Is Spiritual Enlightenment possible for those living a Married Life?

You might have heard that in order to fulfil their deep desire of attaining liberation, people renounce their homes and family, chant (japa), do penance (tapa), as well as practice austerities; all in order to progress on the path of the liberation of the Soul.

While on the other hand, many great men like Shrimad Rajchandra, Lord Krishna, Arjuna, and Lord Ram have been become Self-Realized, while living in the worldly life and being married.

How is it possible to get spiritual enlightenment even while living a married life? With spiritual science.

1. The same spiritual science that Lord Rushabdev gave Bharat Chakravati. With the help of which Bharat Chakravati was able to attain liberation despite having queens and sensual pleasures.
2. Even Lord Krishna gave Arjuna this same spiritual vision. As a result, despite participating in the Mahabharata battle, Arjuna was able to attain liberation in that same life.
3. In His final incarnation, Lord Mahavir was married and had a daughter. He led a worldly life until the age of thirty and despite this He attained full liberation.

Did spiritual knowledge really allow them to attain spiritual enlightenment and ultimately liberation even though they lived a married life?

Yes! In reality a wife, children, wealth and sensual pleasures are not a hindrance to attaining liberation, only the ignorance of the Self is a hindrance.

However, all these great men lived in a different time, in this era, is it possible to attain spiritual enlightenment without renunciation and dispassion for worldly life?

Let’s find out from this short excerpt of Gnani Purush (Self-Realized one) Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan’s spiritual discourse:

Questioner: Well, is it possible to attain Self-realization so easily whilst living a worldly life?

Dadashri: Yes, there is such a way. It is possible to attain Self-realization not only whilst living a worldly life, but you can attain Self-realization even if you are living with your wife. Self-realization can be attained not only whilst living a worldly life, but you can get your children married as well as fulfi ll all the worldly responsibilities. I too live a worldly life and make you attain Self-realization. Living a worldly life means, I give you all the freedom; you can go out and watch a movie, get your son married, get your daughter married, and moreover, wear beautiful clothes when you get them married. Do you need any other ‘guarantee’ [assurance] beyond this?

Questioner: If all such freedom is given, then one can definitely prevail in it.

Dadashri: All the freedom! This is an exceptional path. You do not have to do any hard work. ‘We’ will give you your own Self in your hands, so thereafter, dwell in the Self and stay in the ‘lift’. ‘You’ do not have to do anything else. Then You will not bind any karma at all. You will bind karma only for one additional life, and that too, only to the extent You follow ‘our’ Agnas (special directives given by the Gnani Purush that sustain the enlightened state after Gnan Vidhi). The reason You should remain in ‘our’ Agnas is because you will otherwise be in trouble if you stick your hand outside the ‘lift’!