man and the woman who wish to build a stable and balanced family edifice will be keen, within their married life itself, to cultivate the values essential to the durability and flourishing of their human “work”.
Physical love, which most often presides over the coming together and formation of the couple, is a first stage that is certainly necessary but not sufficient for establishing a lasting and sincere relationship.
His Holiness Lord HAMSAH MANARAH warns:
“If, as man and woman, you seal your union only through the pleasure of the senses, know that this union will break on the weariness of being together.” (La Loi d’Évolution des Âmes, p. 314)
Hence the importance, for a couple wishing to flourish harmoniously, of going beyond the first stage of carnal love. For in the end, although love is undoubtedly the indispensable bond for maintaining harmony in married life, it can take an almost unlimited number of forms and manifestations. Let us simply mention, as examples:
- tolerance: when the two people do not share the same religious beliefs, yet one allows the other to live their faith without hindrance,
- respect for the other: replacing a sterile spirit of competition with a deep feeling of complementarity,
- solidarity: when it comes to facing an unexpected event together.
It can also be expressed through:
- encouragement to succeed: when one spouse is preparing for a competitive exam, for example,
- trust, which bears witness to the couple’s fulfilment,
- listening to the other and true dialogue, which resolves problems before they have grown too large within the family unit,
- moral support: when it comes to comforting the loved one after the loss of someone close.
Love “is above all an impulse of the heart that prompts one to make the gesture of affection required by the circumstances, not as an obligation but as an impulse”, His Holiness Lord HAMSAH MANARAH reminds us (Vers un Age d’Or d’Unité, p. 147).
Let us apply ourselves to seeing in the other, above all, the perfection that resides in every being. To this end, prayer, and in particular the repetition of the sound AUM, as well as shared activities (martial arts, for example), will encourage and develop the ability to find true happiness within the couple.
The man and the woman, thus sure of the nature of their relationship, will then feel the desire to give concrete form to their union through marriage, a possibility offered in Aumism. Why is it so important to marry?
The Aumist sacrament of marriage provides a moral framework, necessary for the evolution of both spouses. They can then found a family on the principles of unity, brotherhood and solidarity, for true and sincere love is the cement of the couple thus formed.
Aumism also offers a blessing to confirm the marriage, ten years after the wedding. Let us note the exceptional nature of such an opportunity offered to the couple to strengthen their union further, and even to avoid separation.
2. CHILDREN AND THEIR EDUCATION IN AUMISM
Among the major acts of life, His Holiness Lord HAMSAH MANARAH has clearly identified that of bringing a child into the world and raising it.
When two beings unite in the hope of giving life to a third, they are very often far from imagining the subtle mechanisms set in motion “above their heads”. Indeed, His Holiness Lord HAMSAH MANARAH teaches us:
“Being born is an act in which three participants are involved:
- the soul that is victorious in the struggle for the body,
- the begetting father, ray of life,
- the receiving mother, womb of life.” (Vers un Age d’Or d’Unité, p. 128)
Since the soul wishing to incarnate intervenes very early, well before birth, the parents will become aware of the responsibilities that fall to them by fostering the arrival of an entity in harmony with the rules of love and unity that already prevailed in the formation of the couple.
To do so, during the period preceding conception, the future parents, whether or not they believe in God, will make every effort:
- to master their emotions and cultivate harmonious thoughts,
- to allow themselves moments of calm and rest,
- to follow a healthy lifestyle.
It is a matter of keeping oneself in a physical and mental state conducive to the arrival of a being who is small in size but oh so immense in the love he will radiate around him.
Let us listen to His Holiness Lord HAMSAH MANARAH giving His advice to couples who wish to welcome souls evolved on the path of Light: “Before the sexual act, take time to reflect, light the candles of your altar and perfume the room of union. Pray together, divine couple, and keep away from you any soul that does not vibrate at the degree of evolution of the Golden Age.” (Vers un Age d’Or d’Unité, p. 346)
A soul that vibrates at the degree of Evolution of the Golden Age begins by respecting life and being capable of solidarity and brotherhood.
By allowing great souls to incarnate on Earth, parents contribute in their own way to the gradual establishment of the era of peace, love and harmony that our planet so greatly needs. During pregnancy, the mother will apply herself to strengthening the control of her thoughts and to following a diet that excludes any substance that could slow down or compromise the baby’s normal development, while the father remains vigilant about protecting the child’s soul. At the time of birth, the father should be present to help and support the mother physically and morally, but also through prayer, thinking of the protection of the two beings in labour.
The parents will then be well advised to consider Aumist baptism for their newborn. On this subject, His Holiness Lord HAMSAH MANARAH reminds us:
“If you want the child’s happiness, you cannot forget this act of birth that is the Baptism of the child by the sound OM.” (Le Livre des Sacrements de l’Aumisme, p. 47)
From then on, the process of education will begin naturally, and Aumism will provide many answers to the questions that parents will sooner or later ask themselves: why and how should we raise our children?
The aim of education in Aumism is to contribute to the child’s happiness by fostering his complete development, so that later he enters adult life holding all the trump cards, armed with the qualities indispensable to his material, social and spiritual success.
For in fact, whatever the degree of evolution of the soul concerned, it will incarnate here below in the body of a very small child who will have to relearn everything about life in matter.
Here we glimpse the new responsibilities taken on by the parents as educators who, having scored a try by attracting a soul of light, must convert it by giving the child the harmonious and complete education that will make their beloved child a servant of unity.
“Children are the builders of tomorrow,” said Swami Sivananda. “They are the future citizens. They are the destiny of the nation. Raise them, discipline them and mould them well.”
