i am creating this thread because @Hello from Russia and @Aakash asked me very gently (the beginning of the conversation is here). another reason is because i think it's an important subject that demands ULTRA HIGH LEVELS of responsibility. what i am going to say will be said from personal experience. i don't intend to be dogmatic here. i've also spent several days investigating this subject under the effect of ayahuasca, which helped me immensely. i also would like to read @Nahm's POV because i know that he's married as well and has kids, which is something i don't have any practical experience with yet. marriage is a lifelong commitment to the embodiment of Truth now that the goal of human society has gone beyond survival, we're reaching extremely high levels of superficiality and toxicity. such patterns of thought are deeply programmed into the mind of the typical human being at very early stages of development. it's so severe that we see manifestations of selfishness everywhere. and when it comes down to intimate relationships, it's no different. when we start living with someone else, it's very easy to get triggered if we don't work hard on purifying ourselves. many egoic impulses arise on the typical couple, such as neediness, attachment to pleasure, competitions etc. there's a lot of work to do! i knew that i was ready to marry when i decided that i wanted to be free from selfish pathologies for the rest of my life. i just didn't know who i was going to marry at that time. all i knew is that it had to be with someone with the exact same goal: spiritual purification. we've been living together for 2 years and a half and it's been an amazing adventure. it becomes better everyday. we heal together. we celebrate together. we suffer together and then we overcome our pasts together. it's an intense training to be present. we have to learn patience, compassion and comprehension with each other. we have to let go of beliefs, which brings humility into the game. we want a good and healthy environment for our children, which opens room for hard work. we need to understand that there's no "my money" or "her money". all the money belongs to the family and serves the family. detachment from material possessions! and the hardest part: be truthful to your heart. the desire to grow has to be DEEP.