The Importance of Family
May 18, 2007
In Jyotish the different houses represent various areas of life. We in the west are familiar with the vedic tradition’s emphasis on the ultimate goal of life being liberation. I found it fascinating that the houses which represent liberation (moksha) are the 4th, the 8th, and the 12th. The 8th is meditation, the 12th is the ashram, and the 4th….is family.
In our spiritual zeal it is all too easy to forget that being in the world and fulfilling our family role and responsibilities fully is every bit as legitimate a spiritual pursuit as meditating in an ashram. In the photo above one of our senior priest’s is seen with his daughters. He is an amazing pundit and his mastery of the vedas is inspiring. But the obvious joy that he shares with his daughters is certainly the essence of spirituality.