Marriage is most important event in the life
of the person. Those who follow sahaja
yoga and wish to choose their life partner have a very unique way of selection
of life partner and then settling peacefully in life as a family. Following is the experience of one of the
follower of Mataji Nirmaladevi about sahaja yoga marriages. It throws light of
the whole process. Blessed are all those who were chosen by Mataji herself and
personally blessed by her during marriages.
Sahaja Yoga and marriages
Like most spiritual groups, and society in general, those who practice Sahaja Yoga also believe in the sanctity of marriage. Marriage is a very important part of life since it creates the basis for having strong and loving families that are the foundation of our society. It is also a great source of joy and balance when both husband and wife are practicing Sahaja Yoga. However, we don't want to see our meditation centers turned into dating centers. Pure attention on our spiritual ascent, as opposed to the attraction we might be feeling for someone sitting next to us, is the best way to achieve a nice, blissful meditation and further our evolution.
Like most spiritual groups, and society in general, those who practice Sahaja Yoga also believe in the sanctity of marriage. Marriage is a very important part of life since it creates the basis for having strong and loving families that are the foundation of our society. It is also a great source of joy and balance when both husband and wife are practicing Sahaja Yoga. However, we don't want to see our meditation centers turned into dating centers. Pure attention on our spiritual ascent, as opposed to the attraction we might be feeling for someone sitting next to us, is the best way to achieve a nice, blissful meditation and further our evolution.
In present day Western society, the options for meeting a prospective
spouse are many: parties and clubs; dating services, blind dates set up by
friends or relatives; churches, the workplace, internet chat rooms, chance
meetings in public places, and so on. In many cases, we try to project a
personality (witty, intelligent, charming) and/or physical image (dieting and
workouts) that don't necessarily reflect who we really are, but what we think
others desire. Most of these ideal images are based on what we see and hear in
the mass media, i.e. movies, TV, music and advertising. As a result we are
often attracted (or repelled) for the wrong reasons.
While many do discover a meaningful relationship and find themselves in
a satisfying marriage, the ever-increasing divorce rate would indicate that
perhaps we are choosing spouses for all the wrong reasons.
In Eastern society, and even in old Western society, arranged marriages,
or at least formal introductions were, and still are the norm. While not all of
these marriages may evolve into highly romantic relationships, they can still
be highly satisfying marriages based on common values and interests, and
especially the joy of children as marriage transforms into family.
Many of those that practice Sahaja Yoga on a daily basis are also
interested in having a spouse that does the same. Being able to help each other
achieve deeper meditations using Sahaja Yoga clearing and cleansing techniques,
as well as becoming a mirror for the other to see themselves for behavioral change,
in a calm, loving and compassionate environment, are things highly sought after
by those on a spiritual path. Using conventional Western dating techniques
doesn't really seem to achieve the goal, and in the interest of keeping the
local meditation center a place of pure attention, many have asked our
spiritual teacher and founder of Sahaja Yoga, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, for
assistance in finding a compatible spouse.
Some of the international Sahaja Yoga seminars provide an opportunity to
be introduced to someone else practicing Sahaja Yoga for the purpose of
marriage. Shri Mataji matches the couple based on the background and
inclinations, but most importantly, she is able to determine compatibility
based on the vibrations (subtle aspects) of the couples. The low divorce rate
for these marriages shows the success of this method.
After being introduced, the couples are given up to a couple of weeks or
so to determine whether they would like to go through with the marriage. There
is no absolutely no pressure to go through with the marriage if either person
is not so inclined. In fact, the couples are discouraged to go through with the
marriage if there is any doubt whatsoever. If things don't work out, then of
course divorce is an option, but it is something that rarely happens.
In closing, as author of this article, I would just like to say that my
marriage in Sahaja Yoga has been an incredibly beautiful experience, and I
never realized I could love someone so deeply and completely. This is not to
say there has never been conflict, but what has amazed me is how quickly
(measured in minutes, not days or weeks) the conflicts have been worked out.
Having a Sahaja Yogi for a spouse has allowed me to witness certain behaviors
in myself that need to be changed or eliminated, which is just one of the many
ways we are able to help each other in our spiritual ascent.
While marriage in Sahaja Yoga is not for everybody, and not everybody
that practices Sahaja Yoga chooses to marry this way, most of us that have, are
extremely happy with the result!
Mark Mays, Seattle, USA
