I read an interesting article the other day by Krishna-kirti das on the subject of polygamy. In this article he uses a growing debate about accepted norms of marriage in the Western world to examine the Vedic culture’s internal conception of marriage.
A while ago one reader left a comment on my blog and I followed it back to her blog. There is an article there with links to further articles on polygamy, including some expositions of interesting implications.
The Vedic Conception of marriage is an important cultural element.
Last night at the LCA 2006 conference dinner I explained the four regulative principles that Hare Krishnas follow to my friend Kirby from Sydney. They are no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling, and no illicit sex.
In explaining “no illicit sex” I put it like this:
What we are into is reintegrating the whole natural process and function of sex. Instead of trying to divorce the responsibility and consequences from the act of sex and the pleasure of it, we make it holistic. First of all there is the creation of a stable social and economic situation and environment for dealing with the natural products of sex life (children), in the form of a formal lifelong commitment (marriage). Then we have sex life and let nature take its course. Children are born, and they have a stable situation to grow up to be healthy and happy people.
Marriage is not about you - it’s about the children. When we keep that understanding, that marriage is a service to the children who will be produced, and a service to society, then things go on nicely. When we start thinking that marriage is about our individual pleasure, and focusing on me, me, me, then the problems start, and society unravels.
