4. Letter

Mail from Poojya Guruji

Q: I am in relationship with someone of a different religion. Is it fine to go ahead?

Hari om!

Well, if both of you sincerely love each other and are sure that you both will be good companions for all ups & downs of life then obviously no one can come in your way. However lifelong relationships are serious matter and there are few important things to understand.

The beauty of love is that inspite of various differences there is a natural gravitation towards oneness. The differences can be of upbringing, eduction, culture, religion or even interests, yet there is some beauty of emotions and caring which attracts a person and the relationship develops. Differences become secondary in this fire of mutual love; the intensity of love should certainly be of such extent that everything does become secondary. If there are some persons who either because of their own attachments and conditionings, or because of the attachments & conditionings of their parents, they are not ready to take a different route of life, then obviously their love is not very intense. In such cases when right in the beginning there is greater importance to something else than their personal love, then that very factor will become instrumental for a person to retain their ego and its fancies and thus retain fragmentation. That will not be very conducive for love to flower. The propensity of love is in oneness which alone is the real thing, and the attachment to any other factor becomes an obstruction for this oneness. Then love will not flower properly.

We know of cases when the girl or boy is made to convert. Many states in India have made laws to prevent such forceful conversions, just for marraige purpose. Ideally both should be ready to give up their conditionings for their love, or they commit themselves to something common. The foundation of religion is philosophy and here there can be a common ground. Beliefs are very important components of human life, and ideally beliefs should facilitate gravitation towards oneness. Love always gravitates towards oneness, so just assure that for both of you, love is of such a great importance that both you and the other person is ready to leave everything for love. If this is not the case then better wait for some more time. It is not yet real love.

Love & om.