Tuesday 28 June 2011

Friday, June 24th, 2011

About Love + A Couple

Mississauga, Ontario

I am reviewing a book, "Heart and Soul Connection" by the Grihastha Vision Team which is a Vaishnava guide to marriage, service and love. It will be released in the coming months. In a section planned by Uttama Dasi on the subject of arranged marriages I found something interesting she said regarding a study on arranged marriages.

"A study by Dr. Robert Epstein published in the January/February 2010 issue of Scientific American Mind had some interesting observations. Among other things, it noted that in most countries marriage relationships are entered into based on bodily attraction and feelings of love. Unfortunately, those feelings decreased rapidly within 18 months. In many arranged marriages of India, he discovered that although feelings of love were not a component in the beginning of an arranged marriage, those feelings quickly grew. It is understood that if compatible persons are matched, love can develop. He observed that after 10 years of arranged marriage, the feelings of love were often twice as strong as the more common types of marriage that had been based on initial "chemistry".

Uttama remarks that this demonstrates that love can develop from mutual service.

Mutual service, not necessarily an arranged marriage but compatibility -- yes, is the case of a young married couple, Vibhu and Shastyna, who invited me to their new home in Mississauga. It's a thirty year old building but has been nicely cosmetically treated by Vibhu. What some colours in the form of paint will do?

In any event, here is a sweet couple, who both liked kirtan, Krishna and gulabjamoons (an Indian sweet). They've been married now for two years and the relationship is "good" says Vibhu who drove me and two devotees back to the ashram after a fine ceremony, a blessing for their new home.

I'm really happy for them.

Om Tat Sat!

6 Km

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