Question: I am in love with a person who strictly follows the four regulative principles. However, unlike me, he is not a devotee of Krishna nor favorable towards ISKCON, and would like our children to exercise their choice. Please advise me how to handle this situation
Answer by Romapada Swami:
This question is of a very personal nature, and it is difficult to give a general response. What is best for some may not be ideal for another. However, a general principle in making any important decision in life is to consider what would help best in bringing us closer to the ultimate goal of this rare human life, and closer to our relationship with God. The soul’s ultimate love is for Krishna, and a devotee tries as much as possible to arrange all of his/her worldly activities and relationships in such a way that is conducive to that ultimate relationship with Krishna and would never do anything that might jeopardize their spiritual growth.
While marriage is just a temporary issue from the point of view of the eternal soul, it is nevertheless an important life-long decision. In light of this principle of life, there are personal considerations as to how you might personally be affected by the responsible and final choice that you make. A lot depends on what your own priorities at this point of time in your life. You could consider deeply how your aspirations for a spiritual / Krishna conscious life will be supported or affected by this particular marriage decision in very practical ways, and how that might affect you and the relationship with your possible marriage partner in the long run; on the other hand, you could also explore different possibilities of taking another course of action for your future marriage and consider how your life would be affected.
The best would be to for you to thoroughly discuss your thoughts and feelings with some experienced and mature devotee couple in whom you have trust and who know you personally. Seek their counsel and guidance.