The complete development of the child in Aumism has so many different aspects, on the physical, intellectual, psychological and spiritual levels, that it would be illusory to try to cover them exhaustively in the time allotted to us.
On this subject, we recommend reading the Doctrine of Aumism, in which His Holiness Lord HAMSAH MANARAH gives all seekers of truth, and parents in particular, a multitude of avenues to explore and try out in order to give their offspring a balanced and beneficial education.
We will mention the following examples:
- Physical development can be achieved in the young child through gymnastics, which will develop coordination of movement, attention and balance. Later, he can strengthen his concentration and self-mastery through the practice of a martial art. Let us also make sure we give him a healthy and balanced diet, sparing him, if possible, excessive consumption of animal protein.
- Let us foster his taste for effort, through his schoolwork for example, the cultivation of his will and courage by setting him objectives to reach (in keeping with his abilities), and his self-confidence by encouraging him to achieve them.
- Let us teach him to develop his critical faculties by discussing with him current events as they are reported to us, often distorted by the prism of the media.
- Let us encourage his taste for reading, for great music and for “beauty”, such as the great landscapes Nature offers us or the majesty of cathedrals.
- Let us teach him respect for all that lives on earth, beginning with himself, his parents, his neighbours, the human race and the kingdoms of Nature, through awareness of his actions and thoughts from his earliest years.
By setting him the example of prayer and contemplation, and by opening him to the realities of the invisible world, let us help him to express his spiritual aspirations.
3. THE FAMILY: A SCHOOL OF PERFECTION AND HAPPINESS
Family life does not often go hand in hand with ease. Don’t people sometimes say that being a parent is a profession, a vocation?
However, when the daily tasks of school, social or professional life gradually pile up above our heads like heavy storm clouds, it becomes essential to be able to find in the family a stabilising structure and to feel, among our loved ones, the support and comfort needed to face the small and great trials that cross our existence.
Through its doctrine centred on “being” rather than “having”, Aumism goes beyond the simple materialistic approach to life, which quickly proves limiting or frustrating, especially in situations where conflicts within the family unit have to be resolved.
Indeed, through His Teaching, His Holiness Lord HAMSAH MANARAH teaches us the right balance to be found between the material world, certainly indispensable to our survival but not an end in itself, and the development of the soul, which leads to true happiness. Aumism gives family life on Earth a purpose: the conquest of perfection for each of its members.
Thus, applying Aumist principles helps us to face the problems that a society now in search of its true values inevitably generates, problems that inevitably find an echo at the very heart of our families.
How, for example, can we prevent the crisis of the adolescent who rebels against all forms of authority and no longer finds any bearings in what today’s modern world offers him, focused mainly on consumption and possession? In this case, Aumism will help to soften the harmful effects of such situations: on the one hand, because the young person will have been familiarised very early with the need to master his actions, thoughts and words in all circumstances in his own interest; and on the other hand, through an awareness that he himself, as an individual, is part of a whole, and that his real will to improve society will also be judged by the efforts he has made to purify himself.
Let us remember that Aumist children and adolescents go to school and share the condition of all children and adolescents of the same age. Aumism strives to develop in them the spirit of solidarity and understanding necessary for bringing the peoples of the Earth closer together, and respect for others, whatever their race or background. The child thus becomes aware that he is becoming a Knight of Peace, a Servant of Humanity.
“Children are the destiny of a nation and of the future world,” His Holiness Lord HAMSAH MANARAH reminds us. “It is important that parents be increasingly enlightened about the mistakes to avoid and the positive attitudes to adopt, in order to help them better.” (Le Yoga de la Vie Pratique, p. 264)
It is therefore in the crucible of the family that souls will awaken to the true realities that dispel all the feelings that could interfere with the harmonious development of each being. For, in the end, Aumism highlights a permanent mutual help between parents and children that allows true love to be expressed within one’s own family, on the path of universal Love.
Without our having to pursue it by all the means at our disposal in an invasive material world, happiness in fact comes of its own accord during this shared journey towards the same goal in the service of humanity.
To illustrate these words, let us listen to the Word of His Holiness Lord HAMSAH MANARAH, who tells us: “Blessed are the members of one family who look together towards the Light and journey towards the same ideal” (L’Aumisme, la Doctrine de l’Age d’Or, p. 234).
Conclusion
To conclude this reflection on family life as it can be lived with the contributions of Aumism, let us listen to the word of His Holiness Lord HAMSAH MANARAH:
“Love allows joy and happiness in homes, Love gives birth to generations, Love is above all synonymous with brotherhood, Love is above all the elixir of solidarity, Love is above all the Light of hope.” (Le Livre des Sacrements de l’Aumisme, p. 289)
So if we firmly hope that wars will stop and that illnesses will recede, if we have the firm will, believers and non-believers alike, to live with our children in a world where true love, sharing, solidarity and tolerance triumph, then let us get to work! Let us strive from now on to apply the noble principles highlighted by His Holiness Lord HAMSAH MANARAH at the very heart of our families, where the apprenticeship of peace will certainly spread to the whole of society. And even if an Aumist family is neither a perfect family nor one spared the vicissitudes of daily life, let us consider that its essential aim will be to strive towards harmony and to share with those around it this ideal of love and unity.
Bibliography:
Books by His Holiness Lord HAMSAH MANARAH, Éditions du MANDAROM
La Loi d’Évolution des Âmes, de l’esclavage à la vraie libération
L’Aumisme, la Doctrine de l’Age d’Or
Le Livre des Sacrements de l’Aumisme
Vers un Age d’Or d’Unité, soyez libres de toute chaîne
