Harmony In Marriage Harmony In Marriage | Page 119

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Harmony in Marriage
sages used to marry, but generally they avoided marriage. The
prospective wife would argue with him that he would not be
able to live properly on his own and would ask him to have a
partnership with her. By doing so, they would be able to
maintain their religious practices and their devotional rituals
while, at the same time maintain their daily life. Some sages and
ascetics accepted such proposals, but they would tell their
wives that they would not have a family with them. The wives
would agree on the condition that they are given a gift of one
son and one daughter from them, thereafter there would be no
sexual relationship between them and they would live as friends.
The ascetics would accept those terms and then they would live
together as friends and not as husband and wife. She would
take care of all the duties of the home and he would take care
of things outside the home. Later, they would sit together to
devote their time for spiritual practice. But nowadays, sex has
become the main pastime; it has become a business and
consequently everything has become ruined. The ascetics were
very controlled and wise.
Even now if the union in the marriage is for a son and a
daughter, there is nothing wrong with it. Then if husband and
wife should live together as friends, they will not encounter any
misery in their lives. But instead they look for happiness in sex
and then they start to make demands on each other. The
ascetics were a different kind of people.
Do you vow to remain absolutely sincere to your wife?
If you say yes, then liberation is yours, but you lose that right
to liberation the moment you start thinking about other
women, because you are indulging in something that is not
yours by right. If you take what is yours by right, then there
is liberation for you, but if you take anything or enjoy anything
that you have no right to, you will be doomed for the animal
life.