Question: What is the significance of marriage, and can a married couple follow spirituality together?

Sri Chinmoy: If it is God’s Will, then in this oneness of two souls you double your capacity. If you feel that God wants you to get married, then feel you can have four arms, four eyes, four legs, two hearts, double speed, double strength, everything double. If it is not the Will of God, but only your vital that is demanding marriage, then it will only be a burden for you on your spiritual journey. So I tell people that if it is not the Will of God, they should go alone. That is the best thing. But if it is the Will of God, then try marriage and continue on the spiritual path together. A good marriage sanctioned by God is God’s veritable Smile; a bad marriage instigated by the vital is a veritable curse.

Two married people can work together in the spiritual life provided they have the same goal. If both of them have sincerely accepted the spiritual life, then their common Goal is God. But if the husband follows one spiritual Master and the wife follows the path of another spiritual Master, a problem is likely to arise. The husband will say that his Master is by far the best, and the wife will immediately say, “No, my Master is by far the best.” But if both of them are wise enough, then each will say, “You follow your path and let me follow my path. After all, the Ultimate Goal is the same. Although there are two different inner roads for us, the destination will always remain the same.” If the seekers are really sincere, if they are really dedicated to their Masters, both Masters can widen the husband’s and wife’s mental vista and heart’s capacity so that each can follow his own path without any conflict.

But it becomes infinitely easier if both husband and wife follow the same path. Then there is no competition, there is no subtle rivalry. Then the two are really together. Both of them are climbing together, walking together, running together. But in case it is not possible, if the wife has a special preference for one spiritual Master and the husband has a special preference for another spiritual Master, then let them follow their respective spiritual paths, while they always bear in mind that each one is doing the right thing. In that way there cannot be any conflict between the two.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Sri Chinmoy speaks, part 7, Agni Press, 1976
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/scs_7