Family Life Principles : หน้า 37/216

Part One: Family Life 1. Giving (dana): Loving and living together requires sharing. Where there is no giving, the atmosphere feels very unpleasant. Sharing encompasses sharing of problems, too. When we have a problem, we should share our problem and our partner should be willing to help. 2. Polite speech (piyavaca): Just because we are married does not mean that we should change the way we speak to one another. We should be kind in our discussions because we do not want to hurt the other person's sense of self worth. 3. Loving Assistance (atthacariya): When we talk about what is right or wrong based on mutual understanding and on the Dhamma (Pure Nature) that we have studied, then we benefit one another. But when we quarrel and place the blame on our partner, we are guilty of not finding appropriate ways to prevent conflicts. 4. Open-mindedness (samanattata): In traditional marriages, this means that the husband should be a good father and the wife should be a good mother. Each should assume responsibilities both inside and outside of the home. Meditation will enable partners to fully achieve this goal. In non-traditional families, partners should carefully discuss what roles they should play and then work together to make their plan successful. Practicing these Four Universal Forms of Benevolence is really the same as practicing generosity, adhering to the five Family Day By Day 35 Keeping the Family Alive