In the Kali Age, man has acquired great fame, riches and comforts, but he lacks peace and a sense of security. The reason for this sorrow is the lack of patience and sympathy (sahana and sahanubhuti) amongst the members of the family living in a house. Why does man lack these two qualities? The rise in selfishness and the use of intelligence for one’s own self-interests has brought about this decline. Man has become selfish, and he no longer thinks of contributing to others’ happiness. Patience and sympathy are like the life force for a man, akin to inhalation and exhalation. A man without these can be considered lifeless. Having acquired a number of degrees and having amassed wealth, what has man really achieved? What every man in a family should aspire to achieve are the two virtues of patience and sympathy. Today, they build a house with four walls and call it a home. However, it was not so in the olden days. Five to six families lived together in a small hut peacefully, and it became a home. There is a lot of difference between a house and a home. When there is sahana and sahanubhuti among members of the family, it is home. Because of the absence of these, the bhavanam (house) has become vanam (forest). - Divine Discourse, Oct 02, 2000