Replies

  • Hare Krishna,

    Do they do horroscope matching before marriage in Iskcon? how relevant is horroscope matching in todays world?

    • E-Counselor

      Hare Krsna Prabhuji,

      PAMHO.

      My seniors in ISKCON have recommended horoscope matching while looking for an allaince. I know for a fact that if you go via the temple marraige bearue, then they will tell one proposal only if the horoscopes match. You can even request them to match and give.

      Personally, I am a strong believer of horoscopes matching. These are ancient traditions and they were there for a purpose. Earlier, there was no concept of live in or getting to know a person well. Therefore, the only way to match comptability was horoscopes, which matches, among other things financial, sexual compatibility and also the fertility of the people involved.

      At the end, its a personal thing. There are scores of people who dont believe in horoscopes match at all, or who have married people with whom they discovered later that horoscopes dont match, but the marraiges are surviving, and on the flip side, there are also couples who matched horoscopes before marrying and still the marraige didnt survive.

      Take your pick.

      Haribol,

      YOur servant,

      Rashmi

      • thanks for good answer.

      • Thanks Mataji for very good reply.  Matjaji I have some doubt which I wanted to clear

  • How can we locate devotee match for our son and daughter.

    • E-Counselor

      Hare Krsna PRabhuji,

      PAMHO.

      There are marraige websites for devotees - www.marryadevotee.com; www.grihasta.com. You can register the profile of your child in these sites and surf for proposals.

      SOme temples also have marraige bearue. You can find out if your local ISKCON temple is having this facility and you can give a bio-data with photogragh and expectations to them to search among devotee congregation.

      Best of luck.

      Haribol,

      Your servant,

      Rashmi

  • E-Counselor

    Hare Krsna Prabhuji,

    PAMHO.

    Srila Prabhupada ensured that ISKCON is not a mutt by conducting the marraige ceremony of his initial disciples himself. Srila Prabhupada was a proponent of the varnashrama dharma and was absolutely ok with marraiges and his devotees entering into grihastashram.

    There is a difference in being in grihasta ashram and in being a griha medhi. THis is very extensively explained in Srimad Bhagawatam, in the purports. We in ISKCON, should attempt to become grihastas and not griha medhis. Essentially the difference is that if one thinks that by getting into grihasta ashram, one has got the licence for sense enjoyment and concentrates on wife and family and material enjoyments, forgetting the spiritual growth of the family, then he is a griha medhis. Grihastas have a very big responsibility to lead a Krsna COnscious life, to earn through scrupulous means and to support the other ashramas.

    Inter cast marraiges are not an issue at all - taht is allowed in ISKCON. People are marrying across continents - what to talk of castes.

    Now coming to how to live a Krsna Conscious life - there should be mutual love and respect among the couple, at the same time, there should be a certain level of detachment. They should always remember the goal of their life - spiritual advancement as against material enjoyment and work towards the goal, helping each other. Decoded, it means, get up int he morning and do mangal arati, prepare only prasadam in kitchen and offer all food - even water before offering to family members. If there are deities in the house, deity service is very good. Its a good idea to set up a minimum standard of seva in the house and to follow that diligently. Daily reading of Gita or Bhagawatam or both is recommended - ideally couple should read together. If possible, watch some devotional video together everyday instead of watching TV.

    There are typically no 'outings' to malls or movies or restaurants.

    The idea is to maintain the existing standard of living, rathar than aspire for a higher standard of living. There should not be anything lacking int he house, at the same time, there should not be excess also.

    Regularly inviting devotees to the house for programs or sanga, feeding them prasadam, discussing with them topics related to Krsna Consciousness.

    Part of the family income should be set aside for devotional activities, it may be preaching or donations to the local ISKCON temple.

    If you can do so much, the rest will follow. Krsna will guide the couple what to do next.

    Haribol,

    Your servant,

    Rashmi

    • How can we locate devotee match for our son and daughter.

This reply was deleted.