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About family life

A spiritual discourse on family life, partnership, and spiritual practice.

"To have someone in life who understands you, who loves you, and who supports you is very important. A partner should never put conditions."

"If you force yourself to remain in brahmacarya, it is not good... So lead your life happily with your partner, harmoniously."

Swami Vidyadhishananda addresses the balance between worldly family responsibilities and spiritual life. He discusses the worries of parenthood, the challenges of modern parent-child dynamics, and the internal conflict some face between celibacy and partnership. He advises that a harmonious partnership, based on unconditional support and freedom, is compatible with spiritual practice, and emphasizes the importance of spiritual education for children.

Recording location: Slovenia, Skofja Loka, Weekend seminar

In India, and I think here too, when a couple has a child, they are very happy. But at the same time, they create sorrows for themselves: "Will our child be healthy? Will our child have a proper education? Will our child have a good job? Will our child have a good partner? Will they have enough material things?" They hope for healthy children and pray to God that their child will get a healthy, educated, beautiful partner. In modern civilization, the system has changed a little. Children become too free; they don't give their parents a chance to tell them anything. That is why they are suffering. So this question which comes to us is a very important and serious one. Then there is also a question for many people: they are fighting against their feelings. If they practice yoga and spiritual life, should they stay alone, or should they have a relation, a partner? Many are trying, but inwardly they are suffering. They have nightmares; that is not right. If your inner self says no completely, and you have no time or any hormonal reactions, then okay, you can stay alone. Otherwise, you can be with a partner and, at the same time, practice your meditations, mantras, and spiritual life. If you force yourself to remain in brahmacarya, it is not good. It may confuse you. So lead your life happily with your partner, harmoniously. I think to live with a partner means not only sexual life; that is the last thing. The first thing is human feelings—a feeling of belonging, someone who cares about you. If you are happy, if you are healthy, if you have the freedom to do what you would like, your partner should support you. If you like to go skiing and the other one does not like it, okay, they need not go skiing. But if you go skiing, then your partner should not say, "Oh God, again skiing." That is not love; love does not demand. Where there is love, there is free happiness and freedom. Where there is attachment and ignorance, there are jealous complexes in life. So to have someone in life who understands you, who loves you, and who supports you is very important. A partner should never put conditions. When you put conditions, then there is no more love. "Partner" means part; it is a part of you. Have the same opinion, same feelings, same way—then it is a very happy life. I have touched on this subject many times. Before you have children, you should think it over thoroughly, both of you, to see if you are able to educate them spiritually. I am telling you this because many of you have this problem. You have confidence in me that my words, my instructions, do mean something in your life. So I do care about you; I want to see you happy. I do not want to see you suffering, and I pray to Mahāprabhujī and Devpurījī. Recording location: Slovenia, Skofja Loka, Weekend seminar

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt, what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

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