Actions in the present lifetime are very important.
Couples who are true friends and encourage good
things for each other tend to be happier and stay
together longer. As for those couples who have not
performed many merits together, their love for each
other will dissipate over time, and they will end up
separating from each other through divorce or death.
The length of time a couple might live together is
determined by the merits they have accrued together
in previous lifetimes, by whether they have been
lovers in their past existences, and also by how
supportive they are of each other in their present
lifetime. Like a lotus that relies on the combination
of water and earth to grow, success of the love
between two people depends heavily on the above.
mentioned factors.
Imer Qualities
Although relationships from a previous lifetime may
be a catalyst for current love, we still need to be
prudent and apply wise principles when selecting the
right life partner. Love alone is not sufficient to
determine whether a person will be one's best life
partner.
In choosing a life partner, we should look for
someone who shares the same views, and who has a
mutual respect. Since this person will likely be the
parent of our children, he or she has to be a good role
model for them. We should not base our decision
mainly on physical appearance, wealth and personal
abilities.
Physical attraction is short lived. We should
determine whether our life partner has similar virtues
to ourselves, that is similar faith, morality and views.
Do they have a strong faith in The Triple Gem (triple
refuge consisting of Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha)
as we do? Do they observe The Five Precepts (codes
of moral conduct)? Do they possess The Right View
(right understanding of the Truth)? Do they believe in
the Law of Kamma (law of cause and effect), etc? If
these virtuous qualities are shared, there is a better
chance of building a long lasting marriage.
At the beginning of a relationship, we often contrive
to make ourselves attractive. Sometimes we do
uncharacteristic things in order to make the other
person fall in love with us. Unfortunately, this
strategy will not lead to a happy union. We have to
take the time to learn about the other person's true
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