Guest guest Posted April 27, 2004 Report Share Posted April 27, 2004 > On 26.04.2004 19:00 Uhr, "Mahat-tattva (das)" <Mahat-tattva (AT) pamho (DOT) net> > wrote: > > > Why is the marriage without children considered abominable? > > > As far as my understanding goes it is the duty of the man to give the wife > a child. Otherwise he is not merciful and will go to hell. But I have no > quote from sastra. Before I joined devotees I had a friend. She had a sister who was a doctor. She told her that women in general need to have babies. Otherwise they are very likely to mentally suffer so much that they experience physical pain. For such women there is a high risk of developing cancer. Now if we could get a sastric statement to support this.....otherwise it won't fly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 28, 2004 Report Share Posted April 28, 2004 > > Also people get married becuse they are physically attracted to each > > other. Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita that "Of causes for procreation > > , Iam Kandarpa, the god of love." So children are the primary reason for > > sanctioning the relationship between the sexes. > > People also marry because they need help, support and a dear friend in > their life on who they can count, to whom they can entrust their heart, > reveal their mind in confidence, share their realisations and doubts, etc. Yes of course. But basically the physical attraction is also there other wise where is the need to get married. You can have close friends with whom you can confide and share without getting married! > > Also bringing up children involves a lot of sacrifice and patience that > > parenthood mellows our hard and selfish hearts. Marraige without > > children would mean no responsiblity or service together, and so it > > would be just there for sense enjoyment(gross and subtle). > > Marriage without children could just mean more responsibility or service > together because both partners don't have to share their time, energy, > money, etc. with others but fully fix their mind on each other, be there > for each other and doing all kinds of devotional service together without > being disturbed or interrupted by others. Yes, but doing devotional service in the right mood is also important. One has to do selfless devotional service. The more that you can include others in your lives and not be there only for each other, that is elevating. Children need not be an obstacle to doing unlimited devotional services. Only initially when the child is very dependent, the mother is a little pre- occupied with it. But by proper planning and management, one can do so many wonderful services for the Lord besides training one more devotee(the child) to do the same. Moreover the modes are there and have to be overcome. So alittle penance of raising a child for Krishna can only ennoble one and help one to overcome material attachments. > > Children bring the couple closer to each other > > Then why there are so many divorces in the world and especially in ISKCON? > And the children are suffering because of this. There should be training/arraige counselling given to prospective devotee couples so that they have the right attitudes towards marraige. If we firmly beleive that self realization is our only goal, then we will be ready to accept all sorts of inconveniences as the mercy of the Lord for us to become more detached and be attached to Krishna. The we can tolerate people much more too and then there will never be divorces unless one of them gives up devotional service or breaks regulative principles , etc and is an obstruction in the path of the other's advancement. Again children should be a reason for the couples to stay together and bring up as an offering to Krishna. Without the principles of sacrifise predominating their consciousness, they will never be happy. so having children helps them to become less focussed on themselves , more tolerant, patient and surrendered.Of course there should also be a counselling for would be fathers and mothers for having the right attitudes and knowledge about Krishna conscious parenting. > > > as well as with the other family members, as they all have a common > > important purpose of raising a child who is of great value to their > > families as well as to society at large. > > Nowadays people don't marry for family tradition. Relationships with > families doesn't go so far or deep as it used to be in the past, > especially as is used to be in Vedic culture. Well we should try to bring in vedic culture. If we do not have close relationships with our families, then we have the devotee circle. Certainly devotees can help and encourage each other to raise good Krishna conscious children who are of immense value to our movement. > > > Also for non devotees there are 4 debts that they owe.. to the devas, > > pitris, acharyas and to common people in general. So to be freed of the > > debt to the ancestors one has to continue the family line. > > We came in ISKCON to become devotees not to remain or become non-devotees. I was just talking about traditionally why it was considered compulsory to have children. As devotees , we also have an obligation to allow devotee and other pious souls the opportunity to take birth, for otherwise how will they get a chance to be raised in devotee families?! > > It is so important that when maharaja Pandu wanted to go to the sun > > planets with the rishis, they said that he was not elligible, as he had > > no issues and was not yet free from his debt to his ancestors. He > > considered it so important that he gave permission to his wives to beget > > children through the devatas as he was cursed to die if he attempted the > > act of procreation. > > “Anyone who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, the giver of > liberation, giving up all kinds of obligation, and has taken to the path > in all seriousness, owes neither duties nor obligations to the demigods, > sages, general living entities, family members, humankind or forefathers.” > Such obligations are automatically fulfilled by performance of devotional > service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yes, ofcourse. As devotees the only thing we have to worry about is what will please Krishna most and what will help us to be elevated in Krishna consciousness as fast as possible. So keeping this in mind, we can decide what will be best for us(to raise a child or not) by consulting our Guru about it. Your servant, Prema Padmini dd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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