[The above article is a reminder to build and maintain good relationships. Factors like being separated from parents during childhood are not in one’s hands. However, what is in our control is to develop the ability to love others.

    Generally, it is seen that conflicts, reactions or disagreements hinder the development of good relationships, as also indicated by the proportion of marriages not working out today. The main reason for such conflicts is one’s expectations and one’s reactions as a result of the expectations not being met. One’s personality defects like an authoritative/domineering nature, irritability, selfishness, etc., fuel the conflicts, worsening one’s relationships.

   Thus, to develop good relationships it becomes essential to reduce one’s expectations, remove personality defects and develop the ability to love others. The importance of daily spiritual practice in this regard cannot be emphasized enough. It entails daily efforts to experience closeness with God, by way of chanting*, imbibing divine qualities** through day-to-day activities and conscious removal of personality defects***. Further, a quality of God is unconditional, spiritual love (priti). Thus, as one progresses spiritually through spiritual practice, one increasingly experiences God’s nature, such as Bliss (Anand) and spiritual love. One can imagine the benefits of unconditional, spiritual love, if even psychological love that is often full of conditions and expectations can have such benefits as mentioned in the above article.